Winter Park Village Getting Ready for Ski Season

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park Village

The new Village at Winter Park Resort is gearing up for it’s first full ski season. Couple new stores are getting their stores finished up and the Gondola is ready to whisk skiers from the parking lots to the slopes.

I took the photo to the left the day before we got hit with about 13 inches of new snow this past Wednesday and Thursday at the resort. Went back out Friday and a nice blanket of white powder had been left on top of the slopes and base and the snow makers were pumping at full blast. I will share those photos later this week.

The Winter Park Village will now have The Cheeky Monk, The Back Bowl Soup Company, Goodys, Shirt off my Back and Grand Adventures/Powder Addiction for the start of the ski season. Oh, I do always forget to mention Doc’s Roadhouse the Intrawest operated eatery right at the Winter Park base. The Village should be a little busier this year and lot more fun now that the stores are filling in.

The Lofts at Winter Park will also be occupied making the Village a happening place to be this winter. We will have at-least one loft for vacation lodging here at Winter Park Lodging Company.

Come see what the new Winter Park Village has to offer and ski Colorado’s favorite ski resort.

Big Snow Hits Colorado: Get Ready For a Great Early Ski Season

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Chris

winter park ski van Big Snow at Colorado Ski Resorts

Mother Nature has hit Colorado with a doozy of an early El Niño snow storm and it is looking good for a great early ski season. This storm has snarled roads, caused big delays at DIA and dumped a bunch of snow on Colorado’s ski resorts. The snow is expected to continue into Friday making for a very white Halloween in the Colorado Rockies.

If you are thinking of an early season ski vacation this is a great year to do it. 2009/10 ski season is an El Niño year with expectations for big, wet early storms and resorts are offering lots of deals to get skiers/boarders back onto slopes after a down year in 2008/09.

Winter Park Lodging Company is offering fourth night free with bookings before November 30th and great lift ticket deals all season long. Discounts on ski rentals, restaurants and on activities are also available to make a the most adventurous ski vacation affordable. Winter Park also has a new snow-cat back country operation for the 2009/10 ski season for all you back-country enthusiasts.

Now is the time to head to the Colorado ski resorts to enjoy some of the best snow, skiing and deals that you are ever going to find.

Winter Park Colorado Backcountry Skiing

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Chris

Powder Addiction Snow Cat Skiing Winter Park, CO

We have a new option for skiing here in Winter Park, Colorado. The folks at Grand Adventures are bringing us Powder Addiction Snow Cat Skiing. They will have a store front in the Winter Park Village to seel the snow cat tours and their snowmobile rentals and tours of Grand Adventures.

Powder Addiction will provide guided Cat-Skiing on Jones Pass. New headquarters at the Winter Park Ski Resort in the Village. Guided tours run daily from Dec 15th through April 15th for up to 12 guests per day. Safety gear, powder skis and lunch will be provided. The terrain on Jones pass is phenomenal and anyone that has wanted to experience true back-country skiing should give it a try.

Powder Addiction can be contacted at 970 726 9247 or melinda@grandadventures.com.

We here at Winter Park Lodging Company wish Powder Addiction a successful venture and we plan to spend some days with them up in the back-country.

Hot Sulphur Springs: Fun Activity Apres Ski or for the Non-skiers

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Chris

Waterfall at Ute Pool

To help with the duldrums of October, we headed to Hot Sulphur Springs last Sunday night. We thought we’d be the only ones there but we were wrong! I guess others were wanting to warm up in the natural hot springs of Grand County located in the county seat aptly named: Hot Sulphur Springs.

What fun! We ran out in the cold in our suits and jumped into the 104 degree pool with the waterfall. ah, warmth (and smelly sulphur!). Amy pointed out a little part of the pool where the water comes from that doesn’t have a concrete bottom and dared us to get in there. It was a little freaky at night but I did it and so did the other Sarah B from Cape Cod (photo below).

There are tons of little pools to choose from, plus indoor pools too. A great spot to head to if you’re not skiing for the day or if you want to soak after a long day on the slopes. And, make sure you print of this coupon before you go for a discount.

To get there, go past Fraser, Tabernash, Granby and head straight to Hot Sulphur. Probably about a 30 minute drive from Winter Park but well worth it!

Snowcat Skiing in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park snowcat skiing

Powder Addiction Cat Skiing in Winter Park, CO

Winter Park, Colorado has a new skiing operation. The folks at Grand Adventure, the snowmobile guides and rentals operation, are opening Powder Addiction snow cat skiing tours. Powder Addiction will offer guided Cat Skiing on Jones Pass in Clear Creek County. Jones Pass is accessed from US Highway 40 just pass Berthoud Falls. Word is they will have a store Grand Adventures/Powder Addiction store front in the Village at Winter Park Ski Resort. Guided tours will run daily from Dec 15th through April 15th for up to 12 guests per day. Safety gear, powder skis and lunch will be provided.

Powder Addiction

Address: 115 Parry Peak Way #400
Winter Park, Co 80482

Phone: 970.726.9247

The photo above is from the Chicago Ridge snow cat operators and Powder Addiction snowcats will look somewhat similar. We are already signed up for four days of powder cat skiing in February and March and can not wait.

We here at Winter Park Lodging Company wish Powder Addiction the best of luck and plan to join them on many outings.

Winter Park Village | Back Bowl Soup Company

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Chris

The Back Bowl Soup Company will be opening in the Winter Park Village at or around Winter Park Resort opening day. I took a peek in the windows today and there is construction going on and it looks to me like they should make opening day. Don’t hold your breath though, we are talking mountain construction. Love thier logo to the left and the store front looks great below.

Check out their offerings on their website. They fill a niche that was definitely lacking at the base. I see they have beer and wine so it will be another place to unwind after a hard day on the slopes with an adult beverage. How hard is a hard on the slopes? It is much better than a good day at work unless you tear your ACL which then I would rather be in cubicle land in some basement.

Anywho, enough rambling already, there are now four eateries in the Winter Park Village. Well, make that three as we have heard that Lime is not going to open back up for ski season. So we have Cheeky Monk, Goodys and now the Back Bowl Soup Company. Also, have heard that Grand Adventures will be opening a store front in the Village just opposite Back Bowl to sell their snowmobile tours and rentals and their new Powder Addiction snow cat skiing operation.

Good luck Back Bowl Soup Company! I’m sure you guys are ready to be open and be done with construction and inspections.

New Years Eve in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on October 25, 2009 by Chris

new year winter park colorado

New Years Eve Celebration in Winter Park, Colorado

Come celebrate the end of 2009 with some high country fun in Winter Park Colorado. Spend the day skiing and then head to Hideaway Park in the Town of Winter Park and be treated to some free sledding, rail skates, hot chocolate, human bowling and some warm fire pits with fireworks going off at 10pm. Great fun for the whole family and if you take it easy on the booze get up early and hit the slopes and start a perfect 2010 by making some turns down the Winter Park Resort slopes.

If the family thing is not your cup of tea there is the Grand County Blues Society New Years Eve Celebration that will be held up at Silverado II Resort and Event Center. Bring in the New Year in style, blues style! Great food, company and dancing music with champagne toast. Featured artist is Nick Moss & The Flip Tops with Lurrie Bell. Time is still to be announced for the the blues celebration.

If blues and the family thing both are not what you are looking for then head out to one of the hopping restaurants at the resort or in town. I recommend the Cheeky Monk, Tabernash Tavern or the Sushi Bar.

New Years Eve comes once a year. Don’t waste the one night with a lame night out down in the city. Make a special evening with special memories and have a Winter Park, Colorado New Years Eve.

Winter Park Resort Opening Day November 18, 2009

Posted on October 25, 2009 by Chris

Winter Park Ski Area Opening for 2009/10 Ski Season

Yes, I know I have already done two blogs about opening day up here at Winter Park but I’m getting very excited for this coming ski season. We have been getting quite a bit of early snow and the predictions for this El Nino winter call for lots of big wet snows. All the runs up at the resort are now covered in some white fluffy and Warren Millers movie Dynasty hits town this week on October 28th.

So I guess what I am trying to say is I am getting amped to take some turns at Winter Park. I have also heard that the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce will be introducing Powder Addiction, the new snow cat skiing operation in Winter Park on October 28th ,the night of the Warren Miller movie. Powder Addiction will be an offering by the owners of Grand Adventures, the longtime snowmobile tour and rental operator here in Winter Park. That means we will have a snow cat skiing operation based right here in Winter Park, Colorado. I will do a whole other blog on that this coming week.

So get all your ski gear garb out and get it washed up and tuned and lets bring on the ski season. Only 24 days until Winter Park Resort is open!

Greyhound Bus Service Returns to Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Chris

Greyhound Bus Service is back serving Grand County and Winter Park, Colorado. Greyhound pulled it’s Grand County Service about five years ago because it wasn’t cost effective. Meaning they weren’t making cash. Well, they are back running a route from Denver to Salt Lake City on US Highway 40 that runs through Winter Park, Granby and Steamboat Springs.

Greyhound is now offering a $1.00 introductory fare from Denver to Salt Lake City until October 26th, 2009. Here is the full route:

Denver-Salt Lake Greyhound Route

Denver Greyhound terminal Denver Union Station to Idaho Springs, Annie’s Gold Antiques and Collectibles; Winter Park, Winter Park Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce building, 12:50 westbound; 6:15 p.m. eastbound; Granby, Granby Mini Mart, 1:10 p.m.-1:25 p.m. westbound; 5:40 p.m.- 5:55 p.m. eastbound; Hot Sulphur Springs, *flag stop at the Grand County Administration Building and Courthouse, 1:40 p.m. westbound; 5:25 p.m. eastbound; Kremmling, *flag stop at the Shake & Burger, 2 p.m. westbound; 5:05 p.m. eastbound; Steamboat Springs, Stockbridge Transportation Center and Steamboat transit stop by the Kum & Go; Hayden; Milner; Craig; Dinosaur; Myton, Utah; Vernal, Utah; Roosevelt, Utah; Duchesne, Utah; Heber City, Utah; Park City, Utah – Utah Olympic Park; Salt Lake City, Utah.
*Flag Stops are not regularly scheduled stops. Passengers can wave down bus or schedule a pick-up online. Passengers are encouraged to arrive one-half hour early at flag stops.

For fare and scheduled information, or to buy tickets, 1-800-231-2222, or visit the Web site at www.greyhound.com.

Very nice to have more transportation to/from the Fraser Valley. The route is now being funded by the Utah and Colorado State Governments. Read the full story at the Ski Hi Daily News.

Back Bowl Soup Company Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Chris

Back_Bowl_Soup_Company_Logo Winter Park Back Bowl Soup Company in the Winter Park Village

The Winter Park Village is getting another eatery. The Back Bowl Soup Company will be opening for the 2009/10 Winter Park Resort ski season. By the looks of their website it looks like they will be doing soups, sandwiches, breakfast items and some baked sweets. They have a beer/wine listing on the website so I’m assuming they will have a beer/wine liquor license.

This will be the fourth eatery in the Winter Park Village although we hear Lime will not open back up for the coming ski season. Cheeky Monk and Lime opened this past February and Goodies opened this summer.

I see that the Back Bowl will offer breakfast burritos and some other breakfast items. Great idea for the base as the breakfast fare has been lacking at the base. Looks like a great addition to the Winter Park Village and definitely a niche that needed to be filled.

We here at the Winter Park Lodging Company wish the Back Bowl Soup Company the best and we will report back once we get to try their offerings.