We just moved down to the Taos area and got passes at ski valley. Resort looks top shelf. Anyone in the area got sum knowledge to share? Thanks....
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We just moved down to the Taos area and got passes at ski valley. Resort looks top shelf. Anyone in the area got sum knowledge to share? Thanks....
haha...
where to begin. :fm:
PM Yetim...wait...fuck, never mind.
I should post Yetiman's awesome PM on this very subject, back when we were thinking about moving to Taos. It turned the tides...
Just moved down here from pc/slc area. Time for a change. The mtn. Looks as steep as alta/bird from what I can tell. Since last years snowfall was subpar last season, I'm hoping this season is better.....
see there was this midget who always used to get shitfaced at Abe's, and one night WHAMMO...hit by a car.
I love Taos, don't get me wrong...it's just that I love Taos in a sort of "ex that gave me VD" kind of way.
feel free to post the PM. I can't remember wtf I said. I'm sure it'll be amusing for everyone.
first I was likeQuote:
Originally Posted by arroyonm
Attachment 357605
yeah but srsly..
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0a3fg-fUW...k-the-wire.gif
1st half of run: hammering rocks.
2nd half of run: trying to edge on hardpack with blown sidewalls.
Taos can be epic, and the steeps are all time.. it just blows when there is no snow. As has been said a good hundred times.
SEARCH JONG
Yep, all you see at Taos is blown sidewalls, everywhere. Srsly..
:rolleyes:
The photos are Ryan Heffernan's, President's Day Weekend, 2011.
Last season was definitely a low snow year, and we still caught a number of really good days.
Well...it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know it s better than snowmass...
Search* flat resorts in colorado
Dope pics....glad I brought a quiver of skis that I can wreck! Sound like ski repair is a good business to be in around here!
i was there from '78-'85 as a full time ski bum and i get there for visits once in a while (hopefully again this winter), but i don't feel that i can give a valid beta anymore...as you spend time at tsv and make friends i am sure you will get plenty of the "shared knowledge" you seek.... there used to be a 6-8 week long, one day a week race clinic/lesson program that was filled with locals with good skills.. if that is still happening it would be a good way to meet new skiing partners...and, cybercop had a new mexico/taos thread ongoing here at one time for hookups.
you are living in seco? i spent 1 winter living across hondo seco road from the snowmansion in what i think is now an office building, and a couple other winters at places off el salto road.. don't believe anyone who tells you abes was better back in the day. it wasn't.... except for the prices:frown:..
It's not for everyone. Taos can be a great place to live, but it can be rough, TSV can be a great place to ski, but it can be rough. It's not really a ski town, at least by Colorado/Utah standards. There are some dark corners to the social fabric in Taos, and sometimes you can go a long time between snow at TSV. The whole place is kind of complex with a lot of history and can take a while to understand.
But when it's good, it's great. I know people/families living there that are living the dream.
oh it will be a change from park city/slc THAT'S for sure! you are here at a great time of the year --green chili's roastin, snow's comin, balloons in the burque...tsv is not a huge mountain and the chairs are all slow (a good thing at times)...when there is not much snow you'll be hiking to places where there still wont be much snow...i'd say for your first year just hike around the ridges checking it all out...watch out for rocks at the top of most stuff in the west basin...i'm good for at least one ejecto slide-a-chute per year over there...you cant go wrong with a combo plate at tims...welcome and enjoy...
oh ya, and SEARCH JONG! yetiman and someone were going back and forth about taos a year or so ago, and most of it was spot on and fucking funny...
YM's opinion can vary, depending. Catch him in a nostalgic mood:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...79#post1049879
No place better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper
Sorry, I deleted that pm. YM pointed out that some weird shit happens there, and that Anglo newcomers occupy a, shall we say, unique place in the social order compared to a place like Park City.
(thread drift) What's a part-time ski bum?Quote:
Originally Posted by up an down
lol...go to Petaca and ask for directions to the "ski resorts".
Go to Abe's and tell them you're looking for Jason Snowhawk.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...HOS-and-MORONs
Edit to add without bumping the thread: What I really should say is that as long as I was a ski bum everything was great in Taos. It was when I started trying to settle down and have a real job with local coworkers (rather than skiers) and a house and a GF with blonde kids in public school that things got off track. If you're just there to ski and you don't try to grow roots you'll probably have the time of your life. Trying to settle in can be kind of heartbreaking, the local politics are almost obscene and there is a nasty kleptocratic undertone of racism, corruption, and crime that constantly infects the way things run in that town. Hippies and hipsters and gangbangers and country mexicans and ski bums and indians and post-apocalyptic desert survivalists and rich retirees and artists all mashed together in one giant clusterfuck. It's all cool if you stick to your group and your thing. It's when it all starts mixing together that things become tense and confusing.
Don't go expecting Utah snow conditions though....I went from Crested Butte to Taos to Utah and really everywhere in Utah is just on a completely different level as far as snow conditions and coverage. You can ski a lot of fresh at Taos but it tends to be hollow, thin, and bony. I really wasn't kidding about hammering your skis on the steeps, then skidding around trying to hold an edge on hardpack with your grabby, chewed-up edges. Heh...that's just how it goes.
Beta:
Go enjoy the hot springs: John Dunn bridge or Stagecoach. If you want to know how to get there, go get a cup of coffee at World Cup on the Plaza and discuss it with local people on the bench in front. Get smothered hashbrowns for breakfast at El Taoseno, a Trujillo for lunch at Mante's, and Shrimp Guadalajara at the Guadalajara grill for dinner. :) Get a dirtbike and go ride Alcalde. Go jump off the bridge at Pilar. Pick up hitchhikers. Go play a round of backcountry golf at Valle Escondido. Don't eyeball the hispanic women, beware of drunk locals trying to fight/stab/shoot you, be suspicious of locals robbing your car/residence. I know lots of people who have been repeatedly robbed. If you're the typical "ski guy" from out of town with your Subaru with Utah plates, lock your doors, get a gun...you probably won't need it but it's a good idea. Don't count on the police for anything....don't count on the local govt. for anything for that matter. Get a few pairs of rock skis and try to be prepared to do ski repairs...either with your own bench and tools or by way of working at one of the shops (avoid Cottams...you don't want to be a Cottamite). Abe's = good times... Taos is a great place to ride motorcycles. There are DUI checkpoints at times, try to be aware in advance and prepare accordingly. The little backroads are fun, recognize that every dirt road on the Mesa gets really ugly if you get caught out there in the rain. It's a long walk to the highway and a bummer to hitch into town. Be careful as a renter, there are some real shitholes out there...places with no water/electricity...etc. Taos is a flake magnet and hippies will borrowsteal your stuff. Avoid going onto the Pueblo after dark. Resist the temptation to drive aggressively in Hondo canyon, that road was not made to be safe and it kills and maims people...and you're sharing it with lots of people who wake/bake right before their commute. If you're a racer, the town league is a really good time and you'll have good competition. The ski hill is pretty straightforward, ski the lower frontside, then ski the upper frontside, then work the ridge....IMHO. It's better to have skis that handle tight trees than your big wide-open charger skis...IMHO. Be really careful with the snowpack if you're outside of the ski area, it tends to be pretty hollow. I never had health insurance when I was there, so when I got sick and needed some basic healthcare I went to the clinic at TSV...they were always helpful and understanding about it. Don't go in the bar in Valdez or in Hondo. In general, just be aware that there are a lot of shady and hostile people around (not really TSV, but out in the county) and you have to watch out for yourself and be aware of little micro-cultures. Be especially careful with drug deals, if you're going to buy pot or anything else. I would suggest being patient and only dealing with skiers you know from TSV on that front...
heh...here's some more beta
https://vimeo.com/26057743
edit: youtube vids keep getting taken down.
I just moved back to these parts Arroyo. SLC was getting to be too much for me, too. Heads up at Abes but if you drink enough tequila and show enough respect you'll be their brother. I'm living in an even rougher town half way between Santa Fe and Taos. Only gringo on my street, possibly my town (so far it appears so). I'll be mostly ski touring some peaks that are sicker than the Wheeler region so if you want to come down for a tour sometime shoot me a PM...
Quote:
Originally Posted by arroyonm
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, it is lookin' like this year you should have researched the weather patterns a 'lil better. They are predicting the Southern Rockie to be be dry, all the La Nina flow is stay mid to northern Rockies.Quote:
Originally Posted by YetiMan
hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by skieurmalade
Attachment 357610
i agree. when i lived there (almost 20yrs ago) i was the only gringo on the construction crew and then worked in the repair shop with two other gringos. one had been there forever and the other was a local NM native. every chicano i met ended up being cool with east coast white boy. of course i respected them and busted my ass. once you get there respect they are there for you. cool people imo. ya, some are real rough around the edges, but so are people in chicago, ny, boston, etc etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by skieurmalade
closest to east coast terrain that i've ridden out west. tight, steep, killer! i had moved from JH which was a GS ski hill (dating myself :) ) and tsv was a SL hill. the place is great...enjoy! hope it snows...a lot!
this movie scares me. i'd much rather have remained oblivious and enjoying the bits of mesa that i had access to. that settles it, pagosa springs is my future vacation home, not taos. unless there's something wrong with the cowboys up there. is there? IS THERE? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by YetiMan
Long vid - I had to leave off last night and come back to that today, but it's awesome.Quote:
Originally Posted by YetiMan
Just stay east of the gorge.Quote:
Originally Posted by f2f
Chimayo represent.Quote:
Originally Posted by YetiMan
Where's telepop?
Welcome back skieurmalade/joey. Truchas plans are being laid.
always have, except the areas around 285 which are just scary in a horror movie kind of way :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper
my favourite place from the whole area remains the Pecos wilderness. there i felt like i was back home, in a temperate climate with water...
you would be amazed at how often we mention the NM sun even after 4 years away from the place...
I have seen a few pics of the terrain surrounding the ski area there and it looks pretty good so what's up with bc touring there?
Is Taos anything like Gallup? I just spent 7 days in Gallup and that place is kinda fucked!
..the years i was at taos i saved enough $ each year farming that i didn't have to work in the winter, unlike the cottamites..:wink:... i guess a part timer has to work in the winter, a full timer doesn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by keipow
I think taos kicks-ass. sure, it's hit-or-miss with the storms, but it's what I'll miss most about NM...other than the great folks down there.
it has a great feeling to it....a remarkably mellow vibe. big powder days go off and (for me) it's all about hiking. less than 15 minutes walking gets you to great terrain that is steeper and more technical than almost anywhere.
my purgatory (ugh) pass has a few tsv days on it, so I'll be coming down there for a good storm cycle this winter.
Definitely follow iceman's advice and go to Petaca and ask in a big white-person voice where you can buy chains and where the golf resort is. they'll love you. someone in an old taos thread said "they keep it really real in petaca".
and no. Taos is not like gallup.
it has mountains.
Pretty much just stuff like this, I'm told it's much better in Colorado:Quote:
Originally Posted by RaisingArizona
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...s/IMG_2624.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...bre5050901.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...bre5050906.jpg
What ever happened to ^Artie Fufkin? Haven't seen him for a while.
You can't tell the difference in the dark.Quote:
Originally Posted by RaisingArizona
Chimayo has really good Red Chili. Jason Snowhawk is that you Yetiman?
Dang, looks sweet! Coolies and big open faces! What else could ya want? We have some fun lines here in Flag but most of em are shorter or at least the real steep ones are.
Taos is amazing. Plain and simple. I am envious that it is your home mountain! Enjoy!
Once upon a hazy night at the T-bird I myself coined that phrase. I snatched it right from the smokey ether.Quote:
Originally Posted by up an down
This is the TSV I remember:
I remember Brian Swinson, Sean Cisneros, Marty Lucero, Josh Carlson, Gabe and hugh. I remember that guy who rode his motorcycle to work at the ski valley every day all winter...running the car snow tire and a sidecar. I remember the Stagg's dog Sundancer running around the ski valley unchecked. I remember skiing moguls with Dean Cummings back when he used to still ski at Taos. I remember Mickey Blake passing like 20 cars in one shot with his grey mustang on the ski valley road. I remember going on dates with Catherine Peralta when her dad was the mayor. I remember the first TSV Marshall who was cool as shit and would wave at me as I did 100mph through amizette on my motorcycle.
Taos in a nutshell, in one story: At the end of ski season, the cigar-smoking middle aged woman who managed the condos above Terry Sports moved out of this decrepit A-Frame in the ski valley. I was receiving this class-action settlement from Quest because they refused to install more phone lines for a house I had tried to buy in Questa (for $50,000...which seemed really expensive compared to the places I was looking at in Tres Piedras and on the mesa) for about $200/month. The house was normally unoccupied in the summer, so I worked out a deal with the guy who "managed" that rental house to rent it for $200/month off the books, so I had a free house basically, and he had some cashflow. That year I had a lot of friends in and around the ski valley, coming and going, and there was some chaos with people changing houses and roommates and the usual, so I had a few people staying with me at the house and I had this big white board in the house because I had a phone and all kinds of people needed a phone to get messages or apply for a job or you name it so I would tell them to use my number. I'd get calls for people, take a message and put it on the big white board. That way people were always coming by and that was nice and when I wasn't home there was always somebody coming by to check on my dog and the place wasn't unoccupied. Sometime in the middle of the summer when I was out on a fire, the guy who'd made that deal with me quit his job, didn't mention anything about me to anyone, and his replacement came up the valley to look at this supposedly vacant house. She saw the white board full of messages for like 15 different people, saw my 3 motorcycles out front and 20 pairs of skis in the house and she freaked out thinking there was some huge number of people squatting in the house...so she started an eviction process. So I had to leave a fire camp in Raton NM every night for a few days, drive back to Taos Ski Valley, and start moving my shit out. I moved everything I could into a storage unit, my buddy who was camping/squatting on some guy's property in Valdez took my dog, my spare 1980 Subaru, and one of my 3 motorcycles. Another guy in Angel Fire who bartended with my girlfriend offered to take another motorcycle in his garage. I just camped and stayed in fire camps for the rest of the summer with my shit spread around everywhere. Having to track people down in person because nobody had cell phones back then. Fucking amazing. Anyway, the guy who took the spare car basically kept it. He apparently decided to be gay with this guy whose mom owned the El Salto Ski Lodge and they moved to Albuquerque to engage in buggery with this dude...and never paid me a dime for the car, but I was so grateful for his having taken care of my dog that I had to let it go. The guy who took my motorcycle let his girlfriend try to learn to ride on it, and when she crashed the bike in Guadalupita, they just took her straight to the hospital and left the bike on the side of the road. Somebody stole it, and when I finally got this all figured out I went to the Mora county sheriffs dept and the duty officer laughed at me and said "you're not getting it back, might as well not waste my time"...again, had to let it go.
I felt somewhat vindicated, or that the karmic scales had been evened because in the next few years I found a free subaru that my friend had abandoned and rallied the living shit-hell out of it for a good year with no license plates and having zero regard for any maintenance or upkeep of any kind....then a guy from Carson traded my 1982 suzuki GS850 for an awesome, legit, gangster chopper from the 1970s. It was a basket case 1972 T120R in an Amen frame with huge forks. There were a few bullet marks on the frame and oil tank, the guy said it came from a guy who came up to Carson after the Arizona Dirty Dozen were absorbed into the Hells Angels and he told me he would only sell me the bike if I agreed to paint it red.
That pretty much sums up my experiences of living in Taos in a nutshell. It's not a normal place.
So there I was, back in Taos after living in Salt Lake for 5 years. I ended up hooking up with this woman in Talpa who was a horse trainer. She was pretty nice, and she had cool dogs and a nice place to live, so hanging out was enjoyable.
Highlights:
1) She had some sort of strange lack of sexual technique where she basically wanted to do some thing that just wasn't really possible, so she'd always go for it but it didn't work. I can't really describe this, except to say that I think it may have been some orgasm reflex she developed from all that horseback riding. It was truly obnoxious and totally ineffective.
2) This bitch had gonnorhea. God dammit.
3) I think a major reason she dated me was so that I would deal with the mentally ill hispano man who was sort of combination stalking/robbing her out in Talpa. I ended up talking to some locals on the fire crew and had them tell him that I would shoot him in the face if I saw him around the house. The burglaries stopped.
4) One night she was telling me about this time things got out of hand partying in North Carolina and she got committed to a mental institution. It turns out it was in the same relatively small town as my buddy from Helitack grew up. I couldn't even wait until a reasonable hour to call him, as soon as I was driving out of her driveway the next morning I was on the phone to DJ and just about crashed we were laughing so hard. Yes, I just banged a mental patient from your hometown. Yeah yeah dude, seriously.
Nice little write up... I went to Taos to visit my sister and ski every spring break in the late 90s and skied with Brian and Sean a few times. I then moved to Denver and headed down every chance I got. I don't get down nearly enough now a days, but I've had some of my best powder days ever at Taos.... and I sucked at skiing pow then. We'll probably go down the next long weekend chance we get, likely in early 2012Quote:
Originally Posted by YetiMan
oh was that too much ....BETA.....?
My bad.
Jesus Fucking Christ no I'm not snowchicken. :cussing:Quote:
Originally Posted by telepop