Taos Mountain

In 1955, Ernie Blake, a German immigrant and ski pioneer, was flying his Cessna over New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo mountains when he found the perfect spot for a ski resort. He and his wife, Rhoda, moved their family into a camper in the valley and began building their vision. The first lift, a J-bar, was installed in 1956, and the resort opened with a single ski slope. For nearly sixty years, the Blake family owned and operated Taos Ski Valley, cultivating a unique European-inspired character while honoring the region's local heritage. They intentionally kept the resort's development minimal, focusing on the skiing experience over large-scale commercialism. A significant chapter unfolded in December 2013 when the Blake family, recognizing the need for capital improvements they couldn't risk funding themselves, sold the resort. The buyer was Louis Bacon, a billionaire hedge fund manager and conservationist who had owned property in the base area since 1996. The acquisition marked the end of an era for one of America's last prominent family-run ski resorts. Bacon committed to investing significantly in the mountain's infrastructure, including new lifts, while aiming to preserve the essential character the Blake family had established.