Find out when you can hit the slopes at New Mexico's ski resorts

Early returns are promising for ski season in the Land of Enchantment.

For Sandia Peak Ski Area, a significant snowstorm in the first week of November led to an unprecedented event.

“We got three feet of snow, and we opened for skiing on Sunday, Nov. 10, which was the earliest opening in the history of the ski area,” said Scott Leigh, Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) lead advisor. “And we operated Lift 3 and had an amazing opportunity to get people up and give them the freedom to ski while we had snow.”

Here we snow again: Early November storm a boon for opening day at New Mexico's ski resorts

Located approximately 35 miles northeast of Albuquerque, Sandia Peak is a convenient spot to hit the slopes for Duke City skiers and snowboarders. However, prior to the 2023-24 season, it had been closed for two years due to limited snowfall and lack of staffing. That changed last year due to an agreement with MCP, which ultimately assumed ownership and operation of the ski area. MCP is a ski area management company that has been in operation since 2000 and serves 15 destinations worldwide. It has overseen “the investment of over $80 million in on-mountain improvements,” according to mcp.ski.

With MCP in its second year of running Sandia Peak, Leigh expects even more improvements after getting the area operational last season.

“We’ve got some snowmaking that we’re gonna be doing that we didn’t do last year,” he said. “We’ve got some newer equipment from different manufacturers that we’re gonna be testing out over the course of the season. And we spent a lot of time getting our snowcats in a good position and a lot of time on Lift 4, which is the beginner hill, to get that ready and functioning.

“We’re excited to have a normal opening ski season this year.”

The ski area is currently closed until conditions permit reopening. According to sandia.ski, the official opening day is scheduled for Dec. 28. The goal, Leigh says, will be to open for seven days a week. There has already been a significant amount of appreciation from skiers since Sandia reopened last season.

“If you came up here last year at all and talked to folks, it was just amazing, the level of enthusiasm and excitement to be able to come and ski here again with their family and their friends with the proximity to Albuquerque,” Leigh said. “The community has been welcoming and a huge outpouring of positivity.”

Two other MCP-run resorts, Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort and Pajarito Mountain, are also optimistic heading into the upcoming season. Sipapu began its season on Nov. 15 with a number of new improvements across the resort. Perhaps most noteworthy is that a new pipeline has allowed for enhanced snowmaking capabilities on Butterfly, one of Sipapu’s most popular trails. This allows the trail to open earlier in the season and maintain a more consistent snowpack throughout the winter. There are also a number of other improvements such as enhanced grooming across the mountain, updated cabins and new rental equipment.

“It (Sipapu) is really a diverse mountain that all ends up in one base area,” said Christiana Hudson, who is marketing director for both Sipapu and Pajarito. “… And being one of the historic ski resorts in New Mexico, it is just really a throwback experience. It’s an old school skiing experience to be at Sipapu, and it’s incredibly beautiful.”

Pajarito is curently open Friday to Sunday, and has also made a number of improvements to enhance the skiing and snowboarding experience. Repairs to a snowmaking pipe and water main mean that 300% more water can be delivered to the slopes, “ensuring better coverage and faster terrain openings,” according to pajarito.ski. Additionally, a full snowmaking pond will be ready for use this winter. Other upgrades include a new snowcat for better grooming; trail signage for better navigation, and a ski and snowboard tuning machine in the rental shop.

“Pajarito is a hidden gem for great skiing,” Hudson said. “… And we have really challenging skiing. It’s a steep mountain.”

Meanwhile, the snowstorm also led to Ski Santa Fe targeting Nov. 23 for its opening instead of a traditional Thanksgiving Day kickoff.

“Winter has arrived early at Ski Santa Fe,” read a statement on skisantafe.com. “Snowmakers have been hard at work and Mother Nature has done her part with 27 (inches) of snowfall from this storm.”