Taos Ski valley, NM

History                                         
Taos Ski Valley is the preeminent ski resort in the southern Rocky Mountains.  It was founded in 1955 by a Swiss-German immigrant, Ernie Blake. According to legend, Blake searched for 2 years in a small plane for the perfect location for a ski resort comparable to what he was accustomed to in the Alps.  He found it at the abandoned mining site of Twining, high above Taos. 

In 2013 hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon purchased the family-owned/run Taos Ski Valley and soon began its $300 million renaissance to enhance the guest experience while maintaining the authenticity of this unique destination. Their goal is to grow the resort better, not bigger. In 2018-19 the resort introduced a high-speed quad chair lift that will transport skiers & riders from the Main Base area up the mountain in just over 5 minutes. This is the first high-speed quad to be erected at Taos, taking over the former spot of Lift #1. Taos has also paid mind to the beginners in the crowd, recently reshaping the beginner area, making it, even more, user-friendly.

There is just so much to write about Taos - so check out the great write-up in Ski magazine article on the transformation that's been happening over the past 7 years making it a very different experience than the Taos you used to know if you haven't been in a while.

The Skiing & Ski School:

The resort has 1,294 acres of skiable terrain with 24% beginner, 25% intermediate and 51% advanced/expert. It has 110 runs with the longest being 5 miles. Taos has a base elevation of 9,200' rising to the summit of 12,481'. There are 7 trails ranging from novice to expert degree of difficulty in the Taos Ski Valley. All trails are accessible from Road 150, the Taos Ski Valley road. If you need to rent equipment you can find what you need at Cottam's Ski Shop -  it's a very short walking distance from Snakedance to the shop.

When Ernie Blake started Taos, one of his primary goals was to provide world class instruction and that is what he achieved.  While we are there, the Ernie Blake Snowsports School offers a fantastic deal on ski clinics. You will be grouped with skiers of similar abilities.  These lessons will take you to the next level.  This is an unbelievable price for such high quality lessons - so check it out!

The Town:

We will be staying at the Snakedance Condominiums (2-BR/2Bath) . Each unit is individually decorated around the focal points of a cozy gas fireplace and French doors that open up onto a Juliet Balcony. Each unit comes with a fully equipped kitchen with granite countertops. The 2BR units comes with a king/split king in each bedroom and a queen pull out sofa bed in the living room. This unit also has two full bathrooms. Wireless high-speed Internet access is available in each unit as are two satellite TVs with DVD players for après ski relaxation.

New AA Schedule into Santa Fe: 

Trip Chair:  Lara Pavanelli

Single Supplement Add: $1,059

$300 DEPOSIT REQUIRED PER PERSON. All payments are made through our Tour Operator.  Payment options will be described on their website link.

Trip Insurance: Check out our Insurance Resources Page for more information.  Trip Insurance will also be available at the Sports America link..

Lift tickets:

Group individual trip Lift Ticket pricing is not available at this time.  When available you will be able to purchase them on the Sports America Registration Page.