I'm giving 5 stars because it is worth going to and some of the issues we ran into were because we were complete newbies.
WHAT TO WEAR & BRING
We have never even been to a ski park, much less ski ourselves. We called and spoke with someone very helpful who mentioned a few tips for newbies: bring water, sunscreen, and wear layers. She specifically suggested a synthetic under layer, a fleece, and then a jacket over that. Don't forget chap stick, sunglasses, and bring some extra $ for snacks & lockers.I also suggest you bring a hat with a brim to wear when you're taking a break -- there is no shade outside, and we were too hot in our gear to go inside. NOTE: Today was not windy, but that said, I actually just wore ski pants and a long sleeve undershirt with a fleece pullover (no jacket) and was very toasty. It turns out I didn't need ski pants and won't bring them next time unless there's wind in the forecast. If you are going as a newbie and the day is not too windy, I think a few thin layers and a thin coat is all you'd need to stay comfy -- leave your heavy jacket in the car.
GETTING THERE
With no snow on the roads, it took us about 40 mins to get from central ABQ to the ski area. The buildings were clean but older -- think 1970s office building or school. Not fancy, but definitely not a dump.
PARKING
Parking is free. We arrived at 8:29am on a Sunday to give us time to register for the 10am class, rent our equipment, and relax for a minute before class. The area opens at 8:30 and it was somewhat busy by the time we arrived. By 9:30am, the parking lot was pretty full and there were short lines at most stations.
SKI SCHOOL & EQUIPMENT RENTAL
It wasn't a bad experience in the end, but the day started a little rough. The person at the ski school window had the attitude of a surly teen and didn't provide any helpful information, the employees we spoke with in the rental area were weren't very friendly or helpful. It was the same level of customer service you get when you rent a pair of shoes at a bowling alley.
In the end the equipment we rented was good quality and not broken, and they had multiple styles of boots available when the first pair was really uncomfortable -- so that was great. Lockers cost 75 cents (quarters only) and you'll have to pay the 75 cents every time you want to open your locker. I ended up using a free locker (no lock) and didn't have any trouble.
KIDS SKI SCHOOL
The kids class and slope are separated from the adult class and practice area. The kids area is off limits to everyone except children and select staff who have had background checks. The kids area has a small rope lift (I think) for the kids to pull themselves up the mountain so they don't have to shuffle slowly uphill.
ADULT SKI SCHOOL
The adult class is set in a weird, small, slightly busy area that didn't seem ideal. The first part of the class involved a very small slope area followed by a LOT of shuffling up the slope in your skis to get back to the top (shuffling uphill is not a very useful skill -- you're only doing this because there is no lift/rope to pull you up the hill). It was tiring and boring to do the shuffle and wore us out a bit before we needed our energy on the slopes. Ski class was great once we got away from the tiny area they started with -- we got paired with an excellent instructor who was happy to ski down the beginners slope with us as many times as we wanted & was a total pro & very friendly (hi Dennis!).
BEGINNER CHAIR LIFT & SLOPE
The beginner chairlift (#4) has two areas where you can get off the lift -- one a few hundred feet up the mountain, and then one a few hundred feet more. We got off at the first stop and the mountain slope is initially very gentle and enjoyable, with large, tree-free areas. (If you go further up, the skiing area is narrower between the trees, but the slopes are not extreme.) The final decent of the beginner's slope was steep and harder to manage than I had hoped. I wish it had been a little easier -- even after 4 runs, I was falling at the bottom part of the slope each time. (Luckily, wiping out on skiis in the snow is not nearly as painful as it looks.)
FOOD
The food court is a little cafeteria with with hotdogs, chips, chili pie, muffins, and snacks -- but the food was better than expected. We had a chicken quesodilla and a cheesebuger and both were good. With drinks and a candybar, the whole meal was $21 - not bad, given what they could gouge a hungry skiier for if they wanted to.
CONCLUSION
In the end, I was worn out and very happy with our day. I felt that a few improvements -- mostly in the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff in the ski school sign-up and rental area -- would have gone a long way. We will be back, and we may even do the school again. (Given the other reviews, I see that we might have had an unusual experience compared to others.) read more