We recently packed the car and headed down to Taos in search of that good white powder. The mountain had been getting slammed by some really aggressive spring storms and word on the street was that the conditions were all time. With talk of another potentially significant storm moving through the area, it seemed like the 4.5hr drive from Summit would be well worth it.
As we rolled into town on Monday afternoon, we decided to make a pit stop at the Taos Mesa Brewery to fill a growler with some local suds. We then proceeded to drive north of town to hit the John Dunn springs for a quick soak. Upon arriving at the springs, we were surprised to find that the water was almost as cold as our beer! The river had risen so rapidly from the previous storm that it flooded the springs. Although there was some initial disappointment that we couldn't soak, it was a clear indication that northern NM had been receiving some serious precipitation.
We opted to stay in the Ski Valley to be close to the action. The forecast called for some moderate to heavy snow overnight. After a wonderful dinner at ACEQ in Arroyo Seco, we drove up the canyon road and checked into our humble abode. We unloaded the car, settled into our condo, and began passing around the ULLR. Moments later, the snow guns turned on. In a serious way.
We awoke to a TSV that could proudly boast a 100" base on March 28th, a most righteous accomplishment. The snow was soft and the skiing was stellar! Coverage on the mountain was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I simply couldn't get over how filled in the place was! With the sun shining on our faces, we decided to start the first day off right with a hike to the Highline Ridge.
Billy Sol was largely untracked and skied like a dream. We dropped the cornice and immediately charged into the trees where we found cold, winter snow! The runout got a little heavier, particularly in the areas that were getting sun. But all things considered, it was a pretty solid way to start the day!
We then skied down to Chair 4. We heard that the Kachina Lift would most likely start turning around 10am, so we rushed over to get first tracks on the peak. After a 15 minute wait, the chair started spinning and we headed up. I drooled the entire lift ride, fantasizing about the untracked lines I would ski.
Literally, some of the greatest turns of my life! So great, that I'm not even going to waste time here trying to come up with words to describe something so blissfully indescribable.
We finished out the morning lapping the peak and then headed back to the frontside for a quick lunch at Tim's. The frito pie was delish and the Bloody Maria with Patron paired perfectly.
The afternoon was spent lapping Chair 2 and skiing the upper frontside. West Blitz, Reforma, Winston, Pollux, and Castor all skied wonderfully. So well, in fact, that we decided to hang out for sweep so that we could snag one last run after 4pm. I signed us up for Al's, a true Taos classic. A wet fog moved in just as we departed PHQ and started our descent towards the lower frontside; Bambi, Zagava, and then on to Al's. The snow definitely got more springlike as we descended toward the base, but the big, soft bumps were a real treat for our last run of the day.
We decided to start our second day on the lower frontside. Rhoda's was largely untracked at 9:45am, so we opted to lay a few through there to warmup. The legs were definitely a little tired from the previous days escapades, but the snow was begging to be torn up! On our second ride up Chair 1, we bumped into patrol as they were getting ready to drop the rope on Ernie's and North American. We broke trail and were the first into Ernie's after it had been closed for 3 days. Glorious snow and perfectly spaced trees made for a truly magical moment. Let us all take a deep breath and reflect.....
The rest of the morning was spent hiking West Basin. Stauffenberg, Zdarsky, and St. Bernard skied as well as ever. They were so filled in that they didn't feel nearly as steep as I know they are. Absolutely unreal.
After a quick lunch at the Bavarian, we grabbed our gear and headed back towards the Kachina chair. They had just started spinning the lift when we got there and we managed to get to the top while there were still freshies to be had. Kachina definitely tracked out faster than it did the previous day, but the snow was just so good that it didn't matter.
We lapped Kachina until they closed the chair and then did a quick 7 to 7A for our final hike of the trip.
We took our time as we climbed up to Juarez, enjoying the views and the perfect weather. As we reached the top, the clouds parted and the sun shined bright. We started our descent at a little after 4pm, giving the mountain a moment to clear out so we could enjoy a peaceful return to the Bavarian. With the whole mountain to ourselves, we took one last look around, said thank you to ULLR, and pointed it to the bottom.
Taos Bro!
As we rolled into town on Monday afternoon, we decided to make a pit stop at the Taos Mesa Brewery to fill a growler with some local suds. We then proceeded to drive north of town to hit the John Dunn springs for a quick soak. Upon arriving at the springs, we were surprised to find that the water was almost as cold as our beer! The river had risen so rapidly from the previous storm that it flooded the springs. Although there was some initial disappointment that we couldn't soak, it was a clear indication that northern NM had been receiving some serious precipitation.
We opted to stay in the Ski Valley to be close to the action. The forecast called for some moderate to heavy snow overnight. After a wonderful dinner at ACEQ in Arroyo Seco, we drove up the canyon road and checked into our humble abode. We unloaded the car, settled into our condo, and began passing around the ULLR. Moments later, the snow guns turned on. In a serious way.
We awoke to a TSV that could proudly boast a 100" base on March 28th, a most righteous accomplishment. The snow was soft and the skiing was stellar! Coverage on the mountain was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I simply couldn't get over how filled in the place was! With the sun shining on our faces, we decided to start the first day off right with a hike to the Highline Ridge.
Billy Sol was largely untracked and skied like a dream. We dropped the cornice and immediately charged into the trees where we found cold, winter snow! The runout got a little heavier, particularly in the areas that were getting sun. But all things considered, it was a pretty solid way to start the day!
We then skied down to Chair 4. We heard that the Kachina Lift would most likely start turning around 10am, so we rushed over to get first tracks on the peak. After a 15 minute wait, the chair started spinning and we headed up. I drooled the entire lift ride, fantasizing about the untracked lines I would ski.
Literally, some of the greatest turns of my life! So great, that I'm not even going to waste time here trying to come up with words to describe something so blissfully indescribable.
We finished out the morning lapping the peak and then headed back to the frontside for a quick lunch at Tim's. The frito pie was delish and the Bloody Maria with Patron paired perfectly.
The afternoon was spent lapping Chair 2 and skiing the upper frontside. West Blitz, Reforma, Winston, Pollux, and Castor all skied wonderfully. So well, in fact, that we decided to hang out for sweep so that we could snag one last run after 4pm. I signed us up for Al's, a true Taos classic. A wet fog moved in just as we departed PHQ and started our descent towards the lower frontside; Bambi, Zagava, and then on to Al's. The snow definitely got more springlike as we descended toward the base, but the big, soft bumps were a real treat for our last run of the day.
We decided to start our second day on the lower frontside. Rhoda's was largely untracked at 9:45am, so we opted to lay a few through there to warmup. The legs were definitely a little tired from the previous days escapades, but the snow was begging to be torn up! On our second ride up Chair 1, we bumped into patrol as they were getting ready to drop the rope on Ernie's and North American. We broke trail and were the first into Ernie's after it had been closed for 3 days. Glorious snow and perfectly spaced trees made for a truly magical moment. Let us all take a deep breath and reflect.....
The rest of the morning was spent hiking West Basin. Stauffenberg, Zdarsky, and St. Bernard skied as well as ever. They were so filled in that they didn't feel nearly as steep as I know they are. Absolutely unreal.
After a quick lunch at the Bavarian, we grabbed our gear and headed back towards the Kachina chair. They had just started spinning the lift when we got there and we managed to get to the top while there were still freshies to be had. Kachina definitely tracked out faster than it did the previous day, but the snow was just so good that it didn't matter.
We lapped Kachina until they closed the chair and then did a quick 7 to 7A for our final hike of the trip.
We took our time as we climbed up to Juarez, enjoying the views and the perfect weather. As we reached the top, the clouds parted and the sun shined bright. We started our descent at a little after 4pm, giving the mountain a moment to clear out so we could enjoy a peaceful return to the Bavarian. With the whole mountain to ourselves, we took one last look around, said thank you to ULLR, and pointed it to the bottom.
Taos Bro!
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