Ski New Mexico

Skiing and Snowboarding in the Land of Enchantment

Archives for March 2015

Spectacular Spring Skiing! – Two More Weeks

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Another season may be winding down, but right now is one of the best times to be skiing and riding in New Mexico. Warmer days combined with our incredible February snowfall make this a perfect opportunity to spend a few more fantastic days on the slopes. Plus, with so many deals and special events to enjoy around the state, there’s plenty of reasons to get a couple more turns in this season.

Check out what’s happening this spring at ski areas throughout the Land of Enchantment!

Ski Santa Fe

Final Day

Open daily until Sunday, April 5

Hours

Chair lifts open at 9:30 a.m. Lifts accessing the upper mountain, the Millennium and Tesuque Peak Triple chairlifts, will close at 4:15 p.m. and the lower mountain lifts will close at 4:30 p.m.

Deals

Special closing weekend rates on April 4 & 5. Peak Plus savings will apply. View pricing here!

Special Events

Slush Cup 2015 | April 4 | 12 – 3 p.m.

Test your Pond Skimming skills at Totemoff’s or just enjoy the show. Costumes are encouraged and registration is free. The winner will receive a special Slush Cup Trophy designed by Meow Wolf. Grab your skis or board and come enjoy the final weekend of the 2014-15 ski season!

Taos Ski Valley

Final Day

Open daily until Sunday, April 5. Extended season weekend April 10 -12 great ticket prices, visit skitaos.org for details.

Hours

Chair lifts open at 9:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m.

Deals

Discount season rates apply 3/23/15  to 4/5/15. Extended season lift ticket discount available April 10-12.

Special Events

Pond Skimming Championship | April 5 | 2 – 4 p.m.

Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt at this must see event. Base of Strawberry Hill starting at 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. competitors will use any means necessary to skim across an 80 foot pool of ice cold water (best costume earns points). No motorized vehicles. Don’t miss the fun! Registration at the TSV, Inc. Administration Offices, $25 entry fee for participants. Must be 16+ to compete.

Sipapu

Final Day

Open daily until Sunday, April 5. Reopening for the final weekend, April 11-12.

Hours

Lifts will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Deals

Two-for-one Tuesday on March 31. Car Load Day on April 1. First time skiers and snowboarders receive a FREE two-hour ski school lesson with the purchase of a full-day, full-price lift ticket.

Special Events

Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt | April 5 |

Kids will search our mountain, lodge and base area to find laminated letters. When they find enough to spell BUNNY, they win a special Easter gift! 

Ski Apache

Final Day

Open daily until Sunday, April 5.

Enjoy a great base that will last through the end of the season as well as ZipTours Thursday – Sunday throughout April and beyond.

Taste The Difference: The Food of New Mexico

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For a true New Mexico experience, you must get your taste buds involved early and often. The blend of distinct flavors from Spanish and Native American cultures has been perfected over the course of 400 years and will stay with you long after you’ve returned home.

What you’ll taste here is not your average borderland Mexican fare. It’s a unique, specialized cuisine all its own. And at the center of nearly everything is the renowned New Mexican chile. (Note the correct local spelling — “chilli” is the meaty, spicy stew made popular by our Texas neighbors.)

The smoke-kissed flavor of freshly roasted green chiles and the earthy fruitiness of red chile sauce are essential to our favorite dishes, like breakfast burritos, stacked enchiladas and stuffed sopaipillas.

New Mexico was the first state in America to have an official question — “Red or green?” Restaurant-goers throughout the state may field this question at every meal of the day with both varieties of our chile being used in everything from enchiladas to ice cream. You can’t go wrong with either answer, but if you’re feeling particularly adventurous or just can’t decide, ask for your chile “Christmas style” and you’ll get both red and green.

Whether you’re looking for a James Beard Award-winning dining experience or an authentic dive off the beaten path, you’ll find it in the Land of Enchantment.

Click here to learn more about New Mexico’s culinary tradition, including links to the New Mexico True Breakfast Burrito Byway and The Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.

Also, here are 8 quintessential New Mexican foods every visitor to the state should try. One taste and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them!

Countdown To Splashdown: Get Ready For Pond Skimming!

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It’s time to sink or skim as resorts around New Mexico celebrate the final days of the ski and snowboard season with a series of unforgettable pond skimming competitions.

The rules are simple — get down the slope as quickly as you can and preferably in the wackiest costume you can find, then do your best to sustain both verticality and forward momentum as you glide or skim across the surface of an ice-cold body of water.

Make it all the way across and glory will be yours as you bask in the roars of the appreciative crowd. Fail to get enough speed, mistime your jump, or get slightly out of balance and there will be no mistaking the chill of failure.

Either way, showmanship is key. Like the ancient gladiators in the Roman Coliseum, the crowd can often determine your fate and sway the judges’ decisions in your favor. Do something truly unique and even a splashdown could be rewarded with victory!

Whether you’re going for ultimate glory as a competitor or choose to be a warmer, drier spectator, there’s nothing like the fun of pond skimming. Be sure to check the great competitions and parties happening in New Mexico this month!

Sipapu

March 21 | 1 p.m. | Free! (registration & helmets required)

The 11th annual Pond Skimming Contest will feature prizes to the best finishers who brave the freezing waters of 75-foot long “Lake Sipapu.” Reps from Sierra Nevada will be on hand pouring beers, offering specials, and giving away brewery swag from 4 – 6 p.m. at Riverside Cafe.

Ski Apache

March 16 | 11 a.m. | Free!

The Pond Skim & Beach Bods Contest is open to any skier or snowboarder who is unafraid to freeze. To compete in the free Beach Bod contest, men and women must make one run in beach attire and parade on the Plaza. The two winners will then become judges for the Pond Skim, judging contestants on distance and style.

Red River

March 22 | 3 p.m. | Free!

The Red River Pond Skim is one of the favorites of the area’s Beach Weeks events with fabulous prizes being awarded for Best Splash, Best Costume, Best Run, and Best Team Effort. This year’s Pond Skim takes place on Gold Rush Hill with a beer and wine garden at the Chalet.

 

Deep South – New Mexico True Story

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In late February, 2015, the largest storm in a decade blanketed New Mexico with more than 70 inches of snow. We were ready with our skis and boards. Here’s how it all went down. Our friends at New Mexico TRUE captured the essence of New Mexico winters.

Celebrate The Perfect (Snow) Storm!

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A once-in-a-decade snowstorm has arrived in Albuquerque/Santa Fe and local skiers and boarders couldn’t be happier. With snow predicted until Wednesday and blue bird days coming later in the week, conditions are primed for an epic weekend of powder and fun at Ski Santa Fe and Sandia Peak.

Of course, with the two areas just an hour’s drive from each other, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy both during this historic week!

Ski Santa Fe

Start with Ski Santa Fe and ski some powder!  They received 6 inches of fresh snow last night.  Then join them on Thursday, March 5, where you can show your 505 pride and score discounted lift tickets during Local Appreciation Day. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., local skiers and boarders will enjoy $25 off their lift tickets. Plus, with 25% discounts at the Ski Santa Fe Sports Shop, Snow Sports School, Chipmunk Corner, the Rental Shop, and at the La Casa Food Court, it’s the perfect time for newcomers and veterans alike to spend a day on the mountain.

Don’t forget to join the party at Totemoff’s, which features live music from 12-3 p.m. and 25% off both local draft beer and food from the grill menu.

With 34 inches (and rising!) of snowfall over the past week and a 56-inch base, the fun will continue throughout the weekend at Ski Santa Fe. Take the time to explore all 77 trails, including the amazing terrain in the Big Rock Chutes.

Sandia Peak Ski Area

Meanwhile, overlooking the bustling Albuquerque metro area, Sandia Peak is open weekends for the remainder of the season. From the city, it’s just a 15-minute “flight” on North America’s longest aerial tram and you can start making turns the minute you arrive atop the 10,378-foot peak.

With over 20 inches of new snowfall and a 31-inch base all runs are open and in great condition. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience one of the most convenient ski areas in the country –all in the backyard of New Mexico’s dining, nightlife, and cultural hub.

“This is an exciting time,” said Ben Abruzzo, Area Manager at Ski Santa Fe and Sandia Peak Ski Area. “The skiing and riding at both Santa Fe and Sandia Peak is as good as it has been in years and March looks to be full of more good snow and beautiful sunshine. Come up and enjoy the friendly people and wide open groomers!”