Discover Taos

Photo courtesy of Kurt Schmidt.
 
What’s not to love about Taos, New Mexico? Friendly people, green chile, and endless pow with accompanying steeps. Yes, this small ski spot in the northern part of the state is a skier’s paradise – it has a stop on the Freeride World Tour, one of the highest chairlifts in North America, and on a powder day it’s other worldly.
The Mountain

• Taos Ski Valley sees 321 inches of annual snowfall, while also enjoying 285 days of sunshine.
• Along with more accessible terrain for beginner and intermediate skiers, Taos is known for steep, hike-to sections – West Basin Ridge and Highline Ridge – of the mountain that fall within bounds and are patrolled by ski patrol.
• Kachina Peak, previously a local’s stash accessible only via a long bootpack, became accessible by chairlift  – the Kachina Peak Lift – a few years ago. 1,100 feet of vertical rise drops skiers and snowboarders at 12,481 feet, making the lift one of the highest chairlifts in North America.

Taos has always been on the radar as a skier’s mountain, and now, the ski area is looking to the future. A new base development plan released by the resort is hoping to expand skier experience in the coming years, and offer more amenities at the foot of the mountain. The first part of the plan has already come to fruition; The Blake is an 80-room alpine guest house steps from Lift 1, with an accompanying restaurant on site.
Sound intriguing? We’re partnering with SnoCountry.com, Taos Ski Valley, OpenSnow, and Astis Mittens to giveaway a 3-day trip for two to this snowy spot, complete with lift tickets, rentals, a stay at the newly opened Blake, and two pairs of Astis Mittens. The contest runs until December 31st; check out our website for promotion details. And, if for some reason reading about Taos isn’t doing it for you, the video below might have you rethinking that one.