UTOPIAN VISTAS

Taos 411

By Krisitin Bjornsen

Season: Year-round. Hit the sunny, sheltered Rio Grande Gorge on winter mornings (most cliffs face east) or on afternoons in the warmer months. In high summer, find cooler temps at Tres Piedras, Questa Dome, El Rito, and Comales Canyon.

Guiding Service: Mountain Skills Climbing Guides — climbtaos.com, (575) 776-2222

Guidebook: Taos Rock, by Jay Foley ($19.95, sharpendbooks.com); mini-guide addendum due out in 2009 (TK INFO).

Gear Shops: Taos Mountain Outfitters — taosmountainoutfitters.com, (575) 758-9292; Mudd ‘n’ Flood Mountain Shop — (575) 751-9100.

Eats: The World Cup Cafe, on the Taos Plaza, has the best espresso in town. In Arroyo Seco, the Taos Cow is the place for java, lunchables, and ice cream. For muy delicioso New Mexican fare, Orlando’s, in north Taos, serves some of the state’s best chile (say, “Go Christmas,” when ordering, for half-green and half-red). Willing to spend a little more? Check out The Love Apple, built in an old, chapel just east of Taos and serving fresh, locally grown, mouthwatering meals (try the quesadilla with egg).

Camping: Most crags have camping on National Forest and BLM land. Particularly primo are the improved Orilla Verde Recreation Area campgrounds, right along the Rio Grande —$7 per night, blm.gov/nm, (575) 751-4899.

Lodging: Why rough it when you can stay in a lux adobe? Donna Longo, Jay Foley’s wife, rents two vacation homes in Arroyo Seco: Casa Seco and Casita Seco, both on an acre of pasture overlooking the Taos Valley. Prices vary according to season and number of people — climbtaos.com/rental.html, (575) 776-2222. The iconic Abominable Snowmansion, in Arroyo Seco, offers private and dormitory-style rooms, teepees, and camping — snowmansion.com, (575) 776-8298.

Rest-Day Activities: World-class fly fishing on the Cimarron and Rio Grande, as well as kayaking and rafting on class 2 to 5 rapids; marinate in mineral water at Ojo Caliente hot springs, about an hour southeast Taos; unwind with massage or yoga (Foley recommends amaniyoga.com, [575] 776-8075); hike or bike the myriad mountain trails; ski Taos Ski Valley; or visit Taos Pueblo, home to about 150 Taos Indians. First built more than 1,000 years ago, this World Heritage Site is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States — taospueblo.com, (575) 758-1028.