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If you’ve ever dreamed of skiing Taos all season long without paying a dime, here’s your chance. The Taos Ski Patrol is inviting up to 30 volunteers to join its Boot & Ski Packing Program. This program is a unique opportunity to help prepare the mountain for winter, reduce avalanche risk, and earn a free unlimited 2026 season pass with no blackout dates.
What Is Ski Compacting?
Ski compacting, or bootpacking as Taos is referring to it as, is the art of stomping down early-season snow before it’s deep enough to ski. By compressing the snow, volunteers help build a strong, stable base that allows future snow to stick better and reduces avalanche hazards. This means Ski Patrol can open Taos’ legendary steep terrain earlier in the season. The work isn’t just valuable for the mountain, it’s also an incredible workout, a way to meet fellow locals, and a ticket to more powder days.
How It Works
- 10 full days of packing = Unlimited Season Pass
- 7 full days = Season Pass with limited blackouts
- Already bought a pass? You’ll be reimbursed or upgraded once you complete your days.
A “full day” typically runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a lunch break, though times may shift depending on conditions. Half days (morning or afternoon) are counted toward your total. Ski Patrol will track your progress and once you’ve logged your 7–10 days, your pass will be printed immediately.
What You’ll Need
- Avalanche beacon (457kHz)
- Warm, comfortable ski boots
- Durable skis (snowboards not permitted)
- Proper winter layers
- Food and water
Why skis only? The Boot and Ski Packing program requires independent leg movement to step and stomp across steep terrain. While splitboards offer some flexibility, skis cover more surface area, making the process faster and more effective.
The program kicks off once there’s enough early-season snow (usually in early November) and wraps up once Ski Patrol has opened the mountain. Packing takes place on some of Taos’ most iconic terrain, including Kachina Peak, Highline Ridge, and the Front Steeps.
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Does Ski Compacting Work?
The technique is widely used in an attempt to disrupt depth hoar, weak layers, and persistent weak layers to increase variability across a slope, thereby increasing overall slope stability. In theory it makes sense.
A study on the effectiveness of bootpacking for snowpack stabilization was conducted in 2012 at Big Sky, Montana. A 50 meter by 25 meter, relatively uniform slope, was split into two equal areas with one being extensively boot packed, while the other remained undisturbed. Observations were made in both boot-packed and non-boot-packed plots until both areas were unreactive with respect to results using Extended Column Tests (ECT).
Results showed that density and hand hardness increased in the boot-packed area in comparison to the non-boot-packed area. In addition, in the boot-packed area there was a measurable increase in ECT scores and a change in fracture character of the basal layers. In the non-boot-packed area, the ECTs propagated (ECTPs) for a full nine weeks longer than in the boot-packed area. This study’s data indicates that boot-packing can be an effective tool for helping to stabilize persistent weak layers, so we can have a long, safe season.
Ski compacting isn’t just about preparing the mountain—it’s about becoming part of the team that makes Taos’ legendary terrain possible. Along the way, you’ll earn a free season pass, get in shape before winter hits, connect with fellow skiers, and enjoy early access to the steeps. With only 30 spots available, now’s the time to apply to stomp down snow and claim your place in the crew that brings winter to life.
