72 Hours in Taos Ski Valley: Ski, Après & Local Culture
Taos Ski Valley isn’t a place you simply visit. It’s a place you talk to, listen to, and eventually understand. Over 72 hours in Taos Ski Valley, I chased a surprise powder cycle, explored terrain that skis far bigger than it looks on the map, and found myself in conversations that stretched from chairlifts to bar stools. Taos has a way of pulling stories out of people and pulling people into its stories.
That sense of connection is what defines the experience here.
This Taos Ski Valley 3-day itinerary blends skiing, après, and local culture in a way that will have you fully immersed.
How to Plan Après Ski the Right Way in Taos Ski Valley
Après ski in Taos Ski Valley isn’t about the loudest bar—it’s about culture, proximity, and shared moments that follow the last chair. From the Martini Tree to Rolling Still, après is built into the mountain itself.
Here’s how to do it right.
1. Stay Slopeside or Village-Close
Book lodging near the lifts or village so you can go from last run to first drink effortlessly with Booking.com.
Pro Tip: If you can walk to après in ski boots, you’re in the right spot.
2. Dress for Skiing → Socializing
Layer up with warm, packable gear that transitions from slope to bar, like Akova Gear.
Pro Tip: Choose gear you won’t rush to change out of.
3. Wear the Après Mindset
Show you’re here for fun with relaxed mountain style like All About Après apparel.
Pro Tip: A beanie says “here for après” without saying a word.
4. Skip the Driving Altogether
Park once and explore the compact village, guided by the mountain itself using Discover Cars only for arrival.
Pro Tip: The best après conversations happen when no one’s rushing.
5. Plan for the Unexpected
Travel insurance like Visitor’s Coverage keeps small problems from ruining your night.
Pro Tip: Peace of mind pairs well with a well-earned cocktail.
6. Go Beyond the Obvious Bars
Mix in experiences like tastings or tours with Viator to expand your après beyond the usual stops.
Pro Tip: The best nights aren’t rushed—they unfold.
7. Travel More Organized
Clipstic is a simple tool that can help keep your skis and poles together in your bag while traveling and when being stowed on the rack while you're at the bar.
Ski Hard. Stay Longer. Connect Deeper.
In Taos Ski Valley, skiing and après flow together naturally. The lifts may close, but the conversations, connections, and stories don’t.
Day 1: Arrival, Storm Turns & First Impressions of Taos
Taos Ski Valley doesn’t ease you in.
By the time I arrived at the Taos airport, our driver from The Blake Hotel informed us that snow was already stacking up en route to Taos Ski Valley. Within the first day and a half, the mountain would deliver over a foot of fresh powder, a much-needed refreshment given the slow start to their ski season. With the flakes already falling when I arrived, Day 1 wasn’t about dialing things back. It was about jumping straight into conditions that demanded attention.
That urgency carried straight onto the mountain.
There’s something about skiing Taos in a storm that immediately sets the tone. Visibility comes and goes, the terrain feels bigger than expected, and every run hints that you’ve only scratched the surface.
First Turns: When Taos Starts to Reveal Itself
The first few runs were all about feel. Having never been, I was just learning how the mountain flows, where it tightens up, and where it opens, patterns that would become even clearer the next day. Even in storm conditions and my limited time out there, it was obvious that Taos skis far bigger than it appears on a trail map.
Steeps hide behind ridgelines. Fall-line shots reveal themselves late. And the mountain rewards commitment.
It didn’t take long for that lesson to be reinforced.
On my first chairlift ride, I ended up talking with a local who summed it up perfectly:
“Taos doesn’t give anything away. You’ve got to earn your turns here.”
That phrase echoed in my head for the rest of the trip.
Cheers with a Chairlift: Meeting Taos, One Ride at a Time
If the terrain teaches you one lesson at Taos, the people teach you another.
One thing became clear immediately: people actually talk to each other at Taos.
From the chairlift to the base area, conversations happened naturally. Locals asked where you were from. Visitors shared how they found Taos. There was a genuine openness that felt rare in modern ski culture.
More than once, someone raised a gloved hand mid-ride and offered a simple fist bump.
That friendliness followed me off the mountain, too.
One guy who I was chatting with at dinner the following night summed it up perfectly. Taos is “Cheers with a Chairlift,” and based on my short time there, it truly is a place where everybody knows your name.
Early Après: The Martini Tree Bar Sets the Tone
As the day wound down and legs started to feel the terrain, the natural move was straight to the Martini Tree Bar. Boots still on. Snow still clinging to jackets. Stories already flowing.
This wasn’t full-on après yet—trust me, that would come later—but it was the perfect introduction. A reminder that at Taos, skiing and socializing aren’t separate activities. They’re two parts of the same experience.
By the end of Day 1, the pattern was already clear.
Taos wasn’t just delivering snow, it was delivering connection.
And the best was still ahead.
Day 2: Big Terrain, Deep History & Classic Taos Après
If Day 1 was about introductions, Day 2 was about depth.
Terrain That Skis Bigger Than It Looks
With fresh snow still stacking, Day 2 was when Taos really opened up. The terrain revealed its full vertical personality. As you ride each chairlift, long fall-line runs and hidden steeps begin to reveal themselves through the blowing snow.
Locals talked about lines the way fishermen talk about their secret spots...vaguely, respectfully, and with a grin that says, you’ll find it when you’re ready.
One skier I rode with summed it up simply:
“Taos rewards confidence.”
Whether you are cruising down the subtle nuances of Porcupine or involved in an oxygen-tank-inducing hike to the Ridgeline, it’s not a mountain that holds your hand. That’s exactly why Taos sticks with you and just a small part of what makes it unique.
Lunch at Rhoda’s
After a demanding morning, midday brought a stop at Rhoda’s.
It’s the kind of restaurant that feels woven into the fabric of the mountain which is fitting, since it was named after founder Ernie Blake’s wife. Quick conversations, warm food, and the shared understanding that everyone around you had earned their turns that morning reigned supreme.
Rhoda’s isn’t flashy. Tacos and tequila rarely are. However, it was exactly what a powder day lunch should be: quick, comforting, and efficient enough to have you replenished and back out there enjoying the goods.
The Martini Tree: History, Myth & Après Ski Legend
With legs refueled, it was time to experience something quintessentially Taos.
You don’t truly ski Taos until you hear about the Martini Tree (and I’m not talking about the aforementioned bar).
Part trail marker, part cultural artifact, part legend, the Martini Tree represents what Taos has always done well: blurring the lines between skiing hard and celebrating harder.
The "Martini Tree" is one of the most charming pieces of ski lore in North America, born from the eccentric spirit of Ernie Blake, the founder of Taos Ski Valley.
The Origin: A "Medical Experiment"
The legend began in the winter of 1958–1959. Ernie Blake was giving a ski lesson to a woman who became paralyzed by fear on a steep, icy run under flat lighting conditions. Expletives abound, she simply refused to move.
Thinking quickly, Ernie sent his teenage son, Mickey, skiing down to the base area with a specific request: have Ernie’s wife, Rhoda, mix a stiff gin martini and send it back up. Mickey returned with the cocktail in a porrón, a traditional Spanish glass pitcher with a long, thin spout designed for pouring liquid directly into the mouth without touching the lips.
Ernie called it a "medical experiment." After a few swigs of "liquid courage," the woman’s nerves vanished, and she reportedly skied down the rest of the mountain with perfect form.
The Tradition of Hiding Martinis
Convinced of the martini's medicinal benefits for anxious skiers, Ernie began hiding porróns filled with gin martinis (and occasionally a few olives) in the snow at the base of specific trees across the mountain. These were thus dubbed Martini Trees and remained a secret to the instructors and others in the know.
As the one instructor we met with at one of the Martini Trees summed it up:
It’s not about the drink. It’s about the moment. And, in that moment sharing that Martini in the woods with the guides and another visitor, I felt like I truly belonged.
Evening Après & Dinner: Where Taos Really Opens Up
After a day that blended physical challenge with cultural history, the evening naturally shifted toward celebration.
Après at The Blonde Bear & Legendary Meatballs
The Blonde Bear Taos | Taos après ski food
More than a few people mentioned The Blonde Bear Tavern as a prime spot for après ski, and it lived up to the hype; especially the meatballs. Lively, welcoming, and effortlessly social, it was exactly the kind of place where one drink easily turns into two.
Dinner at 192: The Wienerschnitzel That Stops the Table
192 Taos Ski Valley restaurant
From there, dinner at 192 leaned fully into Taos’ Bavarian influence. When the immense-sized Wienerschnitzel hit the table, it stopped the conversation. It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t small. It absolutely matched the scale of the mountain.
Day 3: Bluebird Skies, Bavarian Lunch & Soaking It All In
After two days of storm energy and late nights, Taos flipped the script.
After delivering over a foot of snow during the first day and a half, the storm cleared and left behind one of those classic Taos bluebird days. The sun was blazing, the snow was sparkling, and the entire mountain finally revealed its full personality.
Cruising the back side for most of the morning, everything slowed down in the best possible way, a feeling that carried straight into lunch.
Lunch at The Bavarian: Sun, Stories & Front-Row Views
Lunch at The Bavarian Lodge or “The Bav” as locals like to call it, felt like a reward you only get after the work is done. Sitting on the deck, Dunkel in hand, skis stacked nearby, and panoramic views stretching in every direction, it was one of those moments where nobody checks their phone (except maybe to snap a few pics for this blog).
The Bavarian isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a pause button and I could have stayed there all day.
The Brewski Event: Après with a Pulse
From that pause, the energy gradually built again.
The Brewski event isn’t a one-off; it’s a ritual. A live DJ spins every weekend, and the village naturally fills as the day transitions into evening. It feels organic and not staged. Locals, visitors, and employees blend together over beers and stories.
One bartender told me, “People come for the snow, but they stay for the people.”
After this trip, I couldn't agree more.
The Village and The People: Taos Ski Valley’s Unique Cultural Blend
Wandering through the village as the Brewski event unfolded made me appreciate Taos on a different level. The architecture alone tells a story. It's a blend of alpine utility, New Mexican earth tones, and subtle Pueblo influence that feels intentional rather than themed.
Nothing here screams for attention. The nuances are subtle. You notice details slowly: wood beams, stone textures, how buildings sit naturally against the mountain instead of fighting it.
Taos isn’t just a ski resort. It’s a crossroads, and one that might just be the most unique in the ski world. The New Mexican roots, Bavarian influence, and Pueblo heritage all show up in unexpected ways: architecture, food, traditions, and even how people interact.
It is reserved at first. Deep once you pay attention.
A Final Après Crawl: Martini Tree, Rolling Still, Dalee & Hondo
As the sun dipped behind the peaks, Day 3 turned into a slow-moving après crawl, the best kind.
Martini Tree Bar: One More Round & Familiar Faces
By the time we circled back to the Martini Tree Bar, it felt like a full-circle moment. Faces that were strangers on Day 1 had become familiar by Day 3. Conversations picked up right where they left off. Ski boots still on, jackets unzipped, people leaned into the bar retelling powder runs and swapping plans like they’d known each other for years. This is where Taos truly shines. Shared days on the mountain turn into genuine connection, making “one more round” feel like the natural thing to do.
Rolling Still Distillery & Lounge: Letting the Night Settle
When the base area started to quiet down, Rolling Still Distillery & Lounge was the natural next stop. Open the latest in Taos Ski Valley, it’s a warm, relaxed space where the night doesn’t ramp up, it eases in. Local spirits, unhurried conversations, and a crowd that’s content to sit and reflect make it the perfect place to wind down after a full day on the mountain. Rolling Still doesn’t end the night. It smooths the edges of it.
Dalee: Argentinian Influence Meets Mountain Appetite
Dalee surprised me, in the best way. New to the valley, the Argentinian influence of the owners shows up in bold flavors, comforting plates, and a warmth that mirrors the culture itself. It felt less like dining out and more like being welcomed in.
Hondo: Casual, Cozy & Conversation-Heavy
Hondo is where conversations stretch longer than planned. Not surprising since I ended my night there twice in three days, each time seeing a few familiar faces. Ski stories turn into life stories of why half the bar, myself included, were Packers fans. Drinks flow from one round to the next with ease. No one’s in a rush here, and that’s intentional. That's the Taos way.
Where to Stay in Taos Ski Valley
After three days of being fully immersed, one thing became clear: staying slopeside matters in Taos. It keeps you connected to the mountain, the people, and the rhythm of the place. Whether you choose a lodge, condo, or boutique stay, proximity enhances everything. For me, it was The Blake. A newer luxury hotel named after the aforementioned Ernie Blake it is the perfect combination of charm, accommodations and location all wrapped into one.
Final Thoughts: Why Taos Feels Like Home (Even If It’s Your First Visit)
Taos Ski Valley has evolved over the last decade especially since joining the Ikon Pass. However, it doesn’t feel like it's chasing trends. It doesn’t oversell itself. It simply is, and that authenticity draws people in.
From powder-filled mornings to sun-soaked decks, from chairlift cheers to late-night conversations, Taos reminded me why ski culture matters. Not just the skiing, but the stories shared between turns. There are few places where I have been welcomed in so quickly and so easily as Taos. That in and of itself is as unique as the rare combination of culture whose history defines the resort.
If you’re looking for a destination that skis hard, celebrates deeply, and welcomes you like you belong, 72 hours in Taos Ski Valley might just change how you think about ski trips altogether.
Don't Miss Another Post
Do you enjoy reading about Taos on our Resort Life Blog? if so, don't miss another post. Sign up today, and if you have anything après-ski related that you'd like to read about, let us know in the comments section below.
