The services and facilities at Taos Ski Resort are very well developed and of a high standard. For the facilities owned by the resort in particular, the level of service provided is fantastic. The culture has a carry-over from the Blake family that previously owned TSV and the many long term employees. Even many of the lifties (towies) are mature aged and not the usual transient workforce you find at most ski resorts. Subsequently they know their job intimately, and they’re really friendly because they love their jobs.

Taos Ski Rentals

There are several options for Taos ski rental equipment and snowboard rentals on-mountain, so prices and the level of service provided are very competitive. Most shops offer overnight equipment storage and some even have boot driers. Most of the Taos ski shops have performance gear and demo rentals, and there are a couple of small shops that specialise in demos. And as to be expected, all shops have repair and tuning facilities.

The Boot Doctors rent out skis and snowboards and have a wide range of performance and demo gear.

In town there are also a few Taos ski rental shops.

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Facilities for Children

The Children's Center in the Rio Hondo Learning Center is a well established child care facility. Childcare can be provided for babies 6 weeks old up to 3 year old children. The programs are for a half day or the full day.

The kids’ area is well set up with a dedicated spot for snow play, and nearby is the magic carpet and bunny run for kids taking ski lessons.

Kids Ski School Taos

Kids ski school is for 3 years (or potty trained children) to 14 years and is run via the Taos Ski Valley Children’s Center (Rio Hondo Learning Center). The Taos ski school utilises a terrain-based program whereby snow features in the beginners’ area help to teach skiers and snowboarders to naturally control their speed. The beginner area has five distinct learning zones which allow for easy progression.

Taos Ski School

The Ernie Blake ski school at Taos is a multi-award winner and it’s easy to see why. Many of the ski instructors have worked there for more than 20 years, and as career instructors (rather than the common young transient ski instructor workforce often seen at other resorts) they know their job well and the Taos ski terrain incredibly well.

The Taos ski school has a variety of different formats for lessons including private lessons, group lessons, speciality camps and an adaptive program. Snowsports Weeks are an institution at Taos and it’s very trendy to participate in the intensive morning ski and snowboard lessons that go from Sunday through Friday. The lessons are reasonably economical and they’re not just for beginners. A large proportion of the participants are experienced skiers and riders.

Eating On Mountain

Tenderfoot Katie’s cafeteria at the base area is good for a cheap breakfast or lunch. Rhoda’s Restaurant is also located at the main base area, providing a quiet atmosphere for lunch or dinner. Lunch options are pretty simple, but the highlight during the day is the outside deck which provides great views of the bumps action at the base of Al’s Run. Dinner options include steaks, salads, pasta, chicken and seafood at reasonable prices, as well as a children’s menu.

The Whistlestop is a small and simple cafeteria with pizza, soups, hot dogs and snacks. It’s located close to the #2 quad chair. The Phoenix Restaurant is a large cafeteria just near lift no. 4 selling pizza, Mexican fare, and soups. It’s cheap and cheerful and has an outdoor deck for people watching.

Just below the Phoenix is The Bavarian Lodge, serving artery-thickening German food such as wiener schnitzel and an array of würste. On sunny days it’s a fabulous spot to sit on the deck and partake in an essential German beer. Alternatively, recline on one of the sun beds with a beer, although this can be dangerous because lunch very easily merges into après.

Another upmarket and trendy spot on a sunny day is the Hotel St. Bernard.

Medical Clinic

A medical clinic is located at the base area of Taos Ski Valley. It is staffed by an emergency physician, nurses and EMTs, and all staff are experts in skiing and snowboarding injuries and altitude medicine. Considering that the base of Taos is at an elevation of 9,207 feet (2,805 metres) and Kachina Peak at 12,481 feet (3,804 metres), there’s potential you might need their services if you live at sea level. Try to minimise the likelihood of getting altitude sickness by taking it easy for the first couple of days and keep up the fluids, but not of the alcoholic variety.