Alpenhof at the St.B. (far left building)

I’m sitting in Room 22 of the Alpenhof building at the Hotel St. Bernard, Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, watching beginners come down Strawberry Hill, one of the short easy slopes that lead back to the base. I’ve come with family and friends to  enjoy a week of skiing and camaraderie at this great small hotel. Founded in 1960, the Mayer family runs the 27 room inn with joy and care.

But this week is more than just skiing. It’s a whole program, with everything arranged and scheduled for you. Each morning is the ski lesson and each afternoon is free for skiing or other pursuits. We eat all our meals at the St. B, as the hotel is affectionately called, which some people value more highly than the slopes!

Here’s the routine:

Arrive on Saturday afternoon. Bill and Peter greet you at the door with a hearty “Welcome Home!”and take  your bags to your room while you check in with Christine in the office and get your room keys. Each key comes on a lanyard that guests wear around their necks all week. You get your lift ticket and ski lesson ticket, along with an introduction to the bar and dining area. Think old Swiss chalet style decor, with a fireplace and wood plank walls and lots of copper pots and cow bells hanging from the ceiling. It’s like stepping back in time and you might expect to see little Heidi  running about the place. For newbies and returnees alike, it feels warm and comfortable.

You get in your room and unpack. Dinner is at 6:30 pm but many gather in the bar for cocktails before then. Dinner cuisine is French inspired and served family style, and this year we are a group of 10 so we have our own table.

 

Leif and the dining room staff will arrange for just about any size group you want. Sterno heated serving stands are set up on the tables and Jean Mayer, the owner and skier par excellence, brings around the pots of soup for the first course and large platters serving the second and third courses. He announces your food with a happy “Bon soir, qu’est-ce que c’est?” ( “Good evening,  what have we here?”) and describes the food. Head and foot of the table serve up the food for their group. There is no a la carte dining here, just the menu of the day.

Wine and drinks for the table can be purchased at the bar, and some people just open a tab for the week. Of course, if you don’t finish your wine with dinner, the staff will keep the wine for you for tomorrow,

Then the dessert course is served, along with coffee or tea. After dinner most nights there will be local entertainment in the bar- bands, singer/songwriters, a DJ, karaoke. The bands usually play until 11:00 pm. Time for bed -skiing tomorrow!

Sunday to Friday follow the same schedule: Breakfast at 8:00 am (although coffee and continental breakfast runs from 7:30 am). The hot breakfast is served buffet style, but the staff-usually Dadou Mayer (Jean’s brother), but sometimes Jean and other staff- greet you and serve  you as you move through the line. This morning we had poached eggs and bagels with lox and cream cheese. Also salad, oatmeal, fruits and the various cereals and breads are available.

Ski instructors meeting students for morning lessons.

Ski classes meet by 10:00 am and run until 12:00 or so. Sunday morning skiers meet halfway up the mountain for the “ski off” where each person is matched up with an instructor. Classes are no larger than 8 people and usually much smaller. You meet your fellow students and will be with them for the next six days.  Groups disperse over the mountain at all ability levels. There is truly skiing here for everyone.

When class is over, we head back to the St. B for lunch at 12:30.  Again, served family style, soup is the first course-today it was leek and potato; second course was coq au vin style chicken cutlets with sweet potato gnocchi and roasted carrots and brussels sprouts. Dessert was Peach Melba with locally made lemon ice cream and raspberry sauce.

By about 1:30, people head back out skiing for the afternoon, or visit the shops, the hot tub, get a massage or take a yoga class. Napping is also a favorite afternoon pastime.

Then it’s time for dinner again. Last night’s was lentil soup, pate en croute, duck a l’orange with green beans and jasmine rice, beet and lettuce salad. Dessert was a vanilla pannacotta with fresh berries and mint. The menu is different each day and each meal is better than the last. Chateaubriand with foie gras? Check. Fresh caught salmon with dill sauce? Check. Cheese fondue? Check.  Guests loved the food so much they requested a cookbook: Cuisine St. Bernard was the 2012 result.

The week passes all too quickly, and check out time is after breakfast on Saturday morning. People come back to the St. B year after year, often the same week each year, certainly to improve their skiing but also to spend time with ski week friends and bask in the hotel’s homey feeling.

My skiing has certainly improved with the Taos Ski Week Lessons and being able to stay in such a wonderful environment certainly helps. Not to mention the gourmet food and helpful, friendly staff that make this a great vacation. Hopefully we’ll be able to return next year!

Want to Come to Taos Ski Valley?

Good to Know:

  • Taos Ski Valley is accessible from Santa Fe, NM (about 2 hr drive)  and about 3 hours from Albuquerque Airport. There are shuttles that run from the airports (ABQ and SAF) to the ski valley.
  • Rooms at the ski area base are condo style and hotel style but tend to fill up quickly during peak periods.
  • Booking for the St. B starts in late summer for the ski season, with returning guests having the first choice to book their preferred ski week and rooms.
  • The St. B has a great deck BBQ open on the nice days and serves lunch in the bar.
  • For more on Taos Ski Valley go to: www.skitaos.com