Ski Apache
Ski Apache is the Ski Resort owned by the Mescalero Apache Tribe
The Tribe sold 20,000 tickets in its initial year of 1963/64 at the Ski Area. Oil man Robert O. Anderson created the Resort and headed it for three years before selling.
The Resort was well known to people in west Texas but skiing was not that popular then and there were not that many people at the Resort. It was called Sierra Blance Ski Resort at the time. In 1985, the name was changed to Ski Apache.
The target markets for the Resort remain southern New Mexico and western Texas, including El Paso, along with Dallas and Houston. The resort gets people from all over the country and Mexico, but that's the main market.
The Early Years
The opening of the Resort and its continouous growth changed nearby Ruidoso from a one-season wonder to a two-season tourist draw. The town and Resort prospered as skiing grew in popularity across the country. By the mid-1970s, skiing had taken off and that included the Resort. The Resort operated 10 runs then. The number is up to 55 today. Today, T-bars are gone. Eight chair lifts and the original Gondola move skiers wherever they want to go.
Snowmaking
The first snowmaking crew was initiated in 1981. Snowmaking helps in a bad snow year, but even in a good year improves and keeps the ground covered on the lower slopes and high traffic areas. Snow made by machines is much more durable than natural snow. Natural snow may not pack as well and scrapes off easily.
Using the snow machines on cold nights in early November, and with some weather luck, Ski Apache always tries to open Thanksgiving weekend. The Resort stays busy through Spring Break with big crowds on weekends and three-day holidays.
Busy, busy, busy
During the early years the Resort operated with 50 to 60 employees in the winter. That figure now is up to more than 300 at the height of the season. That includes the ski patrol, while about 100 are ski instructors. Others run the snack bars, restaurants and lodge, the hamburger stands, the sports shop and the chair lifts. The busiest time of the year is the Christmas holiday, with employees working 10 straight days.
Skiing is popular
Changes in ski wear and equipment helped promote the sport. The sport has gone from weather boots and wooden skis to plastic boots and composite skis of different shapes. Perhaps the biggest advance in skiing was the introduction of release bindings, which come off in a bad fall. Snowboarding was introduced in the late 1980's and accounts for about one-fourth of the tickets sold at Ski Apache.
Clothing has changed a lot too. In the early years, ski wear was not as warm unless you piled on the layers. Then down parkas were introduced, along with different pants. Skiers are more comfortable and that contributes to the popularity.
Grooming was another plus. A crew works from 3 am to 8 am every day on beginning and intermediate trails, as well as with some expert and advanced trails.
Predicting the weather
Ski Apache is asked annually about the expected snowfall. The Resort always plans for a good year. But there is no way to really predict. The only approach that works is to wait and see.
