Ski Apache

The praise goes to the gondola, called the best thing on the mountain: the ride is comfortable and the views from the cabin are the highlight of the day for many. Reviewers note that the Mescalero tribe invested in new lifts. On the skiing side they single out the bowl of wide intermediate runs with natural gully features, and in snowy years the trees between the trails. Snowmaking covers the lower mountain, so the learning slopes run dependably.

Management and wind draw criticism. The mountain is exposed, and in a strong blow the gondola shuts first, followed by every lift except the beginner one, yet tickets keep being sold and refunds are refused, which causes more anger than anything else. Sharp rises in day tickets and season passes with no matching gain in service are another recurring complaint. In lean snow spells only a handful of lifts turn, on machine-made cover alone.