Taos Ski Valley, NM, Completes 1 of 2 New Chair Installations For Next Winter

Taos is known for its steeps but that doesn’t keep the ski area from improving its infrastructure for skiers and riders of all experience levels.

On August 25, Taos Ski Valley announced the completion of its new Pioneer Chair, which accesses predominately beginner terrain. The new chair is a fixed triple, like the old one, except with a new and improved design that places the lift a little further down the hill for better access from the resort’s base area. Taos plans to open the lift for the upcoming winter.

Along with Pioneer, Taos is replacing its Chair 4 lift on the backside of the mountain, which gives ready access to the Kachina Basin area including the Kachina Peak Lift, which was built in the summer of 2014 and provides access to some of Tao’s most extreme terrain. The new Chair 4 will be a high-speed detachable quad chair and will replace the previous slower fixed-grip quad. Chair 4 is anticipated to open by next winter as well.

Both new chairlifts come as a phase in Taos’ ongoing Master Development Plan (MDP) which was approved in 2021 and includes future plans for the resort such as new on-mountain facilities, additional chairlift replacements, and a base-to-base gondola, among other upgrades and improvements.

“In accordance with the terms of the Ski Area’s Special Use Permit, Taos completed a Master Development Plan (MDP) in 2021 to outline plans for future improvements on National Forest Service lands within the Ski Area boundary. Several public engagement and outreach meetings occurred during the planning process of the 2021 MDP, in order to better develop and refine concepts for improvements at the Ski Area.”

The map below shows the full range of improvements proposed in the MDP. For further information on Taos’ MDP, visit the resort’s website.