Ski Santa Fe or Santa Fe Ski Basin is a medium-sized ski resort located in the

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in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, 16 miles east of the state capital of Santa Fe. It includes 7 lifts and 68 runs at elevations of over . It is the southernmost major ski resort of the Rocky Mountains, and one of the oldest and highest in the nation.

History

In 1936, the first rope tow in New Mexico, powered by a

Packard Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958. One of the "Thr ...

sedan engine, was installed in the Sangre de Cristos at the future site of the resort, overseen by Robert Nordhaus (father of Nobel Prize-winning economist William Nordhaus), a retired lawyer, and a businessman and skier, who also founded the Albuquerque Ski Club and La Madera Ski Area, now known as Sandia Peak Ski Area. Shortly after its installation, he installed a rope tow at La Madera. During World War II, the

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...

trained in the area and helped construct ski runs throughout the southern Rockies. In 1949, the Sierras de Santa Fe group founded the Santa Fe Ski Basin, and raised the money to construct its first chairlift. In 1950, the basin was purchased by one Joe Juhan and managed by championship skier Ernie Blake, who would go on to found Taos Ski Valley, the largest ski resort in the state.

Description

Ski Santa Fe is situated in the

alpine forest Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

s near the tree line of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, at an elevation of , making it one of the highest major ski resorts in the United States. It is located 16 miles east of the city of Santa Fe. Access is provided from downtown Santa Fe to the base lodge via

New Mexico State Road 475 State Road 475 (NM 475) is a state highway in the US state of New Mexico. NM 475's western terminus is at U.S. Route 84 (US 84) and US 285 in Santa Fe, and the eastern terminus is a dead end at Santa Fe Ski Basin. Major in ...

. A large ski lodge, La Casa, is located at the ski base and features three restaurants: La Casa Cafe, Totemoff's Bar & Grill, and Terrace Grill. It also includes gift shops, a rental center, a sports equipment shop, a ski patrol station, lockers, and two ski instruction schools: Chipmunk Corner, for beginner skiers ages 3-11 or snowboarders 5-11; and the Snow Sports School, for ages 10+. Skiers 10-11 years old may opt for either school. Chipmunk Corner Ski School features a rope tow and a private slope, Chippy Hill. The school operates out of a building near the base lodge, with classrooms, a cafeteria, and a sports equipment center. It also features the Children's Complex, a childcare center for children ages 6 months-3 years. Children's complex features age appropriate equipment and toys, including highchairs and cribs, an indoor play room, and an outdoor snow play area. Chipmunk Corner and the Children's Complex feature licensed childcare professionals to supervise the children while the parent(s) are skiing on the slopes. The resort covers two mountains, Lake Peak and Tesuque Peak. The ski runs run down to the base in a fan shape and include glades for advanced skiers. The resort includes 68 named runs and seven lifts, including a magic carpet lift. Midway down the slope is another restaurant, Outdoor Grill. The resort grooms and maintains the snow surface, and, if necessary, can produce new snow. Lodging for the resort is located in the city of Santa Fe.

Ski Santa Fe statistics

Elevation

*Base: *Summit: *Vertical Rise:

Developed Terrain

*Mountains: 2 (Tesuque Peak, Lake Peak) *Skiable Area: *Trails: 68 total (20% beginner, 40% intermediate, 40% advanced) * Terrain Parks: 1 *Average Snowfall: annually

Lifts

As of 2021, Santa Fe Ski has a total of 7 lifts. 2 double

chairlifts An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...

2 triple chairlifts 1 quad 2

surface lifts A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-co ...

* 1 magic carpet * 1 rope tow

References

{{reflist Skiing in New Mexico Ski areas and resorts in New Mexico Santa Fe County, New Mexico Sangre de Cristo Mountains