Thread: Where to keep a toddler and the in laws happy in New Mexico (or Wolf Creek/ Pagosa)

I'm just beginning to plan a ski trip between Christmas and New Years that will involve my inlaws and my brother-in-law's family including my 3.5 year old nephew who has never skied. We'd be renting a house for 3 adult couples, a toddler and a baby, heading North from Albuquerque. I'm guessing folks won't want to drive further than Wolf Creek.

I'm looking for advice about which ski area is the best place to get a toddler started on skiing, and just keep everybody happy, and hopefully turn this sort of trip into a tradition. I have no idea what makes a place good or bad for kids. My inlaws enjoy mellow outdoor activities., but don't ski. Taos? Wolf Creek? One of the smaller areas? I don't have clue about anything except where the skiing is good, and that's not a top priority In this case. On the other hand I'd rather not go somewhere the skiing is no good at all. Any advice about any of this is most welcome.

paging Meadow Skipper

Meadow Skipper to the NM courtesy phone please

my brother lived in Santa Fe for a few years.
this place is pretty good.
http://www.skisantafe.com/

I think that's where MS patrols.

a 3 1/2 year old wont ski all day, so look for a place that has some sort of toddler/preschooler program that includes skiing with daycare and other activities.. When I worked at the Kids Vacation Center in Steamboat the 3 1/2 to 4 year olds skied for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon on the magic carpet, went for a gondola ride, had lunch, and then did other daycare like activities the rest of the day. Very few of that age group really learned to ski. A few would start to get the "pizza" concept, and less than one a week, probably, would actually learn to stop well enough to advance, so it was basically daycare, play around on skis and in the snow.

They also had a program that was a full day of daycare and included a private lesson for kids too young for the ski group above, or if parents wanted to go that route. If you want someone to actually teach the kiddo to ski, that would probably be a better way to go at 3 1/2..

With the group class it was one instructor on foot, 4-7 kids, on a really short (like probably not even 50 ft) magic carpet run. The kids would ski down to the instructor, who would try to teach them to stop, and "catch" them when they didn't, and then go back up the magic carpet. There was always a difficult kid that didn't want to ski, or someone crying for mom, or someone trying to run off where they shouldn't, so maintaining order and keeping track of the kids took a significant portion of the time.

With the private, the instructor will be on skis, able to take the kid on lifts, and ski backwards, holding tips, or ski the kid between their legs, and actually spend the one on one time with the kid going down on slope long enough for them to start to actually want to figure out how to control their speed... think of the short little, barely slope with someone at the bottom to catch you from a 3 year old's perspective? "French frying" seems way more fun!

The group class was fun for the kids, and a good intro to skiing for them, I am not trying to talk it down, just that it is probably not the fastest way to get the kid snow plowing down the bunny slope, if thats the goal for the kid.

As for the other stuff, I have no idea, other than the kids programs were pretty good at Steamboat when I worked there, and its a fun town for families.. The terrain is not the gnarliest, but it is a fun mountain, probably too far north for you, though.

burke. it's gonna be high/dry out there while it's puking here. we're due. save yerself some dough isbd.

rog

Originally Posted by icelanticskier

burke. it's gonna be high/dry out there while it's puking here. we're due. save yerself some dough isbd.

rog

My wife's family is ABQ, and we haven't spent the holiday out there in a while. For late December Wolf Creek is usually a safe bet. The hordes of Texans and Okies don't touch the better terrain much. Easy to find pockets of untracked days after a storm. I think we'll end up staying around Pagosa Springs, but if another place is great for kids for some reason I've never considered, so be it.

I'd go to Santa Fe. Taos, Ski Santa Fe and Wolf Creek is close enough. Lots of other stuff to do.

yes, the ski clientele in that area is a very positive commodity for pow preservation. you'll either have great snow, great weather, or both so that's always awesome.

rog

Taos for sure.. They have a great kids program. I prefer to stay on the mountain, but you can rent places from Taos, all the way up to the ski area. If somebody does not want to ski, they can kill all the time they want cruising Taos. I started taking my family up there when my little one was 6-7, and we love it up there. Super Super with kids up there. They also have one of the best ski schools for all ages period. IMHO

Fuck it. Little place called Petaca.

Originally Posted by concretejungle

I'd go to Santa Fe. Taos, Ski Santa Fe and Wolf Creek is close enough. Lots of other stuff to do.

That's what I'd do with my family, but my wife's family spends a lot of time there. My father law has worked in Santa Fe for 30 years. I don't think any place we'd go will be new to them. I think spending time somewhere remote is more of a treat for them. But I'll keep it in mind. Someplace outside Santa Fe might work.

Originally Posted by LeeC

Taos for sure.. They have a great kids program. I prefer to stay on the mountain, but you can rent places from Taos, all the way up to the ski area. If somebody does not want to ski, they can kill all the time they want cruising Taos. I started taking my family up there when my little one was 6-7, and we love it up there. Super Super with kids up there. They also have one of the best ski schools for all ages period. IMHO

Thanks. Good to know.

How about Durango for the group with the possibility for you to ski Silverton?

A friend of mine from Toronto has been doing this with his extended family for 10 years.

Driving distance would be an hour assuming dry roads; road closure is a lot less frequent than Red Mtn pass, I believe.

Originally Posted by BGSTi_403

How about Durango for the group with the possibility for you to ski Silverton?

A friend of mine from Toronto has been doing this with his extended family for 10 years.

Driving distance would be an hour assuming dry roads; road closure is a lot less frequent than Red Mtn pass, I believe.

That's a great idea. I've never skied Silverton and I'd be thrilled together 1 day there. Anyone know how Purgatory's (did they change the name?) kids program is?

Go to Taos.. plenty of other stuff to do for non skiers... Sante Fe for a day trip, etc...

Sorry I'm late. If you're not going to Ski Santa Fe (and yeah, I work on the patrol there) that pretty much leaves Pajarito, which is a cool family scene but I know nothing about toddler accommodations there, and Taos which has pretty much everything you could want on-hill.

That said, SSF's toddler/kids program is good - Chipmunk Corner: http://skisantafe.com/index.php?page=childrens-center

And of course there's tons to do for the grown-ups in Santa Fe, more than Taos IMHO and certainly more than Pagosa. Durango is...um, nice*. Oh, and there's a totally kick-ass children's museum here in SF: http://www.santafechildrensmuseum.org/

If you don't want to stay in the town of Santa Fe, there's Tesuque nearby, which is upscale and a bit remote.

If you come this way lemme know and I can show you around and recommend shit to do.

* maybe a little boring.

THe children's museum in Sante Fe is dope...

Silverton has Kendall Mountain Center, a little hill with1 double chair that's great for kids.

No ski school, so some adult supervision would be needed I'd imagine for the 4 or 5 runs the kid will do. There's a skating rink there too and they have all sorts of rentals from alpine gear through skates and x-country skis. The KMC has a sledding hill too.

Purg (now Durango Mountain Resort) has kids programs, but I don't really know a lot about them except seeing a bunch of teensers raging around there.

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

Silverton has Kendall Mountain Center, a little hill with1 double chair that's great for kids.

No ski school, so some adult supervision would be needed I'd imagine for the 4 or 5 runs the kid will do. There's a skating rink there too and they have all sorts of rentals from alpine gear through skates and x-country skis. The KMC has a sledding hill too.

Purg (now Durango Mountain Resort) has kids programs, but I don't really know a lot about them except seeing a bunch of teensers raging around there.

+1 for Kendall Mtn. Rather than dealing with crowds and the expense of Purg, that's where I took my kid for a couple years when he was just starting out (that and simply putting him on fish scaled skis on any little hill). There's a laid back, family friendly lodge. I believe it (or at least the ski rental shop) is run by the owner of a local inn. PM for contact info if interested. The XC/snowshoeing trails, a sledding section of the area and ice skating pond are right there as well. There's plenty of access to snowmobiling,, cat skiing, BC & XC touring in all directions from Silverton. We used it as halfway Christmas rendezvous point for my family and my sister's.

The Purgatory/Durango Mtn Resort kid's program is well liked locally and the day care/magic carpet scene is always hopping with the kids. Purgatory is a little less than 1/2 hour from Durango and another 1/2 hour to Silverton on good roads if you want to mix it up. FWIW it's about an hour 1/2 to Wolf Creek and 2 to Telluride from Durango.

Taos offers more challenging terrain than Purgatory for everyone else.....if they get snow.

A few years ago, I used to rage 4 runs at Silverton Mountain until 1:00 or so, roll down to town, suit up the kids and take them for a few runs at Kendall or go skating or sledding.

Then hot chocolate. Made everyone happy.

If you are looking to get out of Santa Fe, limit travel, and ski yourself I'd head up to TSV also. The ski valley and town are nice during holidays --especially if it snows, and there are some good restaurants and shopping for non-skiers. My kids both learned on the tsv magic carpet around that age (btw, they never check "lift tickets" for that so don't get one --i dont even know if you need one). Mellow, fun slope with lots of good photo ops for Grandma and Grandpa and a couple lodges within walking distance, plus one of the top ski schools around if you decide on lessons/daycare (not cheap though). Plus if there is snow it's tough to beat Taos. I'd go with Durango 2nd (shopping and restaurants for in-laws, Silverton and/or WC for skiers) plus lots of hills to slide around with the small fry.

I would have said Taos, too, but they now allow snowboarders.

Otherwise, great mountain, vibe, and town. Just stay out of the Indian bars.

I would not hesitate to go to Taos with a 3 yr old. If you stay at the base it will be really easy for the kid's parents to get some quality skiing time and get the little oNe naps and food on a 3 yr olds schedule.

As the parent of 4 yr old twins I definitely Reccomend staying at the mountain if possible.
Lots to do around Taos for non skiers.

Btw does anyone know if that bar in Arroyo Seco (sp) ....Earl's or Ed's still open? More importantly IS the proprietor still alive? That guy was great.

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