Skiing

Taos Ski Valley. With 113 runs—just more half of them for experts—and an average of more than 320 inches of annual snowfall, Taos Ski Valley ranks among the country's most respected, and challenging, resorts. In 2014, new owners came in and immediately began a long-awaited refurbishment and expansion of the resort, which has included new lifts and terrain and the opening in 2016 of a luxury hotel, The Blake. The slopes, which cover a 2,600-foot vertical gain of lift-served terrain and another 700 feet of hike-in skiing, tend to be narrow and demanding (note the ridge chutes, Al's Run, Inferno), but about a quarter of them (e.g., Honeysuckle) are for intermediate skiers, and another quarter (e.g., Bambi, Porcupine) are for beginners. Taos Ski Valley is justly famous for its outstanding ski school, which underwent an $8-million upgrade and expansion in 2017—it's one of the best in the country. End of NM 150, 20 miles north of Plaza, Taos Ski Valley, Taos, New Mexico, 87525. 575/776–2291; 800/776–1111; www.skitaos.com. Lift tickets $105. Late Nov.–early Apr..