Taos Ski Week in 2020, what week fits in your schedule better?

[Susan L]

I’d prefer not needing a car if possible. So ski in/out or available shuttle, and access to groceries or restaurants. How much of an inconvenience is it without a car?

There is an all inclusive option (ski in/out lodging, lift ticket, ski week lessons, and 3meals/day) with Hotel St. Bernard.

https://www.stbernardtaos.com/hotelrates

It is not the most budget friendly option, but if you don’t want to spend time planning every detail for the trip, then it is worth spending the money. Just get yourself there and no need to worry about the rest!

TSV is pretty dead at night. There are a handful of restaurants and a small convenience store at one of the base lodging (Snakedance). You can survive a week there without a car if all you want to do is ski. There is free shuttle service between the ski valley and the town of Taos during the day if you really need to get in town.

 

[Susan L]

This post is getting me all excited about the upcoming season!
I already got my season pass, locker and lodging
I am currently in the middle of my golf season...4 more months to go!

 

[marzNC]

There is an all inclusive option (ski in/out lodging, lift ticket, ski week lessons, and 3meals/day) with Hotel St. Bernard.

We looked into what it cost to stay at the St. B during the first trip to TSV. Definitely one of the most expensive ways to do a ski week. More expensive than a week at Alta Lodge. I'll stick with the Columbine.

TSV is pretty dead at night. There are a handful of restaurants and a small convenience store at one of the base lodging (Snakedance). You can survive a week there without a car if all you want to do is ski.

My friend, DaveB, is perfectly happy staying at the base of TSV in a condo. But he is a bachelor who has no issue eating out every night. Doesn't really need that much variety to be happy. There was an older man in my Ski Week group who did the same thing. Pretty much ate dinner in the same place most nights. Being able to get back to his condo mid-afternoon or for lunch if he was tired after the morning lesson was important to him.

 

[marzNC]

This post is getting me all excited about the upcoming season!
I already got my season pass, locker and lodging

Does that mean you're likely to be around in late Jan or Feb whenever Divas are doing a Ski Week?

 

[santacruz skier]

I'll stick with the Columbine.

Columbine was perfect. I'd do it again and may......

 

[marzNC]

I’d prefer not needing a car if possible. So ski in/out or available shuttle, and access to groceries or restaurants. How much of an inconvenience is it without a car?

I'll write more about lodging and travel logistics soon. Really depends a bit on whether you are at TSV solo or at the same time as other Divas.

@alison wong usually cooks, so she has experience with finding lodging that includes a kitchen and the need to buy groceries. For TSV, I prefer to have a car. I either rent one or ride with Bill.

 

[Susan L]

Does that mean you're likely to be around in late Jan or Feb whenever Divas are doing a Ski Week?

Yes! No matter what week the you gals are coming I will be there!

 

[marzNC]

Yes! No matter what week the you gals are coming I will be there!

Note that there are likely to be more than one week when Divas are at TSV.

 

[Susan L]

We looked into what it cost to stay at the St. B during the first trip to TSV. Definitely one of the most expensive ways to do a ski week. More expensive than a week at Alta Lodge. I'll stick with the Columbine.

Oh yeah, St Bernard is not cheap but it is convenient if you don’t want to plan. My sister’s family is staying there for a week for x’mas and I have met a few people in my previous ski week groups that stays at St.B every year for the last 15 years!!

 

[Susan L]

Note that there are likely to be more than one week when Divas are at TSV.

I will just be skiing Taos this season. I used to head up to Tahoe when I visit my dad in the winter months but he passed away a few months ago so I won’t be going to CA in a long while...

 

[santacruz skier]

I will just be skiing Taos this season. I used to head up to Tahoe when I visit my dad in the winter months but he passed away a few months ago so I won’t be going to CA in a long while...

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Where did you ski in Tahoe?

 

[Susan L]

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Where did you ski in Tahoe?

Thanks.
Mainly Heavenly, Squaw and Sierra - depending on if it was a day/weekend trip.

 

[santacruz skier]

Thanks.
Mainly Heavenly, Squaw and Sierra - depending on if it was a day/weekend trip.

I always get the Epic Pass as BF has family house at Northstar and I have a timeshare across the street from the Heavenly Gondola. Did a Taos ski week in 2018 with other divas @marzNC ,@nopoleskier and @Olesya Chornoguz and had a blast. Think I'll do it again in 2020! Not sure which week as really enjoyed the Ladies (Women) Ski Week with the free demos!

 

[Susan L]

I always get the Epic Pass as BF has family house at Northstar and I have a timeshare across the street from the Heavenly Gondola. Did a Taos ski week in 2018 with other divas @marzNC ,@nopoleskier and @Olesya Chornoguz and had a blast. Think I'll do it again in 2020! Not sure which week as really enjoyed the Ladies (Women) Ski Week with the free demos!

Have I met you last year at Taos?

 

[Susan L]

@santacruz skier My ski season is quite short (Dec-March) because my golf season starts in April. Otherwise, I’d get multiple passes and travel to ski for an extra few months!

 

[nopoleskier]

After 3yrs, pretty sure I'm taking a break from Taos this year and going to ski some Mts. I haven't skied in a while or ever before.

I do love Taos it is a great Mt. I think if I went back I'd look for a condo for some dinners at home. There are only a few restaurants at the Mt. Driving 25-30min down the Mt to town for dinner can be tiresome especially if it is snowing. We did get pizza and spaghetti dinners delivered to the Columbine Inn one night. The Columbine is wonderful owned and run by skiers, Huge immaculate rooms with breakfast included and having the shuttle to the front door every day is very nice.

 

[santacruz skier]

Have I met you last year at Taos?

No ! Went to St moritz and Davos for skiing out of state (country)!

 

[marzNC]

The first trip to TSV, my group started out in a house in Arroyo Seco. It's a little closer to TSV than staying in the town of Taos, about 20 min on dry road with no traffic. The house turned out to be on a dirt road. Definitely needed 4WD. That season there was a lot of snow, but even without snow I can imagine the rutted road could be muddy at any time.

When I first looked around for a condo or house that would be good for 4-5 people within a mile or two of the TSV base, the prices were quite high. Most 2BR condos only had 1 bed in each bedroom (Q or K) so weren't particularly good even for people willing to share a bedroom to bring down lodging costs. @alison wong found a 1BR w/ loft unit on AirBnB that turned out to be just across from the Columbine. I think she booked it early on during the summer.

Arroyo Hondo is about 30 min from TSV and is another option for cheaper lodging.

When staying in Taos, the drive takes 40-45 min depending on traffic. I found that if you drive up too early, there is traffic because of staff who are heading to work. They tend to be in a hurry and drive the road faster than I like. Leaving town closer to 8:00am actually worked better than leaving at 7:30.

 

[marzNC]

The main reason I tend not to go directly to the Columbine Inn after flying to NM is because I prefer to sleep at least a couple nights at a lower elevation. Albuquerque is about 5000 ft, Santa Fe and Taos are around 7000 ft, and lodging near the TSV base is around 9000 ft.

Given that Ski Weeks start on Sunday morning, being able to fly in on Friday means having a couple nights to adjust to the altitude. Being able to ski at Taos on Saturday is nice, but not that critical. The Ski Week instructors take it easy on the first morning as they assess everyone in the group. Many people don't have a chance to ski before a Ski Week.

 

[marzNC]

To start a discussion about picking a week, here's what has come up so far. For me, the first week of Feb is the most likely time. That is the Ski Week Feb. 2-7, 2020. My ski buddy, Bill, will match my dates.

Last week of Jan - @Ski Sine Fine
Feb. 2-7 - MarzNC
Ladies Ski Week, probably second week of Feb - @santacruz skier

Anyone else have a week to suggest? The idea of this thread is to see which weeks are of the most interest. Or perhaps just an indication of timeframes that won't work at all to help narrow down the options. Later on, we can have Meet On The Hill (MOST) threads for more detailed planning such as finding people to share lodging and/or a rental car.