Angel Fire Resort

See also: Angelfire (disambiguation)
Angel Fire Resort
Angel Fire Resort is located in New Mexico
Angel Fire Resort
Angel Fire Resort
Location in New Mexico
Angel Fire Resort is located in the United States
Angel Fire Resort
Angel Fire Resort
Angel Fire Resort (the United States)
LocationAngel Fire, New Mexico, United States
Nearest major cityTaos, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates36°23′15″N 105°16′24″W / 36.38750°N 105.27333°W / 36.38750; -105.27333
Top elevation10,677 feet (3,254 m)[1]
Base elevation8,600 feet (2,600 m)[2]
Skiable area560 acres (2.3 km2)
Trails80
21% Beginner
56% Intermediate
23% Expert
Longest run3.2 miles (5.1 km)
Lift system7 lifts
Terrain parks3
Snowfall210 inches (530 cm)
Snowmaking230 acres (0.93 km2)
Websitewww.angelfireresort.com

Angel Fire Resort is an alpine ski resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States. The resort opened in 1966 and offers both winter and summer activities.

History

The resort was originally used for cattle grazing. In 1966, the LeBus family converted it into a resort.[2]

Angel Fire is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,216 at the 2010 census.[3] It is a popular ski resort destination, with over 500 acres (2.0 km2) of slopes. Angel Fire and nearby communities experience cold winter temperatures and mild temperatures in the summer.

To the north, off U.S. Route 64, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, begun by the family of fallen United States Marine David Westphall, who was killed in the Vietnam War on May 22, 1968. Angel Fire is on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.

In 1984 the resort was bought by Dan R. Lasater for $19 million,[4] who owned it through 1987.[5] Lasater, a friend of Bill Clinton, was subsequently a minor figure in the Whitewater controversy. This led to an inquiry into Angel Fire's finances by investigators working for special counsel Robert B. Fiske and both the House banking committee and the Senate banking committee.[5]

In 1994 Angel Fire Resort filed for bankruptcy[2] and by 1995 a plan was being assembled to sell it to a group of Texan businessmen for $12 million.[4] The sale was completed in November 1995.[6]

Amenities and activities

It has a golf course and over 70 runs,[7] one of which was, in the 1990s, the "second-biggest lift-serviced vertical drop" in New Mexico, at 2050 feet.[2] Mountain biking has also become a prominent draw, and the resort has hosted multiple events.[8] A majority of the resort's customers are Texan,[9] explaining the annual "Big Ol' Texas Weekend," a celebration of Texan culture.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Angel Fire Overview". OnTheSnow.com. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  2. ^ a b c d Roessing, Walt (December 8, 1996). "Texas trio rescues Angel Fire resort". The Dallas Morning News.
  3. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Angel Fire village, New Mexico". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Gallagher, Mike (May 9, 1995). "Texans May Buy Angel Fire Resort". Albuquerque Journal. p. D5.
  5. ^ a b Hoffman, Lisa (July 27, 1994). "Whitewater Trails One Path of Arkansas Real Estate Affair Leads to N.M. Ski Resort Owned by Cocaine Dealer and Campaign Donor". Rocky Mountain News. p. 26A. House and Senate banking committee staffers, along with investigators for Whitewater special counsel Robert Fiske, are examining the business dealings of Dan R. Lasater, an ex-felon, longtime Clinton supporter and former owner of the Angel Fire ski resort in northern New Mexico. ... To do that, the investigators are scrutinizing the finances of the Angel Fire resort , about 25 miles east of Taos, during the years Lasater owned it, from 1984 to 1987.
  6. ^ Kearney, Syd (March 9, 1997). "Lone Star connection draws Texans to Angel Fire". Houston Chronicle.
  7. ^ Davis, Lisa Selin (2009-03-12). "An Affordable Ski Town, All About Nature". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  8. ^ "Upgrading Trails to Go Down the Hill". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2010-09-04. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  9. ^ Rowe, Diana (2013-12-13). "Angel Fire caters to Texas skiers". Dallas News. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  10. ^ "10th Annual Big Ol' Texas Weekend". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. January 19, 2014.