Skiing Ski Santa Fe
View from the top of Gayway
When one thinks of the first ski areas in the U.S., one thinks of Sun Valley or Stowe. Few know that in 1936, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains east of Santa Fe, NM, Robert Nordhaus installed a rope two to haul people up the slopes of what is now Ski Santa Fe. It was used as a training area for the 10th Mountain Division during World War II.
Ski Santa Fe is about 40 â 60 minutes northeast of New Mexico’s capital, depending on your starting point. Its base elevation of 10,350 feet makes it one of the highest ski areas in the country.
After skiing Ski Santa Fe for three days over the President’s Day weekend. The conditions were excellent, and the lower half of the mountain had a mix of natural and manmade snow.Â
The trails remind me of skiing in New England, i.e. narrow, sometimes really steep and bordered by large trees. The trail mix of Ski Santa Fe is 40% expert, 40% intermediate and 20% beginner which tells you who skis the mountain. There are many places at Ski Santa Fe, particularly off where you can ski in and around the trees. The North and South Burn trails off the Tesuque Peak Lift are a giant glade with steep to not-so-steep routes through the trees.
For intermediates, there are many wonderful, well-groomed trails. The wide Gayway, from the top of the Tesuque Peak chair, will present an enjoyable challenge. Before you ski down Gayway, stop, and enjoy the view of the Santa Fe Valley. It is simply incredible. Each time I skied the trail, I’d stop to take it in.
On the Presidents Day weekend, there were hardly any lines after 10 in the morning. For next year, a new quad chairlift will be open which will whisk skiers from the base to the top in about four minutes.
While there, I met many locals in their 60s and 70s who were season pass holders. The mix of skiers and boarders ranges from the very young to folks my age (I’m 78).
For those who want to take lessons, the ski school offers a wide range of classes, including those for seniors taught by instructors who qualify as a senior skier. Ski Santa Fe also has an adaptive skier program. All of three of its season passes â God. Platinum and One Pass â have substantial discounts for skier.
The area also has youth and family programs geared to getting youngsters hooked on our sport. While not designed as such, the ticket prices for seniors make it a perfect excuse to go skiing with your grandkids.
Good news for your legs. Except for Lift 2, all the lifts have footrests and safety bars. The bathrooms at the base lodge are on the same level as the slopes AND thereâs an elevator to take you between the floors.
More good news. Santa Fe employs a full-time safety team that works to reign in reckless skiers.Â
Totemoffs
There are three restaurants on the mountain. One is the La Casa food court in the base lodge, which has a wide variety of very good food. The outdoor Terrace Grill on the second floor of the base lodge has an interesting menu. If you want a real treat, try the cheeseburger smothered with green chilis at Totemoff’s Bar and Grill near the midway station on Chair Two.
One of the joys of Ski Santa Fe is that there is no lodging at the area, so you must drive up. This is both a plus and a minus. The plus is that you get to stay in one of the hotels in Santa Fe and enjoy the excellent restaurants around the Santa Fe Plaza. The minus is that you must drive up, park, carry your skis, boots, and poles to the base lodge, or put your boots on at the car before you walk up. There are lockers in the base lodge for which you need to buy tokens at $2 each.
I’ve saved the best news for last and that’s lift ticket prices. So, if you are between the age of 62 â 71, weekdays are $76, and holidays and weekends are $84 unless you are 72 and older. Then, its $16/day any day!
Net, net, I’ll be back!
Ski Santa Fe by the Numbers
ďˇ Summit elevation â 12,075 feet
ďˇ Base elevation â 10,350 feet
ďˇ Vertical drop â 1,725 feet
ďˇ Average annual snowfall â 325 inches
ďˇ Skiable acres – 660
ďˇ Snowmaking coverage â 55%
ďˇ Number of trails â 86
ďˇ Runs groomed daily – 37
ďˇ Terrain breakdown â Beginner 20%, Intermediate 40%, Expert 40%
ďˇ Terrain parks – 2
ďˇ Lifts â 7 – 1 quad, 2 triples, 2 doubles, two conveyors
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Weekends, holidays and spring break will increase the lines in this ski area. Midweek is good and there is also a Blue Bus operated out of Santa Fe that will do the drive up to the ski area and back daily at a nominal charge.
I am told the Blue Bus is now working in conjunction with the infamous “beep, beep”, the Railrunner our New Mexico passenger train that covers commutes some 80+ miles of the Rio Grande Valley. I haven’t taken it for skiing since its a darn long day with the schedule but itâs also a senior feebie on Weds and links to the Sunport airport in Albuquerque via a short shuttle bus from the train station for those wholly reliant on public transport.
Oh and one other consideration for midweek. Watch out for the little peepers. The many elementary and mid schools around Santa Fe believe in getting the children outdoors educated so 1/4 the lunchroom might fill up with them. They mostly keep to the lower slopes on the mountain.
Word to the wise. Learn here to use the NOAA sourced weather report on line and their hourly weather data graphic (not tabular) . If you see winds being high and coming out of the west Gayway (blue) and Parachute (black) face west. Skiing then even if lifts are operating require good winter clothing, and a stamina. Oh and watch for randonee uphill skiiers, its allowed here for those that really earn their trips down.
I discovered Ski Santa Fe about 10 years ago on my way to Taos and am glad I did. Yes, it’s old school with no high speed quads and few amenities but I go for the skiing. The area has great snow and the right mix for me, a 78 year old former ski teamer at Gould Academy and UMaine. When I stated going to Santa Fe, lift tickets were free for 70 and over but who can complain about 16 bucks. I love Gayway, Parachute and Thunderbird trails as I now consider my self an advanced intermediate and have passed the skiing in the glades stage. I usually spend two days there before heading on to more modern areas but it remains one of my favorites.
I love Ski Santa Fe. I’ve visited there 2wo or 3 times in the past 10 years. Circumstances prevcented me from going there again this winter, 2023/24, but I was observing the snow conditions at all 9 ski areas in New Mexico.
Santa Fe received more snow than anyone else in New Mexico. On March 15, Sana Fe had a base of 70 inches. Taos was in second place with 58 inches. Ski Apache had 50 inches, and Red River 48″. Sipapu 45″. Pajarito 34″. Angel Fire only 33″. Sandia Peak has been closed for quite a while. And nobody even mentions the Cloudcroft Ski area, the southernmost in New Mexico. I want to ski them all.
As for Ski Santa Fe, I really like it when ski areas get creative with naming their trails. At Ski Santa Fe, there is a junction where you need to decide between two trails named DESAFIO (Challenge) and MUERTE (Death). Believe me, Death is better. The MUERTE trail is perfectly groomed because it is used for ski racing. It’s a bit steep, but not scary steep. Meanwhile DESAFIO (Challenge) is full of moguls, and probably never groomed, but usually quite skied out.
Just a quick update, they are not grooming Muerte this year. Some years they do, others they don’t. When I was uo there a week ago, there was a season’s worth of moguls on Muerte. Otherwise, agree with most of what has been said above. I have mostly been in Santa Fe during crowded periods this season so have not skied there as much as in years past. There are less crowded alternatives during busy periods, but in the interest of keeping them that way, you will have to do your own research on that. đ