Does Ski Apache in Ruidoso reliably have snow in mid March or would we need to drive further north?

Driving distance is a matter of perspective. I don't like to drive anywhere uphill from Dallas in 1 day. I like to stop in Trinidad, Colorado at some elevation for the night and I highly discourage driving in the mountains in the dark.

Are you a good skier or first time?

I'd also wait a bit to see how where the snow is good.

That being said, Wolfcreek would be a solid pick for southern Colorado and Taos/Angel Fire for Northern New Mexico. I advise against the Texas tourist trap of Breckenridge. Great town and mountain, but way too many people there.

ReloadAg said:

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Does Ski Apache in Ruidoso reliably have snow in mid March or would we need to drive further north?

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If you want reliable look further north. If you are patient you can reevaluate in mid-February before making a final decision, maybe the El Nino spigot will turn on at some point but there is pretty much no snow so far this far south.

Thanks for the comments. We're not huge skiers but have been before but it'd be the first time for our 8 and 10 year old girls. I'd like to be able to drive it in one day but I wouldn't rule out a 2 day drive if it were worth it to get to southern CO rather than New Mexico.

We've driven to Durango. Usually we stop in Santa Fe on the way up, however driving straight through on the way back is easy after five or six days skiing. Great for Spring break, high speed quads, no lines, lots of condo for the money a few miles from the slopes.

Seems like we just spent 2-3 weeks on a thread discussing beginning skiers. It's probably still on the first page or two of the Travel Forum.

Oh ok thanks I'll check it out.

I would just say drive on up to Breck. Most mountain for you money with lots of terrain for everyone. Just get off at Pueblo and take Highway 9 up and you avoid all the Colorado Springs and Denver traffic issues.

Totally disagree with this view of Breck. I've skied most of the mountains in Colorado. Assuming the snow is good (right now it's not), Breck is one of my favorites. Town, dining, and plenty of slopes for all different skill levels. To each his own.

Crested Butte is a good option. We used to leave Houston at around 4pm and drive overnight and get there around 11am the next day. You go rent your skis, get checked in, eat an early dinner and sleep about 12 hours and you are ready to hit the slopes the next morning. You could make it there even quicker starting from Austin and with 70-75 mph speed limits. With 2 drivers, it is not a difficult drive and you get to do the potentially treacherous parts in daylight.

We've done the trip from Austin to Durango / Purgatory a couple of times and once during spring break. Staying in Albuquerque on the way up makes it reasonable. Also, if you want to take a break during the week, a short trip over to Mesa Verde NP is a good option. We've rented a condo at the small ski village and stayed in town (20mins away). The highway can be a an issue in mid-winter but is usually in good shape that time of year.