For a select few, roughing it is their idea of a perfect ski vacation. If you aren’t one of those and would prefer enjoying a bit of quiet seclusion, a dash of pampering OFF the slopes, and a heaping serving of fantastic grooming on the mountain, you’ll love skiing Angel Fire. It has the feeling of VIP treatment but without the hefty price tag so the entire family can enjoy it.
Rootin’ Tootin’ Fun For the Family
It’s good to strive for the best version of ourselves, but we all can’t be Patrick Mahomes or Michael Jordan. This is especially true for ski areas. We’ve noticed the Indy ski areas that are doing well in the industry are those that truly understand their market such as Angel Fire. It’s not trying to be the next Aspen or Whistler.
Family Friendly Resort
Rather, it’s focused on catering to the Texas drive market and making sure it’s the best rip roarin, rootin’ toottin’ good time from 5 to 50. This means its terrain is focused on beginner and intermediate skiers. You’ll find plenty of laid-back groomers throughout the mountain and an assortment of widely spaced glades for even the kiddos to enjoy.
Fun For Expert Dads
For the Dad (or Mom) that has years clocked in their boots and that likes to push the envelope a bit, head over to the backside and dip your toes on “The Steeps” section. Although short compared to Taos’ monstrous vertical, these will keep you entertained. Also, be sure to sample the resort’s hard-work of clearing out the undergrowth in the Eagle and Shane’s Glades.
Acrobatic Teenage Wonderkid Playground
Due to my back illness, my days in the park are sadly a past memory. With that being said, I was impressed at the arsenal of booters, kickers, and rails Angle Fire has. The features are correctly designed (i.e. landing is steeper than the take-off so easier to land spins) and well maintained. If truth be told, they have the best terrain parks in the state. Sweet Street is their beginner park, and for the bigger features, head over to the Liberation Park.
Where To Go On A Deep Powder Day
If you’re skiing Angel Fire on a special day that’s blessed them with a bounty of powdery goodness, be sure to head straight to Maxwell’s Grant and Silver Chute located looker’s left of the Chile Express. Unfortunately, they need a lot of snow to open these. The only drawback is you need to ride down the loooonngg flat run of Domingo for another shot at them.
Powder Stashes Days After A Storm
As so many people can attest, powder is fleeting especially at popular places like Squaw Valley or Vail. If you’re lucky, it’ll last a few hours. Not so skiing Angel Fire. Even it hasn’t snowed for days, do the mandatory fifteen-to-twenty-minute hike over to Nitro, Detonator, or Baa-Da-Bing. We did it and sure enough found some steeper terrain AND KNEE-DEEP snow.
A Mid-Day Siesta
While most resorts are now in the rat race of skiing and snowboarding, you don’t get that feel at Angel Fire. The vibe is chill. The atmosphere is relaxed. You can get as many runs as you want and not have to worry about long lift-lines. Instead of wearing yourself out by hurrying along, set aside some time for a relaxing lunch at the Summit Smokehouse.
Take In The Views & Savor A Frito Pie
It provides indoor and outdoor seating along with a wrap-around deck with a jaw-dropping vista. From here, the Moreno Valley unfolds its beauty to you and to the Northwest you can see the Sangre de Cristo range where Taos and Red River lie. When you do finally sit down, be sure to order a Southwestern treat called a Frito Pie. At the base, you have a layer of Fritos which are then adorned with toppings you’d find on nachos. Salty, cheesy, and a bit spicy, it’s a great ski treat on a cold winter’s day.
Come For Skiing, Stay For The Sunset
After your day is done from skiing Angel Fire, don’t be in a rush back to Taos or Santa Fe if you aren’t staying there. In the Land Of Enchantment, sunsets and sunrises are spectacular everywhere, but even here there’s one that’s head and shoulders above the others and that’s in Angel Fire. So much so that the town’s name is based on the sky’s mysterious displays of reds and oranges at dawn and dusk.
Novel Business Idea
When talking to Greg Ralph, the marketing manager of Angel Fire, he brought up a unique business model that I’ve NEVER heard of anywhere else. Back when the ski area started, the original owner bought up 25,000 acres of land which included the mountain AND the surrounding area as a private ranch. A novel idea was born… why not sell parcels of land to create life-long customers and in return you get access to ALL amenities.
Buy Property And Make It Even More Affordable
The cost of land ranges from $4,000 to $42,000 depending on if you just want access to everything or truly want to build a house. You then pay the annual HOA and get things like:
- FREE season passes for the entire family
- Access to the Club House
- FREE golf membership
- Lockers
If you’re looking for a break from the madness of daily life for the whole family, Angel Fire is a great option. For more information about all the skiing available to you in and around Northern New Mexico, be sure to read our article: There’s More To Taos Ski Areas Than Just TSV.
It’s a fun and friendly place for sure, and yes there are lots of Texans. But it’s no secret that normal skiers looking for a better all around experience are driving in from the northeast and northwest. They are driving past the big boys in search of reasonable prices, decent terrain, and shorter lift lines. We were there one year in late March and found a place with nearly 100% of its terrain not only open, but covered with fresh powder. With over 2,000 feet of vertical overall, some of the longest beginner and intermediate trails anywhere, and some of the toughest steeps and ungroomed powder in the backside, anyone should have fun. Expert skiers can avoid the looooong flat terrain directly under the middle of the Chile Express lift, unless you just want to cruise with the kiddo.
And if you’ve got an RV or trailer that can take the winter, there is an absolutely fantastic RV campground that operates 12 months a year, snow plows, hot tubs, full hookups with water and sewer and electric, less than 5 minutes drive from the mountain parking lot (which is free and never full).
Another note… Angel Fire has four main areas. 1… The front trails off the Chili Express lift takes advantage of all the vertical and is 90% easy and intermediate. 2…. The liftserved backside is for advanced intermediates and experts. 3…. The hike to terrain is ungroomed and expert only. 4… The lighted part of the front trails are all intermediate and easy trails.
Anyone can find a place to ski. And its nice that that a group of intermediates, beginners and experts can all explore different trails and still meet at the bottom to share a ride back up. By Rocky Mountain standards this place is not that big…. but that’s also what I liked about it.