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> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > BRIDGER BOWL BOZEMAN, MT Bridger is a wild frontier, home to skiers and snow- boarders who have a crazed look in their eye. There's no big talking scene and no posers, just earthy people grab- bing freshies away from the spotlight. It has a welcom· ing atmosphere and it won't be long before you'll know everyone on the mountain. Bridger Bowl should in fact read Bridger Bowls as the resort occupies two bowls and two ridges, the Nose and the Ridge. Bridger Bowl is per· haps most well known for the Ridge. Bridger is divided into Upper and Lower Mountain by the lift system. The Lower Mountain is very flat up to the Deer Park chalet where it turns into black diamond terrain by the time you get to the Bridger Chair. From the top of the chair, you can traverse either way or hike the last 500 vertical feet to the top of the ridge. This season, Bridger Bowl is replacing one of its double lifts with a triple, and is offer- ing special ski packages all season long starting at $39 a day for lift tickets and lodging. Telephone, 800·223·9609 Website, www.bridgerbowl.com Snow Repo,t 406·586·2389 Season, Early Dec- Early Apri I Ticket Price, $34 Summit Elevation (feet), 8,700 Vertical Drop (feet), 2,000 Terrain (acres), 1,500 GreenlBlue/Black (percent), 25135/40 Annual Snowfa ll (inches) , 350 Directions, Fly into Gallatin Field Airport , only a 10· minute drive from Bozeman, MT, and Bridger Bowl is 16 miles from there. NEW MEXICO ... RED RIVER V RED RIVER, NM If you ride Red River, remember that it's a miracle there 's even a resort in such a sunny geographical loca- tion and nothing else will disappoint you. Beginner to intermediate snowboarders will have a great time here but if you're after gnarly hikes, big drops and powder meadows, you either need to turn up immediately after a dump or go somewhere else. Red River has some steep areas, some nice natural gullies and some surprisingly good tree runs. The problem is that once the hot sun melts the snowpack, everything untracked becomes akin to wet cement. If you fall over you'll be diggin', but if you stay upright then you're sunin' New Mexico dude. Feb 7-12 2002, Red River celebrates Mardi Gras on the Mountain. Telephone, 505-754·2223 Website: www.redriverskiarea.com Snow Report 505·754·2220 Season, Late Nov- Late March Ticket Price, $43 Summit Elevation (feet) , 10,350 Vertica l Drop (feetL 1,600 Terrain (acres) , 242 Green/B lue/Bl ack (percent), 32/38/30 Annual Snowfall (inches), 214 Directions, Fly into Albuquerque International Airport and drive 3 hours 30 minutes to Red River. ft Santa Fe ~ Santa Fe, NM Many resorts in New Mexico look and feel like freak snow Telephone, 505·982·4429 Website, www.skisantafe.com Snow Report , 505·983·9155 Season, Late Nov-Early April Ticket Price, $43 Summit Elevation (feet), 12,053 Vertical Drop (feet), 1,650 Terra in (acres), 600 Green/B lue/Black (percent), 20140/40 Annual Snowfall (inches), 225 Directions, Fly into Albuquerque International Airport and drive 1 hour to the resort. A SKI APACHE V RUIDOSO, NM Ski Apache is an alpine oasis in the barren deserts of southern New Mexico. The resort is owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Indian tribe and has a unique- ly friendly and mellow feel. The variety of descents makes Ski Apache seem like a much larger mountain than it really is. Almost all the in·boundary area is ride· able and most of it is really good fun. The natural terrain throws up all kinds of good hits and gullies left mainly for local boarders and staff, as paying punters are pre- dominantly families who think air is to be breathed. Ski Apache breaks down into two main areaSj the front side with good steeps and trees, and the Apache Bowl area which is wide open and has a series of interconnecting nalural halfpipes to launch out of. Telephone, 505·336·4356 Website, www.skiapache.com Snow Report , 505·257·9001 Season, Late Nov-Late March Ticket Price, $43 Summit Elevation (feet) , 11,500 Vertica l Drop (feet), 1,900 Terrain (acres), 750 Green/B lue/Black (percent ), 20/35/45 Annual Snowfall (inches), 185 Directions, Fly into EI Paso International Airport, TX, and drive 2 hours 30 minutes north to the resort. A TAOS SKI VALLEY V TAOS, NM Taos' ski school is consistently rated # 1 in the country. Their Ski Week program is a 5 or 6·day more·than·just· lessons program where beginners of all ages stay with the same instructor and group throughout the week. They have specialized ski weeks for teens and also Masler Ski Weeks, which are taught by instructors 50 years and older. Taos is known for having some of the toughest expert terrain in the country, but they have good beginner and intermediate runs too. Variety is key, and from every lift you can get to every type of terrain. Taos is one of the few resorts left in the country that doesn't allow snowboarding. Telephone, 800·776· 11 11; 505·776·2291 Website, www.skitaos.org Snow Report, 505·776·2916 Season, Mid Nov-Early April Ticket Price, $47 Summit Elevation (feet), 12,48 1 Vertica l Drop (feet), 3,244 Terrain (acres), 1,200 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 24125/51 Annual Snowlall (inches), 312 Directions, Fly into Albuquerque International Airport and drive 2 hours 30 minutes to the resort. A covered hills with limited possibilities, but Santa Fe Ski V Area is definitely a mountain. The 600-acre resort is spread across a huge bowl with good, steep descents. The main areas of interest are accessed from Tesuque Peak via Lift 3 and Lift 6 with steep groomed runs, trees and a couple of rocks to choose from. The area below the mid-station is very flat and gets congested with weekend warriors and ne~er-evers, so the real riding acreage is severely restricted. NEW YORK e ft HUNTER ~ HUNTER, NY Hunter is a rugged little number that gives a misleading impression from the highway; it looks slightly more than a lump (even by eastern resort standards) and it's not ., until you're up and riding that its potential becomes ., apparent. There are a couple of reasons for the initial CONTINUED ON P.70