January 2013 14
No matter where you live in the Southwest, fun in the snow is an integral part of winter. Both residents and visitors flock to our many nearby ski resorts this time of year, to have a day enjoying the powder. If you have never been skiing before, why not try it out this year? Most ski resorts cater to "never evers", skier jargon for a person who has never tried the sport. There are trails out there for everyone, from Angel Fire's vertical drop, to serene cross-country trails.
Downhill Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports. There are dozens of places for downhill skiing in the southwest. Colorado has over 20 popular ski resorts, with some of the best ski mountains in the country. There are plenty of smaller ski areas in the state that are not as crowded, but still provide good skiing. Everyone should go skiing in Colorado at least once, and many return year after year. There's plenty of snow and trails from green to double-black. Learn more about a Colorado ski vacation at www.coloradoski.com
New Mexico has some excellent skiing opportunities, most notably Taos Ski Valley, Red River, and Ski Santa Fe. These destinations are not too far from the Lone Star State, so Texans, what are you waiting for? While most New Mexico ski destinations are in the northern part of the state, Ski Apache in Ruidoso is popular with Texans who want to get out on the powder. Ski Apache is only ten hours away from Austin, so taking a day off
work and spending a long weekend in
Ruidoso gives you a full day of fun in the
mountains. www.skiapache.com
Many of New Mexico's ski areas
have invested millions of dollars in upgrades
this year, making your ski experience that
much better. While you may not think of
Arizona as a ski destination, the Arizona
Snow Bowl near Flagstaff and Sunrise Park
Resort near Show Low are great places to
hit the trails.
Ski Apache, Ruidoso, New Mexico