Taos or Big Sky

[Bman1]

Hi,

Planning a trip in late March. What's a better ski town and ski experience? Taos or Big Sky? Thanks!

 

[Tony Crocker]

This year I would pick Taos for its above average snow vs. likely below average at Big Sky. Also for late March Taos is predominantly north facing. Big Sky, though colder, is mostly south and east facing though Moonlight Basin is north facing. Both Taos and Big Sky/Moonlight are somewhat limited at the advanced intermediate level but very good for experts.

Taos is a unique and interesting ski town with its Southwest/artistic/Native American culture. If you're in town you'll probably want to have a car for getting around and because the mountain is a 15-20 minute drive up from town at 7,000 feet to ski area at 9,200. There is lodging up there if you want convenience but beware if you're more altitude sensitive than normal.

Big Sky is a fairly typical ski resort with lots of ski-in ski-out hotels and condos, so probably more convenient overall. Base area is at 7,600 feet.

 

[Marc_C]

Big Sky is a fairly typical ski resort with lots of ski-in ski-out hotels and condos, so probably more convenient overall.

However, there really isn't a town of any sort at Big Sky.

 

[TRam]

I vote Taos! Good food, good town and great mountain. As Tony said with good snow year take advantage. It needs good snow to ski the whole mountain.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Good food

I should have mentioned that. New Mexico's Mexican restaurants are more ambitious and consistently higher in quality vs. most places elsewhere in the U.S. IMHO.

 

[Bman1]

Great! Thanks for the advice.

 

[coldsmoke]

I don't follow the numbers that closely, all I know is that Big Sky is skiing excellent right now. The last week is what you dream about all summer. The snow off the tram is outstanding including the south face. Sorry for the video from the resort, but it is accurate in what the skiing has been like lately. I believe it was shot on Friday, a bluebird powder day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4p1QFax2B2w

Regardless, planning a trip a month in advance is always a crapshoot, no matter what the averages are.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Big Sky does not publish cumulative snow numbers, so it's hard to keep track. I do know that Bridger and the Tetons are getting major dumps now, so Big Sky rates to be getting them also.

The snow off the tram is outstanding including the south face.

The altitude/temperature can preserve the snow OK up there despite the exposure. Marx, Lenin, Liberty Bowl were excellent when I was there in late March 2001. No guarantee as they were refrozen and unpleasant when admin was there 2 weeks before me.

 

[Marc_C]

The altitude/temperature can preserve the snow OK up there despite the exposure. Marx, Lenin, Liberty B owl were excellent when I was there in late March 2001. No guarantee as they were refrozen and unpleasant when admin was there 2 weeks before me.

In 1996 we were there on the March/April bridge week. One person on the trip - a 20 yr veteran of the MRG patrol - described Liberty Bowl conditions at that time as "pure survival skiing - it sucks". I know someone else who described the South Face lines as "hip deep bliss" during the same time frame the following year.

 

[coldsmoke]

Agreed, conditions on the South Face can change in a hurry, especially late season. Last year, we were blessed with good conditions thru the third week of April. Other years, it is survival skiing for long stretches at a time. That's when north-facing Moonlight provides a very convenient alternative.

This current storm cycle looks to continue for several days so our plans to try a different area this weekend might not happen as Big Sky conditions will be too tempting.