March 4-6, 2007 - Taos,Angel Fire,Santa Fe

It has been a good ski season in NM and we decided to stop by a few of the more popular ski areas. We arrived at Taos on a Sunday but were surprised at the lack of crowds for a weekend. FWIW, Taos does not allow snowboards. They received 5”of new during the storm that deposited 20” at Wolf Creek a few days ago. Unfortunately, they received strong winds and Kachina Peak was quite bare and rocky plus the snow off piste was stiff and wind affected. Some folks were hiking the ridge line and I did see a couple of scratchy tracks off a line of Kachina. The terrain is wonderful with numerous chutes, tree lines and gullies. We had a sunny and cold day and we cruised the groomers and practiced our “howdy” with a few Texans.

On Monday the 5th, we skied at Angel Fire and we almost blew it off our schedule. The area is southeast of Taos with a summit that is below tree line. The area has character with trails cut thru the trees and has numerous rolls like most ski areas back East. They have extensive snowmaking and grooming. We really enjoyed the high speed groomers and the 2 glade areas. It seems to attract a larger intermediate crowd and it seems more laid back than Taos.

On Tuesday the 6th, we skied Santa Fe. Another sunny day and the temperatures were rising. Last Thursday it was 6 degrees at Wolf Creek, today it was approaching 60 degrees. The views from the summit at 12, 075’ down to Sandia Peak near Albuquerque then north to CO were great. Unfortunately, the winds from the last storm hammered the upper terrain and stiffened the off piste runs. The tree skiing here looks fantastic with glades everywhere. With the increasing temperatures the snow pack was beginning to turn spring like. Timing is everything and the conditions were ideal for cruising. Last week was a powder event in NM and then we were skiing the same storm in powder in CO.

Although our expectations were low for Angel Fire, it was the most enjoyable during our visit due to the weather and limited number of skiers. Next stop, the eastern Sierra. Sounds like the snow pack has increased by a “bunch of” feet since our visit in early February.

The photo looks towards the ridge hike and Kachina Peak off to the left.

Good to hear that you made it to New Mexico to ski!
The last time I skied Taos we went to Kachina peak and there were Texans on the hike who were on their hands an knees desperately gasping for air.
Also, a crew of locals took turns dragging a paraplegic skier on a sled all the way out to Kachina Peak!
There was quite the party (30 people) out there on the summit, lots of booze and other burnt tributes before the guy descended the bowl on his single ski sled. Fortunate to witness the first paraplegic to descend that peak!
Al's run nearly killed me every time-I don't think that I ever made it down Al's non-stop to the bottom.
Ironically, several years before, that is how the above mentioned skier was paralyzed, he tried to non-stop Al's, got out of control and ended up in the trees. Kind of a harsh penalty.

That is pretty country out there!
Hope you have more powder and fun, along with safe travels!
Joe

Great to hear your take on some of the places where I learned to ski, Zap. Now if you just head south to Ruidoso, ride the gondola, take a look at White Sands, and cuise the bowls off Sierra Blanca Peak, then you'll be my hero. I'll give you my mom's number in Roswell; they'll treat you to some killer "Christmas" enchiladas.

Sounds fun, Zap.
Keep up the good work and keep checkin' in.

Joe, Al's Run is still as bumpy as you experienced. On our day at Taos, I only saw one skier descending the firm bumps and he had the look of a young man who realized he made a mistake and was trapped. I skied Al's on my previous visit 15 years ago but then I had knees that were 15 years younger.

Sky, now you tell me about the "Christmas enchiladas". I have an old ski map from Ski Apache and the terrain looks excellent. While sitting in the van in Bishop,CA, I called the snow report and learned that the gondola is out of service but looks like chair #1 could still get you to the summit. The artists rendering of Sierra Blanca on the ski map shows a large cliff band. I can only imagine some of your descent lines.

Ron, this "work" requires a visit to the local hot springs near Mammoth.

I never did go to the summit of Sierra Blanca, but it does appear to have a few sporty little lines.