Pajarito Mountain. Photo by Jason Halladay

SKIING News:

Pajarito Mountain Ski Area recently received recognition by Skiing Magazine and National Geographic Magazine as well as New Mexico’s association of ski resorts.

Thanks to this week’s winter storms, nearly two feet of snow have aAdropped on the mountain and resort officials announced that most of the skiable terrain will be open for powder skiing this Saturday, Dec. 19.

Two winter storms blanketed Pajarito this week with 22 inches of snow. Pajarito expects to open three lifts and 12 trails today when the ski area opens for daily operations, and Pajarito will open four lifts and 33 trails (including the local favorite “Fab Four,” which are known as being among the best bump runs in the state, as well as the new beginner’s trail, Redemption) beginning Dec. today.

Skiing Magazine, the world’s leading publication for committed skiers, featured the Los Alamos ski area in its annual Photo Annual, which showcases stunning visuals and memorable stories of ski adventures from around the globe.
 
National Geographic Magazine, the official journal of the National Geographic Society with a global circulation of around 6.4 million, named Los Alamos as one of the top ten Best Secret Ski Towns of North America. National Geographic cited the town’s top-secret roots and Pajarito’s infamous “Fab Four,” the four bump runs of Nuther Mother, Sidewinder, Breathless and Precious. This marks the second time Pajarito’s hometown has graced this list, rubbing elbows with other national resort town gems including Pagosa Springs, Colo.; Mount Shasta, Calif.; and Glacier, Washington.

“For decades, those who know Pajarito understand it’s someplace very special,” General Manager Tom Long said. “We couldn’t be more proud to know that Skiing and National Geographic understand that, too.”

Pajarito was founded during World War II and the height of the Manhattan Project by a group of scientists looking to pursue their passion for skiing. Trail by trail, lift by lift, these volunteers created one of the most unspoiled ski areas in the state. Today, the mountain is managed by James Coleman and is part of the largest collective in the region (Coleman’s southwest collection of resorts include Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort near Taos,.; Arizona Snowbowl of Flagstaff; and Purgatory Resort of Durango, Colo.), and Long says the new ownership group is committed to preserving Pajarito’s unique history. Prior to these announcements, Ski New Mexico, the state’s association of ski resorts, named Pajarito’s lift manager Paul Humphrey the best mountain operations team member in the state during its annual Ski New Mexico Hall of Fame banquet. Sipapu ski patroller Albert Graves was also named best ski patroller during the same event, too.

These awards have only fueled the momentum at the Los Alamos ski area; Pajarito posted one of its earliest starts in recent history when it opened on Friday, Nov. 27. Lift tickets are $39 for guests ages 13 and older, and $34 for kids (ages 7-12). Starting today, lift tickets are $49 for adults, $42 for teens (ages 13-20) and seniors (ages 60-69), and $34 for kids (ages 7-12). Guests ages 6 and younger or 70 and older receive a free lift ticket every day.

Thanks to the most impressive water collection effort to date, the ski area accumulated nearly 10 million gallons of water for snowmaking, and mountain crews are currently making snow to open additional terrain.

For more information, call 505.662.5725 or visit www.SkiPajarito.com.