Taos Ski Valley

The morning started early for us both with 4:30 am slow wake.  Typical pre ski ritual with lunch wrap creation, thanks Drake, Hampton coffee and breakfast.  Great to wake up to Chiefs Victory over Ravens!!!  Back to back Super Bowl.

35 min drive to Taos Ski Valley for day1 skiing!!!  7:34 departure.

 Arrival at 8:10 where free parking was not clear.  We learned from the shuttle driver we were really quite a ways out.  Tomorrow we will be parking next to a shuttle stop a lot closer to the village.  The following picture from the parking spot where you can see the valley end.
The ski village is very small, but a lot like other resorts.  We quickly learned no cell coverage on the mountain.
2nd in lift line when they opened at 9 am.  The mountain is smaller, but gorgeous views.  Tucked in the very back of a valley in the mountains.  Lots of Black Runs and the chutes all around the valley require you to hike to them.  No lift lines ever and runs fun.  This is a harder mountain in general where most blues are more like easy blacks.

They definitely need more snow for the chutes and bowl, but plenty for all the runs we skied.

Lunch break was as good as any spring break trip.  Wraps with Drake's homemade chex mix and a local brewery Pale Ale.
Around 2 pm we both needed a break, so stopped for more spring break style.
At the days end we grabbed the shuttle back to our car.  Open hayride style trailers pulled by a truck.


 Drake took the wheel and drove us back to the Hampton with a stop on the way back at Smith grocery to get fixins for the sandwiches.  Phones caught up as we drove home, so kind of nice being disconnected.

As always exhausted after a day on the mountain.   Altitude, fresh air, exercise and a few beers.

After showers we headed out for dinner.  Guadalaja Grill where you order at the window and they bring you food.

Drake salted our chips in Honor of Janie.

After dinner we watched a movie in the room (the creator) and crashed.

The tally for chips, spills and falls.
Chips = 1* had chips and salsa
Spills = .5 for Jeff at breakfast dropping phone and almost spilling coffee.  Running tally 1.5!!
Falls = 1 minor for Jeff on a surprise section of moguls.


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