October 05, 2011 (Angel Fire, NM) – Angel Fire Resort, located in the tall Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, is busy with preparations and a major expansion for the 2011-2012 ski and snowboard season. The resort is expanding winter options for guests by adding a new Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. The Nordic Center is located at the $16 million Angel Fire Resort Country Club, creating a one-of-a-kind Nordic experience in northern New Mexico.

Angel Fire continues to focus on being one of the most family friendly resorts. © courtesy of Angel Fire Resort

“This is a killer combo. Great cross country skiing, followed by gourmet food and drinks at the most beautiful clubhouse in northern New Mexico,” said Dave Dekema, director of marketing, Angel Fire Resort. “With a great trail network and quality grooming, easy access and state-of-the-art amenities–including fine dining, well-appointed locker rooms and an indoor swimming pool–we have the potential to create a top-quality Nordic destination in our state.”

New Nordic Center

Angel Fire's new Nordic Center © courtesy of Angel Fire Resort

The new cross-country loops will wind skiers along rolling, scenic canyons of native spruce, pine and aspen trees, starting at 8,400′ elevation. The terrain is varying, offering as light or as challenging a workout as any cross-country skier could ask for. The loops offer both skate and classic-style cross-country skiing. A single-day trail pass will cost just $12. The new Nordic Center will provide equipment rentals, lessons, events, special training sessions for competitive athletes, and a full retail store, carrying the latest equipment, clothing and accessories. Sledding will now also be available to families, steps away from the clubhouse.

“We’ll be growing the Nordic Center over time, but our goal is to start out this season with 10 to 15 kilometers of groomed and maintained trails. It will be the perfect venue for cross-country skiers and teams to come to train at elevation,” Dekema states.

The Nordic Center is not the only upgrade in store for guests of Angel Fire Resort this winter. “We have spent over a million dollars in improvements to our Lodge – with renovations to the lobby and our guest rooms. Along with continuing improvements to our hotel and mountain, we have a simple philosophy; create a better skier experience every year. Without question we have done that.”

Terrain Park Improvements
Following a season, which saw very few changes in Angel Fire’s award-winning terrain parks, Angel Fire Resort is bolstering its park reputation with exciting improvements, new features, and new events. The plan calls for adding more than a dozen new freestyle rails and fun box features, including the most popular flat rails, rainbows, double-kinks, C-rails and a few surprises. The features are custom built by Neptune Industries of Boise, ID, among the country’s top designers of features for snow and skateboard parks.

In addition, Angel Fire’s terrain park staff is re-configuring the jumps, overall flow and transitions within the resort’s award-winning Liberation Freestyle park, adding new dirt features and a quarterpipe, as well as removing trees to expand the overall footprint of the park, and adding a small feature area for skill-building and practice.

Furthermore, Angel Fire Resort will expand and grow its Friday Night Lights park event series, adding more prizes and visibility to the nighttime competitions to draw even more park riders and skiers from throughout the Southern Rockies region.

Family Friendly

Family fun at Angel Fire. © courtesy of Angel Fire Resort

Angel Fire continues to focus on being one of the most family friendly resorts in the Rockies by offering beginner level terrain parks, sledding hills, and day and night tubing on the Polar Coaster tubing hill that offers smaller kids a hand with a moving carpet. The children’s ski school offers individual attention to beginner skiers, as young as 3 years of age, with an average student to teach ratio of 4.5 to 1 for group lessons. Kids can practice their skills on the Bominable run, which features whoop-de-doos, ski through features such as dragon tails, duck-unders and a snowball throw target. Angel Fire Resort remains the only resort in New Mexico to offer nighttime skiing. Angel Fire continues to participate in the winter sports growth program, “5th Graders Free,” offering free day passes to 5th graders with accompanying paid adult.

No Raise In Pricing
As part of Angel Fire’s goal in giving guests the best experience and value as possible, the resort will not raise lift ticket or season pass prices this season. They will be offering pre-season discounts on season passes now through early November. The resort will offer Stay & Ski package discounts for guests in the slope side Lodge or at one of the resort’s vacation properties.

Coming in 2012: The Angel Fire Zip Line Adventure Tour
Guests will soon be able to add zip-lining to their menu of activities at the resort. Starting July 2012, Angel Fire will offer a multi-station, mountaintop Zip-Line Adventure Tour. Starting at the 10,600′ elevation summit of the ski mountain, Angel Fire’s Zip Line Adventure Tour will be among the highest point-to-point Zip Line tours available anywhere.

For more details about Angel Fire winter rates, trails and reservations go to www.angelfireresort.com or call 800-633-7463.