2022 Taos Mini-Gathering - January 22 - January 29, 2022

[James]

When you take off the plastic or when you mount the bindings?

You showing up with new boots?
Meaning the ones in the closet that are 30yrs ago new.

 

[Seldomski]

What do facts have to do with worrying?

Love it!

 

[mdf]

You showing up with new boots?
Meaning the ones in the closet that are 30yrs ago new.

No, but I replaced the soles.

 

[KingGrump]

No, but I replaced the soles.

GW?

 

[newfydog]

There is a risk that places advertising "Mexican" may be pandering to tourists and should be avoided.

I avoided Maria's Mexican for quite awhile, then found it to be one of the best, rum by some some women who know the difference in chile heat and chile flavor (I like both). Name some of your favorites.

 

[Tony S]

I avoided Maria's Mexican for quite awhile, then found it to be one of the best, rum by some some women who know the difference in chile heat and chile flavor (I like both). Name some of your favorites.

Wait wait wait wait wait. This is torture! You can't go talking about all the great places to eat in Taos in the very same thread where people are talking about not going out to eat in Taos. Nooooooo. Insert wail emoji here.

 

[mdf]

Which restaurants do takeout? What dishes travel well?

 

[KingGrump]

Which restaurants do takeout? What dishes travel well?

McDonald's drive thru.
Quarter pounder with cheese.

 

[mdf]

McDonald's.
Quarter pounder with cheese.

Since you acknowledge fries become inedible after 15 minutes, I guess you are a credible source.

Can you get a quarter-pounder chili cheeseburger?

 

[newfydog]

Which restaurants do takeout? What dishes travel well?

Most of them do take out. Most NM dishes travel and reheat decently. They are all pretty good---the stuff we get here in the northwest wouldn't survive in Taos.

For some dishes that might be a bit different from what you've had elsewhere, try take out from Antonio's:

Antonio's The taste of Mexico

Online menus, items, descriptions and prices for Antonio's The taste of Mexico - Restaurant - Taos, NM 87571

places.singleplatform.com

 

[dbostedo]

For folks worried about snow, this probably won't help, but I'll still remind folks of the first Taos Mini-Gathering....

In fall 2017 there was some chatter about getting folks together are Taos... some folks started lining up to go, and it looked like we were going to have a small Gathering. I was very enamored of the ski week concept, which was $220 at the time. So I made plans to be there in early Feb. 2018....

.... and it was a horrific snow year. The worst on current record. When you look at the snowpack graphs, that season is literally the bottom boundary line of the graph:



They didn't even have a prayer of opening lift 4 or 8 that season until several weeks after the "gathering" dates. And nothing difficult was open - nothing black that wasn't a groomer connector (a la Tell Glade or Zagava).

But I figured (kind of like @Noodler is saying) that a week of lessons and groomer zooming would still do me, as a middling intermediate skier at the time, a lot of good. So I went... and the total attendance wound up being 2 - me and @KingGrump, and he was going to be there regardless! So I spent the mornings in lessons, and skiing the afternoons with the Grumps and a bunch of instructors. It actually was a lot of fun, and a LOT of learning.

So I'd say that low snow years are a great time to still go and focus on lessons or groomer zooming or camaraderie. It can still be a great time.

And of course, if you look at the dark colored snowpack line for this year - we're way, way ahead of 2018, and this season is pretty much average for this time of year.

 

[FlyingAce]

I have a hard time imagining 7 and 4 being open without there being enough snow to open 8. But .

@KingGrump or @FlyingAce - any idea what lower Stauffy or Firlefanz are looking like?

Didn’t see much going on when I was on 2 looking over to 8. There were no activities on Firlefanz or lower Stauffy when I was on my way to Tell Glade.
Chair 4’s only way down was Shalako to Honeysuckle to 7 to Winkelried since Baby Bear/Papa Bear are not opened. It looked like they were pushing snow around but nothing was happening as of this morning when I was there.

 

[James]

For folks worried about snow, this probably won't help, but I'll still remind folks of the first Taos Mini-Gathering....

In fall 2017 there was some chatter about getting folks together are Taos... some folks started lining up to go, and it looked like we were going to have a small Gathering. I was very enamored of the ski week concept, which was $220 at the time. So I made plans to be there in early Feb. 2018....

.... and it was a horrific snow year. The worst on current record. When you look at the snowpack graphs, that season is literally the bottom boundary line of the graph:

View attachment 155173

They didn't even have a prayer of opening lift 4 or 8 that season until several weeks after the "gathering" dates. And nothing difficult was open - nothing black that wasn't a groomer connector (a la Tell Glade or Zagava).

But I figured (kind of like @Noodler is saying) that a week of lessons and groomer zooming would still do me, as a middling intermediate skier at the time, a lot of good. So I went... and the total attendance wound up being 2 - me and @KingGrump, and he was going to be there regardless! So I spent the mornings in lessons, and skiing the afternoons with the Grumps and a bunch of instructors. It actually was a lot of fun, and a LOT of learning.

So I'd say that low snow years are a great time to still go and focus on lessons or groomer zooming or camaraderie. It can still be a great time.

And of course, if you look at the dark colored snowpack line for this year - we're way, way ahead of 2018, and this season is pretty much average for this time of year.

You’re making a valiant effort.

 

[socalgal]

Well, we are going. And we will have fun!

 

[Tony S]

Well, we are going. And we will have fun!

Dammit.

 

[Sheena]

We have not made the decision to jump ship. Skiing is outdoors and pretty safe, no?

 

[Tony S]

We have not made the decision to jump ship. Skiing is outdoors and pretty safe, no?

Except for the snow snakes.

 

[dbostedo]

Well, we are going. And we will have fun!

 

[KingGrump]

Except for the snow snakes.

Thought you said "snow flakes" there for a minute.

 

[skiace84]

And of course, if you look at the dark colored snowpack line for this year - we're way, way ahead of 2018, and this season is pretty much average for this time of year.

Yes, the takeaway from this is not that 2021-22 is an outlier situation but in fact it's not so different from average. Since this is a recurring event, that green average line tells us that it should be planned in the future for late February or March. The Kachina chair is one of the greatest terrain pods in North America. It's been there for 7 years, open by Jan. 20 in two of them but by Feb. 20 in all but that worst ever 2018 season.