Take the bright sunlight of the high desert, fresh powder snow and a skier-friendly mountain, then add pre-Columbian Indian Pueblos, Spanish architecture, art galleries and top it with a renowned regional cuisine—you have the savory mix that makes up a unique ski vacation.

Santa Fe (elevation 7,000 feet) offers interesting contradictions. It is old and new, high mountains and flat desert, with cool winters that surprise out-of-staters who think of New Mexico as hot and dry. Skiing in this state is unlike anywhere else on the continent. To get a more foreign-feeling ski vacation, you'd need a passport.

Some skiers think Taos Ski Valley is the only New Mexico ski area worth a long plane ride—not so. If your main interest is racking up vertical feet, then by all means head for Taos, but Santa Fe (just an hour north of Albuquerque) is a better destination for those who prefer a balanced ski-and-sightseeing vacation. Santa Fe is one of the most culturally fascinating cities in the United States. It is loaded with great restaurants, superior art galleries, a variety of activities, and the ski area is a lot bigger than most people imagine. Though the mountain is known as a day-area destination for Santa Fe and Albuquerque skiers, out-of-town visitors will find a surprising amount of terrain.

Founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1607, more than a dozen years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Santa Fe is North America's oldest capital city. It is rich in history and culture, but of a different kind from mining-town ski areas.

When the Spanish arrived, the area was already populated with 100,000 Native Americans who spoke nine languages and lived in some 70 multi-storied adobe pueblos, some still inhabited today. For the next 150 years Santa Fe grew as a frontier military base and trading center, where Spanish soldiers and missionaries, Anglo mountain men and Native Americans mixed. In 1846, during the Mexican War, New Mexico was ceded to the United States. Santa Fe, at the end of the Santa Fe Trail, became a frontier town, hosting the likes of Billy the Kid and Kit Carson.

In the early part of this century, Santa Fe took on a new flavor. It became a magnet for men and women of the arts and literature. D.H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, Willa Cather, Jack London and H.L. Mencken either lived or vacationed here. Artists Edward Hopper and Marsden Hartley spent time here, and Santa Fe was home to Robert Henri, George Bellows, Randall Davey, Georgia O'Keeffe and Aaron Copland. Today this city of 60,000 people is home to one of the world's premier art colonies.

New for 2006/07, the Millennium Chair serves a higher summit on the mountain, opening six new trails (two intermediate and four advanced) and raising the vertical drop at the area to 1,735 feet.

Ski Santa Fe has one of the highest lift-served elevations in the nation—12,080 feet on top, 10,350 feet at the base. If you’re susceptible to altitude problems, take note; however, all lodging is in Santa Fe, and some people are fine if they sleep at a lower elevation.

Ski Santa Fe Ski Resort Facts:

Summit elevation: 12,080 feet
Vertical drop: 1,730 feet
Base elevation: 10,350 feet

Expert: ++
Advanced: +++
Intermediate: +++
Beginner: ++++
First-timer: +++

Dining: +++++
Apres-ski/nightlife: ++
Other activities: ++++

Address: 2209 Brothers Rd. #220, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Area code: 505
Ski area phone: 982-4429
Snow report: 983-9155
Toll-free reservations: (877) 737-7366
Reservations within New Mexico: 747-5557
Fax: 986-0645
E-mail: info@skisantafe.com
Internet: www.skisantafe.com

Number of lifts: 7—1 quad, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 2 surface lifts
Skiable acreage: 660 acres
Snowmaking: 50 percent
Uphill capacity: 7,800 skiers per hour
Parks & pipes: None
Bed base: 5,500 in Santa Fe
Nearest lodging: About 15 miles away
Resort child care: Yes, 3 months to 3 years
Adult ticket, per day: $46–$51 (06/07)