2023 Taos Mini-Gathering: February 4th - February 11th, 2023

[mdf]

What about R&R, has that been marked yet?

Nope. Has a sign on mountain, though.

 

[tball]

Wow, Taos plans to replace a lot of lifts. Running a ski area isn't for those light on capital. It's remarkable they make it work in the middle of nowhere NM.

 

[Tony S]

the middle of nowhere NM

Have you seen the REST of New Mexico?

 

[tball]

Have you seen the REST of New Mexico?

The whole west, really. So happy to live in flyover country!

 

[dbostedo]

@mdf I went to Taos last season for the first time. I paid no attention to the trail map as my mind was otherwise occupied. So I never knew where I was on the mountain. This map you just posted is the best one I've seen for sorting out the layout of everything. Thanks for posting it.

It's amazing that a map makes a better map than a painting, isn't it?

Yeah that is a cool map, gave me a different perspective of the mountain. When do they plan to build that base to base gondola? It should take you from the bottom of #1 to the top of #4, that would be sweet.

I love maps... I tend to pore over trail maps a bit when I go someplace new, and like finding my way around and using the maps at the top of the lifts. I also really like FATMAPS... it's an app and website, and gives a 3D model that you can pan/tilt, rotate, and zoom. Lots of fun to play with. You do have to create an account... but most of the functionality is free.

Here are some views of Taos... you can move things around, and if you click on a run you get a description and run stats. There are also overlays for aspect, steepness, etc.

And you can look at pretty much anywhere worldwide, not just ski resorts, and turn on different activity filters (this is the "Resort Skiing" view which shows the trail map, and snowy view).

 

[KingGrump]

Wow, Taos plans to replace a lot of lifts. Running a ski area isn't for those light on capital. It's remarkable they make it work in the middle of nowhere NM.

Not they. Bacon.

 

[mdf]

I also really like FATMAPS... it's an app and website, and gives a 3D model that you can pan/tilt, rotate, and zoom. Lots of fun to play with. You do have to create an account... but most of the functionality is free.

Yes, I like FATMAPS too. I went ahead and bought a paid subscription, though its not clear to me what extra it gives over the free.
Taos is a bit out of date, Lifts 5 and 6 are still shown.

 

[mdf]

Not they. Bacon.

So far, he seems to be doing a good job of applying the Aspen model. A very high luxury level is available for the high rollers, while still being fairly friendly to us (semi)dirtbags. Obviously there is some displacement (e.g. Stray Dog gone, affordable walking distance condos squeezed out, ...) but I can live with it.

 

[KingGrump]

So far, he seems to be doing a good job of applying the Aspen model. A very high luxury level is available for the high rollers, while still being fairly friendly to us (semi)dirtbags. Obviously there is some displacement (e.g. Stray Dog gone, affordable walking distance condos squeezed out, ...) but I can live with it.

Price of staying in business. That or become another listing in the Lost Ski Area of the US.
Not much of a choice.

 

[LiquidFeet]

It's amazing that a map makes a better map than a painting, isn't it?

It's the aerial view that's so helpful. It's flat; there are no hills with shadows to cloud up the clarity of the image. I can remember the flat map more easily than a normal illustrated 3-D trail map.

 

[RachelV]

Wow, Taos plans to replace a lot of lifts. Running a ski area isn't for those light on capital. It's remarkable they make it work in the middle of nowhere NM.

It's only about 3.5 hours from Colorado Springs, which is not much further than Summit on a bad traffic day and closer than Aspen & CB. Only another 1 - 1.5 hours for much of Denver. I'm continually amazed that Taos hasn't been completely overrrun by Coloradans yet. Do people not realize it's down there or what?

 

[Jenny]

It's only about 3.5 hours from Colorado Springs, which is not much further than Summit on a bad traffic day and closer than Aspen & CB. Only another 1 - 1.5 hours for much of Denver. I'm continually amazed that Taos hasn't been completely overrrun by Coloradans yet. Do people not realize it's down there or what?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Tony S]

It's only about 3.5 hours from Colorado Springs, which is not much further than Summit on a bad traffic day and closer than Aspen & CB. Only another 1 - 1.5 hours for much of Denver. I'm continually amazed that Taos hasn't been completely overrrun by Coloradans yet. Do people not realize it's down there or what?

Dunno about that. Seems like every time I'm there I spy sbrown lurking behind a pair of aviators on the deck at the Phoenix.

 

[dbostedo]

I went ahead and bought a paid subscription, though its not clear to me what extra it gives over the free.

From the website:

Taos is a bit out of date, Lifts 5 and 6 are still shown.

Yeah... I don't know how often they update or where that data is pulled from. It's a LOT of data for all resorts/areas they have maps for.

 

[Tony S]

From the website:

View attachment 184471

Yeah... I don't know how often they update or where that data is pulled from. It's a LOT of data for all resorts/areas they have maps for.

So basically the upsell is for folks who are using the maps for actual on-the-ground navigation.

 

[mdf]

From the website:

I'm sure I looked at that before I signed up, but then I never got around to exploring/using the features.

 

[Tony S]

I love maps... I tend to pore over trail maps a bit when I go someplace new, and like finding my way around and using the maps at the top of the lifts. I also really like FATMAPS... it's an app and website, and gives a 3D model that you can pan/tilt, rotate, and zoom. Lots of fun to play with. You do have to create an account... but most of the functionality is free.

Here are some views of Taos... you can move things around, and if you click on a run you get a description and run stats. There are also overlays for aspect, steepness, etc.

And you can look at pretty much anywhere worldwide, not just ski resorts, and turn on different activity filters (this is the "Resort Skiing" view which shows the trail map, and snowy view).



View attachment 184452
View attachment 184463

View attachment 184456

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What really caught my attention was the fact that @dbostedo was scoping out Stauffy. I see a goal-oriented posse forming here. I'm up for second lemming.

 

[dbostedo]

What really caught my attention was the fact that @dbostedo was scoping out Stauffy. I see a goal-oriented posse forming here. I'm up for second lemming.

I'm sure @mdf would be happy to be the first Lemming. I'll be on Whitefeather.

 

[KingGrump]

I'm continually amazed that Taos hasn't been completely overrrun by Coloradans yet. Do people not realize it's down there or what?

Oh, believe me they do. We have a whole parking lot of Sprinter vans with CO plates when storms tracked south.

We can pick them out on the hill. High energy turns in the steeps & bumps. Make for shorter, choppier bumps.

 

[Tony S]

High energy turns in the steeps & bumps.

He hates it when we do that. It makes him feel old.