Glad to see a Ski Santa Fe thread!
When thinking about skiing in NM most people think of Taos, just to Santa Fe's north as the crow flys but 90 minutes-2 hours or so by car.
If you are on a road trip, on your way to Taos or traveling through Albuquerque but want to check out Santa Fe you should check out the ski area, 15 miles up a mountain road from town. Ski Santa Fe is one of the highest areas in North America, in the parking lot you are at 10,350 feet and the peak is over 12K. The weather, snow conditions are similar to Taos as is much of the terrain, plenty of groomed but lots of trees, steeps, and glades as well.
We get a lot of visitors from OK/Texas as well as from Az and Ca. It's particularly popular with families and groups with members who don't ski or don't want to ski every day as Santa Fe and the surrounding area (including the town of Taos) offers so much in culture, history, and art, making it a top tourist destination in its own right. Ski Santa Fe also is considerably less expensive than many of the resorts to our north in Colorado. Especially good with groups who have beginner/novice skiers as the rental/lift/lesson packages are reasonable but there is plenty of terrain for intermediates/advanced and expert skiers and if you visit on a powder day you will be in heaven!
The base has a large lodge housing a spacious rental and ski shop area with modern equipment as well as high-performance equipment available. There is a ski clothing store with anything that you might have forgotten and plenty of logo wear/stickers etc. The cafeteria upstairs has a large seating area and serves among the best food you will find in a similar setting. The soups and other items are prepared fresh daily, don't forget to try the Green Chile stew.
There is not a bar at the base but there is one up the mountain. You have to be able to ride the easy street chair where it is a short hike up or take chair 2 and exit at the midway station, but the steep off-ramp can be intimidating for some beginners/novices. Or you could hike, but remember you are somewhere between 10K and 11K feet in elevation. Totemoff's is the name of the bar, named after Pete Totemoff who helped Ernie Blake found Taos. Pete was a ranger in the mountains where the area is located who trekked up the ridges with Ernie above an abandoned mining area that would later become Taos Ski Valley. After skiing down it he famoulsy told Ernie Blake that it was too steep, people would not want to ski it. Ernie thought otherwise and the rest is history. Later Pete retired and ran the bar and midway station here.
Totemoff's is a rustic place with a large fire roaring most days. In addition to a full bar, you can get soup, green chile stew, and other snacks. Outside on the spacious deck, there is often a grill going serving burgers and often there will be live music. It's a great place to watch skiers descending down into Grand Central from the upper mountain or watching skiers coming down some nearby black diamond mogul runs.
The weather is similar to whatever is going on at Taos and like the rest of the Rockies the heaviest snow months are Feb/March/April but that's not to say there is not a lot of snow earlier, its just those are the most active snowstorm months. The terrain, although smaller is much like Taos as well. Lots of groomed but plenty of steeps, glades, trees and mogul runs to explore. If you are lucky enough to arrive on a powder day you will enjoy the light fluffy stuff that falls at higher elevations in a somewhat arid climate. As in Taos, even days after a storm you will find fresh tracks to cut if you know where to look, say Tequila Trees, Big Rocks Glade, Cornice, as well as the north and south burns and a few other places like in the trees off Columbine.
While I love Taos (I had a season pass there for many years, but the commute is a little far to want to make it 5 plus days a week) Ski Santa Fe is my home area where I spend the bulk of my 80-100 day ski season (teaching). The area can get quite busy on weekends and particularly holidays. If you arrive then plan on coming up by 8 am, have breakfast or a cup of coffee as you relax and wait for the lifts to open at 9 AM (often earlier) and be glad that you both got a good parking space and are not stuck in the long winding trails of cars still on their way up sometimes complicated by a snowy/icy steep mountain road with lots of switchbacks and hairpin turns.
I'll try and keep it updated as the season progresses. If you are in the area stop in and say hello, you won't be disappointed!
Here is some more information about the area from the Dallas Morning News as well as quick video that shows the area:
When thinking about skiing in NM most people think of Taos, just to Santa Fe's north as the crow flys but 90 minutes-2 hours or so by car.
If you are on a road trip, on your way to Taos or traveling through Albuquerque but want to check out Santa Fe you should check out the ski area, 15 miles up a mountain road from town. Ski Santa Fe is one of the highest areas in North America, in the parking lot you are at 10,350 feet and the peak is over 12K. The weather, snow conditions are similar to Taos as is much of the terrain, plenty of groomed but lots of trees, steeps, and glades as well.
We get a lot of visitors from OK/Texas as well as from Az and Ca. It's particularly popular with families and groups with members who don't ski or don't want to ski every day as Santa Fe and the surrounding area (including the town of Taos) offers so much in culture, history, and art, making it a top tourist destination in its own right. Ski Santa Fe also is considerably less expensive than many of the resorts to our north in Colorado. Especially good with groups who have beginner/novice skiers as the rental/lift/lesson packages are reasonable but there is plenty of terrain for intermediates/advanced and expert skiers and if you visit on a powder day you will be in heaven!
The base has a large lodge housing a spacious rental and ski shop area with modern equipment as well as high-performance equipment available. There is a ski clothing store with anything that you might have forgotten and plenty of logo wear/stickers etc. The cafeteria upstairs has a large seating area and serves among the best food you will find in a similar setting. The soups and other items are prepared fresh daily, don't forget to try the Green Chile stew.
There is not a bar at the base but there is one up the mountain. You have to be able to ride the easy street chair where it is a short hike up or take chair 2 and exit at the midway station, but the steep off-ramp can be intimidating for some beginners/novices. Or you could hike, but remember you are somewhere between 10K and 11K feet in elevation. Totemoff's is the name of the bar, named after Pete Totemoff who helped Ernie Blake found Taos. Pete was a ranger in the mountains where the area is located who trekked up the ridges with Ernie above an abandoned mining area that would later become Taos Ski Valley. After skiing down it he famoulsy told Ernie Blake that it was too steep, people would not want to ski it. Ernie thought otherwise and the rest is history. Later Pete retired and ran the bar and midway station here.
Totemoff's is a rustic place with a large fire roaring most days. In addition to a full bar, you can get soup, green chile stew, and other snacks. Outside on the spacious deck, there is often a grill going serving burgers and often there will be live music. It's a great place to watch skiers descending down into Grand Central from the upper mountain or watching skiers coming down some nearby black diamond mogul runs.
The weather is similar to whatever is going on at Taos and like the rest of the Rockies the heaviest snow months are Feb/March/April but that's not to say there is not a lot of snow earlier, its just those are the most active snowstorm months. The terrain, although smaller is much like Taos as well. Lots of groomed but plenty of steeps, glades, trees and mogul runs to explore. If you are lucky enough to arrive on a powder day you will enjoy the light fluffy stuff that falls at higher elevations in a somewhat arid climate. As in Taos, even days after a storm you will find fresh tracks to cut if you know where to look, say Tequila Trees, Big Rocks Glade, Cornice, as well as the north and south burns and a few other places like in the trees off Columbine.
While I love Taos (I had a season pass there for many years, but the commute is a little far to want to make it 5 plus days a week) Ski Santa Fe is my home area where I spend the bulk of my 80-100 day ski season (teaching). The area can get quite busy on weekends and particularly holidays. If you arrive then plan on coming up by 8 am, have breakfast or a cup of coffee as you relax and wait for the lifts to open at 9 AM (often earlier) and be glad that you both got a good parking space and are not stuck in the long winding trails of cars still on their way up sometimes complicated by a snowy/icy steep mountain road with lots of switchbacks and hairpin turns.
I'll try and keep it updated as the season progresses. If you are in the area stop in and say hello, you won't be disappointed!
Here is some more information about the area from the Dallas Morning News as well as quick video that shows the area:
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