Taos Ski Valley is under new ownership, and has just opened for the season. The resort had been founded in 1955 by Ernie Blake, but recently his heirs sold the property to New York financial wizard, Louis Bacon. Some skiers felt New Mexico’s Taos had lost a step or two to its Colorado rivals and was considered more hippie than hip. After a recent visit, Taos Ski Valley is clearly on the ascent, and with the advent of the Kachina Peak chairlift reaching over 12,480 feet, Taos might even be on top.
For a thousand years, Taos has always been different. The Taos tribe’s ancient “pueblo” was one of the first apartment complexes in the world, and certainly one of the longest continuously occupied dwellings anywhere. It is worth its own trip, especially for the Native artists and artisans who sell their work at amazing prices.
Driving into town from the south, art-goers will recognize the back of the Ranchos Church made famous by former resident, artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Film buffs might remember that Easy Rider was filmed here, and the town’s mysterious “hum” lured star Dennis Hopper to make Taos his home. Needless to say, even after Julia Roberts moved here a few years back, Taos is far more affordable than Aspen and always will be.
The old town of Taos is thankfully stuck in time, but the Ski Valley is changing before our eyes. This becomes apparent as the skier drives to the base and parks in the vast lots amidst the towering pines. Instead of dropping skiers off by the main lodge, the parking shuttle now stops a few dozen yards away, adjacent to a few quaint shops and tap rooms. The walk might be a bit longer now, but there is now more of a sense of arrival. The Ski Valley now feels more like a quaint village than a sprawling resort. On the walk back to the shuttle stop in the afternoon, the aroma of the freshly brewed beer from the tap rooms is certainly enticing after a hard day on the slopes.
The staff is uniformly friendly and knowledgeable. All were enthusiastic about the new ownership. They talked about new high speed chairs coming next season, and increased lodging at the base. They were justifiably proud that the Ski School is supposedly the best school in the country. My companion had never been on skis before, but she raved about her progress in a few short hours of the “Yellowbird” group lessons.
Still Taos Ski Valley has always been about the experts, and the Kachina Peak chair will be a game-change when it finally opens after the next big snows. Before the lift, it allegedly took a forty-five minute hike to reach the summit, but that forty-five could turn to forever if the skier was not in the best of shape. Now in just a few minutes, skiers will be whisked to 12,481 feet, well above the timberline, and one of the highest in the nation. Kachina might as well be Katmandu, the lift will serve some of the best open untouched high altitude bowl skiing outside of the Himalayas.
For one thousand years, Taos has been a destination, but now it’s definitely time to take another trip.
Check out the new improved site at skitaos.org and taospueblo.com. Taos is served by Albuquerque and Taos airports.
Author: Jonathan Miller
