This summer, New Mexico ski areas have been hard at work upgrading their resorts. From new chair lifts to other major improvements, they’re making skiing in the “Land of Enchantment” even better. Here is a quick look at what three of the resorts accomplished.
Angel Fire Upgrades
Family-friendly Angel Fire resort in the Sangre de Cristo range of northern New Mexico is heading into the upcoming winter with some notable improvements under its belt.
New Quad Chair on Backside
A new fixed-grip quad chairlift, The Rake’s Rider, stands out as the most impressive part of the project. Located on the back side of the mountain, this lift provides access to Angel Fire’s most concentrated sector of advanced terrain, including Minder Binder, Charisma, Hari Kari, Nice Day, the tree run Hell’s Gate, and the obscure Angel’s Plunge.
Next Up: A Six-Pack!
Angel Fire also announced tree cutting will commence in spring 2026 for a new six-pack detachable chairlift on the front side of the mountain. This state-of-the-art lift will significantly improve uphill capacity and efficiency and will be the first “six-pack” lift in the state. It should be ready for the 2026-27 season.
Upgrades for summer activities also included new pickleball courts, a disc golf course, and splashpad expansion.
Sipapu Erects New Chair
Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort built a new two-person chairlift to replace an iconic detachable surface lift that’s been transporting skiers at Sipapu for nearly half a century. It is electric powered, versus diesel, part of the area’s efforts to be more environmentally oriented.
The new Lift 3 will give skiers and riders of all abilities, especially beginners and the more than 2,000 students taught annually in its ski school programs, faster and easier access to suitable terrain. They expect the lift to start running by late December or early January.
Other summer projects included enhanced snowmaking across Butterfly Trail, refurbishing a snowcat, and purchasing $50,000 in new rental gear. Sipapu, traditionally the first ski area to open in New Mexico, missed its initial target opening date for the 2025–26 season while waiting for colder temperatures to make snow. The good news is that opening day is now set for November 21, with limited terrain available.
Ski Santa Fe Continues Lift Upgrades
One upside of Ski Santa Fe’s growing popularity is the resort continues to invest in upgrades. This summer, it continued its recent spate of infrastructure projects with the installation of a new beginner chairlift serving the Easy Street area at the base of the mountain. The new quad replaces an old double, eliminating a bottleneck for its novice skiers and boarders. It follows the exact same alignment as the previous chair.
The fixed-grip chair actually comes from a segment of Ski Santa Fe’s Super Chief quad. That lift was replaced last summer with a detachable version, the resort’s first new chair since 2005. The 2024-25 ski season showed that it was a game changer. Together, the two new chairs will make getting out of the base area noticeably faster this season.
Stay tuned as we share more about what’s new in the Land of Enchantment including updates about the Pajarito pipeline, upgrades at Taos Ski Valley and so much more!
