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Taos Ski Week, a 6-morning lesson program, 2022-23 notes

marzNC

Angel Diva
People doing a Ski Week relatively early during the 2022-23 season will be happy. Lift 2 opened during the weekend of Dec. 3-4. Ski Weeks start on Dec. 18.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
This will be my first trip to Taos in February with my DH. I am looking forward to it and taking lessons as my DH is more advanced in skiing them I am.
Definitely consider taking an Adult Ski Week. Taos is famous for them, and many of us take them every yr. They're actually a great bargain, compared to the price of even semi-private lessons, and it's a great way to quickly get to know the terrain that you'll be comfortable with. Since the lessons are either in the morning or afternoon, you'll still have plenty of time each day to ski with your DH, and will probably feel more comfortable skiing with him, too. WARNING: May be habit-forming! :wink:
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For any Ski Week, it's good to keep in mind that it's helpful when a student is willing to provide basic info about goals, learning style, and past history with lessons. A few turns on a groomer cannot tell the full story of someone's skiing experience and thinking about what they are hoping to achieve by taking lessons. Someone who has been skiing for decades but has never had a lesson can seem similar to someone who learned with plenty of lessons as an adult but has limited experience on challenging terrain. Speaking up with a question or two during the first lesson, or speaking privately to the instructor after the first lesson is important.

The ski-off supervisor generally asked what type of terrain is of interest. The answer could be "blue," "blue-black," or "black." If the person has any experience skiing at TSV, mentioning a favorite run or an aspirational run can be useful. A favorite run at another destination resort may be helpful. Saying "I ski all black trails" without a regional context is less helpful. A groomed black trail in the midwest or northeast is not the same as an ungroomed black at a big mountain with 1500+ ft of vertical.

Experience, or not, with bumps and trees, is worth mentioning. Same for interest. There are advanced beginner and intermediate groups that focus on fundamentals on groomers that don't do any bump terrain. An advanced/expert skier who doesn't want to hike the Ridge should say so early on.
 

edelweissmaedl

Angel Diva
For any Ski Week, it's good to keep in mind that it's helpful when a student is willing to provide basic info about goals, learning style, and past history with lessons. A few turns on a groomer cannot tell the full story of someone's skiing experience and thinking about what they are hoping to achieve by taking lessons. Someone who has been skiing for decades but has never had a lesson can seem similar to someone who learned with plenty of lessons as an adult but has limited experience on challenging terrain. Speaking up with a question or two during the first lesson, or speaking privately to the instructor after the first lesson is important.

The ski-off supervisor generally asked what type of terrain is of interest. The answer could be "blue," "blue-black," or "black." If the person has any experience skiing at TSV, mentioning a favorite run or an aspirational run can be useful. A favorite run at another destination resort may be helpful. Saying "I ski all black trails" without a regional context is less helpful. A groomed black trail in the midwest or northeast is not the same as an ungroomed black at a big mountain with 1500+ ft of vertical.

Experience, or not, with bumps and trees, is worth mentioning. Same for interest. There are advanced beginner and intermediate groups that focus on fundamentals on groomers that don't do any bump terrain. An advanced/expert skier who doesn't want to hike the Ridge should say so early on.
@marzNC thanks for these tips. I’m not going with the Ski Divas this year, but will be doing my second Taos Ski Week with my local Ski Club and want to make make the most of it!
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
A few turns on a groomer cannot tell the full story of someone's skiing experience and thinking about what they are hoping to achieve by taking lessons. Someone who has been skiing for decades but has never had a lesson can seem similar to someone who learned with plenty of lessons as an adult but has limited experience on challenging terrain.
THIS ^^^^
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
THIS ^^^^
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? :smile:

When I took ski week in 2017 I was the person who learned as an adult, took a lot of lessons and had a good technique, but had very little experience skiing challenging terrain, especially Taos level challenging. Because I had good technique from lessons after ski off, I got put into the group that was going to hike the Ridge and ski double blacks, I was not ready for that back then. When I heard what the instructor said about the terrain they wanted to ski, I said that I don't ski steep bumps and would be scared of those. Then they put me into the intermediate group that was too slow, I had to ask to change a group for a more advanced group. Finally, I was put into the group that was skiing easier advanced terrain and that was perfect level, more along the lines of advanced intermediate.

A lot has changed since then and now my terrain preferences are more along the lines of the advanced group that would hike and ski the Ridge, but I was not ready for that in 2017 despite likely having the technique for it.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? :smile:

When I took ski week in 2017 I was the person who learned as an adult, took a lot of lessons and had a good technique, but had very little experience skiing challenging terrain, especially Taos level challenging. Because I had good technique from lessons after ski off, I got put into the group that was going to hike the Ridge and ski double blacks, I was not ready for that back then. When I heard what the instructor said about the terrain they wanted to ski, I said that I don't ski steep bumps and would be scared of those. Then they put me into the intermediate group that was too slow, I had to ask to change a group for a more advanced group. Finally, I was put into the group that was skiing easier advanced terrain and that was perfect level, more along the lines of advanced intermediate.

A lot has changed since then and now my terrain preferences are more along the lines of the advanced group that would hike and ski the Ridge, but I was not ready for that in 2017 despite likely having the technique for it.
And I was the one who had experience skiing varied terrain with no lessons in probably 30 years......
Now, ahem, at my advanced age, I will probably choose to ski some challenging terrain but not necessarily the chutes off Kachina. Main Street off Kachina is very similar to Gunbarrel at Heavenly but actually easier because the steeper section is short and the moguls are not the size of my former VW Beetle convertible!
STILL can't wait to ski with you again @Olesya Chornoguz .......
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Has everyone who's done a ski-off had the coordinating instructor at the top of the ski off ask you questions?

For the one ski-off I've done, the guy at the top said "Go" to me when it was my turn. That's all the communication he had with me. Another instructor standing in the middle of the trail half way down pointed his pole after each skier did two turns to indicate which group to join.

If the coordinator at the top asks questions, I'm thinking he/she would need a radio to let the instructor pointing the ski pole know what the answers were. When I did the ski off, this guy had no radio, so I guess there was no point in asking me questions.
 
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Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Has everyone who's done a ski-off had the instructor at the top of the ski off ask you questions?

For the one ski-off I've done, the guy at the top said "Go" and that's all the communication he chose to have with me. Another instructor standing in the middle of the trail half way down pointed his pole after skiers did two turns to indicate to them which group to join.
Yes, they talked to me about what terrain the group will ski. That was in 2017 though, not sure if they changed it, seems like an important conversation to have for the group and instructor though.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
When I did a ski off my first ski week, I can't remember what was asked, but I do remember telling the coordinator something along the lines of "east coast, smaller hill, happy on greens and blue groomers, no bumps." He must have relayed that info downhill in some way, or at least waited to see what group I naturally ended up in based on my skiing, and was prepared to radio down to have me moved if needed. I felt that the group I ended up in was a good fit.
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, they talked to me about what terrain the group will ski. That was in 2017 though, not sure if they changed it, seems like an important conversation to have for the group and instructor though.
I should add that after 2017 I took a ski week every year, but I was either in a private ski week (form your own group and request specific instructor) or managed to ask for a specific instructor if they could accommodate in the general ski week which they did a few times.

Private ski week is great, but I think to have a successful private ski week it's best if you already have skied Taos and know the people and the instructor (or have a recommendation for instructor), in other words for the first timers general ski week with the ski off or women's ski week may work well, and subsequently private ski weeks may be an option depending on the lesson preferences and terrain aspirations.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
If the coordinator at the top asks questions, I'm thinking he/she would need a radio to let the instructor pointing the ski pole know what the answers were. When I did the ski off, this guy had no radio, so I guess there was no point in asking me questions.
The last time I did the ski-off, the supervisor was talking into a radio after every skier started. Was the case on Sunday and on Monday. My ski buddy, Jason, didn't met it to Taos until Sunday afternoon because he couldn't fly out of the midwest as planned due to a snowstorm there. He did the ski-off on Monday and joined the group I was in. I had already mentioned the idea to my instructor. The turns Jason made during the ski-off and what he said to the supervisor confirmed that it would be a good fit. Jason and I had done semi-private lessons before at other destination resorts, as well as one less at Taos a few years before when our schedule didn't allow for a Ski Week.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
A lot has changed since then and now my terrain preferences are more along the lines of the advanced group that would hike and ski the Ridge,
Your skiing has certainly improved since 2017! An advantage of going to the same resort annually is being able to tell what terrain seemed aspirational that has become fun as a result of lessons, practice, and added experience.

Meanwhile I've done the Ridge hike often enough to know that I'd rather not do that during a Ski Week. So I invite ski buddies for my Private Ski Week who also are not interested in the hike. My focus for the morning lesson is on technique more than tactics. Also makes a difference that I'm able to do "adventure runs" in the afternoons and have enough advanced/expert friends to ski with when that's of interest.
 
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marzNC

Angel Diva
In recent years, there are afternoons when I prefer to ski with friends who are intermediates for at least an hour or so. Not only to enjoy their company and to see what they have learned, but also to practice. Learning how to practice fundamentals on groomers that ingrains better movement in order for it to be more natural on challenging terrain is a key reason I continue to take lessons as a solid advanced skier.

One reason I really liked the instructor I chose for the Private Ski Week last season was that he gave "homework" for the afternoon. Meaning he picked the 2-3 drills or though processes that would be best to focus on that afternoon. Getting specific directions for how to practice was helpful given that we covered quite a bit in 2+ hours. Clearly, that's not how everyone would want to spend their afternoon though.
 

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