This page contains all the information on what has changed at your favorite resort for the 2012-2013 season.
Sandia Peak: No changes to the mountain over the summer months.
Santa Fe: The La Casa Lodge got a major expansion over the summer. There is more than 12,000 sq. ft. of additional space and a complete renovation of the existing facility. The totally new rental shop is 9,000 square feet bigger and features over 1,000 sets of the innovative Head BYS ski system and more than 600 sets of the Burton LTR snowboard equipment. The Ski Santa Fe Sports Shop is also expanded. On the upper level the is the new La Casa Lodge food court. Enjoy a wide variety of selections from The Grill, Local Specials, Pizza & Pasta Bar, Hot and Cold Deli and The Bakery. There is also a new Ski Santa Fe Coffee Bar.
Taos Ski Valley: There is a new 1,400-foot Pioneer lift that provides access to new beginner terrain. When looking at the mountain, this lift is to the left of lifts 1 and 5. The new Pioneer lift also allows expansion to the tubing offerings at the Strawberry Hill lift; tubing will now begin earlier in the day at 2:00 p.m. and take place Wednesdays through Saturdays. Also new this year, Taos Ski Valley will provide its own airport shuttle for visitors flying into Albuquerque. This offering will give visitors a cost-effective and convenient way to get to the ski valley, without the expense and hassle of renting a car. Finally, there is a new stage at the base of Lift 1 that will serve as the main hub for live outdoor music throughout the ski season, offering additional midday and après ski entertainment to visitors.
Angel Fire: Angel Fire Resort is keeping one of the nation’s highest elevation zipline open this winter. At 20 stories above the forest floor, the zipline starts at over 10,000 feet in elevation and offers offers some of the best views in the Southern Rockies this winter. On the mountain this season, they are expanding the cross-country terrain at The Nordic Center to 17 kilometers . The terrain is varying, offering as light or as challenging a workout as any cross-country skier could ask for. The Nordic trails offer both skate and classic-style cross-country skiing. The Nordic Center is open to snowshoers as well. On the main ski hill, they are opening the black diamond trail C-4 again this season for those that want to take the 15-miniute hike. This trail is in an area that was previously out of bounds. Meanwhile, the Children’s Ski & Snowboard School has partnered with Flaik, a GPS based Alpine Guest Tracking System. Children enrolled in lessons will be equipped with a lightweight armband locator for all lift serviced lessons. Real time tracking is available for the ski school management and parents to immediately determine the location of individual children. This system ensures an unprecedented level of security for Resort Guests and peace of mind for parents, instructors and management at Angel Fire Resort. In addition parents and children can view their runs, vertical feet skied and other stats online.
Pajarito: Both the Lone Spruce double chair and the Townsight Quad chair now have new cables installed and spliced. They are on schedule for having both lifts fully operational for the 2012-2013 season. The unloading area for the Lone Spruce chair will be considerably more friendly for snowboarders and beginning skiers than it was before, with a gentle unloading ramp rather than the high wooden ramp that was burned up in the fire. The new bullwheel is lower to the ground than the old one was which also helps for a smoother unloading. The trails on the west side that were closed last season (Milt's Meadow, Ma Bell & Gene's Choice) will all be available for the 2012-2013 season. On the east side only lower Evershine Ridge (at East Confusion) will be closed due to fire damage. Many are wondering what is being done with the trees from the fire: they are being used in many ways, including using medium sized logs for building snow fences to help retain snow in places that are now more exposed to sun and wind than they were when the trees were providing shade and wind protection.
Red River: No "what's new" information provided by the resort.
Sipapu: 1800 feet of new snowmaking pipe was laid this summer from the Practice Slope all the way up to (and just beyond) Thumper. They will now be able to make snow on Paul's Folly, the bottom of Loose Caboose, Bambi, Rolling Rock and Lower Bambi. This new pipe effectively doubles number of hydrants available and they can blow snow in more locations and trails at once. In addition, they improved many of the most popular tree runs, including Indecision, Reasonable Anxiety, the Jip and Josh chutes. Finally, last year, Sipapu joined the ranks of just a handful of ski areas in North America (and the only resort in New Mexico) by building two organic terrain parks (organic terrain parks are unique because they use only natural snow and features built from natural elements). They also opened the new Don Diego Terrain Park, which included some of the biggest features they have ever built. All of these parks were so enormously popular that they are planning to open them earlier than ever!
Ski Apache: Ski Apache is spending $15 million in improvements and will have 3 new chairlifts this season following the fire this summer. There is a brand new Doppelmayr Gondola. Home to the first and only passenger gondola in the state of New Mexico, the new eight-passenger Gondola climbs 1,646 feet to the mountain’s peak in just eight minutes, almost twice as fast as its predecessor. In addition, two new Doppelmayr chair lifts -- one triple and one quad – will come online this season. In addition to the new amenities at Ski Apache, are also favorite events including the Torchlight Parade, Music on the Mountain, terrain park competitions, and the Dummy Gelunde Downhill Race return to the mountain, creating a winter wonderland full of fun and entertainment. New events for the 2013 season include Sisters on Snow, which appeals to women looking to improve slope-side skills from intensive instruction, and the Big Mountain Challenge for two-person teams of intermediate skiers and boarders, with prizes to the top six finishers.
Valles Caldera National Preserve: No "what's new" information available.
Enchanted Forest XC: No "what's new" information available.
Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory):
In terms of what's new this season... On the mountain, DMR is building on last year’s high angle grooming initiative by adding a new pick point for the state-of-the-art winch cat has been installed on Lower Hades. The new pick point allows the crew to improve the high angle grooming and produce fresh, epic corduroy on some of the resort’s steeper terrain. On the backside of the mountain, Dante’s received a new deck and upgraded bathrooms with stainless features and slate floors. A portion of the upper parking lot was paved and DMR’s restaurants are also providing more options for those who have special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian and gluten free options, as well as featuring locally sourced products on the menus from Colorado-based Red Bird Chicken and Durango-owned Sunnyside Farms. Meanwhile, DMR has partnered with iconic ski manufacturer, Rossignol, and is the exclusive Rossignol Experience Center in the Southwest. The Experience Center provides all levels of skiers, with skis from the Rossignol Experience program which uses the latest rocker technology to help skiers advance much more quickly than previously possible. The Durango Mountain Resort Ski School has been trained by Rossignol to incorporate the new Experience technology into their lesson programs, thereby minimizing the learning curve and getting these skiers out enjoying the entire mountain quicker than ever. DMR is also expanding its Learn to Ski and Snowboard program. This program coincides with the National Learn to Ski & Ride Month in January. The new program provides opportunities for individuals who have never tried skiing or riding to learn from professionals at the Ski & Ride School, get rental gear and lift tickets – all for a low cost package during the month of January.
Wolf Creek: In terms of what's new this season... Raven’s Roost, a full service bar, will be opening in the top level of the Raven’s Nest; a beautiful glass restaurant, located at the top of the Raven lift. The on-mountain pizzeria and bar had a soft opening late last season and will be open in full flight for this season. “The Continental” is a rustic Espresso bar, located on Prospector Ridge, to the left of the Treasure Chairlift area. This project is a new on-mountain venue. A variety of coffees and teas, caffeinated and decaffeinated, will be available as well as other hot and cold beverages and fresh-baked pastries. A new water free composting restroom is located in the back of the building. Finally, the Race Hutch, is being launched this ski season. This Race Building will be located at the bottom of Charisma where the race course finishes. Race equipment, fencing, gates, sound system and banners will be located in this small “hutch.” The completion of this project will be a strong up-grade to the Free Fun Race Series Program that Wolf Creek hosts each season, where racers will now be able to easily hear their times announced at the finish line.
Silverton Mountain: No "what's new" information provided by the resort.
Telluride Resort: No "what's new" information provided by the resort.
More Info:
Ski New Mexico
Colorado Ski Country
Ski Utah
New Mexico National Weather Service
Colorado National Weather Service
Colorado Mtn Weather & Avalanche Report
Nationwide Ski Conditions
Detailed Ski Area Forecast From SnowForecast
Warren Miller Films & Info
National Forest Service (has fall color info and more)
