Angel Fire NM March 2022

DHA

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Sep 14, 2020
For the past couple of years my wife and I have towed our 22 foot travel trailer to the far reaches of the south and west to spend the months of March and April doing a little skiing and a lot of hiking. This year we landed at Angel Fire, NM for the second week of March. We'd planned on Ski Apache in Riodoso NM. The wife likes warmer temps and the sun, and Taos scares her. But Apache was in a snow drought, so the back up plan was engaged: Angel Fire. It's further north, seems much colder and normally sees 200+ inches a year, plus it has more snow making. But as of March 1, it had received only 88 inches and was heavily using its expansive snow making facilities. They were about 70% open, which seemed pretty decent for a crappy year.

The day after our arrival we relaxed "at home" in the trailer because I was tired from driving the previous 3 days. Plus we needed a day to get acclimated to the 8,000 foot altitude. My wife noted that the forecast was for "1-3 inches" of light snow for each of the following three days. Fortunately the forecast was very, very wrong. A few inches turned into the biggest snowstorm of the winter, and the 2022 snow drought was over, at least for Angel Fire. There was 12 inches on the ground (at our trailer!) the morning of the first day, another 10 inches on the second day, and another 18 fell over days 3 and 4.... The place was not 100 percent open only because snow was blowing off the trail under the longest and steepest trail under the looooooooong lift.

Angel Fire doesn't have many lifts, but what it does have is simply this: the 2nd longest chairlift (named Chile Express) in the world (https://www.getskitickets.com/blog/the-ride-of-a-lifetime-worlds-longest-chairs/). It's a detachable quad from the base to the summit that is nearly 11,000 feet, or two miles long. And it's fast. Off this one lift are a wide assortment of mostly intermediate and beginner trails with a vertical drop of about 2,300 feet. On the backside is another high speed quad serving 1,500 feet of vertical drop of mostly expert and intermediate terrain.There are a couple of more chairs serving the beginner areas, the terrain park near the summit and a night skiing area. AF is the only place with night skiing in New Mexico. It has lights on about 1,000 feet of vertical. While the lifts are not numerous, we were there during spring break week, yet never had to wait in line at a lift and never felt crowded on the trails.

There is plenty of beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain, but its known for its intermediate terrain. It reminded me of Gore, only with more and better terrain, no gondola, and better snow. And instead of dealing with the NYC and Jersey boiz and princesses, there are tons of clueless Texans. Fortunately the clueless are found in the beginner areas and the easiest greens.

For our first run the first day, in a snowstorm, we stuck to green and blue trails from the top. It took us about 20 minutes to cruise back to the bottom, stopping several times to figure out where we were and examining the old school paper trail map, which they handed to everyone picking up tickets, whether you wanted one or not. Being first timers at AF we asked fellow chairlift riders where to go for intermediate runs, and were told how to easily avoid the long flat run-out under the Chile Express towards the bottom.

After our first couple of runs the first day we realized we were having a blast. We'd spend 15 to 30 minutes going down twisting curving New England style trails and only about 12 minutes going back up. We ate lunch every day (a great burger and tacos) at the summit.
And after lunch every day we headed to the backside's more difficult trails. We decided these were even better than the front and would stay back there until exhaustion set in.

At lunch one day we struck up a conversation with some folks who'd been talking about their drive from Denver the night. I asked them why they'd drive south into New Mexico for a comparatively small area. We got an earful about insane lines and prices in Colorado, Breckenridge was called out especially, and that Angel Fire's ticket and lodging prices are a comparable bargain.

On day two the snow lightened up in the afternoon and I dug out my wide skis and hiked (1/4 mile) with another guy into the deep ungroomed no lift area on the backside. These are steeps with moderately flat run-outs. I was thrilled until I made the dumb rookie mistake of stopping on a flat area, where I found myself waist deep in powder.

I asked why the area was not served by a lift and learned that there are long time property owning skiers who are able to access the area with snowmobiles and like it just fine as it is -- nearly empty. And over several days I saw several snowmobiles pulling skiers, water skier style, from the summit area over to these trails. An instructor I talked to also mentioned that management was worried about how to keep the beginners away if there was a lift. And the cost of a new lift was a consideration....... Anyway, if you want un-tracked deep powder that you have to walk for.... well... Angel Fire has that.

Angel Fire is an hour east of Taos. It does not have the "World Class Reputation".... but if you want a relaxed skiing experience for a beginner, intermediate or expert, give it a try. We had lots of fun.
 
Nice description. Here are my reports from Feb 2009 and Dec 2002 with pix. I had the same observation about Texans but they're the reason that AF stays open.

We'd planned on Ski Apache in Riodoso NM. The wife likes warmer temps and the sun, and Taos scares her.
in northern NM: Santa Fe, Sipapu, Red River, and Pajarito are worth checking out.
 
I learned this just this year:

"The Slide Brook Express Quad at Sugarbush is the longest and fastest detachable quad in the world. Installed in 1995, this chairlift travels a total of 11,012 feet between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen."

And, it didn't run all season, due to lack of personnel, I was told
 
I learned this just this year:

"The Slide Brook Express Quad at Sugarbush is the longest and fastest detachable quad in the world. Installed in 1995, this chairlift travels a total of 11,012 feet between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen."

And, it didn't run all season, due to lack of personnel, I was told
The first time I rode that lift I was totally unprepared for the downhill portion. It freaked me out a little.
 
"The Slide Brook Express Quad at Sugarbush is the longest and fastest detachable quad in the world. Installed in 1995, this chairlift travels a total of 11,012 feet between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen."
I find it hard to believe that Slide Brook is the "longest in the world" given some of the ones I've ridden in the Alps but whatever.
 
Yeah, you may be right. The person who I talked to at Sugarbush claimed it was the longest in North America. But that's what I found on the internet, and, as we all know, everything you read on the internet is true.
 
"The Slide Brook Express Quad at Sugarbush is the longest and fastest detachable quad in the world
I just noticed the part underlined above rather than the longest/fastest lift in the world, which it certainly isn't. Who knows, maybe it is the longest HSQ although I suspect that it's only referring to North America.
 
I just noticed the part underlined above rather than the longest/fastest lift in the world, which it certainly isn't. Who knows, maybe it is the longest HSQ although I suspect that it's only referring to North America.
I wouldn't be surprised I'd it were. Detachable quad is the key. It felt longer than the peak to peak.
I rode in a drizzly fog by myself and did not pass another rider going the other way. I actually got on it by mistake.
 
Thanks for the great report. Perfect timing snow fall can be pretty rare. I'm not surprised those upper trails have no lift, 25 years ago the locals said the same.
 
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