First time skiing and I really enjoyed it! Ski Apache was fun and a nice place to start. It was full but it wasn't crowded. There are classes you can pay for and they'll teach you how to ski but I don't think it's necessary because you could learn in your own. Starts with a beginner area then moves on to bigger slopes etc... I stayed in the beginner area. The view as you go up the mountain is breathtaking in the winter with all the snow ! It's like a 30ish minutes drive to reach the place but it's a beautiful scenery! There is a warning to bring chains for your tires and many did but it's not bad if you go without them just be careful. The food place served food but you can also bring your own and eat on some benches they have there. You can rent your gear there or places near it and bring it. Once there you can go in and go out as many time as you want since once you buy the day pass you just have to zip it in a visible place to be able to go. Didn't do the zip lining but the skiing was fun! read more

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Beautiful setting and wonderful staff! Poncho and Danny were enthusiastic, informative and knowledgeable! They both helped the nervous people feel calmer and everyone had fun! read more

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Safe and Spectacular: Twice so far this summer we have taken family up on Ski Apache's Wind Rider Zip Tour. What a blast! Drive up to the base station was pretty and (especially if you get there early) it was pretty quick getting on. The equipment fitting and especially the safety training and "practice zip" was very professionally run. I especially want to highlight the professionalism and patience of Eric who twice helped my daughters/nieces out and got them comfortable with the process. The actual zip tour begins with the big one - a sustained one mile zip that starts out at over 11,000 feet - Wow! If you're racing some of the younger folks - this is one time where bigger body mass makes a speed difference . Really patient and expert folks on each of the 3 big zip tours - Mark Luna was our kid's favorite (good story teller). Safety was 100% in place throughout. Then when you're all done Eric Trainer picks you up in the "Party Wagon" (Quad/ATV) with EBM music on his Bluetooth speaker to bring you back. Also nice snack bar and gift shops up on the mountain. VERY much worth the ticket price! Will be back soon with more family! read more

Apache Wind Rider Zip Tour at Ski Apache - Zipline #1: A full one mile run at over 60 mph starting off at over 11K feet altitude - Ziplining Near Me - Alto, New Mexico

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My dad and I went because I absolutely had to try out the longest zipline in the Lower 48 while reaching speeds up to 70 mph. It was thrilling, fun, and had wonderful views! Our guides - Jordan and Matt - were absolutely wonderful, fun, energetic, and knowledgeable. They are what made the experience 5 stars. In some zipline areas there is some hiking in between runs - you don't have to worry about this here if that is a concern. This place is definitely a fun stop. Be sure to check it out! read more

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Last week my daughter and I tried our hand at ziplining. It was exhilarating, intense, and fun. Comfortable? Not so much, but then... I could stand to lose a few pounds. Ski Apache Zipline is the longest zipline in the continental US, and has the largest change in elevation. I seem to recall someone mentioning it was the highest too. And while some folks might balk at three minutes of sliding down a high tensile steel cable at 65 miles per hour, suspended hundreds if feet over a mountainside to be sheer insanity, it's something you need to try, even if it's just once. But none of the above is what makes Ski Apache's Zipline Experience so great. It was the STAFF. Our guides were Jordan and Bree and they were knowledgeable, professional, and just fun to be around. Their enthusiasm and utter confidence was infectious and it pumped our group. Bree gave us the low down on the 2012 Little Bear fire, pointed out different ski slopes, and answered a barrage of questions about a ton of things not directly related to the zipline. And then, when it was time to ride, she moved with certainty and grace. Honestly, both Jordan and Bree taught me and my daughter a lot, and I can easily see us ziplining again! Yeah! read more

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10/10 experience, definitely recommend. Staff was super nice and made the whole experience even better than it was. Pancho (Alec) and No No were our tour guides. They helped calm the nerves and had a lot of really neat facts. read more

What happened at zip line at ski Apache?? My friend Jennifer and I went in, got our weight checked. When the man started speaking we motioned to him that we are deaf. He kept speaking couple of times before he asked if i can lipread. I said no. He laughed. He did not have a name tag, we will call him "Bob" "Bob" asked my friend, Jennifer, if she can lip read, she said no. He laughed. He asked us a couple of times and kept laughing at us throughout. Again he kept talking to us. I kept motioning for him to get pen and paper to write it down. He got a pen and paper and tried to hand it to me. I shook my head no and motioned for him to write down what he was saying. He ignored me and looked at the liability wavier paper, he studied it for 5 minutes. There was another worker in the office i asked him is it like this? He is wanted no part of it, shrugged at us and left the office. After "Bob" finished looking over the waiver, he went outside. He went outside to take a picture of warnings on the wall. He showed it to us. We read it and was like hmm??? He pointed to the end of sentence which said "mental illness." I asked him bluntly on paper "are you calling us retarded?" He denied it and waved me off. He told me he will get someone to help us. He proceeded to get a walkie talkie and started talking. He looked at us back and forth and kept laughing. 2 people came in. One was a woman named Shippen (she is a ski coach) and another man, no name tag, we will call him "Dan." Shippen asked if we lip read. We said no. She left it at that, never asked us again. She knew basic sign language but we ended up writing back and forth. She was very friendly and was trying to help them understand. I told her that "Bob" kept asking us if we lip read and we showed her the pic of "mental illness" "Bob" denied everything. "Dan" came up to me and asked if I lip read. "Dan" was with Shippen when she asked me... "Dan" then asked Jennifer if she lip read, She signed NO I SIGN "Dan" then turned to me and asked again. This time I didn't sign. I wrote down NO MEANS NO. He tried to grab the paper away from me. He was rude and gave us ugly looks. Jennifer was on FaceTime with her mother and "Dan" tried to make her put her phone away. Shippen said they're trying to help us. I said no that they keep asking again and again and again. I have a right to get upset. She said the boss will come in and make a final decision. 3 new men came in then went outside to talk. 2 more men joined them. They talked for about 10-15 minutes then left. None of them came to talk to me or give me their names. Patrol came in and said no we can't go on the ride. We drove all the way from El Paso to have "Bob" laugh at us. Having to say no to "can you lip read" 10-15 times, surrounded by almost 10 men, some being rude to us and looking down at us. When the boss made his final decision he didn't even bother to tell us himself and sending a female patrol to escort us out? Not cool. Deaf people have been discriminated. Oppressed. Said no. Laughed at. Left out. No access to information. Etc. And so on... most of us just accept it and move on. Not me. I'm ready to raise hell. Just like my momma taught me. read more

Apache Wind Rider Zip Tour at Ski Apache - Apparently to workers at Ski Apache, being deaf is a mental illness. Unbelievable. - Ziplining Near Me - Alto, New Mexico

Our guides Poncho, Ryan and Danny made this zipline experience even more incredible. My husband and I had an amazing time. The views are spectacular. Must do if you're in the area!! read more

Great guides, safe and organized. Gear is safe and up to date. I think they have you brake too soon. The harness system will automatically brake your decent unless you are pulling with your body weight. To get maximum speed pull yourself up in a small ball and hang all your weight on the handle read more

Apache Wind Rider Zip Tour at Ski Apache - Platform #1 - longest ride out of the 3 runs - Ziplining Near Me - Alto, New Mexico

Put the Windrider Zipline Tour on your bucket list! It was amazing and this team of young people are some of the most professional and friendly I've ever seen. Jeremy and Maya were my tour guides. I'm going to request them every time I come back. I will make the 7 hour trip just to do it again. S--t just got real! That's what I was thinking just before I launched. 2 seconds later any reservations I had about if it was a smart choice or not dissipated. The ride was smooth like buttah. The views made feel like I was approaching heaven. Be sure and follow all the safety tips they give you. It only makes the experience better. First leg starts at 11489 ft of elevation. A mile later at 60mph, you land and start the second of three legs. Each leg has its own unique experience. I couldn't pick my favorite leg. read more

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So much fun. Third and best zip line experience we've had. The staff was safety conscious, caring and fun. There are really 3 zip lines for one price. The first is long with a gentle incline , then a steep shorter run and finally a longer steep line. The zip line is open year round so take a run up there in the summer and enjoy the forest view or take a ski break in winter and zip line down. Remember to bring a jacket even in summer it's cool and windy at the top read more

Apache Wind Rider Zip Tour at Ski Apache - High above the mountain. - Ziplining Near Me - Alto, New Mexico

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My son and I did our first ever zip line today, and we could not have picked a better day, a better time or a better location. This was amazing!!! Bree and David were awesome. They made us feel safe, and made it a lot of fun. We'll bring the whole family back next time! read more

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We just finished our Win Rider tour. It was GREAT! Mile long run was my favorite! The other two runs were fun too. Reached speeds about 60 mph! Woo Hoo! Our guides David, William and Corey were awesome! We had fun and enjoyed the beautiful scenery between zip rides. Thanks! We will be back! read more

Came here yesterday with my husband and dad and had SO much fun. This zip line is the highest and fastest in the lower 48 states and is such an adrenaline rush. Definitely not for the faint of heart! The view was absolutely amazing and we even saw elk while zipping down the first leg of the tour! Our guides Mike and Johnathan were incredible - personable, funny, and professional all rolled into one. They were also very informative and taught us a lot about the history of the surrounding areas that we could see from our 11,000 ft viewpoint. This is a must-do if you're in the area and I will definitely be back. Tip: Make sure you call and make a reservation or you could be looking at a very long wait time if they're busy. Once you've made that reservation you'll also want to call the day of before you start driving up the mountain to make sure the weather won't be an issue that day. They offer rain checks if there is a storm. read more

Zipping at Ski Apache was AWESOME!!!! Highlight of a trip to the area including white sands natl monument. But the Ski Apache zip experience was uber cool. The first of three lines was a mile long from 11,500 feet so darn fun. This is a def must do while near Ruidoso. The bonus of the time at Apache was meeting Liz and Eric. They led our group and were the neatest most informative and chill guides plus totally welcoming and took the time to even explain some of the cool stuff about the Apache Mescalero tribe and their background with that. Liz and Eric you guys are the best!! Thank you so much for welcoming us to your beautiful land here in NM and the Mountain of the Gods. If you are reading this book the zipline and go!! read more

We had a blast with Jeremy and Matt. They were very focused on safety while being very funny, friendly and taking the time to explain the view (which was fascinating to me). I highly recommend the zip line tour. Everyone from the check in to our guides were extremely friendly. I think some reviews about unfriendliness is from folks who work there but are just quiet. Every and all questions were answered. They repeat what to do several times, which is a good thing. We were bummed that we didn't bring our camera but Matt offered to take our picture and send to us. I was grateful and he sent us fantastic pictures. I highly highly recommend going in this tour. We will be back next year with my kids and cannot wait for them to experience this!! read more

The highest zip line in the world, and I guessing the best. Second time over two years for my 13 yr. old godson, his friend and this 67 year old senior. I only went first time because an adult had to accompany the minors. I wouldn't have missed it the second time. Our guides, Will and David, could not have been friendlier or more helpful. I can see myself doing this well into my 80s. read more

We went here for the zipline tour and had an amazing time! Our guides Tara and David were friendly and made our experience very enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend going if you are in the area and looking for a memorable day of fun! read more

This past weekend our family went zip lining at Ski Apache and we had such a great experience! Our group of 6 was so fortunate to be led by Dakota, Michael, and Jeremy. Jeremy was tandem zipping with our 7 year old granddaughter, and he was so patient with her the entire time. These guys genuinely enjoy their jobs and it shows! We can't wait to visit Ruidoso again and all of us agreed that the zip line at Ski Apache will be at the top of our to-do list! If you're planning a trip to this beautiful New Mexico area, do yourself a favor and make reservations! You won't regret it! read more

This was such a blast the instructors put you at ease. My husband and I went for 12 year anniversary.Dress warm the winds are COLD.

Amazing experience! Wyn and Drew were the best zip line guides! Totally worth the money!

Our guide Jeremy, Isaiah and William were great. Jeremy was such a pro and made all the difference with our nervous first-timers. We also loved Isaiah's energy which made it so much more fun for everyone! A great experience!! read more

INCREDIBLE!!! This is a MUST DO when visiting Ruidoso NM. We did it over Spring Break, my two granddaughters, ages 11 and 13 and I (grandpa). This zip line is the highest (elevation wise @ 11490ft) in the world and the longest in the lower 48 states. Open any time of the year and even night rides. Our guides Wyn and Will were incredibly knowledgeable on the local area and friendly with the kids and adults. They were telling about the historic NM view from up on top of Ski Apache where we start the zip line while we were waiting for the group (groups of 6) ahead of us to go down. There was no "dead" boring time and kept my granddaughters listening. This is probably the best zip line in the country. Three legs with the first leg being a mile long. What a great experience for my granddaughters and I. read more

Had a really great time during the zip line! It was an amazing view on the first mile long run. Some of the guides were amazing but to be honest some of them had REALLY BAD ATTITUDES and it seemed like they didn't want to be there. Also, the lady's that worked in the reception were very rude. But other than that they were very safe! SAFETY is a big thing here which is good when having a family. read more

Worth the money!!!! We had a blast and our guides Fred and Maya were amazing!! Definitely wear warm clothes for winter!

We went here with our 11 year old son. Our guides, Wyn and Darian, made the zip trip super awesome. Not only did we feel safe and well trained, for our 1 mile+ zip, Wyn pointed out a lot of the features, locations of geologic and historical significance. We wanted to spend a lot more time on the mountain with Wyn and Darian. We even ran into Wyn on the road down, where we all stopped at the overlook to view the amazing scenery. read more