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Mountain Review: Taos, New Mexico
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2024
- An in-depth video review of Taos Ski Valley, a ski area located in northern New Mexico. Filmed in April 2022; conditions were excellent for the time of year.
0:00 Intro
0:53 Snow Quality
1:27 On-Mountain Resiliency
2:15 Mountain Aesthetic
3:02 Size and Terrain Diversity
3:26 Beginner and Intermediate Terrain
3:49 Terrain Park Setup
3:58 Advanced Terrain
4:15 Expert Terrain
4:54 Hike-to Terrain
5:21 Expert Terrain Reliability
6:09 On-Mountain Facilities
6:29 Ease of Navigation
7:08 Lifts
7:36 Crowd Flow
8:09 Getting There
8:37 Base Village and Lodging
9:10 Aprés-ski
9:42 Verdict
10:02 Pricing
10:29 Score Breakdown and Rank
Overall Mountain Score: 65/100 - #31 in the Rockies
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Snow: 8/10
Resiliency: 4/10
Size: 5/10
Terrain Diversity: 7/10
Challenge: 9/10
Lifts: 4/10
Crowd Flow: 7/10
Facilities: 5/10
Navigation: 8/10
Mountain Aesthetic: 8/10
See our full resort breakdown and written review for Taos here: www.peakrankin...
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This commentary is accurate and helpful! Taos is NOT for beginners. Even intermediate-level skiers will find most of it daunting. It's a dream for advanced and expert skiers.
You know what they say? If you learn to ski at Taos you can ski anywhere!
@@rangerelevated7791 unless arapahoe basin.
I've skied Taos a lot and it has its share of intermediate and beginner runs. The problem is more of how they are arranged across the mountain. Getting to the far side of the mountain to access intermediate and beginner runs requires negotiating the difficult for beginners catwalk known as upper honeysuckle. If you want to return to the top to get back to the base, Bambi can be a really challenging intermediate for beginners and some intermediates to negotiate. Staying on terrain accessible from Lift 1 and 8 on the front of the mountain offers enough intermediate and beginner terrain for many, but you don't get to see much of the mountain that way. I find the resort a little overhyped, but when I lived in west Texas, it was the closest real mountain to ski. So ski it I did.
Experts only! This will not be enjoyable for beginner intermediate and you can get hurt
Grew up driving from Kansas every other year to ski in New Mexico!! Taos and Angel Fire have such great vibes
Excellent Southwestern food too!
@@nathanielbemis2109 absolutely!! I remember Gorge's in Taos being good, I was young though, so my memory could be hazy. Might not have been authentic
Taos is my favorite! Fell in love with it when i was stationed in NM and keep coming back. I’ve skied a lot of the big resorts in the Rockies and totally agree with his assessment, especially how hit or miss it can be with snow fall. The part that people love about Taos are the people or at least the people that ski there have a different vibe about them. Much more laid back, non-elitist mentality that you get in other places. Best kept secret in skiing!
hilarious cause if youre from nm taos is the home of the douchebags
I grew up on the Taos Ski Team, skiing over 100 days a season there and just went back for the first time in a decade and I must say, it was the best skiing I've had all season, and I live in Colorado now. The snow and conditions were amazing.
Home sweet Home Hill! TSV that’s for me! ⛷️❄️
Taos has long been considered in the upper echelon of ski resorts in the U.S. Probably because what die-hard skiers tend to value most is demanding varied terrain, snow quality, and overall culture/vibe. Taos has all of those things. Climate change has hit Taos pretty hard; I think they used to get more consistent snow. But when the snow is good, it really is a lot like LCC.
While Taos is known for its steep chutes, the moguls and glades are truly top notch as well. The moguls are huge, the runs are long, and I love how you get great moguls on the front side both on the cut runs and in the trees. The glades at Taos are special. Wild West glades has got to be the longest gladed run I have ever skied. Ernie's and Jean's glades are magical. I can't think of many places that have such a balance of top-notch extremely steep chutes, excellent glades, and top-of-the-line mogul runs.
I respectfully disagree with the rating of "9" for Challenge. Taos is definitely a "10" for Challenge.
Regarding Kachina lift not being open much...I'm not sure...every time I've been there the past several years the Kachina lift has been open. I always go in February or March because I know it's steep and it takes a long time for the chutes to fill in. But that's just like a lot of steep mountains. Crested Butte is the same way. I only go there in February-March because the Spellbound/Third Bowls and Banana Chutes aren't likely to be open before then. So I don't think that's atypical for a steep rocky mountain.
Go to Cali, the steep stuff is almost always open cause the snow sticks way better (and there's more snownfall anyway).
Yeah but dry chalk is the best. That’s why Alta is my favorite. They’ve got the chalk and lots of it
@@andrewsteward7830 I love Mammoth's windy chalk
@@proverbalizer but what about climate change lol?
Yeah climate change hit CO hard this winter as well. Record levels of snow
I am heading into my tenth season regularly skiing Taos. It is a place of legend. Amazing energy and beauty and raw challenging terrain. Don't visit without stopping in at Taos World Cup!
Been skiing Taos for 40 years, can ski anywhere I like. That’s why I choose Taos.
Tell us more!
I have skied at over 35 mountains in the Western United States and in my opinion only Alta and Taos provide a "magical" experience. I generally agree with this review with the exception of the score of 4 for Reciliancy. While it is true that snow is often sparse early season, once a base of 75 inches has been reached, the snow preservation is excellent due to most of the runs north facing aspect. I've skied Taos after many days of no snowfall and the snow is still chalky and fine. I agree with your score on the lifts as of 2023, but big upgrades are planned. The #4 lift is being replaced right now with a high speed quad. The next upgrade will be a base to base "Gondolita". Two on mountain dining lodges are on deck and the St Bernard's is being rebuild right now. If you are an advanced intermediate or above, Taos Ski Valley is a top 5 experience. There is nowhere I'd rather ski in February and March than Taos.
Was just at Taos last weekend - skiied on a overnight 3 inch day. Argubly some of the best snow I have skiied (much better than CO, arguably on par with LCC), it's sooo dry and light. Before I went, I really though the hike up the ridges could be annoying(I am a horrible hiker), but man, I prefer this 15 minutes hike way more than waiting for snowbird's tram to go on cirque traverse. But I can see how it's good only when the conditions are good - as I have skiied some icy moguls at lower elevation. Also, you really need to be careful about the cliffs/unmarked obstles as they are eveywhere and rarely maked.
It’s just because the south is getting crazy snow this year. I have been where the snow was literal cement and you couldn’t ski it. The snow there is very variable
@@averagejojofan8649 talking about the snow quality itself not the conditions dummy
The videos just keep getting better!
As a former employee who was fortunate enough to get at least four hours of skiing everyday of the week due to the schedule, you got Taos almost completely right. I will say you got two things wrong though, the mountain doesnt get spotty between storms unless its early or late which is like all other mountains. The other is something i view as a positive that you listed as a negative. The varied openning of terrain is a huge bonus, three or four days after a storm ropes can still be getting dropped. This means that even if you cant get there for the storm itself you have a few days to grab some pow, which is great for people with inflexible schedules or who show up a bit late. I understand why you would list it as a negative though. Other than those two things, you hit the nail on the head! Anyone who has a chance should go there, hike highline or west ridge and rip the steeps.
Ha, as one of the locals explained me, katchina lift installation had a lot of protest from local skiers. So they came up with a plan, that after the storm it'll be hike up only and chairlift will start spinning after a couple days after the storm. Otherwise - very fun mountain! It's like one big terrain park. Unless you are looking for perfect groomers 😊
Taos is definitely a 10/10 for challenge. I disagree with the criteria that for a resort to receive a 10/10 for Challenge, there must be lift service to the most extreme terrain. Some hiking and side stepping is part-and-parcel to extreme skiing. Extreme skiers expect some hiking, so it doesn’t matter. The West Basin at Taos is some of the gnarliest in-bounds terrain you can encounter in N. America, so that needs to be acknowledged.
If you can get to Taos after a 18” storm, there’s nothing better!
Lift 4 is being replaced this summer with a high speed quad and future gondola is planned, the gondola would connect the main base with the lift 4 base areas
Always a good day when peak rankings posts! Thank you for posting these videos that Inform us about these mountains! Also do you think you will post a NH mountain vid? Because i saw your twitter and I recognized the mountains!
Yeah! Post one on wildcat
@@Skiandsurfdude yea! I love that place!
NH vids will be prepped for next season!
@@PeakRankings ok!
5 star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review of your review
Only went to Taos once. College ski trip during winter break after Christmas. Just broke up with my girlfriend and was moping around. Saw a poster for the trip a few days before it was leaving. To my surprise there was a spot open. Only time I ever went on a ski trip not knowing a soul. Big university. 50,000 students. 19 hour chartered bus ride. An hour into the ride knew this was going to be a great trip. Got there in the night. Virtually no one had slept a wink. Half barrels had been consumed. Music was blasting. Driver was unbelievably easy going. Some of the hardest partiers mentioned they weren’t drinking a drop once they arrived. I thought they were joking. They weren’t. They were there to ski. From opening lift until they shut down they skied for 6 days. Woke the first morning to 6” of fresh snow in Taos Pueblo. Said cool! Having no idea what the true implications were. 32” of champagne pow at the top. Could not believe our grand fortune. Could not believe the snow was as good as anything I skied at Alta/Snowbird. Howitzers were going off like crazy. Various parts of the mountain were closed for a couple hours til the artillery did their job. EVERY night for the next 6 days it snowed another 6-12”. For 6 days I skied with a posse of about 8 fellow skiers who were among the best I have ever skied with. And 3 of them were gorgeous world class skiers from Romania. 2 sisters and a friend. We whooped it up for 6 days 7 hours a day on the toughest runs Taos had to offer. These girls were phenomenal skiers. And they were as driven as any of the hardest core buddies I usually skied with year in year out. Such a f’ing pleasure. Never went back to Taos - no future Taos trip could ever come close to that one. Why bother? But I searched for the steep and deep for the next 6 years across North America and had numerous incredible trips skiing up to my nipples in pow. But skiing in that tight pack of 6 to 8 of the finest skiers I ever had the pleasure to ski with in champagne pow up to our waist for 6 days is a memory I will never forget.
I like Taos. One of my favorite Ski resorts.
This was the first resort I ever ski'd at. Took a lesson a year prior and didn't really get to ski the mountain, just the bunny slope. Came here, took the guided tour that was free and went over a lot of the terrain and some of the history of the resort (martini lockers?).
Ski'd all day and had an absolute blast. Spent most of the day falling, but It was worth it. When I found out that most of their green's are blues everywhere else, I didn't feel so bad at my performance.
I would 100% go back, NM is beautiful, and now that I actually kinda ski ok, I could do so much more of the resort.
The only drawback is how long the lifts take. I remember drinking a beer on one, getting ready to crest a hill where I thought the end of the lift was. I chugged my beer and then we crested the hill and there was another 10 minutes of lift to go. :D
Can't believe I got to go in the beginning of March. Kachina being open everything was firing.
Ay I went there it’s the best especially on kachina and the runs in toas are amazing 🤩
1:37 “sometimes get above freezing” in an Aussie “resort” there is about one day a year with a high below 0
The only thing that has kept me away is their low snow numbers. Since they are on the Ikon I need to catch a flight on a good snow year and take a chance. The terrain looks top notch. Thanks
Taos Skis way better than the snow depth would typically suggest.
@@jturbo68 The only reason I have had a any concern is because many of my western trips over the last twenty years have been very average. Very average to well below average snow fall at places like Alta-Snowbird, Jackson Hole, GT, A-Basin etc. I did not go this year and Alta received over 700 inches. When I go out west I want big snow. From the middle 80s until 2001 every trip I had great snow. I went to Colorado last year in two weeks maybe 15 inches. My home mountain of Killington does better than that. I guess the point is I have been very disappointed and I try to stack the deck in my favor. My friends all tell me to give up on the US and head to BC, they say they just get bigger snow. Back in the day I would average between 50 and 90 inches in a week. I miss it. To ski steep terrain you need big snow. This video had the best snow and terrain of any of his videos. I have noticed most of his videos the snow looks fine but no big dumps. I guess that’s what I will have to except, low snow . This was the year and I let it get away. My bad. Take care
@@mtadams2009 As you are deciding on trips, I think that Taos skis about the same as Alta with about half the base. Most of the mountain is cold and north facing, so it hold snow well and the snow quality stays good for longer. HTH.
@@jturbo68 Thanks for that information. I was there is in the summer of 2018 and it’s a beautiful place. My family and I did a two week trip through New Mexico and it was beautiful. I really liked how it was not super developed. The terrain looks world class and steep, just like I like it.
Take care
I went to Taos last year and it was fantastic
Well said.. I guess the thing that really stands out is that it is really hit or miss.. When I go skiing the bowls might be hit or miss but there is always somewhere on the hill that is really good..
Come up to the Midwest and check out mount bohemia
Shhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! We don't want the world to know about it
Got 3 days there last Feb (I think). Whole country was dry and they got a 3 foot dump.
Really good time even though coverage was kinda sketch and Kachina didn’t open.
Luckily on day 3 I got lucky with a rope drop into Valkyrie glades. Possibly my deepest and best run of the 21/22 season.
Wanna go back and explore more.
Taos is one of my favorite mountains in North America.
Taos truly is a hidden gem
Love Peak Rankings
you plan on doing other new mexico ski areas?
Next season you should do Lutsen mountains in minnesota
Or Mount Bohemia, MI
you guys should head up to Quebec to review Le Massif and Mont-Sainte-Anne!
Hope is to get there next season!
Le Massif is a special place. Stowe quality vibe, Jay quality snow and Heavenly quality views all wrapped in a crepe.
It is hard to put Taos in some kind of ranking because there is nothing like Taos. My most favorite place by far. Agree with the lower ranking. That’s the way to keep crowds away.
I ski A-Basin regularly. How does the extreme terrain compare at Taos? Might make a trip down if it's that sick!
They don't have Wildcat or a Pali Main Street. Taos is located at the foot hills of the rockys. Try the areas around A-Basin the longer the run the less you ride the lift. SKI & SNOWBOARD HARD!
Taos is not that good, IMO. The extreme terrain does not open that much, and if it does, it will be after a snow and then close again after a couple of days.
I would stick with pali and the east wall. The closest thing taos and a basin have are Zuma Bowl because it gets a lot of sun. If you get it on a powder day, then it will be good, but anything else not good.
Sick. Thanks guys. Ive heard good things, but it seems its hard to beat The Legend
Abasin is incredibly overrated. Zuma - sucks, Beavers - sucks, entire front side - sucks, Pali - decent.
Taos has the terrain. The terrain is far better than Abasin, but the coverage is pretty ass. Core shot city.
I've skied both a lot. I would say the terrain is similar. The terrain at Taos reminds me most of Alta (although clearly Alta gets way more snow). Some may disagree, but I actually think Taos is slightly more gnarly than A-Basin. The snow quality (that dry chalk) is generally better at Taos- if the snow is deep, Taos is hard to beat.
Can you do one on whistler
Can we get a top 10 spring skiing destinations?
This was in the pipeline for this season, but we haven't been able to get footage of all the relevant mountains yet. Hope is to get it up next spring!
that would be awesome. off the top of my head #1 mammoth. and the rest palisades tahoe, bachelor, brighton, bird, a-basin, aspen and killington. gotta throw in AZ snowbowl. just because the slush usually starts the earliest and they keep it open till you are shredding grass.
@@Gary-np7hl nice, I’m thinking about going to Mammoth in early June. I was debating between that and Palisades but leaning Mammoth, that’s why I wanted a spring skiing video.
@@zadley91 overall mammoth is the better bet for the best possible conditions (they have the best mountain operations in the business), but high camp beats mccoy for on mountain activities. so palisades skews more towards the party. i'm probably going to hit palisades in may and mammoth in june myself. just expect to do only a few hours of good skiing and riding a day as it's either ice in the early AM and a 7-11 slushee in the PM.
Mammoth
biggest ski regret is never skiing Taos!
How does Taos get a 5 for facilities? They literally have 9 hotels and 6 restaurants.
Facilities are based on the lodges on the mountain, with the base village only playing a part in the score. Since Taos only has mid-mountain lodges in two areas-at one of which the lodge is small-we felt a score of 5 was appropriate.
See here for more information on how we rank facilities: www.peakrankings.com/content/unpacking-our-rankings-methodology-the-peakrankings-mountain-score#:~:text=Category%208%3A-,Facilities
@@PeakRankings thanks for replying! I guess your right corporations are more likely to build a mid mountain lodge than a needed chairlift replacement on their mountain. Makes sense since Taos is independently owned.
I love Taos, but imo it's the most overhyped resort by typical reviewers. It's like a requirement to be in everyone's top ten for it's "mystical culture".
It's got the personality, friendliness, facilities and infrastructure of a small local hill with a big mountain experience. And that's what I like about it, but realize it's not a top 10 or even top 20 resort.
The town is also overhyped as well. Interesting town with fun things to do, but not a ski town. Best ski town in New Mexico is hours south in Ruidoso. Ski apache has it's challenges, but that town is a hidden gem.
Once again peak rankings nails another review with Taos, hopefully tempering expectations.
Taos is best served up as the main dish while experiencing some of the other smaller mountains in the area, in addition to visiting an area rich with history in the taos/Santa Fe area.
You must be a Texan bwhahahahaha
@@kona6451definitely a Texan lmao!
bro said 400 miles like that wasnt the length of the whole state
When Taos gets snow it is a great place to ski but they have completely priced out the locals by raising their prices to a ridiculous amount. There are other places to ski that are much better. Personally I would rather ski Wolf Creek any day over Taos.
Another word, forget about Taos.
not great, dodgy cover, weird run layout, too far south latitude, yeah, nah