Review from folks who are used to Colorado skiing: Taos ski valley is way less crowded, commercial, or trendy. Good ole fashioned skiing. Some of the hotels/lodging on the mountain are lovely but we didn't stay there due to higher cost. We stayed in El Prado, about a 30 minute drive, however, it's a beautiful drive. Of course, we wish there had been more snow but that's the case everywhere out west in December-January 2025-2026 or so it seems. Either way, the consensus from our party was that we would return here to ski again. read more

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Taos Ski Valley deserves an enthusiastic 5-star review, at least from the focus of this review on their incredible Youth Ski School. Our 9-year-old son's first skiing experience was nothing short of amazing, thanks to the exceptional staff who provided not only quality instruction but also positive reinforcement throughout. Really nice twenty-something kids who could probably ski in their sleep did an outstanding job supporting every kid... including kids like ours who were strapping on skis for the first time in their lives. What truly set this ski school apart was the unwavering positivity - no negative words were uttered to any child in the classes. Even in a year with minimal natural snow, the instructional facilities at Taos Ski Valley were top-notch, well groomed and maintained. The progressive teaching approach ensured that our son, along with his fellow students, developed their skills steadily. By the end of the day, they were confidently riding up the Gondolina, pointing their skis to stop quickly, making strong turns, and enjoying a thrilling ski run down the hill. The natural beauty of Taos Ski Valley--despite the 9 degree temperature when we arrived in the morning!-- served as a breathtaking backdrop to our son's introduction to skiing, enhancing the overall experience. After just one lesson, our son is now completely hooked on the sport. We highly recommend Taos Ski Valley's Youth Ski School for its exceptional instructors, positive environment, world class facilities, and the perfect blend of instruction and enjoyment that turned our son into a skiing enthusiast after just one day. It was truly an amazing experience. read more

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I would never bring a family here to ski unless your kids are over 16 and extremely experienced. This place was crawling with dangerous skiers. It's like where Texans go to ski but could kill someone because they don't know how to ski. And I'm from Texas and can say that. Even the locals I talked to agreed. Many people flying down the mountain and my husband got hit twice and had to get treated for a concussion. If they had hit my kid instead could have ended in death. We have been skiing for over 25 years and are experienced and my 4 and 7 year old could have gotten killed. The terrain is definitely categorized wrong.....THERE ARE NO GREEN RUNS! The green runs are more like blues and so it's a recipe for disaster....inexperienced people flying down the mountain with kids trying to learn on so called Green runs. Forget coming here and travel the extra miles to go to Colorado. read more

We recently visited Taos Ski Valley and while we did have fun, I want to share an honest review from the perspective of a family traveling with accessibility needs. Positives first: There is handicapped parking available, the staff across the village was consistently kind and willing to help, and there are so many fun activities for kids sledding, snowboarding, ice skating, and the Gondolita was such a cute, fun little ride the kids absolutely loved. The food was great, the drinks were amazing, and overall it can be a wonderful family experience. I also want to give a huge shoutout to Felipe at Taos Guest Services/Ticketing. He was incredibly kind, patient, helpful, and truly went above and beyond for us. When you're already navigating a challenging situation, people like him make all the difference and we truly appreciated him. However, accessibility is a serious issue here and needs attention. The area is not ADA-friendly at all. Most shops have steps with no ramps, doorways are too narrow for wheelchairs, and many restaurants are extremely cramped with very little space to move through. The only elevator we could find was inside The Blake Hotel, and although staff eventually understood, it was uncomfortable having to justify using the elevator simply to access the lower level like everyone else. The "handicapped parking" area is also on a slope, which makes it difficult and unsafe for wheelchairs or mobility-restricted guests. The shuttles have such small clearance that even my stroller couldn't fully board, so we had to physically hold it while it hung on a step. A designated lounge or viewing area for guests who cannot ski would have made a huge difference especially ADA-accessible viewing spots for skiing and sledding so disabled guests can still comfortably enjoy watching family and friends. Constructively, I strongly recommend clearly marking ADA-only viewing areas so they remain available for people with both visible and invisible disabilities. We still made beautiful memories, but navigating the area was unnecessarily difficult for what is promoted as a family-friendly destination. I would absolutely return, because we did enjoy it but the ADA accessibility truly needs to be re-evaluated and improved. One helpful tip for future visitors: If you need ski or snowboard rentals, check out Taos Pueblo Sur, as their pricing is much more affordable. Things can get pricey VERY quickly in the main area. read more

We came in July and road the lift to the top of the mountain. The views are spectacular. There is a stream and a waterfall and lots of flowers and it smells so good. The lift prices are $24 a person for a 20 minute ride up and back. We did have bad weather coming but we hurried back down so we wouldn't have to hike or ride in the surburban. Down at the bottom they have a nice Bavarian restaurant that serves a salad, bratwurst and the biggest pretzel I have ever seen. There is an employee there that is the spitting image of Woody Harrelson. I really had to do a double take. Food is okay. You are really paying for the view. It started to rain but we were able to stay dry under the large umbrellas. We ordered hard ciders.one was Bite Me Hard Cider (apple) and the other was Blueberry Basil. Both were good. The weather is nice and the patio is comfortable. Lots of people playing games and drinking and I saw lots of dogs. Worth the visit! read more

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Love love love this place! I've been here to ski and hike and I can't say enough about it. As a skier I feel like they have one of the best ski schools. I also enjoy camping here and hiking. They have many hiking trails. I love Williams lake trail. I've done the Weeler peak hike as well, but only after lots of planning and conditioning. The people are always friendly and they keep updating and growing. However with that being said, they continue to have that basic mountain feel vs some of the uppity ski resorts. I call this place my home away from home. read more

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Larsen C was such a great instructor! We mostly all came from some kind of boarding sport experience and he got us going up the lift and down the bunny slope after a quick warm up the second day. He's really patient, kind and enthusiastic. It's easy to see his passion for teaching. We're all hoping to get hang gliding lessons from him in the outer banks over the summer! read more

Taos Ski Valley - Snowboarding lessons with Larsen! - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

It's been awhile since I've been here. A few changes but none bad. This can be an intimidating mountain but really there is something for everyone. This is the place to take ski lessons. It's the best & biggest of the Northern NM ski areas. It still has a good vibe and a local feel. I recommend staying on the mountain but if you don't you need a car. The 3 drawbacks of this place are the lift prices are high, high winds can cause lift closures and lack of transportation to the town of Taos. Lift improvements are coming plus a base to backside gondola. read more

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We absolutely loved this place!! Came here recent for a snow trip and it was really fun! The mountain was not busy at all. The place is huge, lots of terrain and runs to choose from. Lots of blues, black runs and lots of trees and open runs. There's definitely a variety of terrain for people of all skill set. The snow coverage was great in December. We didn't eat on the mountain so can't comment on the food. Bathrooms were clean. Love it! read more

Taos Ski Valley - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

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Eric and the staff at TSV are just about the friendliest and most helpful crew of lift ticket agents in the Rockies. They help make Ski Taos one of our favorite destinations--and why my wife and I keep coming back for season passes. read more

I give it 2 stars bc the experience and views were amazing but this past weekend, we qweren't allowed to use the restroom due to "water issues". Which makes me wonder how do those on your resort use the restroom then? Then the next day, we did a snow mobile tour which was the highlight of the trip no matter the cost. The issue was there was a bus load of us Mexicans and one couple from Colorado and they weren't charged. For whatever reason they weren't charged I don't think I was supposed to know that but I heard this bc I happen to sit up front. read more

Let me start by saying that I love Taos!! Plusses: 1. Much, much emptier than Tahoe or any other California places. Almost no people, by comparison! There *are* people, but sooo much fewer of them! Especially if you go during the week. I got in 4 days of boarding here, including 2 weekend days and 2 weekdays. The weekdays were magical. I felt like it was my private mountain. I barely saw another soul up on those slopes. 2. It's gorgeous. It's big. The mountain has a lot of paths down to explore! I feel like even with four days I didn't get enough time up there to really play around on the whole mountain. 3. Lodging is reasonable. I booked at Snakedance which is staggering distance from the lifts. Very convenient! 4. Super friendly people here! Both on the slopes and off, everyone I met was extremely nice. When I was stuck on the flats a few times, several people stopped to ask me if I was ok. Definitely felt the love! Words of caution: 1. The rating system is totally wack - at least for boarders. I swear blues and greens were both basically blues... and by contrast, they would both be blue - or even blacks - at other mountains. In other words, the ratings seem easier than the slopes are. I have come to realize that generally rating systems reflect difficulty for skiers and not boarders, but that difference is most exaggerated at Taos. By contrast, some of the mogul-y blacks I actually found to be easier than some of the blues here! Crazy! 2. Super, super unfriendly to boarders in general (comically so.) This manifests in 3 ways: A. There are a couple lifts that have very steep exits. Every boarder I saw fell coming off them. B. There are a couple paths with long flat parts that even if you build up speed you see skiers pushing to get through the flats. As a boarder, you have to unclip and walk. The worst one is the path back from The Bavarian to base. I dubbed it "The Trail of Tears." So generally I would say this mountain / these paths are designed with skiers in mind. C. There's practically no benches anywhere to sit down when you want to strap in after getting out of the lifts. Here are some random notes about things I enjoyed: 1. Al's Run to Lower Inferno to Showdown (wheeee!!!) 2. Lorelei is my all time favorite black diamond here! There are trees to play around in, or open areas if that makes you uncomfortable. Lots of moguls (yay!) and breathtaking beautiful vistas. 2. Moe's to Walkyrie to Totemoff was fun (!) but if memory serves it may have dumped me in the Bavarian area again where I was forced to take that blasted Blue (I forget the name) with the insanely flat pass down to base. Argh! Ok so overall this place was super beautiful and I would 100% return! I highly recommend it, despite its shortcomings to boarders. Just make note of the flat parts and avoid them! read more

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A big thank you to NICOLE, a customer service agent, at TSV for helping me over the phone - she went above and beyond to help us when the weather changed, helping us avoid ruining our trip! Thank you so much Nicole! read more

The skiing is AMAZING! Even beginner and intermediate skiers are going to have a blast. The village is old but has a charm about it. Our airbnb needed some TLC. We spend a day exploring the rio grand and another day in Santa Fe. I would definitely go back in a few years. read more

Absolutely beautiful place. Everything closes early but it's nice for bike ride and walking. It's late June and it's 45. Great weather.

Taos Ski Valley started out as a abandoned mining town & is now a top 10 ski destination in North America. Its a very unique place, as you approach its beautiful storybook looking white snow capped vistas & romantic European style Village it will take your breath away. The European atmosphere & architecture is due to the founders family, the pioneers, the original owner Swiss-German lad Ernie Blake and its employees & residents, a amalgamation of Austrian, French, German & Swiss. From the adorable little Swiss A frame chalets nestled in & around the mountainside to the picturesque Hotel St Bernard at its core, & the breathtakingly beautiful Bavarian Lodge located right at the base of stunning Kachina Peak that is nestled above the European style village of TSV, together they offer the charm of an authentic alpine ski alm amid the majestic backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It all seems like a fairytale in the Swiss alps just right here in America. Some quick facts about the mountain? currently it has; 113 runs & 14 lifts! 15% beginner green areas, 16% intermediate blue areas, 31% advanced red areas & 38% double black diamond for your skiing pleasure ;) The lift tickets are $77 for adults, $67 for teens, $47 for children & $67 for seniors. Kids under 6 ski free & kids 80 and over ski free too :) I expect that some of this info might be changing soon. As of early December 2013 the billionaire hedge fund founder & CEO of Moore capital, Louis Bacon completed a deal to acquire the ski resort. It could use a little modernizing & updating and I think the ski hours of 9am to 4pm could use some adjusting ;) Also, after the lifts close at 4pm the tubing starts & although we did not partake it looked totally rad! Just like the skiing here, crazy death defying fun! :)) It is high altitude so be prepared! TSV is at 9,207 feet while the summit is 12,481 feet! The face of the mountain gets dark (no sun) & cold so bundle up! Take my advice, if U haven't skied in a while stick to the easy areas the first day. After a day of skiing TSV your legs will feel like gummy worms & like me you will have snow plowed a new trail with your arse or face planted in a snow bank somewhere at least twice! Lol The trails are wide but there is always that one guy in the neon racer suit with the lighting bolts on side of his helmet, you know the one, that does the areal flips right beside you and lands right in front of you forcing you off a cliff?! Yea, there are those guys skiing around scaring the bageebeezz out of you. Unless you can maneuver quickly around those buggers stick to the green & blues the first day bc this mountain is a beast ;) Most importantly, when you have been depleted of all your energy, been defeated & shamed by the super steep mountain, slain by the bugger in the neon racer suit with the lighting bolts & your arse feels like a wet ice cube that's been crushed by a snow plow, there is always the martini tree bar waitin for you :) And as fate would have it, as I was sitting there sipping my martini, ok, I was gulping it, to mask my pathetic look of pain, shame & defeat, a voice cried out from the rear of the bar..."where's my jacket?! someone stole my jacket?!" I turned around & there stood a bugger in a neon suit holdin a helmet with a lighting bolt. Karma :) read more

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Beautiful Ski Valley -- the family really enjoyed Taos and the large areas they had for beginners. They loved exploring the mountain and the weather was beautiful. Enough restaurants and patio areas there for non-skiers to hang out in, with decent food, drinks and wifi -- all while watching the skiers up on the mountain. The parking and herdering visitors onto trailers to take them up to the ski village was kind of a drag, but I'm not going to ding their rating on that -- they've made the best of the space and situation due to the amount of visitors. read more

Excellent ski instruction and fun with Maggie. I highly suggest asking for her. She struck the right balance between teaching important techniques and pushing me out of my comfort zone to become better skier. read more

Taos Ski Valley - Bottom of lift 1 - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

Awesome place to work!!!! The team at Taos Ski Valley, Inc. are like a second family. If you want to work in an awesome setting, join our team! read more

Fun day! Absolutely beautiful Day! So much to do and the snowmobile tour was a hit! We will definitely be back' read more

Taos Ski Valley - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

Beautiful mountain to ski or snowboard on after fresh snow fall. Terrain seems more skier friendly than snowboarding. Kachina peak was open as of 2/7/22. Black diamonds have a bunch of moguls. Bummer that most shops and restaurants close around 5pm considering limited time at the mountain, slopes close at 4. Stayed at powderhorn condos, convenient walk to slopes. Loved the pizza restaurant called Door 38/ ale house, stays open late! Bartender at Hondo restaurant was really nice too. Shop at Bumps markets for groceries. Many restaurants are closed on Mondays as well. Check out arroyo secco nearby town for food read more

Came up from Santa Fe and gave Covid vaccinations to employees. Parked where we were told and got our cars defaced by the parking manager, William, who staff describes as "so friendly." He got of his car and got into my face telling me I'm wrong, which is so friendly! Thanks for the gratitude Taos Ski Valley! read more

Taos Ski Valley - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

Amazing hill, great people. unfortunately the employees are allowed to ski when paying customers cannot and they tend to be rude when approached, the hill was closed for the day all of the paying customers are watching the Red Shirt employees having fun on the hill skiing while the paying customers watch. I witnessed the employees going out on the closed hill. We spent thousands of dollars to get here and the employees get to have all the fun. read more

There is only one main lift on the mountain which is not at all protected from wind - I ordered tickets the night before and came the next day for the lift to be closed due to wind. Not a big deal, but they refused to give a refund just for having printed the tickets at the kiosk (not used) and the ticket office was unsympathetic and did not even apologize for the inconvenience. I talked to several individuals, all with the same tone and lack of empathy. They offered a voucher but it is a terrible business decision to refuse refund for unused service. If they decide the weather is bad, then YOU will end up paying for it. read more

Ok it wasn't winter so the only thing was to hike. There were parking spots but it filled up quickly so cars were parked in awkward positions after a while. Lots of port-a-potties but BYO Tpaper. Lots of hikers but quite a few cut their hikes short. Wheeler is not for the faint, weak. It's a difficult hike. Lost a phone sliding down the snow/ice shortcut back. Zip it up or u'll lose yours. Luckily it was returned later but data lost after turning it off. The restaurant below was nice enough to offer the use of their phone. One hike up n you're zapped of energy. Two hikes up n you're never going back again. Lesson learned. read more

Taos Ski Valley - Taos Valley - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

My trip to Taos was right after the avalanche accident so kachina peak was closed. Their rating is a bit of sandbag. The double diamonds normally involved with some super narrow chutes or cliff. read more

Taos Ski Valley has majestic mountains surroundIng the ski resort. Kachina three person lift was not open today. The mountain will challenge all levels of skiers and snowboarders. Minimal waiting to get on the chair lifts. They are quick and well managed. Buy your tickets in advance to get the best deal. Lifts open from 9-4 read more

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We drove in from Austin, Texas for Spring break and had a blast!!! The ski school was wonderful and the teachers were patient. Great skiing and beautiful atmosphere! We will be back!!' read more

Thought it was really pricey, considering the lack of open runs. Rental equipment very nice, and the staff couldn't be kinder or more helpful. They make a huge difference In the atmosphere of the place. There was really no place for the kind of skier I am. I'm not a beginner, but don't ski often. Wanted a long run, as opposed to a fast one. Instead, got stuck on the run with all the learners and lesson takers. There's a little bar/restaurant on site that serves a great bbq sandwich, but can't recall it's name. read more

Getting up the mountain in the snow and ice was pretty brutal but the ski slopes are great. Love the scenic routes and so many options to chose from. We will be back! read more

I've skied at Taos Ski Valley a number of times in the Ernie Black Era. That's when snowboarding was not allowed, and I was cautioned by the iconic warning sign at the bottom of the Hill: DON'T PANIC! YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONLY 1/30 OF TAOS SKI VALLEY. WE HAVE MANY EASY RUNS TOO! They do, but it's still a BITCH of a Hill. So much so, that outside of Pajarito in Los Alamos (the local slope when I lived there), I wouldn't go anywhere else. Red River was the place for Texans as they flattened all the moguls. After all, if God wanted Texans to really Ski, he would have made bullshit white. I've also traveled into the Taos Ski Valley in the fall when the leaves were changing. That's a marvelous trip too. read more

I've been skiing all my life, but I was shocked at the same day price to purchase a lift ticket. $175 when purchased same day!!!! What a rip off!!! Should be illegal!!! read more

Taos is new four letter word for steep! That's what my friend told me almost 10 years ago. It took me this long to finally ski in Taos. Oh boy he was right and why did I wait so long to come here? I went to enjoy spring skiing last weekend. Lift ticket was discounted and I really enjoyed steep slopes and moguls. I watched other skiers from the lift and I saw mainly expert skiers. Nice to see so many graceful skiers. Like the other reviewers said, they have more black diamond than other places. Their blue and green are interesting enough I enjoyed throughout. I opted out for double black this time as I didn't feel like hiking up and didn't have helmet with me but next time if I can come back during better snow condition, I would like to try... I expected worse condition for snow due to the timing but it wasn't bad at all for spring skiing. Views from the summit was amazing too. I saw the highest mountain in New Mexico! I spent the night before at 8,000 feet level and I was okay with the altitude most of the time however, I felt the high altitude affecting me a little in the morning and had to stop from time to time to get adjusted for the high altitude. By afternoon, my body adjusted and felt fine. I rented the equipment and staff was very friendly. They have high performance ski and they were really the latest model. They tightened up my bindings really well based on my weight and request, I got used to my ski only after one run. If you have time, read about the history of the original founders of TSV. Learning about how the couple got started and also about his personal history as he moved from Germany, i appreciated more for the way slopes are designed. Very European, narrow. They have different options for food. I had very nice lunch at one of their sit down restaurant and enjoyed the food and good service. I can't wait to come back at TSV again hopefully next ski season. read more

My family came here for a ski trip around Christmas time and this place looked gorgeous. The view was stunning even from the bottom of the mountain, better than any other ski locations I've been to. There's a wide range of courses to try out and it'll take several days to take advantage of the whole place. One thing to note is that this place is definitely geared more towards people who already have a decent skiing background. About half of the courses are for pros (single/double black diamond). But with that said, there are also many facilities for people who are new to the sport. Instructional courses for people of all levels are provided everyday starting at 9:30am lasting till 3:30pm. I took the introductory snowboarding course and found it to be helpful but kind of slow paced. We stayed on the same beginner hill for the whole time. My instructor, James, was very nice and I would recommend the courses to anyone who's new to skiing/snowboarding. You can rent all the equipments you need here but I would recommend checking out the smaller rental places within the area. We got our equipment at Cottam's Ski Shop and it was significantly cheaper than the main rental place for the Ski Valley. Renting your equipments in town before coming up to the Ski Valley is also a cheaper option. Lastly, make sure to buy the right lift pass according to your skill level as there's a big difference in price. A novice pass is about $25 and a full pass is about $75. If you're new to the sport, you definitely don't need the full pass at least until the second day. read more

Taos Ski Valley - view from bottom - Ski Resorts Near Me - Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

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I love Taos! I have skied in Vermont, New York, Colorado, Utah, and California. Of all these places, Taos is by far my favorite ski resort. There are countless intermediate and expert runs. There are also green runs. My friends who were just learning to ski had a great time as well. Everyone had a blast! By far, my favorite part was the lack of lines. At times it felt like you had the mountain to yourself. It was a magical experience. Seriously, you do not get this in Colorado or Utah. I highly recommend Taos. read more

Summer 2021, too the chair lift to the top of the mountain for beautiful views. Disappointed that there are no hiking trails at the top. Only alternative is to hike down the road - could be so much more! read more

Beautiful place with kind Staff! The children's play area was filled with laughter & love.. The staff helped us to choose the right tickets and suggested us places to get the gear needed. It's so mesmerizing to be in that place.. read more

Inquired about advanced lessons with Lin at the ski school. She was super informative and polite. Everyone here has been an absolute joy to work with. read more

I just want to give a shout out to Taos Ski Valley Reservations and Passes Office, not sure what they are called, but wow! Shannon took my call and helped me get my pass Weekday Pass and reserved me a day of skiing yesterday, Monday, 12/28/2020. We did everything on the phone and it went smoothly because Shannon knew what to do and took care of me right away. She answered my questions and helped me buy the Weekday Plus Pass. Now I'm free to ski at Taos on most weekdays and I have a couple of comp days for Blackout days as well. Also, I just want to say that there are no passes left at other places. I think its really great that Taos is looking out for people who are from here and selling a pass that is relatively affordable if you ski more than 10 times, give or take. Taos Ski Valley! You are smart to have a girl like Shannon working with custormers. Go Shannon and Go Taos! Ron Cooper read more

I arrive Friday afternoon and pay for my lift tickets for the next day, Saturday. Fourteen hours later, the ski area decides not to run its lifts, and will NOT refund what I paid for the lift tickets. They claimed the weather wasn't good enough to start the lifts. OK, whatever, this is a business highly subject to the vagaries of weather. Ski areas for decades have had variable financial results, dependent on weather. But this ski area refuses to accept any financial risk stemming from weather; they make their CUSTOMERS pay for bad weather. So they finally offered a VOUCHER for a lift ticket on some future date. They did NOT offer a refund. But I'm only in New Mexico for one day. They think I'm going to travel a thousand miles to come back to this place that mistreats its customers? AND the voucher is just a piece of PAPER that will undoubtedly be quickly lost. AND the voucher EXPIRES! In other words, in exchange for your lift ticket money - hundreds of dollars -- you end up with a worthless piece of paper. And they think their customers should be satisfied with this sort of abuse. This is a failure by the owner, Louis Bacon, and the CEO, David Norden, to behave decently. They would rather abuse their customers, for a few extra dollars, than treat customers fairly. Good luck keeping your customers, Messrs. Bacon and Norden. You are giving Taos a bad reputation. read more