Taos ski week 1/14/18 - 1/19/18: Intermediate's Trip Report

[alison wong]

Few more photos to share:

I got this photo from Cold Smoke Photos: taken from HoneySuckle (green run). I supposed my stance / posture doesn't look so shabby...


Taken on our last run, in front of Hotel St Bernard. Me and 2 other students in my group, plus my instructor, John.


We visited Rio Grande Bridge on the day of our departure, it was only 15 minutes detour.



Did you know this bridge is also called the Suicide Bridge? I did not know that, Eunice told me...
I thought this was a trash can but looked again, it was a crisis hotline.


A TR is not complete without a food picture. We stopped by a New Mexican restaurant, Maria's Cafe in Sante Fe, before heading to airport. I am not so crazy about mexican food but I like the food from this place very much, very tasty, the best Mexican food I've had thus far.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

Looking forward to your Steamboat TR. You are going again this season, yes?

Thanks--yes I leave for Steamboat Jan 31. There will be another TR!

 

[santacruz skier]

You are looking good in your ski photo ⛷

 

[alison wong]

You are looking good in your ski photo ⛷

Thank you....

 

[echo_VT]

nice report! i'll try to come back later and read the whole thing -

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

I finally read the whole thread - great TR @alison wong ! Thanks to @marzNC for reposting/bumping up the TR. I love your detailed report and humility with which you approach your skiing! I have to say that I think that the ski skill/technique progression gets slower the better you get because the adjustments to be made becoming more and more subtle. I certainly improved over the course of both ski weeks I have taken last year and this year, but it wasn't exponential improvement. There is of course the issue of mileage/fear which you have brought up and it's an issue for me too - that's a whole other topic. I am going to do ski week for the 3rd time in 2019. Like marzNC said Taos ski weeks are addictive!

 

[alison wong]

@Olesya Chornoguz : Thank you. Ditto. I will be returning to Taos next season also. I will be doing another ski week, got my MCP and already reserved lodging, only need to book flights and car rental...

 

[santacruz skier]

I want to go next season but have just booked a trip to London and then skiing in Switzerland for a few weeks. Don't think I can do Taos as well but they did email me there will be two sessions of the ladies ski week....

 

[liquidfeet]

I just stumbled upon this trip report, @alison wong. I read through the whole thread in one sitting; GREAT report! You took care to make your comments helpful for anyone considering going for their first ski week. You included so many details, not only about your personal experience but about the program in general. I've always wondered how the week is handled; now I think I have a pretty good idea. Thanks for doing this!

 

[VickiK]

I just read this whole thread and like @kiki found it riveting. I'm interested the Taos Ski Week for next year. Loved your reports, @alison wong !

p.s. I remember the jacket conversation. It looks great.

 

[alison wong]

Thanks for doing this!

Anytime.

p.s. I remember the jacket conversation. It looks great.

Thanks. Good memory about the jacket.

Taos ski week is great, it deserves the recognition. I felt their business model is very smart. Given the fact that Taos is considered as an advanced/expert mountain, but they make beginner / intermediate skiers feel welcomed and not intimidated to ski there. Because they pitch themselves as, even though you are "less good", we will work with you to make you better, so you can ski our challenging terrains in the years to come... (i.e. I do not have to wait until I am advanced to visit Taos.) This is just my opinion.
I know where I would be spending my ski funds next several years ....

 

[alison wong]

One more thing forgot to mention:
Eunice, my ski friend, joined me for the Taos Ski Week in Jan.. At the end of the ski wk., she was unsure whether or not to return the next year. When her instructor, Derek, said to her on the last day of class: "I will see you next year?" Her reply was: "Not sure" (or something to that effect).

Fast forward to March, she went to Winter Park to spend the spring break with her sister's family. Got a text message from her one day: "Thanks to you and Derek, I felt I am actually improved and skiing much better this year." So she is now planning to join me again next season for another ski week.

After we came back, we had a discussion about why people were cancelling their trips because of the low snowfall in Taos. Basically Eunice thought lean year vs. good year did not make much difference to her. She felt there was more than enough terrains for her to practice and work on different drills she learned in the class.

 

[marzNC]

After we came back, we had a discussion about why people were cancelling their trips because of the low snowfall in Taos. Basically Eunice thought lean year vs. good year did not make much difference to her. She felt there was more than enough terrains for her to practice and work on different drills she learned in the class.

As an advanced skier who never thought about cancelling a trip to Taos for a Ski Week in February because of low snow, I have no regrets. While going later in the winter might have meant more open black terrain, from a technique improvement standpoint it was well worth spending a week at Taos on blue terrain.

Will be that much more fun with a high speed lift for Lift 1 next season.

 

[santacruz skier]

I have to admit that I actually thought about canceling due to low snow but am so glad I didn't. I did cancel twice my timeshare week at Heavenly and waited until HUGE snowfalls in March but that's different. Yes, the terrain open at Taos was mostly all intermediate , but I really learned a lot technique wise from the lessons. One can get set in their ways with 40 years of skiing and no lessons in a couple of decades! Yes the advanced terrain would have been great for lessons but truthfully I was never bored the whole week in Taos. Will do it again but next year booked Switzerland so.....

 

[MissySki]

@alison wong I am very late to the party, but was just reading through your trip report and wanted to say thank you as I enjoyed it very much! Now I'm definitely thinking about the pitential of a Taos ski week in 2020.

 

[badger]

I may be doing a ski week pretty soon. If the storms continue to bless Taos in the next couple of weeks, that is where my husband and I will go. (not to Park City, where we also have reservations.)

This would be a great opportunity for me! If I am not engaged in lessons, I am skiing by myself quite a bit. That gets lonely after several days, and fails to compel my desire to improve and then I just do what I want merely for fun.

 

[badger]

It's official. Husband told me today that we are definitely going to Taos. So, if any Divas are going to be there from January 13, please let me know! Would love to meet.