Skiing

[jewozzy]

Wife decided we are going skiing first of the year. Where's the closest places driving from here? Would prefer a house style place with 2-3 bedrooms. Also a plus if it has activities for younger kids 5-7 year olds. Everything I've looked up is already booked it seems.

[ram57ta]

Wife decided we are going skiing first of the year. Where's the closest places driving from here? Would prefer a house style place with 2-3 bedrooms. Also a plus if it has activities for younger kids 5-7 year olds. Everything I've looked up is already booked it seems.

Cloudcroft is probably the closest but it's not comparable to any of the larger ski areas and is pretty small...plus its pretty far south so ski conditions may not be that great. Taos, Red River, Angel Fire and Santa Fe are all situated in the north central/east part of NM and are all pretty good ski areas. I've skied Red River and Taos and they were both nice ski areas. There is a small ski area just east of Albuquerque at Sandia Peak but it's nothing to write home about..and your car will probably be stolen while your there. My default ski area is Wolf Creek in SW Colorado...it gets the most snow by FAR and is almost never crowded..and has a fun little town called Pagosa Springs close by with most amenities..and a fantastic hot spring in downtown with like 20 different pools to get in...a fantastic way to relax after a day of skiing.

[Ruffdaddy]

Red river...especially if bringing kids. I think it's like 9-10 hours driving and it's an easy mountain that has enough to do for adults and kids. Decent bar at the bottom of the slopes and a cool town.

[ram57ta]

AirBNB is a good place to look for rental houses once you decide where you want to go. Book early if you're going during what is christmas break or you'll pay top dollar. I learned a couple years ago by accident that Super Bowl weekend is a great time to go...kids are still in school during the week so Friday and Monday the place was deserted, and Sunday wasn't very crowded at all.

[lowthreeohz]

I learned a couple years ago by accident that Super Bowl weekend is a great time to go...kids are still in school during the week so Friday and Monday the place was deserted, and Sunday wasn't very crowded at all.

I was just trying to figure out when we could sneak away for a quick weekend ride somewhere without fighting the crowds, and this is brilliant.

[jewozzy]

I have free airfare and room at the casino in Lake Tahoe at the end of Jan but she wants the kids to go so that's out . We went to Red River, NM about 10 years ago but it was the last weekend of the season so there wasn't much snow left.

I'll see what I can find from the places y'all suggested.

[Sgt Beavis]

I’m going to Eldora to take ski/snowboarding lessons. Just an hour drive from the house.

[lincolnboy]

After seeing this thread, I ready to go up to Cloudcroft. In laws live in High Rolls. Atleast I have a reason to take the littles ones skiiing/snow boarding when they get older.

[GrayStangGT]

Ski Apache is already open, but skiing probably sucks. I would go Red River or Taos.

[Big A]

My grandparents had a condo up in Red River NM, we spent many a summer and winter vacation there as a kid, lot's of fond memories. The mountain itself is small, but plenty for a beginner, and you can easily drive over to Angel Fire, which is a great beginner mountain. There's an arcade right at the base of the mountain in RR, with indoor mini golf, great for the kiddos. The go kart track is a blast too, but I don't recall that being open in winter. Snowmobiling up to Greenie peak is a blast as well, lots to do, your budgets being the limit.

[jewozzy]

We may be a little too late to the game. I've only found one place out of all the areas suggested and that is in Red River, NM. I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if they actually have a spot available or not. May have to wait til spring break and go somewhere.

[ram57ta]

We may be a little too late to the game. I've only found one place out of all the areas suggested and that is in Red River, NM. I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if they actually have a spot available or not. May have to wait til spring break and go somewhere.

you DO NOT want to go to Red River over spring break. Trust me on this...in fact you do not want to go to pretty much ANY well known large ski area over spring break...unless that is of course you want to stand in extremely long lift lines, deal with very crowded slopes, rude college kids on snowboards who will run you the fuck over, and parking will be non-existent.
Just an FYI...look in Pagosa Springs Colorado and the surrounding Pagosa Lakes...Wolf Creek ski area is about 2-3 hours northwest of Red River/Angel Fire and is a FAR better ski area that is already almost 100% open as we speak...they have 79 inches of sweet powder as of today and will probably have over 100 inches by X-mas.

http://www.wolfcreekski.com/

[Ruffdaddy]

I'll second that. We went the week before spring break started last year and were blown away by the number of people that flooded that town on the day we were leaving.

Why does it have to be the first of the year? Cant choose a random week?

[GrayStangGT]

Just an FYI...look in Pagosa Springs Colorado and the surrounding Pagosa Lakes...Wolf Creek ski area is about 2-3 hours northwest of Red River/Angel Fire and is a FAR better ski area that is already almost 100% open as we speak...they have 79 inches of sweet powder as of today and will probably have over 100 inches by X-mas.
http://www.wolfcreekski.com/

Monarch west of Salida, Co is another smaller one to consider in southern Colorado.

[jewozzy]

I'll second that. We went the week before spring break started last year and were blown away by the number of people that flooded that town on the day we were leaving.

Why does it have to be the first of the year? Cant choose a random week?

We and the kids are all off and out of school