We recently packed up the truck and headed to Wolf Creek for an early season powder extravaganza. It's been almost 15 years since my last visit. Memory has faded a bit with age, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Come to think of it, it was a full-circle, coming home kinda experience. I was just learning to ski and living in Dallas at the time of my first trip to the Wolf. I've since lived and skied in Europe, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Colorado Rockies. While living in the Netherlands in 2000 I switched to snowboarding and haven't touched a pair of skis since - well until last weekend that is.
So I find myself living in Albuquerque, back on skis, and heading to Wolf Creek again. I'll save the "back on skis" experience for another post. As for the resort, you will have to understand my perspective before getting to the review . I'm a late 30 something, average skier/boarder, with two kids (ages 5 and 10 months), that travels extensively for work and pleasure. If you've ever played golf you will understand this analogy. Every so often the average golfer experiences that euphoric high of the perfect shot amidst a day of pain and suffering. That shot, and the distorted memories of the moment as time passes sets a standard for expectations of play and fuels the quest for the next perfect shot. As a seasoned traveller, every so often I've experienced the perfect shot in the travel industry - a combination of impeccable service, idyllic locale, and premium amenities converging at the perfect moment in time. Those experiences set the standard. One can encounter said experiences in 5 star hotels and Zagat rated eateries; but just as often in the simplest inn or road-side diner. Wolf Creek was not one of those moments.
Go - if you want an inexpensive getaway with good conditions all season and don't need or care about on-mountain or base area facilities.
No-Go - if you are travelling with a young family and need on-mountain day care; or you expect more from the resort than a hill with lifts.
Pros
- Snow, tons of it almost guarantees decent conditions
- Location - for those of us south of the CO border it's very accessible
- Cost - $52 bucks for an adult all day ticket is excellent value
- High speed quad for the most popular beginner runs
- With the expanded terrain there is something or everyone
Cons
- Fairly short runs for a Colorado resort (on the original, main area)
- Random ghetto-like base area
- No credit cards for food
- No on-site day care
- 30 miles from town via a VERY dangerous mountain pass that closes frequently
- No base area lodging
Wolf Creek suffers from mediocrity brought on by a local-yocal mentality and limited competition. Look at their web site. It's the internet equivalent of the base area. It hurts my brain just looking at it. This place could be the king of New Mexico and Southern Colorado resorts, but they seem not to care enough to try. The perfect skiing experience is about the total package, details included. I've seen Mid-Atlantic slush-pits with better facilities (Whitetail and Snowshoe are perfect examples of making the most of what's available if you think I'm exaggerating).
Note to management: Please tear up that horrid stinky carpet in the eating areas, install some decent tables, and please get some credit card machines. Sure, you will always find enough people that will put up with the half-ass effort to stay in business. Heck, I would probably go back if I wasn't travelling with my family. However, the more likely scenario is we will stick to Durango and Taos for our weekend trips from now on.
The deal-breaker for us is the lack of day care combined with the unreliable road to Pagosa. We were stuck in South Fork with a baby in Pagosa Sunday night while the pass was closed. Lesson learned.
Alternatives - IMO, now that Taos allows boarders it's hard to deny it's appeal for the whole family. They have a quaint base area with some great hotels, restaurants, and shops - not to mention some amazing terrain.
Durango Mountain Resort is the most commercial experience in the region. It's much more expensive, but offers all of the convenience and polish of the larger, more crowded Summit county offerings up north.
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written by Neal Pederson, December 16, 2009
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