Seek the Sunshine @ Taos + Santa Fe, New Mexico

The valleys around Wheeler Peak and Taos Ski Valley have drawn explorers for centuries. Wheeler Peak (13,167’) is the highest peak in the state of New Mexico. In the 1870s,  U.S. Army Major George Montague Wheeler began to make a topographic map of the southwestern United States, including New Mexico. After climbing the peak, he named it after himself. In fact, at least six mountains in the southwestern US are named after him. However, he was likely not the first to summit Wheeler Peak, and it is believed that the people of the Taos Pueblo had likely climbed it for many years before a white man came to stand on top. Early Taos ski pioneers also include Ernie and Rhonda Blake, among others, who are largely credited for having the grit and vision to develop world-class skiing in the area in the 1950s.

With the evolution of backcountry skiing technology, access to this valley has improved and the area offers vast opportunities for the enthusiastic adventurer. Many of the most popular tours in this area can be found in the Lake Fork Drainage around Williams Lake and Wheeler Peak, but there are also plenty of exploratory options north towards Gold Hill. The expansive Lake Fork Drainage is marked by the Taos Ski Valley Resort situated on the north-facing flanks of Kachina Peak in the northwest and wrapping south towards Lake Fork Peak, then southeast and east towards Simpson Peak, then north to Wheeler Peak, Mount Walter, and the La Cal Basin. One trailhead will gain you access to ten distinct zones with over 70 possible descents, but do not expect to be the only ones out there on a weekend with good snow.

From the Wheeler Peak East Fork Bowl, to the southeast of Simpson Peak, you can see a brilliant turquoise body of water known as Blue Lake, or Ba Whyea, which is a sacred land to the native Taos Pueblo. Admire it from afar but don’t ski off the south side of Simpson into this basin. The Taos Pueblo was settled from 1200-1250 A.D. and Blue Lake has been a place of worship and spiritual significance since that time. In 1906, the US Congress grabbed this land from the native peoples and made it part of the national forest. For 64 years, protesting ensued and finally, in 1970, around 48,000 acres of land, including Blue Lake, was returned to the Taos Pueblo.

Backcountry access in the Taos area is generally reliable from the key trailheads (Wheeler Peak, Long Canyon, and Gavilan Trailheads). Sidecountry access (skiing out of bounds) from Taos Ski Valley Resort is not allowed during the ski season, but uphill access is permitted after the resort closes each year in April. Always check resort policies before heading out.