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

[pais alto]

So I found a good deal on the Hotel Don Fernando which is a Hilton property. No pre-pay and good cancellation policy. Anyone have any beta on this? It looks nice and is right in town. Thinking of pulling the trigger...but wanted to see if anyone has stayed there in the past. Thx!

Never stayed there, but I believe it was renovated not too long ago. It’s not in the scenic/quaint part of town, but I notice it’s walkable to 2 coffee places, Walmart, a movie theater, 5 Star Burgers, and TWO cannabis stores. Seems like it could be pretty great for non-skiing daze days.

Traffic thru town from there toward TSV can be kind of poky, but if you’re up bright and early the main drag takes you right by Michael’s Kitchen for a stellar breakfast. It gets crowded sometimes though. Otherwise consider looking for the Rt 240/Blueberry Hill workaround to save traffic headache.

 

[Snowfan]

 

[Tex]

So I found a good deal on the Hotel Don Fernando which is a Hilton property. No pre-pay and good cancellation policy. Anyone have any beta on this? It looks nice and is right in town. Thinking of pulling the trigger...but wanted to see if anyone has stayed there in the past. Thx!

I have not stayed there, but I have looked at that place a lot. I would not hesitate to stay there, you are right there in Taos Plaza. Just me personally, I like "motel" style where I can park my truck outside my room, load/unload truck is easy. Hotels you have to go inside, elevator, walk down hall to get to your room, not my style. and is a pain, and parking is in the back with this hotel. The Gorge Bar and Grill is right there, which I liked a lot..

 

[Tex]

Don't be tempted to stay at the 2 Wyndham hotels. I booked at the Super 8 location looking at going cheap on one trip, I got out of my truck and didn't even make it to the lobby I said no way lol. Luckily they gave me 100% refund, I stayed at Quality Inn, it is not quality, but was decent for the price, and free breakfast was edible, but no place I would take my wife!!

 

[Snowfan]

El Pueblo is my favorite. Excellent breakfast provided before skiing and fresh cookies after skiing.

 

[Jerez]

I stayed there before renovations when my car broke down. I did not have a good experience. Nothing wrong with the room exactly. It was old but not icky but the people were Jenks. Hopefully it has changed hands since then.

If you want to stay in town, IMHO the Sagebrush Inn is the best. But you have to pick your room. The courtyard rooms have some lovely mountain views. They also have suites and rooms with fireplaces.

And the bar is a hoot, especially when they have a swing dance band. Its where Georgia O'Keeffe stayed as well as Ansel Adam's, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda...

 

[Tex]

I stayed there before renovations when my car broke down. I did not have a good experience. Nothing wrong with the room exactly. It was old but not icky but the people were Jenks. Hopefully it has changed hands since then.

El Pueblo? When did you stay there? I would say yes it has changed. Look at the google reviews, a lot can be gleaned from those. I was really impressed the one trip I stayed there, thought the staff was awesome. The only thing I did not like was the parking was tight. If you have a big 4x4 Super Duty, getting in your one allocated parking spot might be tough.

Across the street is Kachina lodge, I stayed there and it was a step down in price and quality, but a lot more space... It is under new management and being renovated, but I like the layout of that place...I like the location here, you are on the north side of town and just that much closer to the slope..

 

[Jerez]

Don Fernando

 

[Tex]

If you want to really go cheap. I would have been all over this in my skibum days!!!

 

[KingGrump]

Before there was a lift up there, some Taos locals quoted the "70-inch rule" as the necessary base depth for good skiing on the steep and rocky terrain.

The 70" rule is a piece of internet folklore perpetuated by an internet blogger. He has been to Taos couple times.

The key to skiing Taos is skiing in control. If the rock is exposed and you hit it for any reason at all. You are skiing out of control. If the rock is hidden, then you can cuss it all you want.

Don't want to hit a rock? Ski in control.

 

[LiquidFeet]

But there is coming around a big bump and meeting the short stump of a sapling hiding on the other side. Doh.

 

[KingGrump]

But there is coming around a big bump and meeting the short stump of a sapling hiding on the other side. Doh.

You gotta learn the Shulman hover. He wasn't teaching last year. Maybe this year.

 

[Tex]

Don't want to hit a rock? Ski in control.

You must let go of the beast.
I actually apply that concept now to all my sporting activities.

 

[KingGrump]

You must let go of the beast.

Definitely my goal for the coming season to release the savage beast within.

My savage beast.

 

[Jenny]

Aw, your savage beast is adorable! No wonder Mamie keeps you around!

 

[LiquidFeet]

You gotta learn the Shulman hover. He wasn't teaching last year. Maybe this year.

You can show me the Shulman hover, yes?

 

[KingGrump]

You can show me the Shulman hover, yes?

Sure thing.
Comes in very handy for spring skiing. When the question is not whether there is a rock in the trough but how many and where?

 

[LiquidFeet]

Sure thing.
Comes in very handy for spring skiing. When the question is not whether there is a rock in the trough but how many and where?

I look forward to it. Those saplings got me several times last year. They are short and don't bend.

 

[Tony S]

You gotta learn the Shulman hover. He wasn't teaching last year. Maybe this year.

You can show me the Shulman hover, yes?

Sure thing.
Comes in very handy for spring skiing. When the question is not whether there is a rock in the trough but how many and where?

I look forward to it. Those saplings got me several times last year. They are short and don't bend.

I'm going to give KG the benefit of the doubt here because he is generally nice to people he's only met a few times. If I were having this dialog with him I would be 100% sure at this point that I'd been conned and that he and Andrew were cracking up on the chairlift talking about how I was going around telling others about the "Shulman hover" that they had just made up on a lark 20 minutes earlier.

 

[aveski]

So that's what I was doing at Sugarloaf this past spring.