SkiCountry Winter

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Ski Areas character to the mountain and providing an alternate route back to the base area from the Alberta Lift. The new Race Hutch comes to life this season, with an observation area for the crew and storage area for race equipment. Kingsbury “Pitch” Pitcher, owner of Wolf Creek Ski Area and New Mexico Ski Hall Of Famer, was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame this year. Pitch, who celebrated his 95th birthday in July, was one of the first certified instructors of the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association. The life-long skier raced for the Stanford University Ski Team and was a ski school instructor, supervisor North America, Ski Apache sprawls out under the 12,000-plus foot peak of Sierra Blanca. The Snow Sport School Learning Center has plenty of programs for the family—kids and adults, even mixtures of the two with the popular Mom and Me, Dad and Me programs. Or you can kick it on a trikke or rip down the tubing hill. Boasting over 300 days of sunshine each year. You can even take a break and hit the slot machines slopeside in The Lodge. Visit us for info and events online: SkiApache.com 575-464-3600 free lift tickets at more than 20 mountains in the southwest and throughout the country. Pajarito offers several other affordable season pass options, all of which are available online at thepowerpass.com, skipajarito.com and sipapunm.com, and at lift ticket offices for both Pajarito and Sipapu. Several options for securing water for snowmaking (and also fire mitigation in the summer) are being investigated, including adding new water collection points and drilling a test well. The project is ongoing, to be launched later this year if weather cooperates. During the summer season, Pajarito and ski area operator for many years. Pitch Mountain is home to an extensive mountain has been a ski industry consultant over the years and has played a role in the development of many ski resorts including Snowmass, Buttermilk Mountain, Arrowhead, Ski Apache, biking trail system with lift-served access. SkiPajarito.com 505-662-5725 Santa Fe Ski Basin, Big Sky, Wolf Creek and ski properties near Telluride. The Wolf Creek Ski School is introducing a new pilot snowboard program called the Wolf Riders for children age five to eight that teaches the basics and beyond of snowboarding. A mobile friendly version of the website will be available so smartphones and electronic tablets will have easy access. WolfCreekSki.com 1-800-754-9653 PAJARITO MOUNTAIN Located in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and SKI APACHE Mescalero, New Mexico’s Ski Apache—the country’s southernmost ski resort—offers bumps, bowls, cruisers, a terrain park and the only slopeside gondola in the state. Touted as the best warm-weather powder capital in 30 minutes northwest of Santa Fe, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area offers 40 trails, 6 lifts and two terrain parks, all located on 751 acres on the eastern edge of the Jemez Mountains. Known for its spectacular views of the Rio Grande Valley and the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area was founded and developed in the late 1950s by the Los Alamos Ski Club. The fall line and bump runs are heralded as some of the best in the state, and the mountain offers a ski school, restaurant, and ski rental facility. The big news this year is that the Managing Partner at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area and Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort is now the owner of Purgatory at Durango Mountain and Arizona Snowbowl. Read more about the Southwest’s largest mountain collective in the article on the next page. Also new this year is the New Mexico Power Pass, the only season pass in the state that offers unlimited skiing and snowboarding at two ski areas, Pajarito and Sipapu, plus ENCHANTED FOREST XC SKI Getting on the right trail is easy stuff at New Mexico’s oldest full-service cross-country ski and snowshoe area, Enchanted Forest, a few miles east of Red River. Back country bliss in a groomed, signed and patrolled area: Cross Country Over 33 km (600) acres of prime forest groomed 12-foot wide tracks for additional skiing and a wide skate lane for the freestylers. Snowshoe Old growth forests, aspen groves, wildlife—a cool nature trek. Warm up with a snack at the hit where you can rent the stuff you need. Group and individual lessons. Got a dog Bring ‘em. Five km are dog-friendly. Need a night How about a mountain yurt Midweek is easier to book. Visit the website for more information and events: EnchantedForestXC.com 800-966-9381 575-754-6112 22 SKICOUNTRY 2015
Sipapu managing partner James Coleman adds Pajarito, Durango Mountain Resort and Arizona Snowbowl to the fold, forming the largest ski mountain collective in the Southwest. After nearly 15 years as the managing partner at Sipapu (near Taos, NM), Coleman understands how to successfully operate ski resorts. Since his arrival at Sipapu, he has doubled the ski area terrain and quadrupled skier visits to launch this modest mountain to the fastest growing resort in New Mexico. His commitment to snowmaking has also helped Sipapu to earn a distinct reputation for being the first ski area open in New Mexico (Sipapu is scheduled to open Nov. 15, which will mark the 12th consecutive time the NM ski area opens before any other) as well as having the state’s longest ski season. “I have spent most of my life skiing, working and living in this region, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue the visionary leadership of Arizona Snowbowl’s General Partner, Eric Borowsky, Purgatory’s Chairman Chuck Cobb and the Duncan family,” Coleman said. “Skiing is my first priority and, like many of our guests, I’m always eager to get the winter season started,” Coleman said. “I’m committed not only to opening these mountains early but also creating an exceptional experience for skiers and snowboarders – be it local or destination resort guests – while making each of these ski areas the most family-friendly, family-fun resorts in the Southwest and the best value in the nation.” Last May, the Los Alamos Ski Club – which had previously owned and operated Pajarito – voted and approved to transfer Pajarito Mountain Ski Area to Los Alamos County and a new partnership formed by the Sipapu Group. As part of their commitment to snowmaking, Los Alamos County, Pajarito staff, the Los Alamos Ski Club and the Sipapu Group have been working to secure approvals for a temporary pipeline, which will transport water (to be used for snowmaking purposes in the winter and fire mitigation in the summer) to the ski area’s holding pond. In addition to investing in water and snowmaking, the Sipapu Group plans to enhance both the winter and summer on-mountain experience through trail, lift, terrain park, tree skiing, and mountain biking trail expansions and improvements. Skiing in the Pajarito area dates at least to the 1930s, and a ski club was first organized in 1943. Today, the area has six lifts – a quad, a triple, three coubles and one rope tow – 40 trails on 751 acres and a peak elevation of 10,440 feet. This summer, Sipapu and Pajarito unveiled the New Mexico Power Pass, New Mexico’s only season pass with unrestricted access to two ski areas plus free skiing at more than 25 partner mountains in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and throughout the country. Coleman PHOTO: COURTESY DURANGO MOUNTAIN RESORT said that Purgatory and Snowbowl will maintain their existing pass partnerships. The ski industry was buzzing earlier this year when Purgatory chairman Chuck Cobb announced he – together with the resort shareholders, including the mountain’s founding family – was looking for an outside investor to take over majority ownership of the 1,360- acre ski area. Cobb was the majority owner since 2000 and secured the approvals for Purgatory’s master development plan that will allow for extensive improvements through the end of the decade. SW’s largest ski operator adds more mountains www.hawk-media.com 23
Page 1 and 2: WINTER 2015 SkiCountry GUIDE TO SKI
Page 3 and 4: The Secret to Health Lies in Your S
Page 5 and 6: Welcome Alpine Lodging Our Towns Wh
Page 7 and 8: Bubba’s owner grew dizzy with wor
Page 9 and 10: HUMANS WERE NEVER MEANT TO HIBERNAT
Page 11 and 12: Winter came down to our home one ni
Page 13 and 14: on the eyes, with a flair for good
Page 15 and 16: PHOTO: COURTESY TAOS SKI VALLEY she
Page 17 and 18: Hang your hat in Clayton for a nigh
Page 19 and 20: PURGATORY AT DURANGO Durango • Ch
Page 21: the most family-friendly resort in
Page 25 and 26: Simply the best liquor store in nor
Page 27 and 28: in the four unique, sulfur-free, he
Page 29 and 30: early in 2015: Our new Wine Store,
Page 31 and 32: Crafting comfort for 37 years. It

SkiCountry Winter

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