takeahike46er
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2020
When I planned for the trip to Taos in early December, I was hoping for conditions like these: North Face 12/31/09.
What I got was a substantially below normal base and barely an inch of snow in the past week or so. In spite of the less than desirable conditions, I was extremely impressed at how well the mountain skied.
Great snow preservation and limited access to parts of the mountain goes a long way. My first time visiting Taos was a blast, and it certainly lived up to its slogan, "Taos: a four letter word for steep". I would love to return someday when conditions are more favorable.
Taos Ski Valley has an old-school feel. There is limited on-site lodging, no grooming on black terrain, and the best runs require a 10 - 45 minute hike. The facilities at the mountain are utilitarian, and the lifts are old and slow. The mountain only started allowing snowboarders as recently as 2008.
The three days spent skiing were sunny with generally fast conditions. The only exception was the <a href="http://skitaos.org/files/HighlineRidge.pdf">Highline Ridge</a> where the snow was soft and refreshed with windblown snow off of the ridge above.
While the hike-to terrain yielded the best snow, you had to work for it. At 12,000 feet, it was easy to get winded even if the hike was only a couple hundred vertical feet. I took three runs off of the Highline Ridge each day. Most of my runs were down Juarez because I was skiing by myself, and I was advised that it wouldn't have been smart to ski solo down the more remote terrain.
A few times, I was able to join up with some groups and ski further out along the ridge-- specifically Corner Chute and Two Bucks. Both runs started wide and then funneled into some open glades. There was some untracked snow off of the top with soft, packed snow further down chutes.
There were bumps to be found all over the mountain, and even the blue runs had some bumps left ungroomed on the side. This was no Gore or Whiteface! Of the lift served terrain, my favorite was Lorelei-- a series of steep mogul fields punctuated with glades that softened nicely with the morning sun.
I tended to avoid the parts of the mountain that were in a perpetual shadow-- notably the lower main face above the base. The fast snow, flat lighting and massive moguls made it extremely challenging for someone with my skill set. I took one run and that was enough for me! Aside from the steeper chutes along the ridge, this is the part of the mountain that could have benefitted the most from some fresh snow.
While my ski trip to Taos wasn't ideal, I tried to make the best of my time there and enjoy my first trip to New Mexico. The people were extremely friendly, the food was delicious, and the surroundings were beautiful. Plus, the trip was extremely affordable. I'd like to go back-- I just wouldn't book the trip so far in advance.
What I got was a substantially below normal base and barely an inch of snow in the past week or so. In spite of the less than desirable conditions, I was extremely impressed at how well the mountain skied.
Great snow preservation and limited access to parts of the mountain goes a long way. My first time visiting Taos was a blast, and it certainly lived up to its slogan, "Taos: a four letter word for steep". I would love to return someday when conditions are more favorable.
Taos Ski Valley has an old-school feel. There is limited on-site lodging, no grooming on black terrain, and the best runs require a 10 - 45 minute hike. The facilities at the mountain are utilitarian, and the lifts are old and slow. The mountain only started allowing snowboarders as recently as 2008.
The three days spent skiing were sunny with generally fast conditions. The only exception was the <a href="http://skitaos.org/files/HighlineRidge.pdf">Highline Ridge</a> where the snow was soft and refreshed with windblown snow off of the ridge above.
While the hike-to terrain yielded the best snow, you had to work for it. At 12,000 feet, it was easy to get winded even if the hike was only a couple hundred vertical feet. I took three runs off of the Highline Ridge each day. Most of my runs were down Juarez because I was skiing by myself, and I was advised that it wouldn't have been smart to ski solo down the more remote terrain.
A few times, I was able to join up with some groups and ski further out along the ridge-- specifically Corner Chute and Two Bucks. Both runs started wide and then funneled into some open glades. There was some untracked snow off of the top with soft, packed snow further down chutes.
There were bumps to be found all over the mountain, and even the blue runs had some bumps left ungroomed on the side. This was no Gore or Whiteface! Of the lift served terrain, my favorite was Lorelei-- a series of steep mogul fields punctuated with glades that softened nicely with the morning sun.
I tended to avoid the parts of the mountain that were in a perpetual shadow-- notably the lower main face above the base. The fast snow, flat lighting and massive moguls made it extremely challenging for someone with my skill set. I took one run and that was enough for me! Aside from the steeper chutes along the ridge, this is the part of the mountain that could have benefitted the most from some fresh snow.
While my ski trip to Taos wasn't ideal, I tried to make the best of my time there and enjoy my first trip to New Mexico. The people were extremely friendly, the food was delicious, and the surroundings were beautiful. Plus, the trip was extremely affordable. I'd like to go back-- I just wouldn't book the trip so far in advance.
