Mountain biking
Ski resorts open slopes for mountain bikers
Mountain biking is a growing attraction at New Mexico ski resorts, keeping snow-free slopes busy during the summer months.
The best known of the state’s ski-related mountain biking destinations is Angel Fire.
The resort, located about 25 miles east of Taos in northern New Mexico, attracts mountain bike enthusiasts from throughout the United States and countries like Germany, Spain, France, Canada and from South America. Its bike park, opened in 2011, was voted best bike park in the Southwest in 2013 through 2015 by MTBParks.com Riders Choice Awards for the quality of its trails.
“Our claim to fame is that we were built for riders by riders,” says assistant mountain manager/bike park director Hogan Koesis.
The resort has more than 60 miles of downhill trails and about 40 miles of cross-country trails. The terrain is evenly split between areas suitable for beginners, intermediate riders and experts including “some of the most extreme mountain biking in the world,” Koesis says.
Angel Fire has a rental shop that carries a broad range of bikes to suit riders’ abilities. An on-site mechanic shop can handle advanced repairs including suspension overhauls, he says. Group and individual lessons are available for beginners or advanced riders who want to refine their mountain biking
skills.
There is a variety of price packages for bike rentals, lift tickets and lessons. Details are available at angelfirebikepark.com.
The park also has several major events scheduled for the summer. The first is “Demo Daze” on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28. The event features bikes from different manufacturers, demonstrations from professional riders and a beer garden.
Some weekends are devoted to racing events. The Scott Enduro Cup will be June 10-11 and the Chile Challenge on June 23-25.
Areas open
Red River, about 35 miles north of Taos, has a small ski center where mountain bikers can use the lift to access the areas that serve as ski slopes during the winter. Walt Foley, the mountain operations director and deputy general manager, says the center is working with the U.S. Forest Service to get permission to build dedicated trails from top to bottom.
This summer, Red River ski area will open for mountain biking on Memorial Day weekend and then daily from June 9 to Sept. 3.
Lifts operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends. Check redriverskiarea.com for lift ticket prices.
Taos Ski Valley-Northside is a privately-owned area on the northside of the canyon opposite the ski resort. It has 25 miles of intermediate and advanced level trails on single-track and old mining roads. A day permit for biking costs $10 and can be purchased at an on-site kiosk, at the resort ski rental shop or at Taos Cyclery or Gearing Up, bike shops in Taos. More information is available at ridenorthside.com.
Pajarito Mountain Bike Park at the small Ski Pajarito center near Los Alamos has 30 miles of trails built and maintained by local volunteers. The terrain varies from downhill to cross country and is suited to intermediate and advanced level riders.
Features like the curving section of wooden trail called “the Corkscrew” have earned Pajarito a place among the top five in the Southwest by MTBParks.com Riders Choice Awards. Los Alamos County has recently agreed to chip in some funding for building more trails.
At present there are no bike rental facilities but ski lifts are open to hikers and those who bring their own bikes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. select Saturdays and Sundays from early June to early October. SummerFest on June 10 kicks off with a mountain bike race. For lift ticket prices check skipajarito.com.
Trails ready
Sandia Ski Area above Cedar Crest east of Albuquerque, began offering mountain biking as a summer activity in 1990. The resort has bike rentals, mechanic shop and ski lifts that take riders and hikers up or down the mountain.
It will be open for mountain biking on weekends and holidays from July 1 to Sept. 4, and daily during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October.
Visitors can access the mountain from the Albuquerque side by riding the tram up to the crest. Rental bikes are available at the top or at the base in the shop by the ski lodge.
Some riders choose to pedal up the mountain, others take the chairlift up and ride down.
Trails are sign posted for uphill or downhill riding to prevent potential collisions. For lift ticket and bike rental information go to sandiapeak.com and click on “summer sports.”
Ski Apache, about 12 miles north of Ruidoso in southern New Mexico, currently has two mountain biking trails; a 5.5-mile intermediate level trail and a 3.2-mile expert trail.
A couple more trails are under construction and are expected to open this summer, said Justin Rowland, director of operations for Ski Apache. The resort opens for mountain biking on Memorial Day weekend.
Its rental shop carries a variety of types of mountain bikes. Trail guides are available to accompany riders who are new to the area.
“We have Bluetooth headsets to put inside your helmet and they give you instructions as you are going along the trail,” Rowland says.
Information on the variety of rental packages is available at skiapache.com.