jamesdeluxe
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2020
While at the World Cup Café in Taos for coffee, pastries, and a dose of attitude, my wife rolled her eyes upon hearing a barrista describe Angel Fire as “a good place to take your girlfriend.” But a few hours later, all was forgiven, because it’s exactly the kind of ski area that she loves, and as long as you’re not expecting Taos-level challenging terrain, you’ll like it too. Lots of twisty, rolling cruisers, some football-field wide, some really narrow.
The drive to Angel Fire this morning was pretty slippery, but we arrived to find a four-inch dusting and no wind, highly appreciated after our previous day. With 210 inches of annual snowfall and approximately 400 acres of terrain, Angel Fire’s secret sauce is its long intermediate groomers, making it the yin to Taos’s yang. Two high-speed quads (the only ones in New Mexico) cover 2,000 vertical feet on the front side and 1,300 feet on the back – most of which are twisty, rolling, tree-lined runs that could have been lifted directly from New England, but with value-added panoramic views of the Moreno Valley.
Juliet on Gusto Grande
Baa-Da-Boom
The only real annoyance at Angel Fire is what felt like one of the longest, flattest run-outs in North America (on the lower half of the front side).
While top-to-bottom cruising took up most of our morning, I spent the afternoon tracking up the dusting that had fallen overnight on two deserted glade areas on the back side, along with a few sections of short, single-black shots. While skiing on one of those trails – on the far skier’s right after a short hike/skate – I got a better look at the large swath of terrain that’s been earmarked on the trail map (for years, it seems) as the site for a lift expansion – one that would increase Angel Fire’s black-diamond quotient. However, it’s still in the “future plans” phase.
Me on Ripcord
All in all, it was an enjoyable, relaxing outing with lots of vertical, effortless turns on soft snow, some nice tree-skiing, beautiful views, and no crowds. And if you haven’t run into your share of Texans or Oklahomans lately, Angel Fire is your place.
DAP: Dallas-American Princess
JAP: Jersey-American Princess
The drive to Angel Fire this morning was pretty slippery, but we arrived to find a four-inch dusting and no wind, highly appreciated after our previous day. With 210 inches of annual snowfall and approximately 400 acres of terrain, Angel Fire’s secret sauce is its long intermediate groomers, making it the yin to Taos’s yang. Two high-speed quads (the only ones in New Mexico) cover 2,000 vertical feet on the front side and 1,300 feet on the back – most of which are twisty, rolling, tree-lined runs that could have been lifted directly from New England, but with value-added panoramic views of the Moreno Valley.
Juliet on Gusto Grande
Baa-Da-Boom
The only real annoyance at Angel Fire is what felt like one of the longest, flattest run-outs in North America (on the lower half of the front side).
While top-to-bottom cruising took up most of our morning, I spent the afternoon tracking up the dusting that had fallen overnight on two deserted glade areas on the back side, along with a few sections of short, single-black shots. While skiing on one of those trails – on the far skier’s right after a short hike/skate – I got a better look at the large swath of terrain that’s been earmarked on the trail map (for years, it seems) as the site for a lift expansion – one that would increase Angel Fire’s black-diamond quotient. However, it’s still in the “future plans” phase.
Me on Ripcord
All in all, it was an enjoyable, relaxing outing with lots of vertical, effortless turns on soft snow, some nice tree-skiing, beautiful views, and no crowds. And if you haven’t run into your share of Texans or Oklahomans lately, Angel Fire is your place.
DAP: Dallas-American Princess
JAP: Jersey-American Princess
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