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It’s a good snack to munch on your drive to the next resort. Hwy 150 merges with Hwy 64 near Taos town (20 miles from the resort) and is called the Enchanted Circle byway. Follow the road as it winds through snow-capped pine forests and past the jagged peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range. Angel Fire Resort, about 26 miles east of Taos, is your next ski-hopping trip stop. As if the 2077ft vertical drop and 450 acres of trails weren’t enough, Angel Fire also offers the opportunity to try off-the-grid winter sports like riding the mountain on a skateboard without wheels or a bike outfitted with skis. Plus the resort boasts a Chris Gunnarson–designed, 400ft-long, competition-quality half-pipe with a wicked 26% grade. The resort is the best place to sleep, offering ski chalet–style rooms and excellent child-care facilities. Visit the Roasted Clove for dinner. The town’s long-established favorite dining option pairs interesting Southwestern-influenced American cuisine with fine wine.

Head out early on day three and get ready for a little car time. Kick back, pump the stereo and watch the meadows of snow and thick tracks of forest flash by. Just north of Eagles Nest look west for a great view of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountain. Is your dog joining you for this road trip? He’ll always be grateful if you take him to the Enchanted Forest for cross-country skiing – well, you ski and the dog can run alongside. New Mexico’s premier Nordic ski area boasts 34km of groomed trails near the 9820ft Bobcat Pass, including a 5km ski trail designated especially for dogs and their guardians.

It’s a short and scenic drive from the Enchanted Forest to the Red River Ski Resort in the center of Red River town. Old West meets German ski chalet in this village of cheerfully painted ticky-tacky shops and art galleries, along with six historic buildings and plenty of dilapidated mines, all gleaming in the high desert sun. New Mexicans drive from across the state to ski at Red River, as the prices here are about $20 less than the other resorts. If you’re traveling with the kids, or just learning how to ski, it’s a good destination as there are numerous kid and newbie packages. The resort is surrounded completely by national forest land, including the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, and there are plenty of tree glades and chutes for intermediate and expert skiers to dip into. The terrain park is a work of art with lots of boxes and rails for tricks. Bed down at the German- style Alpine Lodge, which runs a slew of stay-and-ski packages and has two hot tubs on the property. Grab a meal at Shotgun Willies, a long-time local favorite. The house specialty is the BBQ, which is served by the pound. Order the brisket combo. Red River is a favorite stop on the country-and-western music circuit, so end your trip with a night of cocktails and line dancing at the popular Bull o’ the Woods Saloon.

Becca Blond

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A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY

Home to 13,161ft Wheeler Peak, crystalline lakes, huge tracks of forest and rolling steppes carpeted with windswept meadows, there’s a reason they call this 84-mile eye-candy byway the Enchanted Circle. Most towns along the loop were founded in the 1880s gold rush by Anglo settlers looking for the mother lode. It never quite panned out, however, and the abandoned mines and ghost towns are highlights of the trip. Those settlers who remained turned to tourism and opened major ski resorts at Angel Fire and Red River.

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TRIP INFORMATION

GETTING THERE

To reach the Taos Ski Valley, take Hwy 64 north out of Taos to the blinking light, and veer right on Hwy 150 toward Arroyo Seco. The trip is 20 miles.

DO

Angel Fire Resort

Angel Fire is big on snow-sport variety, and the resort’s rooms are the best in town. 800-633-7463; www.angelfireresort.com; NM 434; half-/full-day lift tickets $44/59; r $150-300;

Enchanted Forest

This dog-friendly Nordic ski area hosts exotic Moonlight Ski Tours on the Saturday before a full moon. 800-966-9381; www.enchantedforestxc.com;