Pajarito Mountain Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pajarito Mountain Ski Area |
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Pajarito Ski Lodge in Summer
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 Pajarito Mountain Ski Area
Location in New Mexico
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area
Location in the United States
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| Location | Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States |
| Nearest city | Los Alamos, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 35°53′39″N 106°23′25″W / 35.89417°N 106.39028°W |
| Top elevation | 10,440 feet (3,180 m) |
| Base elevation | 9,000 feet (2,700 m) |
| Skiable area | 280 acres (1.1 km2) |
| Runs | 40 20% Beginner 50% Intermediate 30% Advanced/Expert |
| Lift system | 7 total ( 1 Quad chair, 1 Triple chairs, 3 Double chair), 1 Surface Lift |
| Terrain parks | 2 |
| Snowfall | 125 in/year (3.17 m/year) |
| Website | http://www.pajarito.ski/ |
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, often just called Pajarito, is a fun place to ski and snowboard! It's located on the side of Pajarito Mountain, which is part of the Jemez Mountains in north central New Mexico. It sits on 850 acres of land near the town of Los Alamos.
Pajarito Mountain is run by volunteers and a group called Mountain Capital Partners. Usually, the ski season runs from Christmas until early April. If there's lots of snow, it might even start around Thanksgiving and last until late April! Pajarito now has special machines that make snow, so they can keep the slopes covered even when natural snow is low. You can buy season passes, and sometimes you can get a discount if you buy them early.
In summer, Pajarito hosts many special events, especially for mountain biking. There are lots of mountain bike trails all over the mountain. You can even ride a chairlift up and then bike downhill! There are also hiking trails, and you can ride horses everywhere except on the bike trails. Nearby, you'll find a campground called Camp May, the Santa Fe National Forest, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve.
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What Does Pajarito Mean?
The name Pajarito means "little bird" in Spanish. An archeologist named Edgar Lee Hewett first used this name for the area. He was inspired by the word Tsirege, which means "bird place" in the Tewa language. Tsirege is an important old Native American site located on land owned by Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The History of Pajarito Mountain
Pajarito Mountain first opened on November 23, 1957. Back then, it was very basic with no toilets, no running water, and no modern lifts. It only had a few short slopes.
- Early Lifts: For the 1962-1963 season, a T-bar was added to the Aspen run.
- More Land and Lifts: In the late 1960s, Pajarito bought 400 more acres of land. The first chairlift was put on the Spruce run for the 1969-1970 season. Another two-person chairlift was added to the Big Mother run for the 1976-1977 season.
- Upgrades: A beginners' lift replaced an old rope tow for the 1981-1982 season. A triple chairlift replaced the T-bar the next year, for the 1982-1983 season.
- New Lodge: Construction of the new Ski Lodge started in the summer of 1987 and was ready for the 1988-1989 season.
- Quad Chairlift: A quad chairlift was finished in 1994 for the Townsight run, making it easier to get up the mountain.
In the summer of 2011, a large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned part of the ski area. Ten of the mountain's 44 runs were burned, and two chairlifts were damaged. The worst damage was on the east side of the mountain, in the Townsight area. Even with the fire damage, Pajarito Mountain still opened for the 2011-2012 season. They had four lifts working and 34 runs open for skiers and snowboarders.
Mountain Heights
- Base: 9,000 feet (2,743 meters)
- Lodge: 9,200 feet (2,804 meters)
- Summit (Top): 10,440 feet (3,182 meters)
- Vertical Rise: This is the difference between the base and the summit, which is 1,440 feet (439 meters).
Ski Trails
- Skiable Area: Pajarito has 280 acres (1.13 square kilometers) of land where you can ski.
- Number of Trails: There are 44 trails in total.
- 20% are for beginners (easy).
- 50% are for intermediate skiers (medium difficulty).
- 30% are for advanced or expert skiers (hard).
Ski Lifts
Pajarito Mountain has several lifts to take you up the mountain:
- 1 quad chairlift (carries four people)
- 1 triple chairlift (carries three people)
- 3 double chairlifts (carry two people)
- 1 surface lift (like a "Magic Carpet" for beginners)
Facilities and Services
Pajarito Mountain offers many services to make your visit enjoyable:
- Equipment Rental: You can rent skis, snowboards, and other gear.
- Retail Shop: A place to buy ski and snowboard accessories.
- Cafe: A spot to grab food and drinks.
- Snowsports School: You can take lessons to learn how to ski or snowboard, or improve your skills.
- Ski Patrol: A team of volunteers who help keep everyone safe on the mountain.
