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

WhyKnot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The specialty Ski Weeks keep evolving. Even with the Regular Ski Weeks, there was some experimentation when a new Ski School Director was hired. There was an attempt to eliminated the ski-off. But most people are pretty bad at describing their capabilities, so I gather that didn't work out so well. The ski-off process isn't perfect but has clearly worked better than any other system. Jean Mayer used to be helping to sort people out every week. He invented the Taos Ski Week decades ago and probably made it possible for TSV to survive as a business.

The reason I started a dated thread for Ski Weeks was to describe the current situation. For 2022-23 apparently there will be a ski-off for Women's Week. That has not always been the case, just as the dates for Women's Week have moved all over the place in the last 5-6 years.

The free demos for Women's Week happened when I and @santacruz skier opted to do it in 2018. We didn't even know when we picked the week that Women's Week was an option at TSV. When we were registering for a Ski Week, we were asked "regular or Women?" When we heard about the perks that season, it was a no-brainer to go with the Women's Week. Pretty sure free demos from the resort ski shop is not a perk this season.

As for Diva West, look under Divas Only. There is a subsection with the threads related to Diva West planning.
I don't mind a ski-off as a theory, but my skiing at this point differs the first time I am on a slope and certainly the first thing of the day (or early in this case). But I'd be happier placed in a lower group to start anyway and based on what I am reading here my level may be lower than most anyway. So it would work out fine. The only places west I have skied are Mt Hood Meadows, Park City, and Deer Valley (which is my favorite and where I have skied the most out west and never in powder days). Otherwise it's skiing hard-pack (and icy when it is especially this season) in NH/VT and I am not comfortable yet in powder, really not even a little bit yet, and even chopped up stuff later in day in NH/VT is not yet a comfort for me, but I am working toward it and maybe that's something I can learn there. How does Taos compare in terms of difficulty and terrain? I know the vibe seems great. (And I am a huge fan of Deb Armstrong so love looking at the gorgeous terrain out there.) Thanks again and to everyone here.
 

Bookworm

Angel Diva
@WhyKnot . I don't know if this was said in this thread, but you can switch groups if you find that after a day or two you are not in the right place, skill-wise or chemistry-wise.
I've done a semi-private with instructor Derek and a group with @marzNC and 2 others. I learned so much. I also did a women's ski week the year that Deb Armstrong participated. I improved so much through those times and had a lot of fun. It's such a good deal, too, considering the cost for such high quality instruction. I hope you are able to participate. Taos is a pretty special place!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I don't mind a ski-off as a theory, but my skiing at this point differs the first time I am on a slope and certainly the first thing of the day (or early in this case). But I'd be happier placed in a lower group to start anyway and based on what I am reading here my level may be lower than most anyway. So it would work out fine. The only places west I have skied are Mt Hood Meadows, Park City, and Deer Valley (which is my favorite and where I have skied the most out west and never in powder days). Otherwise it's skiing hard-pack (and icy when it is especially this season) in NH/VT and I am not comfortable yet in powder, really not even a little bit yet, and even chopped up stuff later in day in NH/VT is not yet a comfort for me, but I am working toward it and maybe that's something I can learn there. How does Taos compare in terms of difficulty and terrain? I know the vibe seems great. (And I am a huge fan of Deb Armstrong so love looking at the gorgeous terrain out there.) Thanks again and to everyone here.
Many of the travelers from outside New Mexico doing the ski-off arrive at TSV on Saturday. Often they come from the flatlands, in particular from the midwest. TSV instructors are used to people doing a Ski Week not being at their best on Sunday. The first morning is a warm up, a chance for an instructor to evaluate the skills of the students and the chemistry of the group. Most of the time no changes are needed. Really is different when an instructor knows they have a full week to work with a student, not just an hour or three.

I've seen Ski Weeks where most of the participants are in the intermediate groups, especially earlier in the season. Taos also has multi-week Saturday morning clinics for local adults for all levels, including advanced beginners still wedging half the day.

People generally don't do Ski Weeks to learn to ski powder. That's relatively rare at Taos. The reason that there are always bumps of all types from easy to challenging is that there are a lot of skiers creating new bumps and growing existing ones immediately after a snowstorm. That's true whether a storm drops 4 inches or a foot.

I'm going to post pictures and descriptions of Taos terrain in my recent trip report in the next few days. The terrain really hasn't changed for decades, although there is more snowmaking on the core groomers these days. Since Diva West is at Taos soon, I took pictures of more than just steep bumps and trees the last couple days when I was skiing solo at times.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Thank you @Bookworm and @marzNC. It really does seem ideal!
As I've stated in Taos trip reports, for people interested in investing time and money to improve their skiing, Taos Ski Weeks are addictive. Having the afternoons to practice or just rest up is a key factor. That's true for any ability level from advanced beginner through expert. Over the past seven seasons, I have first-hand impressions for not only myself and ski buddies in the same Ski Week class but also for friends in other classes with a wide range of personalities, ski experience, and goals for future skiing.

Travel logistics to TSV flying from the east are more complicated than for skiing near SLC or in Tahoe or the Colorado destination resorts, but the opportunity to do a Ski Week makes it worth the effort for me.
 

WhyKnot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
As I've stated in Taos trip reports, for people interested in investing time and money to improve their skiing, Taos Ski Weeks are addictive. Having the afternoons to practice or just rest up is a key factor. That's true for any ability level from advanced beginner through expert. Over the past seven seasons, I have first-hand impressions for not only myself and ski buddies in the same Ski Week class but also for friends in other classes with a wide range of personalities, ski experience, and goals for future skiing.

Travel logistics to TSV flying from the east are more complicated than for skiing near SLC or in Tahoe or the Colorado destination resorts, but the opportunity to do a Ski Week makes it worth the effort for me.
I would probably be out west then, so it would be easier flying-wise. The accommodations are the tricky part, but I may see if there is someone who wants to split a two-bedroom, if that is even a possibility. If not this year maybe in the future -- really seems terrific. I do want to do some skiing out west this year as I feel I progress in certain ways better (especially steeper terrain and quality of turns, etc) when I am not searching for ice to avoid on the terrain so much of the time. But the ice-y stuff has helped build grit, and any day outside is a wonderful one. Thanks again (sent you a reply on another thread about snow surfaces :smile: ).
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I would probably be out west then, so it would be easier flying-wise. The accommodations are the tricky part, but I may see if there is someone who wants to split a two-bedroom, if that is even a possibility. If not this year maybe in the future -- really seems terrific. I do want to do some skiing out west this year as I feel I progress in certain ways better (especially steeper terrain and quality of turns, etc) when I am not searching for ice to avoid on the terrain so much of the time. But the ice-y stuff has helped build grit, and any day outside is a wonderful one. Thanks again (sent you a reply on another thread about snow surfaces :smile: ).
Not fully sure yet, but there's a chance one of the least expensive rooms at the Alpine Village Suites where many Divas are staying might become available. :frown::injured::frown:

I have a small studio loft reserved for Feb 25- March 4 . I tweaked my knee this past Tuesday and am trying to decide what to do. In a best case scenario I'll be able to cautiously ski some of the easier runs and be social. But with things so up in the air (including my currently elevated and iced knee) it might be wiser to try to find someone to take over my room reservation sooner rather than later.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Not fully sure yet, but there's a chance one of the least expensive rooms at the Alpine Village Suites where many Divas are staying might become available. :frown::injured::frown:

I have a small studio loft reserved for Feb 25- March 4 . I tweaked my knee this past Tuesday and am trying to decide what to do. In a best case scenario I'll be able to cautiously ski some of the easier runs and be social. But with things so up in the air (including my currently elevated and iced knee) it might be wiser to try to find someone to take over my room reservation sooner rather than later.
Oh no, how bad is the tweak??
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Not fully sure yet, the dr at Urgent Care yesterday said the swelling had to come down before he decides if an MRI is warranted or not. But there is concern for meniscus/MCL injury/tear. I'm doing the RICE thing and hobbling around in the mean time. My next post might well be for recommendations for a knee brace for skiing.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Not fully sure yet, the dr at Urgent Care yesterday said the swelling had to come down before he decides if an MRI is warranted or not. But there is concern for meniscus/MCL injury/tear. I'm doing the RICE thing and hobbling around in the mean time. My next post might well be for recommendations for a knee brace for skiing.
Fingers crossed for good news when the swelling comes down!! Ugh that really all just stinks with your getting to be West for a nice long time this season. :(
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Not fully sure yet, but there's a chance one of the least expensive rooms at the Alpine Village Suites where many Divas are staying might become available. :frown::injured::frown:

I have a small studio loft reserved for Feb 25- March 4 . I tweaked my knee this past Tuesday and am trying to decide what to do. In a best case scenario I'll be able to cautiously ski some of the easier runs and be social. But with things so up in the air (including my currently elevated and iced knee) it might be wiser to try to find someone to take over my room reservation sooner rather than later.

OH NO!! What bad timing (like the timing for this could ever be good). Hope it's nothing serious!
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
I tweaked my knee walking with skis in Tahoe recently . I iced like crazy and took the weekend off as I was there almost 2 weeks. I used KT tape, compression sleeve, and knee brace and was able to continue skiing another 6 days! PA friend on the trip thought could be mcl or meniscus that “corrected itself “. She referred to it as “joint mouse’ !!!
Knee still feels a little unstable so wearing brace !
Really hope yours settles down.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
I tweaked my knee walking with skis in Tahoe recently . I iced like crazy and took the weekend off as I was there almost 2 weeks. I used KT tape, compression sleeve, and knee brace and was able to continue skiing another 6 days! PA friend on the trip thought could be mcl or meniscus that “corrected itself “. She referred to it as “joint mouse’ !!!
Knee still feels a little unstable so wearing brace !
Really hope yours settles down.
Oh no, not another injury -- this season has been a real doosie! Are you still coming to Diva West?
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For assorted notes, including pictures of the locker room and other logistics tips for the main base, check out my most recent trip report from early February 2023.

 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Not exactly about a Taos Ski Week, but an example of the fact that the L3 instructors at TSV aren't just working on their own technique for skiing bumps.

February 16, 2023

In this Deb Armstrong 1-1 video, she does the same dry land "long leg, short leg" movement that my instructor showed at the Whistlestop before one of our Private Ski Week lessons. We practiced the movement on Rubezahl (cat track) early in the week. That's where Deb and the Level 3 instructor she was working with finish. For my class, the goal wasn't high carving, but getting skis on edge as part of a bump skiing technique.

What I can appreciate in the last few years is that refining technique for one type of advanced skiing is also very helpful for skiing other types of terrain and snow. Taos Ski Week instructors adjust their lesson plans based on snow conditions. If there is no new snow, then there may be more drills on groomers and detailed work on bumps of varying complexity. If there is a powder storm, then an advanced group may ski more black terrain to focus more on "tactics" and less on "technique."
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Here is a good example of how working on skills on a groomer can translate to more confidence and smoothness in challenging bumps for someone who is already an advanced skier. The student is out with Deb Armstrong, who she knows well, getting a "tune up." As the student says in at the beginning, she'd only skied a few days this season because she had a baby not that long ago. The terrain she skis at the end are short double-black trails on the front side. I haven't skied the upper double-black but have skied the last section with good snow during other trips. You won't find a trail sign for Ernie's Booboo, which is an alternate finish than Lower Inferno. All the instructors know the story behind the trail name.

 

brooksnow

Angel Diva
Bridget, after calling Deb's approach "chill," much to her surprise:

"People get really entrenched. I worked with people where they just want you to be able to understand their way of describing and ... repeating the same thing louder doesn't work for me"

Great comment! As coaches we have to find a way for the guest to understand what we're talking about, how ever many different descriptions or examples it takes. Sometimes they're just not quite ready to integrate a concept and you have to do something else until it's ready to click. To go from 1+1=2 to 2+1=3 can be so obvious to many people, but can be completely disorienting to others.

I love Deb's videos!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Bridget, after calling Deb's approach "chill," much to her surprise:

"People get really entrenched. I worked with people where they just want you to be able to understand their way of describing and ... repeating the same thing louder doesn't work for me"
The comment made sense to me based on my experience working with very experienced instructors in the last decade. My experience includes over 20 Level 3 instructors in assorted resorts, as well as several Level 2 instructors with 15+ years of teaching experience. So far, I've worked with five TSV instructors during a Ski Week in the last six seasons. Started with regular Ski Weeks, and then switched to organizing Private Ski Weeks with a few friends with similar goals and skiing ability as advanced skiers. My Ski Week instructors have had 20+ years of teaching experience, mostly 30+ years, and are mostly Level 3.

For a regular Ski Week in 2019, I had a long-time instructor only for the Sunday lesson. He had to bow out the rest of the week due to a wonky knee. What he told that advanced class at the very beginning was that he would be presenting lots of different drills. He said that there would be drills that would make more sense to some people, and some drills wouldn't seem helpful to some people. His goal was to make sure that everyone came away with drills and ideas that would help improve their skiing in the long run. Assuming that a student learned the drills of interest properly and practiced them after the Ski Week was over.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For Women's Ski Week in Feb 2023, there was a ski-off next to Whistlestop starting at 9:30. The women doing that ski-off were on the opposite side from the usual ski-off folks. Sounds like it was pretty well organized. My impression is that most classes had 4-6 students.

As can happen for a regular ski-off the number of advanced skiers was too large for one class. That group was split into three classes. I saw the process happen for the regular ski-off on Feb. 5 that included many folks from another ski forum. A factor that was used to separate people was whether or not skiers wanted to hike the Ridge, and when. Can end up with three groups: 1) people who feel ready to hike on Day 1, 2) people who are interested in hiking after a day or two, 3) people are not really interested in hiking but are solid advanced skiers interested in skiing lift-served double-black terrain. I watched as people raised their hands, presumably indicating their level of interest for hiking and/or when to start skiing double-black terrain.

Feb. 5 Ski Week ski-off, top group as it was being split into three groups
TSV ski off top group 05Feb2023 - 1.jpeg
 

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