Dark Territory Terrain Park & Snowcat Tours

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Chris

Extreme skiing and boarding

Looking for some extreme skiing/jumping?

Try the Dark Territory in the Railyard Park. You have to get a special pass to enter (yes, you have to buy it – bummer) and watch a mandatory video. Go to Showcase Snowboards on the 1st floor of the Zephyr Mountain Lodge to get the pass and watch the video. There are some HUGE jumps in there. I’ll be watching from the Eskimo Express Lift. Good viewing is also found at Snoasis where you can relax on lounge chairs, eat a hot dog, and watch the hot dogs.

Looking for the exact opposite? Maybe you’re not a skier/boarder but you want to see what all the fuss is about. Winter Park Resort offers Snowcat Tours which take you to the top of the mountain in an enclosed snowcat. Register at Guest Services in the Balcony House (building where the lift ticket windows are).

Discounted Parking at the Winter Park Base!

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Amy

Discounted Parking sign at Winter Park base

I drove by the resort today and saw a sign for discounted parking, only $10/day to park in the parking garage on the WP base side of the mountain.

It is only being offered until Friday the 13th so get up here and get skiing. Don’t waste vauable ski time with parking and riding the teacups.

Cheeky Monk in The Village at Winter Park

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Chris

Cheeky Monk's bar

Here’s your first glimpse at the newly opened Cheeky Monk in the Village at Winter Park. We tried it out last week and loved it.

Here were our favorite things about the look of the place:

- The cathedral ceilings make it feel huge- Great views of the Continental Divide

- Large outdoor porch overlooking the ice skating rink (heated floor!)

- Big chandeliers

Here are our favorite things about the food/drinks:

- Great list of beers (mention “Winter Park Lodging By Owner” and get a free Bruxelles draft – $5.25 value!) and they each come in their own glass (see photo below)

- Food is great. We had the fries (see photo below). Actually, we had 3 orders of fries they were so good. They are the salty skinny kind and come with a yummy white sauce for dipping (as well as ketchup).

We also had muscles – I usually think they taste fishy but these were very good

Beers and Fries at Cheeky Monk

They have their full menu now and we’ll have to hit it again for dinner to give more info on what’s good, but so far, we found nothing we didn’t like.

Oh, and the owners personally came out and met us as did the manager. Energetic, friendly folks.

And, they answered my question…there is NO skiing in Belgium so we can’t really say it looks like a “Belgium ski lodge” but if there were, this is what it would look like.

Take the scenic route to Winter Park on the Historic Ski Train

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Chris

winterclassic If you’re coming to Winter Park from the Denver area and want an unforgettable moutain experience, we recommend checking out the ski train. Starting at $59/per person (and even less for large groups) you can sit back, relax, and take in the majestic views of the Rockies from the comfort your seat with a cocktail in hand. On your way up to 9’000 feet, you’ll pass by the Flatirons, South Boulder Canyon, dramatic Alpine Wilderness, and under the Continental Divide in the historic Moffat Tunnel. Skip sitting in traffic and hop on the train- just make sure you get on board before closing day March 29!

Visit their website to get more info on rates and schedules.

Winter Park statistics

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Chris

Found some interesting statistics on Winter Park this week and thought I’d share.

1) We get 355 inches of annual snowfall (one of the best in Colorado)

2) 3,078 skiable acres (that’s 1238 hectares)

3) 145 trails (plus all that good tree skiing that they don’t name)

4) 26 lifts including 2 high-speed six-pack lifts, 7 high-speed express quads, lots of others and one rope tow (which I take each time I ski to get up to Sunspot when coming back from Mary Jane)

5) 3,060′ vertical drop

6) And a good trivia question…the longest run at Winter Park? 7.4 miles (8.2 kilometers). Bet there is some polling on that one. Anyone know which run it is?

Sunny Skies in Winter Park

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Chris

On Top of the World (and not even cold)

Come on up and enjoy the sunny skies in Winter Park right now. This is a photo of Chris, Ed, Amy (see her posts below), and me on Monday. We are at the top of Panoramic Express with no wind and not even a neckie.

Great skiing and sunshine. Then we ended it with a beer (or two) at the new Cheeky Monk where you can mention Winter Park Lodging By Owner and get a free Bruxelles draft. Blog on the Monk coming soon.

We got about 6 inches of snow this week and now the skies are sunny again. Come on up before the season is over. We have excellent deals on lodging and activities around Winter Park.

Safety First: Yield to Pedestrians!

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Amy

yield

March is our busiest time of year in Winter Park, and since the weather is a bit warmer, there are alot more people out and about around town. Please be aware of pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections. Colorado state law requires motorists to yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk. Remember, snowboarders are people too.

Also, the speed limit is 35 mph through the town of Winter Park. Eventhough there are two lanes, it is best to just slow down and save lives. After all, you’re on vacation. The hot tub will still be hot when you get there.

Got an event in Winter Park? Celebrate with an ear2ear photo booth!

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Chris

logo1 A couple of our friends over at Hernando’s started a photo booth business in Winter Park last year and we want to spread the word. With the booth in tow, Jeff & John provide an exciting and fun way to capture “the good times” at whatever event you choose. They’re a popular choice for weddings, work parties, and a huge hit at all the Winter Park Music Festivals. No matter what the party is for, these guys will spice it up! You can check out all their info and lots of party pics on their website and here’s the famous booth getting some r&r in the Colorado sun…. about3

Winter Park Alpenglow – what is it?

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Chris

Alpenglow at Winter Park

There are a lot of local businesses and publications around here with “Alpenglow” in the name. I didn’t really know exactly what they meant until I moved here and saw the evening sky. The photo to the left pretty much sums it up.

For the scientist, you can read the details at wikipedia, but the general rule is this:

Although the term may be loosely applied to any sunrise or sunset light seen on the mountains, true alpenglow is not direct sunlight and is only observed after sunset or before sunrise.

Come on up and get a glimpse. And your 4th night is free.

Free and Affordable Activities in Winter Park

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Valarie

kids_snow_winterpark1

There are a lot of things to do in Winter Park – skiing, sleigh rides, dog sled rides, tubing – just to name a few. While these activities are highly recommended, they can get pricey. So, here are a few ideas on free and cheap things to do in Winter Park during the winter:

Sledding Hill at Hideaway Park – a great little hill in downtown Winter Park next to the visitor center. There are sleds provided, so all you need to do is show up. This hill is best for small kids, since it’s pretty small, but I just sledded down it the other day and had a blast.
Snowshoe Hikes – the visitor center has free guided snowshoe tours on the weekends. They provide the snowshoes and take you on a beginner scenic hike on the scenic Fraser River Trail. If you want to go out on your own, you can rent at Ski Broker or Christy Sports.
Snow Mountain Ranch – aka the YMCA of the Rockies. There is a $5 admission fee, unless you’re a member of the YMCA (then it’s free). To use the indoor pool and climbing wall, you only have to pay the admission. To use the sledding/tubing hill, it’s $5 more for an all-day sled rental or $10 for an all-day tubing rental. Much more affordable than the Fraser Tubing Hill’s $18/hour fee. There are just as many cross country and snowshoe trails as the more pricey Devil’s Thumb Ranch and rentals are cheaper, too.
Ice Skating – the base village has a brand-new outdoor ice skating rink that is free to use, you just need to rent the ice skates. Cooper Creek Square in downtown Winter Park also has a free, partially covered, outdoor ice skating rink. The rentals are a bit more affordable at the Viking Ski Lodge or Christy Sports next to the Cooper Creek Square rink than the base village rentals.
Shuttle Ride – this may be a bit off the wall, but you can take a tour of the Winter Park and Fraser area for free on the shuttles that circle around the towns. The Red and Purple lines are the best for checking out the residential areas of Fraser and the Orange and Brown lines show you the homes of Winter Park. You can see some really beautiful homes and may even catch a glimpse of some wildlife. A nice gesture is to tip your driver, but that’s optional, of course.