Taos Ski Valley Ski Trail Map - Layered Wood Wall Art
by Mountaincut
New Mexico's most legendary mountain, now on your wall. Mountaincut's Taos Ski Valley Ski Trail Map is a layered wooden wall art piece featuring hand-traced ski trails expertly laser cut from premium birch and/or walnut plywood, a handcrafted tribute to the Sangre de Cristo icon a Swiss-German pilot spotted from a Cessna and turned into one of the most challenging, most beloved ski destinations in America.
A Vision Spotted from the Sky, Captured in Wood
Set in the Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico, this legendary mountain traces its origin to 1955, when ski pioneer Ernie Blake, flying his Cessna between the two ski areas he managed, Ski Santa Fe and the now-defunct Glenwood Springs Ski Basin, spotted an abandoned mining basin near Wheeler Peak and knew he had found something special. He and his wife Rhoda moved their young family into an eleven-foot camper, living without electricity until 1963, and built a resort by hand around a single slope, Snakedance, opened in 1957. From a base of 9,200 feet to a summit of 12,481 feet atop Kachina Peak, the mountain delivers a 3,281-foot vertical drop, one of the biggest in North America, across 1,294 skiable acres, with 110 trails served by 14 lifts, including the high-altitude Kachina triple chair. Averaging 300-plus inches of bone-dry desert powder each year, this handcrafted map captures every trail across the entire mountain in beautiful layered wood relief.
Every Trail, Every Chute, Every Memory
This mountain has built its legend on genuine challenge, with 51% of its 110 trails rated advanced or expert, more than any comparable major ski area in the country. Beginners and intermediates, roughly 24% and 25% of the terrain respectively, have plenty to enjoy on the lower mountain, with the resort's acclaimed ski school, founded by Ernie Blake himself and long considered one of the finest in North America, helping newcomers build real skill fast. But the mountain's reputation was built above treeline. Kachina Peak, opened to lift access in 2015 after decades as a hike-to-only zone for locals chasing fresh snow, delivers steep, high-alpine terrain and serves one of the highest elevations of any triple chair on the continent. Al's Run, the original signature descent named for an early instructor, and the legendary steeps throughout the upper mountain give this mountain its reputation as one of the most demanding ski areas in America. Still family-owned and operated for decades by four generations of the Blake family before a 2013 sale, the mountain has never lost the intimate, European-inspired, unpolished character that Ernie and Rhoda built from a camper in the woods.
Exceptional Craftsmanship, Made in the USA
All Mountaincut wooden trail maps are precision laser cut and etched, hand-stained, and finished in the United States using birch and/or walnut plywood. The two-layer construction creates a rich, dimensional look where the mountain's peaks, ridgelines, and trail network stand out in beautiful relief. Hanging hardware comes preinstalled, so your new trail map will be on display in minutes.
Because each piece is crafted from real wood, no two maps are exactly alike, with natural variations in the grain and stain giving every piece its own character, just like a bone-dry powder morning beneath Kachina Peak.
The Perfect Gift for Taos Devotees
Whether you've hiked or ridden Kachina Peak, tested yourself on Al's Run, learned to ski at the legendary ski school, chased desert-dry powder through the trees, or have been making the pilgrimage to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains season after season, this map is a lasting reminder of one of the most storied, most challenging mountains in America. Taos Ski Valley deserves a place on your wall. Mountaincut products are made to order and most items ship within 2 to 3 days. Larger sizes (30" and above) may take 5 to 8 days before shipping.
Available in multiple sizes. A vision spotted from a Cessna, on your wall every day of the year.
