What's New

By DAN LEETH

Special Contributor

Published: 06 January 2012 03:48 PM

SANTA FE, N.M. — Skiers in New Mexico are faced with a color choice other than which run to descend.

They also must pick a chile sauce: red or green?

Red chile, chile colorado, is made with peppers that are ripened, dried and rehydrated before cooking. The green version, chile verde, is made with peppers that are picked green, then roasted, peeled, chopped and cooked.

The red is generally sweeter. The green tends to be spicier. And New Mexico knows how to do both.

Sampling slopes and chile is a perfect excuse for spending a week skiing the Land of Enchantment.

Red River Ski Area

Red River is a chalet-encrusted, 19th-century boomtown that looks like a merger of sets from Bonanza, the Sound of Musicand Mayberry R.F.D.

The tiny, family-owned Red River Ski Area lies near the town’s center. Roughly two-thirds of its terrain ranks beginner and intermediate status. The place is good for novices and has plenty of snowplow turners.

“Over the years, we became the place to learn,” says owner Lauren House. “People came here to learn when they were young. Now they’re bringing their kids.”

Summer is prime time in Red River when the cool climate lures Texans hoping to flee the heat. As a result, there are more steakhouses in town than New Mexican restaurants. Still, I’m able to satiate my craving for green with a chile verde burger at lunch and green chile cheese garlic bread at the local Italian restaurant with dinner.

Angel Fire Resort

Last time I was in Angel Fire, there was no green chile to be found. That’s changed.

“There’s Hatcha’s, a brand-new New Mexican restaurant,” says town council member Christy Germscheid. “And you’ve got to try a breakfast burrito from Jose in the Village Haus by the lifts.”

The cook, who hails from Mexico, asks if I want everything, which includes eggs, sausage, hash browns and more wrapped in a giant tortilla. Stuffed, I may roll down the slopes rather than ski them.

Angel Fire has both of New Mexico’s high-speed quad chairlifts. It also offers the state’s only night skiing. With three-quarters of its terrain ranked beginner and intermediate, Angel Fire is a corduroy-skier’s nirvana. The remaining black-diamond terrain offers interesting bumps and trees to explore.

Taos Ski Valley

Taos is a classic area every serious skier should visit at least once. Dating to 1955, its base area offers an architectural hodgepodge with buildings ranging from concrete condos to Alpine inns.

Structural styles might be inconsistent, but its New Mexican cuisine seems uniformly excellent. I start with a chile verdebreakfast burrito at the cafeteria, and for lunch, it’s pork and green chile at Tim’s Stray Dog Cantina.

Taos might not be large by Western standards, but it skis big with half its terrain carrying black-diamond designation. “Don’t panic!” a sign advises, “We have many easy runs, too!”

“Over 50 percent may be black, but that leaves 50 percent blue and green,” says instructor Barbara Shulman.

Taos remains famed for its steeps, deeps, glades, bowls and bumps, and those who don’t mind earning their turns can hike Kachina Peak for Warren Miller-worthy descents down its face. The cool thing I find here is that with grooming as good as anybody’s, less-aggressive skiers can still have a good time and go home bragging that they conquered Taos.

Ski Santa Fe

My final stop is Ski Santa Fe. Winter is Santa Fe’s slow season, and downtown stays are bargain priced. The drive to the slopes, however, requires negotiating 40 minutes of twisting roadway.

“At 10,350, we’re the third-highest base in the continental United States,” says employee Candy DeJoia.

Ski Santa Fe covers 660 acres, and more than half of that is suitable for beginners and intermediates. Wide, easy runs stretch down low. The more serious terrain lies topside, where views extend seemingly without end. There’s not a lot of vertical, but the trails stretch long, ski easy and boast plenty of bumps and glades to tempt experts.

At the hotel restaurant for dinner, my waiter suggests the chef’s Plato Nativo, a sampling of foods native to the area. Unfortunately, it only comes with red chile.

“Like traffic lights, I’d prefer green,” I tell the waiter. “But in this case, red’s not going to stop me.”

Dan Leeth is a freelance writer based in Aurora, Colo.

When you go

Red River Ski Area

The ski area and the town for which it’s named lie along New Mexico 38, about 175 miles north of Albuquerque.

Red River features about 290 skiable acres. Its runs are about equally divided between beginner, intermediate and expert, and there’s a small terrain park. Over-the-counter lift tickets cost $64 for adults. This year’s ski season runs through March 25.

In-town lodging options can be found through the ski resort (575-754-2223, redriverskiarea.com/lodging) or the Red River Chamber of Commerce (800-348-6444, redrivernewmex.com).

Angel Fire Resort

The town of Angel Fire lies off U.S. 64 on New Mexico 434, about 160 miles north of Albuquerque. The ski area base sits about a mile up North Angel Fire Road.

Angel Fire offers more than 550 skiable acres. About half its trails are intermediate, with a quarter each beginner and advanced. It features two terrain parks. Lift tickets run $64 for adults. Night skiing is a $12 upgrade or $24 for the evening only. The resort plans to be open through March 25.

Lodging near the slopes can be arranged through the ski area (800-633-7463, angelfireresort.com). In-town accommodations can be reserved through Discover Angel Fire Central Reservations (800-323-5793, discoverangelfire.com).

Taos Ski Valley

Taos Ski Valley lies at the end of New Mexico 150, about 20 miles north of the town of Taos.

The area offers just under 1,300 skiable acres, with a quarter of its trails ranked beginner and another quarter intermediate. The remaining half is expert. There is one terrain park. Daily lift tickets are $75. The season will run through April 8.

Ski-area lodging can be booked through the resort (800-776-1111, skitaos.org). Check with the Taos County Chamber of Commerce (575-751-8800, taoschamber.com) to learn about accommodations in Taos.

Ski Santa Fe

Ski Santa Fe is at the end of New Mexico 475, about 16 miles northeast of downtown Santa Fe. Twisty roads can make this a 40-minute drive.

The ski area offers 660 skiable acres, with 20 percent of its terrain easy and 40 percent each intermediate and advanced. There is one terrain park. Over-the-counter lift tickets are $63 for adults, and a ticket for the Beginner Lift is $32. The ski season runs through April 8.

There is no slope-side lodging available at Ski Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau (800-777-2489, santafe.org) can help with in-town lodging. Contact Ski Santa Fe (505-982-4429, skisantafe.com) for ski information. the article online.