Southern Colorado and northern New Mexico are caught in a cycle of massive storms, with three-day snowfall totals of 81 inches at Crested Butte, 79 at Monarch and over 60 at Wolf Creek, with more snow predicted over the next day and a half! Taos had picked up 38 inches as on Monday morning and is getting more now. With opening set for this Friday, Dec. 14, at TSV, things are shaping up nicely.

The siren of the San Juans called to me again last weekend, when I returned to Telluride for the first time in some 14 years. I was amazed and impressed at the changes I found.

I was reminded last weekend why Taos Ski Valley is world-famous. First of all, the snow. Comparable to Utah’s famous fluff in water content, the snow has come early and often this winter, and TSV is enjoying some of the best conditions in the country. The entire mountain is open, including The Ridge all the way out to Kachina Peak. As usual, the best snow remains on the highest, north-facing slopes. I had some sweet runs on the narrow chute Oster and the moguls of Blitz in West Basin, down Werner Chute into Longhorn, and up in Hunziker Bowl in Kachina Basin.

Arizona Snowbowl, the state's most challenging mountain by far, has finally gotten the 2006-07 season off the starting line.

After high winds blew off its projected opening snow last weekend, a new storm moved in and deposited additional snow and the area was able to spin its chairs finally on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

Another extended storm has rolled through northern New Mexico, and while the heart of the storm somehow missed us, Red River picked up a foot, Taos 15 inches over three days, Angel Fire 19 9 inches over three days (pushing its base to the state's best at 56, with all runs open) and Ski Santa Fe 11 inches over the past two days. More terrain is opening at all the resorts but we need another foot to 18 inches to really reach prime conditions, as high winds accompanied recent storms and a lot of snow has been blown away.