For those of you who haven't been keeping up with the area, Ernire Blake's (the founder) family sold the area last winter to billionaire conservationist Louis Bacon. The Blake family had been the only operators during the entire existence of the area, and they were trying to operate it while keeping debt free. They realized that in order to compete with the mega resorts that they simply did not posess the resources to make the necessary upgardes.

Bacon apparently is committed to a new base area as well as lift improvements. The first of those will happen THIS WINTER with a lift to the top of Kachina Peak, which will provide easy access to even more outrageous expert terrain. The lift will top out at 12,450 feet making it the third highest in North America behind those at Loveland and Breckenridge. I believe that A-Basin's Lenawee lift also tops out at 12,450 feet.

http://www.skitaos.org/page/kachinapeak

The reason I LOVE Taos is also the reason I don't bother to plan trips there often, lack of decent but affordable lodging nearby.  Perhaps the new folks will address this shortcoming that makes it also pretty cool local vibe..

The only time I skied there I was ataying with a really good friend that has a home in Albuquerque.  Taos would be much higher opn my list of places to go back to if they had plenty of  < $75.00 rooms within an hour of the place available throughout the season.  But then the remoteness of the area is a big part of why it is so cool too..

I love Taos too.  When the snow is good I'd rather be there than anyplace else in the country, Alta, snowbird, Jackson, Squaw, anywhere.  It doesn't happen too often, only about 1 year in 5.  The steeps at Taos have a lot of rocks and it takes a lot of snow.  That said, I've had amazing luck there.  On my last trip, 2004 IIRC, it snowed 30" the day before my son and I arrived and another 30 on the 2nd day we were there.  There were monster paths of slide rubble on Kachina peak and it was closed throughout.  We got one run on the west ridge, otherwise it too was closed.  But we discovered amazing tree skiing that I never knew was there.  My 4 or 5 earlier trips were just as good.  I had a friend and former colleague at Los Alamos Lab.  He'd invite me there to give a seminar and then we'd ski for a few days.  We also skied Pajarito of course and Santa Fe.  The latter is much under rated in my opinion.  It has some very good challenging terrain that is almost completely neglected by the hordes of enthusiastic texans who go there for green and blue terrain.  There is also something very special about skiing a convex slope with nothing in your field of vision but the desert floor 6000' below.  

crgildart wrote:

The reason I LOVE Taos is also the reason I don't bother to plan trips there often, lack of decent but affordable lodging nearby.  Perhaps the new folks will address this shortcoming that makes it also pretty cool local vibe..

 

The only time I skied there I was ataying with a really good friend that has a home in Albuquerque.  Taos would be much higher opn my list of places to go back to if they had plenty of  < $75.00 rooms within an hour of the place available throughout the season.  But then the remoteness of the area is a big part of why it is so cool too..

 

 

Vince and I stayed at the Sun God Lodge in the town of Taos for $44 per night via Priceline in Jan 2012.  It's about a half hour from the ski area and not fancy, but clean, decent rooms.  Taos is like Blue Knob and Timberline on steroids.  I hope the new billionaire owner redevelops it with good taste and thoughtful restraint, but I doubt new $75 slopeside rooms are in the master plan ;-)