Arizona/New Mexico Info on New Mexico ski areas, recommendations

[johnnyvw]

My daughter, who lives in Austin TX, is talking about making a trip to a New Mexico ski area this winter with her BF (driving). She hasn't been on snow in about 10 years, and I think her BF has limited experience (both snowboarders BTW). So definitely need someplace with a lot of beginner and intermediate terrain to help them get back in the swing of things. Any suggestions would be helpful and very welcome.
Thanks!

 

[Pajarito-bred]

This sounds like a good opportunity to mention Angel Fire, a small resort about an hour east of Taos with a ton of beginner/intermediate terrain, and very popular with Texans. It's about an 11.5 hour drive from Austin, but that's a short drive for many Texans, has a couple of high-speed lifts, too. Red River is just a little farther west, also popular with Texans. While Taos does have some nice easier terrain, I'd recommend saving that for a second trip or beyond, there's an awful lot of long, busy traverses that would not be fun for a beginner/intermediate snowboarder.

There's a couple of small resorts in Ruidoso, in southern NM (Ski Apache, Cloudcroft) which have enough elevation to have decent snow most years. It's only about a 9.5 hour drive. ( I haven't skied there, but Apache looks to have plenty of low-intermediate terrain).

Other Options: Ski Santa Fe- high elevation, good snow most years, but has just one main lift that serves lower-intermediate terrain. You'll probably find Angel Fire ski condos less spendy than staying near the Santa Fe plaza, SF totally worthwhile for a longer NM visit that includes a couple of ski days.
I'm not recommending Pajarito here, the only place I've ever skied where moguls were allowed to build on beginner runs (at least pre-millenium).

The state tourist agency has a good website with more info:

Ski New Mexico – Skiing and Snowboarding in the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico offers exceptional skiing & snowboarding at incredible prices. Check out one of our 8 amazing alpine resorts and get more information on their unique destinations.

skinewmexico.com

 

[johnnyvw]

Thanks for the intel. Angel Fire did seem to have a lot more in the way of blue runs. And I know traverses suck for snowboarders LOL

I think she mentioned her BF knows someone who lives in NM, so that may determine where they end up going. But I'll definitely pass along this info. Especially that website

 

[clong83]

I will second the vote for Angel Fire as a great place for beginners/intermediates. Sipapu is also great for this level, and very affordable. It has iffy snow some years, and is a bit smaller, but most of their terrain is accessible for this level of skill.

Cloudcroft I have never skied, but it is a crapshoot if that place even opens most years. It is very small. I have skied Apache a couple of times, and if they have some decent snow it might be worth going there to save some driving time.

Ski Santa Fe is underrated, and is very family oriented. They have a little bit of everything. A really good skier won't be bored there, but they have a ton of accessible terrain off the main lift. And the two upper chairs (especially millenium chair) have plenty of blue runs of varying difficulty.

In a marginal snow year, I'd pick Ski Santa Fe. They have a good snow making operation on their lower mountain and will likely have the best variety open if we get another skunky year. In a good year, I'd go with Sipapu or maybe Angel Fire. Or Santa Fe.

Pajarito.... hasn't changed much. Not a great place for beginners. The "easiest" green from the top, Lone Spruce, would be a blue at any other mountain. And if they let it go ungroomed, maybe even a black. It is a small but challenging mountain. It was built originally as a volunteer effort by the local ski club, so you could think of it as a ski resort built by ski enthusiasts, and built mostly for themselves without much mind to catering to tourists or beginners.

 

[Jerez]

Ski Santa Fe is underrated, and is very family oriented. They have a little bit of everything. A really good skier won't be bored there, but they have a ton of accessible terrain off the main lift. And the two upper chairs (especially millenium chair) have plenty of blue runs of varying difficulty.

In a marginal snow year, I'd pick Ski Santa Fe. They have a good snow making operation on their lower mountain and will likely have the best variety open if we get another skunky year. In a good year, I'd go with Sipapu or maybe Angel Fire. Or Santa Fe.

This... Santa Fe has intermediate terrain off four lifts (But the blues are really blues, not beginner trails in disguise). Green terrain less so. But their grooming team is one of the best in the business. The same man has headed that group for decades and the snowcat operators have something like an average of 10 years at the Basin. So, if the snow is marginal, which it is looking like this year, that's an option. Also, Santa Fe is a much nicer town for a couple to spend time in than Angel Fire IMO. 11 hours from Austin

Ski Apache has wide-open great intermediate (in fact pretty much only intermediate) terrain. But the road up to it is a double black and if they are driving from TX on summer tires, it will be an exciting ride in the snow. 10 hours

No one has mentioned Sipapu. They are already open on manmade snow. It is a small mountain with no town at the base, but some lodging and Taos town isn't far away. It sits in a beautiful location and it would be very inexpensive. Less than pretty much any place else. 12 hours

Red River is a cool little town and is further north, so, if the drought continues, it might have more snow than other NM ski areas. 12 hours

Not NM, but Wolf Creek (Pagosa Springs) is another option and it pretty much always has good snow and has tons and tons of low intermediate terrain. 13 hours

Totally agree about Taos. Not worth the extra bucks for that kind of terrain.

Angel Fire does have good terrain parks, so if that appeals to the boarders, that could be a consideration. 12 hours

Since they're driving, the best advice IMO is to wait to decide based on conditions at the time.

 

[Seldomski]

There is a ski club in Austin. Might be too late to join most of their trips this season, but maybe next year? They don't usually go to NM though - trips tend to be fancier. And yes, snowboarders are allowed.

Home - Austin Skiers

non-profit, all volunteer social club for people who love winter sports, travel & social activities,

austinskiers.org

Trips are typically Saturday to Saturday. A bit of a commitment for young professionals with limited vacation days... but usually there are a number of friendly people on these to help out newbies to the sport, or those just getting back into it.

That drive to NM is long - I have done it a couple times (not for skiing though). Ski Sante Fe is a pretty good option. You don't quite make it up to the hardest part of the drive and spend the night in Sante Fe. Can't speak to anything else in NM - only been to Taos and that was 20+ years ago and I barely remember it.