Pajarito Mountain Ski Area

Infobox ski area
name= Pajarito Mountain Ski Area

picture= Pajarito Ski Lodge in Summer.jpg
caption= Pajarito Ski Lodge in Summer
location= New Mexico, USA
nearest_city= Los Alamos, New Mexico
lat_degrees= 35
lat_minutes= 53
lat_seconds= 39
lat_direction= N
long_degrees= 106
long_minutes= 23
long_seconds= 25
long_direction= W
top_elevation= ft to m|10440|round=0
base_elevation= ft to m|9000|round=0
skiable_area= 280 acres (1.1 km²)
number_trails= 40
20% Beginner
50% Intermediate
30% Advanced/Expert
longest_run=
liftsystem= 7 total ( 1 Quad chair, 1 Triple chairs, 3 Double chair), 2 Rope Tow
terrainparks= 1
snowfall= 125 in/year (3.17 m/year)
external_link= http://www.skipajarito.com/|

Pajarito Mountain Ski Area is located in the Jemez Mountains in north central New Mexico, west of Los Alamos. It is located on 850 acres (3.4 km²) of privately owned land. The Los Alamos Ski Club (LASC), a non-profit organization, owns and operates Pajarito Mountain. A typical season runs from Christmas to early April, but an outstanding season may run from Thanksgiving to late April. Pajarito Mountain currently does not have Snowmaking, but a proposal to provide this capability has been approved by the LASC membership. An extensive network of single and double track mountain bike trails criss-cross the mountain, including a new singletrack trail going to the summit. Season passes are available with discounts available for early season purchase.

Origin of the name

Pajarito means "little bird" in Spanish and was first associated with the area by the archeologist Edgar Lee Hewett who was in turn inspired by "Tsirege", which means "bird place" in the Tewa language. Tsirege is a prominent archaeological site located on property owned by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

History

Pajarito Mountain first opened on 23 November 1957 with no toilets, no water, no grooming, no modern lifts and a few short slopes. The Aspen run received a T-bar for the 1962-1963 season. An additional convert|400|acre|km2 of land were purchased in the late 1960s and the first chairlift installed on the Spruce run for the 1969-1970 season. A similar two person chairlift was installed on the Big Mother run for the 1976-1977 season. A beginners lift was installed for the 1981-1982 season, and a triple chairlift replaced the T-bar for the following 1982-1983 season. Construction of the new Ski Lodge began in the summer of 1987 and was finished for the 1988-1989 season. A quad chairlift was completed in 1994 for the Townsight run.

Elevation

*Base: 9,000 ft. / 2,743 m
*Lodge elevation: 9200 ft. / 2,804 m
*Summit: 10,440 ft. / 3,182 m
*Vertical Rise: 1,440 ft. / 439 m

Trails

*Skiable Area: 280 acres (1.1 km²)
*Trails: 40 total (20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 30% advanced/expert)

Lifts

*1 quad chair lift
*1 triple chair lift
*3 double chair lifts
*2 rope tows

=Facilities=
* Equipment Rental
* Retail
* Cafe
* Snowsports School
* Ski Patrol: Volunteer, NSP affiliated

External links

* [http://www.skipajarito.com/ Pajarito Mountain Ski Area]
* [http://www.skipajarito.com/graphics/source/trailmap_large.jpgPajarito Mountain Trail Map]
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/pubs/antiq/antiq02.htm Pajarito Park]
* [http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/areapictures/nm/pajarito.html Pajarito Ski Area Pictures]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTCL9FGXTAY Pajarito by Twintip nation on YouTube]