New York Times: “Mix of New and Old Enlivens Taos Ski Valley”

Skier near Kachina Peak Lift. Photo courtesy The New York Times
Skier near Kachina Peak Lift. Photo courtesy The New York Times

Writer Christopher Solomon pens a terrific article in today’s New York Times Travel Section about Taos Ski Valley’s transition, thanks to Louis Bacon’s investment in our ski resort.

The article also features beautiful photography by the paper’s Kate Russell.  The first thing that struck me about the photos was our famous Taos Light.

Also striking was the author’s mention of our two restaurants here at the Edelweiss Lodge and Spa:

“Perhaps the best food is at the Blonde Bear Tavern in the Edelweiss, with entrees like whole rainbow trout with red grapes and balsamic sauce ($25) or flatiron steak with Italian salsa verde ($28).”

Our flatiron steak, of course, is from New Mexico’s Four Daughters Land & Cattle ranch.

Plus this:

“For breakfast, go to Café Naranja in the Edelweiss, which serves entrees like pancakes made from organic Hopi heirloom blue corn and whole piñon ($7).”

Blonde Bear Tavern server and bartender Kelci Pike toasting with Hano Blake, grandson of founder Ernie Blake

The author has several quotes from our own Matt Gorman, who is a massage therapist here at the Edelweiss.  He’s been in Taos Ski Valley since 1999.  I liked this quote:

And everywhere, Matt shouted greetings to people he knew. Everybody knows everybody here. He said hi to Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico who is a die-hard skier and who has a house in the area. “I joke and say that it’s not a season pass, it’s a membership card,” Matt told me on the lift. “It’s like a working-class country club. It’s not snooty. The locals are here, working hard, because they love to ski.”

And this quote from Louis Bacon:

“We established three goals: to upgrade the infrastructure and experience, to safeguard Taos’s unique character and to earn a return on our investment. Any two of these are doable, but accomplishing all three will be a challenge. I’m confident that by focusing on the first two goals now, we’ll get them all right for the future.”

 

 

 

Further Reading:

The New York Times:  “Mix of New and Old Enlivens Taos Ski Valley”

 

 

Related:

“On the Menu: Four Daughters Land and Cattle”

 

 

Huffington Post: Taos Ski Valley Should be on Your Bucket List

PETER PTSCHELINZEW/GETTY IMAGES
PETER PTSCHELINZEW/GETTY IMAGES

So says Food Editor Allison Spiegel, on Monday’s Huffington Post post entitled “Bucket List Places You Need To See In The Next Decade“.

“The world will look very different in the next decade than it does today. For travelers, this means the time to explore is now. . .  Before our world’s landscape changes even more, here are the destinations that should go straight to the top of your bucket list in the next decade.”

Besides Taos Ski Valley, she recommends:

  • The Philippines
  • Macedonia
  • Elqui Valley, Chile
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Malawi
  • Bolivia
  • Maldives
  • Mongolia
  • Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, Thailand

Plus this:

“Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico is so much more than just a ski mountain. Rugged and remote, Taos is famous for its breathtaking scenery and the “legendary light” that has inspired artists like Georgia O’Keeffe. Taos has always had a sort of mystique about it. In 2013, billionaire Louis Bacon bought the mountain from its founders the Blake family, promising this lovably weathered mountain would get a “much-needed shot in the arm,” as The New York Times put it. This year, a chair lift opened to Kachina Peak, which had previously only been accessible by a hike. Thirty-five acres of new tree skiing opened, too, and the village’s ski lodge also got an upgrade. Ski Taos in the next 10 years to take advantage of these new developments, and also to experience the unique charm of the place while it lasts.”

Read the whole thing.