perfect places
Old School
At Taos, they don’t teach you to ski, they teach you to ski Taos
m a r c m u e n c h /co r b i s
by roger toll
among those few family-owned ski resorts that have managed to succeed with few frills, reasonable prices, and little or no debt, Taos Ski ValleyY is nobility. Like an old-moneyed family, it clings to tradition as it edges into the future, its noble bearing inherited from Ernie Blake, who founded it more than 50 years ago. While Taos may lack high-speed lifts, there is an abundance of nature’s blessings here: plummeting north-facing steeps that can set even a pro’s heart pounding, 1,300 uncrowded acres, a lot of blue sky, and a dizzying elevation — the base is at 9,207 feet — that keeps the snow fresh and dry despite its deep-south latitude. Add to the mix a simply magical town 15 miles down the mountain road and family members who still uphold their grandfather’s vision 20 years after his death, and it’s easy to see why people are passionate about Taos. 67
perfect places
At the heart of that love affair are Taos’ unique Ski Weeks, established by Blake in 1958 to deal with the daunting challenge of the steeps that faced new arrivals. In his book Ski Pioneers, Y author Rick Richards quotes Blake as saying that though skiers may be very good at their home areas, “when they come here, they are baffled by the tremendous mountain, and they would leave angry … if we didn’t force them to go into ski school. They learn so much because our ski school is built not as a business but as a service … to make people happy because they learn to handle our mountain.” “The ski school is a huge part of my life here,” Los Angeles film distributor Susan Jackson told me. It’s part of the reason she and her husband bought a second home at the ski area after sampling slopes throughout the West. “The instructors take such evident joy in teaching people to ski as much of the mountain as possible. My husband was a solid intermediate when we first came here. He would never go off-piste or in bumps. But after two Ski Weeks he now goes everywhere on the mountain and loves it.” Dropping behind Susan into the Walkyries Chute, one of the double-blacks that don’t require a hike, I quickly discovered she was a top-level expert, and I struggled to keep up with her strong, confident turns on a 40-degree slope. Afterward, as we climbed back onto lift 7, I asked Susan why she is so passionate about ski school when she already knows the mountain well and can easily dominate a gnarly slope like the one we just skied. 68
f r o m to p : k e v i n m o lo n e y/a u r o r a ; w i l l i a m a b r a n o w i c z /a r t + c o m m e r c e
Taos‘ best skiing comes at the price of a hike, and with the reward of a rustically elegant place to rest at the bottom of its legendary steeps.
“I wouldn’t ski as well as I do unless I joined Ski Weeks,” she said. “The instructors take us places no other ski school would go. It’s not geared to the lowest common denominator in a class, it’s not about cautious skiing. The instructors here love adventure. As in Europe, they are more like guides who give you tips when needed. No matter what level you’re at, you have an amazing time.” And, by Blake’s design, it’s a bargain. In January, the program is $99 for six days of two-hour morning lessons. Y Because the group skis together all week, a close camaraderie emerges, with classmates often sharing après-ski drinks, meals, and tales of the day. Taos Ski Valley has begun inching toward modernity by opening its slopes to snowboarders and taking on debt to begin redeveloping the base area. There has even been talk of making the top of 12,481foot Kachina Peak more accessible, which, should it ever come to pass, would end the most extreme hike-to skiing on the mountain. Despite the arrival of new lodges, the essential lodging experience is still the Hotel St. Bernard, Y which lies at the base of the lifts and at the center of the ski area’s soul. Owned for more than 50 years by Jean Mayer, a former French junior skiing champion who still creates the menu and serves meals, this handsome alpine chateau requires guests to register for the entire ski week and eat their meals family style at communal tables in the dining room. Blake hired Mayer in 1958 to run the fledgling ski school after a stint heading the U.S. Army ski patrol. Fifty-one years later, Mayer is still the technical director, inspiring Ski Weeks classes with a free-spirited, experiential attitude toward learning how to ski Taos’ steeps. “Most ski schools try to make it easier,” Mayer says. “For us, it’s all about adventure, fun and creative skiing.” s The mountain is high and the snow is dry, making for glorious days on uncrowded slopes.
70
Y R e s o u r c e s Pa g e 1 3 0
f r o m to p : s c ot t m a r k e w i t z / g e t t y ; m a r c m u e n c h / c o r b i s
perfect places