Ski Apache

I went up there yesterday offseason and it was closed but they allow people to hike up and through the area, or perhaps they just don't prevent you from hiking. It looks like they've mostly recovered from the fires and I was surprised to see a lot of dead trees across the road not toolong ago - debris being still on the roadway. .Very few people take the time to drive up that far but it was well worth the drive. I went on about three different trails up that way towards lookout mountain and towards Sierra Blanca. I've never been skiing, so my observation has to be in context but it does seem pretty rocky up there. I'd be interested to see how it compares to other places because I'm thinking I might like to go skiing up that way. The one video I posted is between the highest point of the skiing (lookout mountain being just behind that) and then basically 180° the other way being a Sierra Blanca which I did not make. Another picture is my sweet doggy that made the whole way with me. Probably a little bit over 10 mi of hiking. Amazing time, and I can only imagine how amazing to be up there in the snow! Thank you Ski Apache for letting folks go up that way!

Beautiful place. As on 26th Dec, little snow is there. Too chilling weather. Take winter wears along with if visiting.

Valentino assisted my family and I and was kind and respectful towards us. We had an amazing experience, although prices are a bit over the top.

Minimal snow coverage when we were there so not a fair rating due to that. The lift ticket was discounted which was really great considering only a couple runs were open. I can see the potential of this place though. The gondola ride was the highlight. The views from the top of the mountains are amazing.

The instructors were very nice and patient. Good food at the restaurant and fast service.

While the indoor smell of marijuana might be a turn-off for some, the skiing experience at this resort is top-notch. The slopes are well-maintained, and the early bird discounts make it a great value. Just be sure to book your tickets in advance to avoid paying full price.

I've been going to Ski Apache for the past 45 years. I love the runs, I love the mountain, I love Alto and I love Ruidoso. There's no place here in the southwest like it. I've been to Aspen and to Big Sky and they're more expensive, and have a better "atmosphere" if you want to deal with the people. Ski Apache is affordable, it has great runs from greens to blacks, and the surrounding towns are awesome. Plus the people in the area are the best.

Great place to ski and snowboard. I really enjoy it when its snowy but today the weather was not the best(was windy and raining). I dont recommended to go with young kids if your planning on skiing,it's hard if you dont know how to ski and try to help your kids. Thought there's the option to do ski school at a cost. The place it's self can be kid friendly as there other activities like the gondola for the whole family and indoor place to play and eat.

Ridiculously overpriced. They charge you $150 per person for lift ticket. Staffs are very rude. Lift for upper mountain runs from 10am to 3pm. There isnt much snow. There are big rocks and dirts on slope. Slopes on upper mountain has very narrow runs that snowboarders cannot do any carving. Either ice or dirt throughout slopes. Thrre are 2 90 degree cross section with black diamond slope to horizontal narrow terrain. This is a serious safety issue. $95 Ski school for kids were very wasteful for 50 min. With 20+ people in group with 2 instructors. I will never return to this ski resort.

This was my first time skiing & I honestly had so much fun here! There's levels for starters and more advance levels but I stayed in the beginners hehe. It's super cold here but with thermal wear it was much better ! The view going up was beautiful! I don't know how to add videos here but it was breathtaking! It takes a little bit of time going up but it's worth it! The place had clean restrooms and a restaurant at the top of you get hungry but you can also bring your own food and kind of picnic at the tables there instead of buying food. The skiing was so fun here & I recommend it

Snowboarding is always fun. It's def worth the drive. The air is clean the beer is cold. What more do you want

We paid $650 dollars for two runs, the bunny hill and one run from the top. There was barely any snow. For a place that charges as much as it does should be pristine. I had to get new boots because one was cut and had a huge hole in it. The bathrooms were gross and most of the stalls didn't work in the men and woman's bathroom. They charge you an arm and a leg for food there. Only positive thing was staff were super nice.

Location is beautiful, everything works great, just in case you are worried about the mechanics. Had a great experience at the bar with my friend despite the fact that other customers, were asked what they needed/assisted before me or my friend (we are not from the area). Amy was the one person we met that was amazing, she let us know about the location and made us feel very comfortable. Despite this, a lot of the ski operators /bar personnel gave little to no assistance and snappy remarks. Food is a little over priced but understandable for the location. Don't know if I would recommend if this is your first time experience at a ski lounge, but the actual ski experience is phenomenal!!

Yelp says it's closed. I think not. Throngs of Texans in the 51F no wind having a great time

Advertised opening weekend to be this weekend. Planned our whole trip around coming to ski, and we drove all the way up the mountain to get to the place and it's just completely closed, they posted the morning after "opening weekend" that they'll be closed until December. Not even any closed signs at the bottom of the mountain before we made the drive all the way up the mountain. Ruined our entire what was supposed to be a ski trip.

Been here a few times but the staff is barely any help . The place is dirty thrash everywhere . Barely any snow so you won't get a hold of anyone just risking till you get here

Booked a weekend get-away for Ruidoso, where we made plans to ski. It was a "holiday weekend" where holiday rates applied but yet there were closed the actual holiday. Ok. Whatever. It's a small place and it was wicked busy but the staff were really helpful. We had one experience with a rude AF parking guy, but I think he was stressed. Otherwise, I practically made friends with the guys on the lifts I saw them so many times. I want to make sure I give proper respect to my ski instructor, Jesse. He was simply amazing!!! Seriously. He was so patient and helpful. Despite the crowds and limitations of the resort (covid) he made my whole experience fabulous. Overall, it's a good place to play in the snow and do some light skiing.

Great slopes for beginners and experts. Learned a lot from the instructors. Had a blast with the family and the prices weren't outrageous.

Awesome time! There are so many negative reviews which is mind boggling. Everyone was so nice, the ski/snowboard instructors were fantastic and made the experience much more enjoyable. The trails were awesome. Definitely a good spot for beginners! It was very affordable and we had a blast!!

Adaptive program:5/5 Everything else: 0/5 The only reason I'm not giving them a 1 star is because of their adaptive program. They have amazing coaches and program there. However, the public service is very bad and the management is terrible. Ive never been skiing that I had to wait 30 min to get on the lift. It was more like Disney. You wait in line for 30 min and ride for 3 min. It was mostly because most of their runs were closed, even though there were enough snow. The restaurant was also managed poorly. Around lunch time the line was so long that it took us 50 min to get our food. In summary, we spent 5 hours there, were able to ski down the runs 5 times and had a crappy burger, fries and water for $20. Not worth it, at least in peak season.

Disclaimer: I heard from the people in town that the Native population (who run the mountain) got decimated from COVID. Families dying from inability to access healthcare. I feel for them. Don't be a jerk. Credibility: I'm a former snowboard instructor. Bewares: The drive up the mountain is FREAKING TERRIFYING. One of our guys had a panic attack and wanted to turn around. Do not go if you think the roads might be bad. Ask a local who looks relatively sober, they all pretty chill. 15% of people here actually know how to ski/snowboard; there are Jerrys flying around everywhere. Keep your head on a swivel, especially if you have little kids. The board rentals on mountain are busted. The straps were broken on 2/6 boards we rented. Also, the board rental area is a zoo. Service is questionable, they are def understaffed. I'd rent from Ski West in town, they're super nice and boards are 1000x better. The mountain closes at 4 hard stop, and it takes about 1 hour to get there from town. Currently, they don't let you go inside to eat/drink due to COVID. It's inconvenient, but like, it seems like they're hella suffering because of it, so again, don't be a jerk. Pros: All of the lifties was super stoked, really kept the vibe up. Ski instructors are v nice and loaned me a screwdriver twice to fix my bindings. Chicken tenders were pretty good. The runs were fun! It's not Tahoe or Aspen, but you get what you pay for. Tickets are cheap and it's a fun little mountain. I'd come back, but I'd bring a car with AWD next time.

Everyone was so nice Helpful And made us feel welcome. Poor fella fell off the ski lift today I Think. Wasn't good 1/2 price this week Good snow but maybe not best I've seen. Got yelled at by ski patrol for something I DIDNT do But oh well If he didn't witness me walk across the piles up snow on the creek, he shouldn't assume I did and talk ugly. I walked my happy ass all the way around bc a nice employee had told me two hours earlier not to do so if we were thinking about it. Ahh whatever Molly has a good time First ski experience she did well!

This WAS a good ski area provided mother nature cooperated. However, as of late the management has been 100% incognito. The website is never updated and no one answers the information line or emails. You basically take your chances on arriving and finding the ski area open. There are no online ticket sales, so you must wait until you arrive to find tickets in Ruidoso. There has been some decent snow of late, but the utter ineptitude of the management prevents one from having a decent overall ski experience. Come on, please get your act together or allow someone else to manage Ski Apache.

Stuff people were heavily drunk and couldn't comprehend simple conversation. I am shocked. Rentals actually not too bad but people working are so slow and look that they don't really care. I had instructor for my toddler today that wasn't interested in teaching. He was just explaining a little bit were not actually interested in getting results. The whole infrastructure is horrible, I had to walk too much carrying all the gears. All restrooms dirty. Lifts Had no bucKles. They hAd only one restaurant that had long ass line where I had to spend half of my day (food is just junk, price is cheap so does the quality) there is no music and people in general are low class. I am still traumatized from this trip. What a waste of money and time. FYI the road is dangerous (beautiful view), serpentine that goes all around the mountain.

NEVER AGAIN! This place is the worst example of ski area "management" I have ever encountered in over 40 years of skiing. Website offers no usable information about ski conditions nor any way to confirm them. Published hours are not honored, Published phone numbers all go to voicemails. Messages left are not returned. No email published. I spent almost $700.00 traveling to and booking lodging only to find the area closed on a scheduled-to-be-open day (Thursday) and wonderful snow but no one around to flip on the lifts, groom the slopes, conduct avalanche mitigation, etc. Unless you live down the road from the mountain and don't care whether you ski today, tomorrow or next week, DON'T PLAN ON SKIING HERE.

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.

I'm not sure why Ski Apache has the negative reviews that it does. Obviously others could have had a completely different experience than we did but we really enjoyed our day here. No, it's not Angel Fire, it's not Taos, but it's great for being one of the southernmost ski areas in the U.S., and anyone going shouldn't expect for it to be like the larger resorts. They were able to keep three lifts and the gondola running even though the snow was getting rather thin and icy in places due to warmer temps. Yes, the lift tickets are expensive but, lift tickets are always expensive, no matter where you go. All of the employees were perfectly friendly - the guy helping with rentals who seemed to genuinely love his job, everyone was open and willing to answer questions, others took the time to ask us if we were having fun. If I'm in the area next winter season, I'd definitely go back.

Monday: closed for wind (that's fine. I hate skiing in wind) Tuesday:18" of fresh powder (mountain closed because...idk) Wednesday: more fresh snow but mountain says three chairs open. When we arrive the lifts are bunny hill, slightly longer green, and then a little longer green. No access to any blue but the face. They did finally open the gondola at 1:30 and closed it at 3:30. So full price to ski 1/3 of the mountain. Thursday: same as Wednesday so we skipped Friday: drive back to Dallas Prices are slightly cheaper than vail/beaver creek/breck. Hell whistler was only like $20 more. Skip this resort if you can. I learned to ski here at 3 and came on many trips. It was great back in 1993-2013. Went and skied all over the place and came back this year promising friends it was a hidden gem. It's just hidden garbage. Will never be back.

We took our grandchild on his first "mountain trip" We purchased the Gondola Scenic Tour. He was so excited. He is 5 years old and could not wait to ride. Immediately after purchasing tickets we went to Gondola only to be told it was closed for 30 minutes. 2 hours later we are leaving. They do not refund and they sell you tickets for a ride that is closed. Very disappointed.

So, here we are in the middle of the Coronavirous pandemic. My boyfriend and I are from Atlanta and we weren't planning on getting to our vacation spot and and everything being closed. Fortunately for us, we were able to make our way out to the mountain on the last day they were open. We managed to get a beer at the outside bar. Literally the last drinks served anywhere for who knows how long and I am forever grateful. The wonderful manager Kenya's a huge help to us. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to ski because they were closing, but when he found out how upset we were that we couldn't do it the next day, he let us catch a ride to the top on the gondola. What a beautiful place run by awesome people. When all this crazy mess is over, we will be joining them for sure. Thank you guys for making a crappy situation a lot less crappy.

If I could give it no stars I would. Extremely overpriced ($90 for chair lift and $30 for equipment rental), very RUDE workers and only 3 slopes open! No dining in had to sit outside and eat. Save your money and time and go somewhere else.

The customer service is very very poor. It feels like a visit to the DMV with long lines and mostly unmotivated employees. The mountain is ok, parking is convenient and prices are reasonable. You could tell something was not right with 7 employees directing each car where to park. Then the eating area had tables not cleared from the day before. A lift broke down and 5 employees stood there watching 2 mechanics work on it while the poorly managed line of skiers on the remaining lifts got longer and longer (singles riding on a quad lift??). We were told to arrive 1/2 early for the zip line and then told to come back 30 minutes later and still had to wait almost 3 hours.

Ski Apache was absolutely unacceptable. It was $87 with tax for a lift ticket and only three lifts were open (despite the covid restrictions, Sipapu, Santa Fe, etc.) had almost all their lifts open and around the same price but with an abundance of snow and lifts. I checked the snow report before claiming they had 34" at the base. This was a lie and the entire mountain was visible. I don't think this place is terrible, but the astronomical price for tickets and only three runs (two of which are bunny hills) seems a little disappointing. I won't be retuning here. If you're planning a ski trip anywhere in New Mexico, I'd recommend you go to Santa Fe, Sipapu, Angel Fire, or really any other ski area.

We have been stuck on the gondola for 40 minutes so far. There is no way to contact anyone at Ski Apache or the gondola staff to see what's going on. And they are not contacting us to let us know what's going on. Plus we had tickets for the zipline and missed our reservation time. Not happy at all. Plus it's getting super hot in here.

GROSSLY NEGLIGENT in MAINTAINING BIKES!!showed up last Friday morning to rent a full suspension mountain bike and a gondola ticket so I can ride the dedicated Ski Apache mountain bike trails. On my 4th mountain bike run down. I turned the handle bars at the top long sweep right and it was COMPLETELY LOOSE- Lost Control and crashes on top of rocks and branches. My RIBS, FACE, NECk, WRIST on impact as well as my prescription sunglasses cost $400 The bike shop said...sorry that happened... Don't rent a bike from here ever!!!!

Enjoyed skiing. When I went there, good amount of people so I didn't have to wait that long to get on the lift . Snow quality is ok (not that great but not bad either) I maybe giving three star cuz I've been to some ski resorts in Japan and the snow quality was super good but I really enjoyed here since I was missing snow ... so instead of flying to somewhere far, it's a good and easy spot to enjoy the snow.

Ok so I will be honest- the workers here are trash !!! We had several different interactions with different workers today and got treated horribly by all of them. There were 2 people operating the gondolas and they were so rude for no reason!!! Then we were buying tickets and the cashier at the ticket booth closed the booth even though there were like 4 parties waiting in line. She just straight up turned the mic off and put the "closed" sign and walked off. Why work in the most touristic place in Ruidoso if you're going to treat tourists and locals like shit? I dont understand. Anyway, it is pretty pricy and the resort itself is tiny and kinda raggedy. We got on the gondola and had a good time but other than that, just a bad experience.

Ski Apache ended up a disappointment. The rental process is very slow but we started our skiing off well. Should have anticipated a disappointing end when two different employees discussed what a money grubbing place this is. We noticed that last gondola ride was at 3:30 (despite website states 4pm) so we finished up our skiiing early with the rental returns. Stood in line but boarded by 3:16-17pm. Perfect we thought. Nope. When we got to the top, the employee told us we were not allowed to get off because it was time to shut down. No notice of that happening. We talked to an rather unpleasant manager that would not give our family of 5 just gondola passes for the next day. Needless to say not returning here if 5 gondola passes are not worth keeping a returning family (and anyone we know).

So first let me comment on some other negative reviews and say that vacations are sometimes what YOU make them. Don't let the bad reviews sway you...some talk about lack of snow and blast Ski Apache...well they really can't control Mother Nature and if you go too early in the season you may not have that much snow. So we took our family - kids their wives/husbands and our grandkids up to Ruidoso (from Houston) over Christmas and took a couple days to hit the slopes. First I will say they could use a little more snow, but a good chunk of lower terrain was open so for most of our beginner group (aside from my wife and I) it was perfect. I can't knock Ski Apache for the weather. We did get a nice dusting of fresh snow on Christmas night so the kids loved waking up to a white Christmas! Ok back to the mountain...Ski Apache isn't "world class" skiing but it's a nice place to go...first of all, it's cheap. At $42/day for adult lift tickets, it's a veritable bargain compared to most resorts we usually go to. Colorado and Tahoe are much more, but they do have a bit more snow and some nicer amenities. That being said, Ski Apache has a decent lodge, although when they get crowded it could be a bit bigger. There are other cool things to do besides ski...try zip lining from 11,500'! Wife and a couple of the kids did that and said it was an amazing rush! What really impressed us this trip was the people and service. So many folks eager to help, smiling faces...the lift operators were standouts as they really got folks hyped and in a great mood! Gift shop, ski shop, rental staff, etc. Everyone was a joy to deal with. The mountain itself, as I said isn't world class terrain, but the ski school area has a nice super easy dedicated lift so all our beginner skiers had a pretty easy time of it and never felt intimidated. The rest of the mountain offers a nice variety of easy green cruisers, some wide open blue terrain (although not open today - looked as though by the weekend), and some challenging blacks so all level skiers are content. The lifts are in great shape, and there's a nice gondola to get you to the top...note there isn't any green terrain off the gondola. Make sure you get your trail map and study! Ski Apache is an easy drive from much of Texas which make it super convenient. The people really make it. If you want big resorts, ski in/ski out and lots of extra amenities, go to Colorado. If you want decent skiing at a good price with great service, Ski Apache might just be the ticket!

Come to this mountain every year driving 8 hours to get here. I love this place, but this year many lifts and trails are closed despite the fact they have plenty of snow. Lift tickets are still expensive, not discounted with only half of mountain operating. And Now..... planning to close on Monday and Tuesday. It seems they have forgotten about the consumer. This not only is disappointing to the consumer but effects all of those who rely on the mountain for income. It's sad to see these type of reviews repeatedly.

We came here over spring break. We got poor information over a month ago that said they had an all day ski school. They did not. Their lessons were expensive and the same price as an all day ski school in other places of Colorado. If you want to get into these lessons over spring break, you had better show up at 7:30 and hope that there will be a spot when they open at 8. If you don't need lessons, then it's a very family-friendly Mountain to ski on. Management needs to do a much better job in training employees on customer service and giving out information over the phone as well as on their website.

This review is in regards to the snow ski resort. This may not be a horrible ski resort, but it leaves some things to be desired. Positive notes: The slopes are nice, what little we were able to see of them (as of the start of the season they only had a couple greens and a blue open) The ski patrol/first aid was really helpful and kept a good eye on the skiers. Staff on the slopes seemed friendly. Negative: Mostly the amenities and cafeteria. The cafeteria is a mess. It has old, lunch hall style tables that cram people together. The chairs are not terribly comfortable and it doesn't feel upscale or relaxing, at all. The music is extremely loud and the acoustics do not facilitate dinner conversation. It's hard to get a good seat, especially if it's for more than one person. The staff will harass you if you bring in any ski equipment while trying to eat (even if it's blizzarding outside). The food is alright, but the lines are just long and you have to wait from start to sitting about 30 minutes to get your meal and get it paid for. So all in all, the dining facility/lounge is decrepit and just not comfortable. The ski shop has some decent equipment, but not a lot of souvenirs or anything unique. Prices are high as always; you can expect your pocketbook to get gouged when trying to shop at any ski resort, I suppose (for instance, the cheapest ski goggles started at around $50 and went up to $100). For anyone preparing to ski, call in advance to see what slopes are open and try to get a weather forecast. It's really miserable, even when the slopes are open, to be out there in the middle of a snow wind/blizzard as the visibility is low. Also, the locals in town will tell you that you need snow chains to get up the mountain. This is often crap advice. I was told chains were mandatory and after paying an arm and a leg to buy them, get them installed, and drive all the way to the mountain top at 25 MPH or less, I saw very few people had them, and no one needed them--the most we encountered was SLUSH. Shop in advance (sunglasses, beanies, helmets, chains, hats, etc.) if you plan on going to this resort and area.

Ski Apache was a lot of fun. When my husband and I went last month, we were both able to enjoy ourselves, even though I am a beginner and he is a very experienced skier. We rented skis, boots, and helmets, and had no issue with the functionality of any of the equipment. I will say that we got there around noon, and there were only a limited number of helmets left to rent. So if you're thinking about going this route, perhaps make it a point to get there early. The mountain itself is very beautiful. There is a ~12 mile road running up to the ski resort itself, which meant that we stayed in a cabin farther down the mountain, and got to experience a lovely drive up the mountain in the morning. If you happen to be in the El Paso or surrounding area, and want a nice, quick mountain escape, I would recommend giving Ski Apache a try!

Found in the mountains near Ruidoso. This has to be the worst customer service ever at a skill "resort." Most of the employees seem to be serving out a sentence with the customers as their guards. This is the opposite customer service outside Detroit, Mt Brighton. Small hill but they make you feel like family. Ski Apache family is the one where you'd rather be in a foster home. The only people who were friendly was the guys giving out your skis or boards. Some of the customers here think it is part of the tubing hill. People walking and taking pictures all over the hill. Most of the employees didn't care and let them walk all over the slopes. Most lift people are usually happy go luck people. Here they just stare blankly at you and recite the same thing as if it was painful. It is way overpriced and they treat you poorly. The snow is ok but the employees treat you as if they want you to go somewhere else. The one good thing to say was that the food was tasty and quick. But I'm not coming here for their food. I'll never come back to ski here. I didn't try the gondola or tubing hill they had but I'm taking their messages to heart, they don't want you here.

Zip lining at Ski Apache was absolutely amazing! The crew (Tara, Kai, and Nick) were awesome! They were very personalized able and interactive. We had lots of laughs, and they helped keep us calm, as this was our 1st experience. The views were absolutely spectacular. I'm not sure how other zip line experiences after this can ever compare. What an adrenaline rush! I highly recommend if you are looking for something adventurous!

Here's what's totally acceptable: closing a zip line due to weather. If it's raining, if there's lightning, if there's some act of God, it's understandable. Here's what isn't: taking reservations with happy and welcoming arms, an hour and a half drive to get there, and then closing the zipline because it's fucking cloudy. I'm dead serious. I'm writing this from the base lodge, lightning supposedly 5 miles away. It isn't. Everyone here could have ziplined by now. No one's safety is at risk. But our nice day is. So here I sit, literally nothing is open. The gondola is shut down, you can't even rent discs for disc golf. Ridiculous. I mean, ya know, We're just 2000 miles from home. No big. What a colossal waste of time. Thank God you don't operate in New England, you'd freak out every fifteen minutes.

Was a little iffy about this place after reading the negative reviews about the local staff, but don't believe it! 99% of the people I interacted with at Ski Apache last weekend were very pleasant. It's about a 30-45 minute drive around mountains from Ruidoso city hall to get here, two lanes, no ice on the road when we went so it was an easy drive. The parking lot is free to use and very spacious. Pavement isn't perfect though, lots of bumps and holes once you get into the lot. We rented equipment outside of the resort and brought it with us, so I guess we avoided the crowd renting boards and whatnot over there. But there are rentals on site! Lift tickets were $68, not bad - Tip: DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR ID. They ask everyone for ID when buying tickets. The ticketing area had a pretty funky smell, which I did not enjoy. It's nearing the end of the season, so the snow wasn't too powdery unfortunately, and the slope closest to the base was a teeny bit slushy, but not that bad. The people manning the lifts were very friendly and personable, after going a couple times on that slope, they would comment, "You're gonna be an expert by the end of the day!" They also give you a hand up and help you up on top if you're like me and manage to face plant every time you get off the lift. I really appreciated that. Take the gondola up to the top for a gorgeous view of New Mexico (and signal for my T-Mobile folks out there). Bring your gear because that's where all the cooler slopes start. Warning, not for beginners. The resort doesn't have too many greens, mostly blues/black diamonds, so I wouldn't recommend starting there for first timers. Knocked an extra star off because I lost my GoPro sometime during the day, and no one ever returned it. I first went to the ticketing lady who we had bought our lift tickets from, to ask where the lost and found was, she rolled her eyes, sighed, and directed me to another booth. I'm not a fan of eye rolling, and I hate it even more if the eye rolling is followed by a sigh. But that was the single negative interaction I experienced at Ski Apache. Overall it's the closest place to get your snowboarding/skiing fix if you're from San Antonio, and though it's not as gorgeous as Colorado or Lake Tahoe, it's a great place to hop on a board and have fun.

Ski Apache fix list - Friendlier more helpful staff - Better fresher healthier food options - Wifi - Upgrade seating areas - Add small casino and lounge - More heaters - Music throughout - Cleaner - More efficient lines - Ski shop ticket sales option to ease the lines on the mountain Love this resort but it need some help!

Don't ski here. Waited an HOUR AND A HALF in line for lift tickets because they were "short staffed". Prices were jacked up "without notice" ($112) because it was busy. Long lines for everything, not because of the crowd, but because the employees just don't care. Skiing was ok, but because of the chaos caused by a genuine lack of care by the employees, we will not return. I've skied all over the US, including holidays, and this was by far the worst experience I've had in over 30 years.

Went for the first time and the experience was not good. Staff were rude, unfriendly, and unprofessional! I wanted to book a ski lesson so I called during listed hours and nobody bothered to answer. I left a message and had no response either. I called again next day around the same time and result was the same. I am not sure why, but I guess during certain times of the day they don't answer phones. If that is the case then why not put it on the website so customers can save their time? I finally got hold of somebody and the lady was not helpful. She had no answers to my simple questions. On top, she convinced me to not do advance booking because in the afternoon there is not much people interested in ski lessons. I asked her multiple times and her answer was the same. Trusting her I decided to not book it which turns out to be the biggest mistake! I arrived only to see chaos and mismanagement everywhere. Place was overcrowded and management was struggling to handle it. I went inside ski lesson office and even though there were at least 4 ladies they were hardly trying to work. Their attitude was lazy and worn out. Instead of keeping up with the pace they were all taking their time and moment. Most of them had no idea to customers questions and were pointing to others for answers. Finally my turn came and was told there was only one spot available for private lesson. I wanted two. After some back and forth, we were charged FULL for two private lessons, but were given only 1 instructor for both of us! While I can understand that there was only one instructor available due to the number of people, which was not my fault because I was told to simply walk-in when trying to reserve on the phone earlier, why was I charged full and not given any kind of discount just like any other place would do? I then went to rentals pick up area and it was overly crowded. To top it off, there was ONLY one lady cashier who was rude, unfriendly, and unhelpful. She was the ONLY one assigned to help long line of people. Since people had no choice, they were all dealing with her attitude and rudeness. Only ONE person was at the boot pick up department and was clearly exhausted and overwhelmed with the rush. She was also taking her sweet time and was extremely slow. There were 3 person working at the skis pick up department but all of them were chatty instead of working fast and were moving with their own pace instead of the situation. Went to the pole pick up department and even though 2 people were working, one of them, a girl, had no idea which pole to give out that is correct and right in size. She would randomly choose and give one and then look out to her partner to verify if it is correct or not. Of course if the partner is busy with someone else then you just wait and waste your time. Why would someone assigned a person who has no idea about the department they will be working on, specially if it is busy, is beyond my thinking! Finally arrived at the lesson area and there was even more madness! There were people everywhere and were struggling to know where and who to check in with. It was extremely disordered and unorganized. People were loud enough to take out their frustration and have heard multiple times people saying, "I am not coming back," or, "This is my last time here," etc. Our instructor, Alex, was good but he ended right on time instead of giving full 50 mins I am supposed to get. Due to the whole chaos and mismanagement, we started late and only got about 35 mins or so. They also had only 2 main restrooms and both were out of order. Restaurant restrooms were crowded and was a mess! Overall, it was disappointing experience as a first timer and would definitely consider a different place next time.

I'm rating Ski Apache solely on my mountain biking experience. After living in a desert environment for 29 plus years and cycling for just as long, the the cool weather and piney woods in Ruidoso, NM is bonus enough. Throw in a ski lift (gondola), 11000 plus feet of elevation and a couple of pucker downhill mountain bike trails and you have recipe for adventure. The gondola rates for mountain bikers is very reasonable at $27 a day and $20 for the half day rate. They also have a variety of hard tails and all mountain full suspension bikes for rent starting at $35 a day with an option for bike insurance at $10. Of course if you bring your own bike, that is one less expense. Make no bones about it, your bike will take a beating. The bike trails at Ski Apache are definitely technical and not for the faint of heart. The blue trail (single track) will take you about twenty minutes to get down at a good clip, but you can take your time and enjoy the exceptional vistas. I prefer to go balls out and try to beat the time from my previous trek. This trail has some rocky technical sections with some fast stretches and multiple switchbacks. I could do this trail several times in one day and not tire of it The orange trail (black diamond) is a little more straight forward (fire road). It is a speed demons heaven with long straightaways and few switchbacks. The fire road is a loose packed, gravel filled, wash out heavy ball buster. Be ready for your fillings to be shaken loose by the end of this quick jaunt down the mountain The twelve mile drive up the mountain is well worth it, but bring friends, life is too short to wipe out without witnesses!

Very beautiful! Especially when everything is open, like Apache Bowl on top. But wow! I was so sore due to all the poling I had to do on the Catwalk at the top of the Moonshine Liftline to get to the good (& well-groomed) runs (the good black runs I love, & of course Apache Bowl). And I use the snowblades sans poles! I think they could use some kinda pulley system in that area, so people didn't need to pole as much. The burger joints & places at the cafe now accept cards as payment, which is easier than carrying cash. But they do require an ID for all card payments. (Note to self to remember to bring ID with my cards in the future.) Welcome to the 21st Century, Ski Apache! They also have black bean burger patties & veggie burger patties available (vegetarian-friendly options), but they are made-to-order which takes an additional 5 minutes. And the fountain drinks do not include free refills, so get a huge cup whenever possible. Along with my uncle & cousin, we also checked out the zipline tour they offer. It is amazing! I would love to do it again sometime! The equipment is more user-friendly than the kind I've used in Nicaragua. There is even a practice zipline in the front of the office area, which is great since the first real zipline is 1 mile long! So many great memories of coming to this place since the early 1990s! And they have changed so much for the better since then!

I brought 3 teen girls to ski for spring break. Snow was mediocre and one lift was closed. Causing large crowds and long lines. Day one we purchased ski school, lift tickets and equipment rental and one additional helmet. When we went to pick up equipment I'm told there are " no adults helmets." I was first in line for the day. I was never given a reimbursement. The following day we rented equipment, 3 tickets and no helmet and no ski school. The difference between the cost for day one and day 2 was $15. I asked why and explained that " I don't understand why its basically the same price for no school and no helmet." The man at the ticket counter did not give and explanation that anyone could understand and when I said " I don't understand" he said to his manager in front of myself and my kiddos " Im not going to continue to give her and explanation when she won't listen. She can F*** off." I was shocked. Paid because the kids had their hearts set on the day and walked away. Don't go here! Drive the extra 3 hrs to Colorado for better snow and a honest resort. Awful!

This review is for summer time Mountian Biking/zip line/frisbee golf. First off, if your from Texas and brought your Walmart mountain bike to hit the trails with, leave it at home! Pay the $50 something dollars to get a fulls suspension bike from the shop. Don't be one of the countless Walmart Texans I saw walking down the mountain with their mangled bike! Trails were decent and just technical enough to get a few seconds of hang time if your into that. 4 stars is for the staff. They are super friendly but for the most part didn't know what was going on with the mountain operations. Simple questions like "what trails are open" or "when is the last day of the season" drew blanks stares. I mean cmon, to find out there were only 2 trails open the day I went. I would overlook the staff if they could open more trails. It did seem however they were at least working on them! Be sure if your just going up the gondola for the views to only hike on the walking trails. Pros: -ticket is cheap -views are awesome and weather if nice! -trail has a good flow(a little more switchbacks that I like) - trails are beginner and advanced rider fri Shreddy brah! Update March 2020 for skiing. 5 stars Staff was great, snow was amazing, no lift lines! So many Texans who can't ski so tree and advance runs still had fresh tracks 3 days after storm. Don't let the amount of "lifts open" scare you away like it about did me. From the gondola you can reach about 90% of the mountain.

Probably the worst ski resort in the world. Lift tickets cost an arm and a leg, along with having one ticket booth open so it takes a day and a half to get it. Half the ski lifts are either broken or just aren't running so you can't even access half the mountain. No terrain park for any of you thrill seekers unlike how it advertises so that's crappy. I will not be going back and will talk bad about this place to all my friends till they go bankrupt.

I gotta start by saying that the staff here are phenomenal. Fernando, Darian and David were our guides. Darian had to leave mid tour but she still was super nice! I was ecstatic to be zip lining for the first time. Fernando was so knowledgeable and gave us a bit of the history of the area and you just know he truly loves his home of New Mexico. I not once ever felt unsafe or doubted his or David's knowledge or abilities. They were both funny and personable. I don't think the tour would've been the same without them! Thank you guys so much for a wonderful birthday surprise!

Why have the gondola tickets doubled in price from last year??? Super disappointed when we brought friends in to take them to the top of the mountain. Last year $18 this year $35?????. For a gondola ride? Not Taos, not Aspen. When we asked we were told new director new prices.... I get it but to double the price for a 40 minute round trip? Hoping lift tickets won't be doubled this year.