Periods of heavy, concentrated snowfall and consistently cold temperatures this past winter brought more than 900,000 skiers and snowboarders to the New Mexico mountains.

The storms in February tended to swing toward the south, putting smiles on powder hounds in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico – and finally getting Albuquerque's Sandia Peak open.

Continuing my exploration of skiing northern New Mexico, aka the Land of Enchantment, I headed north of Santa Fe up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range to legendary Taos Ski Valley and Red River. The landscape varies from red rock desert to steep mountain terrain as sapphire blue skies hang overhead and uncrowded slopes beckon. (See Mike's Trip Report -- "Santa Fe and New Mexico Are A World Apart From Everyday American Skiing" here).

Pacific storm systems appear to be fighting through a persistent high-pressure ridge in the Northwest and lining up for a productive latter part of February, especially for the southern Rockies.

One of Taos Ski Valley founder Ernie Blake’s goals was to bring the high alpine slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains within reach of all the visitors to his New Mexico ski resort. That dream has now become a reality with the opening of the Kachina Peak Lift Friday.

The weather map displays more action up north this week, after a period where most of the action has been at the southern edge of ski country in the West.

It looks like the whatever good stuff from this latest storm has all fallen, and forecasters say it’ll be warmer and drier across the West into the last week of January.

Some of the best skiing in the U.S. is found in some of the least discovered locations, according to Travel Blue Book co-founder Greg Johnson, and the Heartland’s Lutsen Mountains is on that list.

The lift towers are in, the cables set to be strung, and the buzz around Taos Ski Valley’s new chairlift to Kachina Peak is palpable.

Taos Ski Valley has named Jesse Keaveny as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Keaveny will be responsible for helping design and execute the strategic vision and growth of the resort, including the opening of the new Kachina Peak lift this winter season, as well as helping draw additional attractions, events and visitors to Taos Ski Valley throughout the year.

With a new chairlift going in on Kachina Peak, the new ownership of Taos Ski Valley now has turned its attention to renovating the resort’s antiquated base area.

On a weekend powder day at Taos Ski Valley, some 60 skiers on the hill will be knee-dipping through the fluff on telemarking equipment.

It didn’t take long for the new ownership at Taos Ski Valley to makes its presence felt, as the New Mexico resort announced this week that a new chairlift will be erected on iconic Kachina Peak.

Here’s a New Year’s resolution to work on: Take to the slopes to learn to ski or ride at any of dozens of winter resorts in the Rockies, Sierras and Cascades.

College students' spring breaks come at varied times this month and produce varied results – dragging bags of dirty laundry home to mom, enjoying home-cooked meals, sleeping in your own bed, heading to the beach, to the best of all: adventures on spring snow.

Skiing and snowboarding are individual skills that often need a bit of mid-season tweaking. Taos Ski Valley has an answer for that.

Western ski resorts are gearing up to give the San Francisco 49ers a boost while giving you the chance to ski and ride before settling into the Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3). 

Officials at Taos Ski Valley  will spend the next three months prioritizing improvements to the resort, following a U.S. Forest Service “record of decision.”