Spring Hiking in the Taos Ski Valley

Tent campers in the Ski Valley parking lot

RVers looking for a place to go in early spring should think about northern New Mexico. There is much going on and, if you are enjoying the amenities of the Taos Ski Valley, you may camp or park your RV in the large upper parking lot of the resort. In fact, the day we took this hike, there was a group of tent campers settled in the parking lot. Further, there are events for all ages, from spring skiing for the more adventurous to snowshoeing and hiking for those more inclined to the quieter pursuits.

Presented with a recent sunny spring weekend with temperatures expected to reach the high 50’s Terry and I headed up to the Taos Ski Valley to hike one of the many trails in the area. Though they were still snow-covered with a base in excess of 50 inches, were able to hike without snowshoes as they were hard packed and well established.

As we headed out in our winter hiking attire, we were soon too warm on the sunny but snow-covered trails. We removed jackets and tied them around our waists and tucked our gloves into our packs and continued on, thoroughly enjoying the delightful spring temperatures, which reached the low 60’s by the end of our hike. The warm weather and bright sunshine made our day absolutely enchanting.

As we continued on, we met few others who out hiking the snow covered trails. When we reached our turnaround point, we stopped to take a break and enjoy the beautiful views and the enjoyable weather. We pulled out the water bottles, an apple and a peanut butter Clif bar for a bit of energy. As soon as we took the first bit out of the apple, several birds in beautiful shades of gray appeared and perched on a tree-branch above us, watching. Acting on a hunch, I put a bite of apple on my hand and held it out. Immediately it disappeared. In fact, we tried to get a photo of the bird taking the apple and it took us about 18 shots to get one with the bird still in it! They were quick and well-trained by past hikers.

We stood and fed the birds for several minutes, enjoying the spectacular views, then headed back down the trail. Along the way, we encountered a few skiers enjoying the weather as we were, but for the most part, we were alone. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a delightful Saturday in spring.