Winter Park’s Newest Tubing Hill – Colorado Adventure Park

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Valarie

The newest option for tubing in the Winter Park area, the Colorado Adventure Park tubing hill is located right next to the ol’ Fraser Tubing Hill in the town of Fraser. Not only do they have four separate tubing lanes progressing from mild to bumpy, they also have a lane designated for air boarding, which is an oblong inflatable device with handles for more steering control. Finally, for kids aged six to thirteen, they have snowscoots, which are like mini snowmobiles.

It’s a bargain compared to the more expensive Fraser Tubing Hill. For tubing, it’s $14/hour and for airboarding, it’s $17/hour, which includes the rental of a helmet. If you have your own ski helmet, bring it with you for a $2 discount. To rent a snowscoot, the cost is $10 for each ten minutes.

There is a magic carpet conveyer lift to carry both you and your tube to the top of the giant hill, as well as a smaller man-made hill for the little tykes. They have a warming hut at the base of the hill, which is also where you can buy your tickets.

To find the Colorado Adventure Park, head west on Hwy 40 from Winter Park and take a left at the stoplight in Fraser where the Safeway grocery store is. After you pass under the bridge about 200 yards down, take a right at the fork in the road. Follow the signs and turn left into their entrance about 300 yards down. Contact them at 970-726-5779 or at info@coloradoadventurepark.com.

Winter Park Resort Spring Splash 2010

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO. Spring Splash

The 42nd annual Spring Splash is back at Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort on Sunday April 18th, 2010. This is the longest running end of the season ski party held in Colorado and maybe the United States. The Spring Splash is now sponsored by Coca-Cola so it is officially known as the Coca-Cola Spring Splask.

Splash as it is known locally here in Winter Park is actually two parties. The official held at the base of Winter Park Resort is a family fun affair with music, racing and prizes. The official description is: Winter Park Resort’s Coca-Cola® Spring Splash is the oldest tradition of its kind and on its 42nd year. Athletes begin at 12pm as spectators watch skiers and riders struggle through obstacles on the Larry Sale trail race course and attempt to skim across an icy pond to reach the finish line and post a time. Live music sets the tone for a closing day party that is fun for everyone!

The unofficial party, and not for the younger part of the whole family, is the end of season party held in the Challenger lot of Mary Jane Resort. Music, BBQ, adult beverages, costumes and a very much party atmosphere pervade the “end of season splash”. Party gets going early, as on the night before on April 17th, and lasts past sundown on April 18th. The last few years have seen Winter Park/Fraser Valley Police with drug dogs and a big police presence. This is a fun time though that Winter Park locals and visitors plan for weeks in advance. So it is fun for all just make good choices with your drinking and driving and other behaviors.

If you have not been to the official or the unofficial Splash you are missing out. This is one of the most fun, if not the most fun times in Winter Park, CO all year.

For Spring Splash race registration: Sunday, April 18, 8-10:30am: Guest Services, Balcony House, base of Winter Park Resort. $20 entry fee; $39 lift and entry fee, $15 employee entry fee. Limited to the first 100 participants. 18 and over, must show proof of age. Day of registration only, no pre-registration is available. You must be present to register.

LIVE MUSIC in the Plaza from 2-6pm

For more race details, contact the Winter Park Resort guest information hotline at 970.726.1564.

Lodging prices are at the lowest of the ski season for Spring Splash, so be safe and stay a few nights and enjoy some great deals on Winter Park CO. Lodging.

Intrawest Goes Into Foreclosure

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park managment company Intrawest Winter Park Resort Management Company, Intrawest, is Foreclosed on by Creditors

WOW! I saw it coming but I didn’t think that it would happen in the middle of a ski season and only weeks before their jewel property, Whistler, was to be host to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Intrawest was taken into receivership today by the banks that funded the purchase of Intrawest by Fortress Investments. Banks have seized Intrawest Holdings, the owner of the Whistler ski resort that’s hosting the Olympic downhill races next month, after the resort operator missed a big debt payment, and now plan to auction the company off right in the middle of the games.

The lenders, which include Lehman Brothers and Davidson Kempner, plan to auction off ownership of Intrawest on Feb. 19, according to a notice published in major newspapers. The first events of the Olympic games are scheduled for Feb. 12 and the closing ceremony is set for Feb. 28.

Well what does this mean for Winter Park Resort? What will be auctioned off at Winter Park Ski Area? Will Winter Park Resort management be changing?

Winter Park Resort is owned by the city of Denver so most likely there will be no changes at Winter Park Resort. Intrawest over two years ago disbanded their resort development team, Placemaking, so they were not going to be doing anymore development at the base in the near future anyway. As for what could be auctioned off I don’t think there is anything to auction other than land and condos that Intrawest already has up for sale.

The foreclosure notice stated: “Each qualified bidder must be a financial institution or other entity that has the financial wherewithal to purchase the membership interests in immediately available funds on the closing date”.

The sale includes more than a dozen resort properties including Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado and Squaw Valley in California.

So, I guess my $5,000 offer and promise to do better than Fortress isn’t going to get me anywhere with an offer for Intrawest.

In addition to Intrawest, buyers will get stakes in four resorts in Colorado, as well as properties in California, Florida and Vermont. But with the Olympic Games only weeks away, the focus is on Whistler.

Intrawest chief executive officer Bill Jensen said that the company is in talks with its lenders, and in the meantime “it’s business as usual.”

I’m thinking business as usual would be very interesting at Intrwest headquarters today!

Anywho, lets get excited about the Winter Park snow forecast of 20′ of snow in the next 6 days!