Glorious Winter Park, Colorado Fall

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Chris

MOuntain bike winter park co winter park co lodging
Winter Park Colorado Aspen Trees

The weather will just not quit up here in Winter Park. Each day seems to be a little better than the last and we haven’t seen the early Winter Park snow yet.

This weather is perfect for some autumn mountain bike riding. I took the above pictures up at Rendezvous and in the Old Idlewild Ski Area which has become some of the best mountain bike riding riding around the Winter Park and Fraser area. There is some tree cutting and a gas line being installed up in Rendezvous on Cross Trails so do take care is biking up there.

Lack of snow? Oh do not fret this early. Last year first snow was September 21st and the year before it was September 10th and both years were not the greatest of snow years. Here is hoping that the snow does not come out of the gates too fast and then peter out. We need a long stubborn winter with frequent wet storms….. say like a Winter Park La Nina winter.

As this perfect weather keeps on coming don’t be lured into complacency that ski season is not on it way. Winter Park Resort ski season opens November 17th. This should be an epic year with great snow and great times at Winter Park.

But as we have this incredible weather get outside hop on a bike and enjoy the sunshine, blue skies and some of the best mountain biking in all of the world. Winter Park, Colorado…. what a glorious place to live.

Fall Discount with Winter Park Dog Sled Kennels

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Valarie

Guests of Winter Park Lodging Company visiting this fall are in for a treat. Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park is offering a generous 30% discount for the following activities, until November 24, 2010. Plus, we hear they just had puppies. Who doesn’t love to play with puppies?

Give them a call or book your tour today.

Cart Rides: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/carts.php – Designed for two adults or two adults and one or two children. One of the adults must use the steering and braking to control the cart. The carts have four wheels and are pulled by nine or ten dogs. We follow our open trails for 3.5 miles. The ride is about 45 minutes and the guests are here for about 75 to 90 minutes.

Scooter Rides: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/scooters.php - One rider aged 14 or older per scooter. The scooters have two wheels and are pulled by one or two dogs. We follow our open trails for 3.5 miles. The ride is about 45 minutes and the guests are here for about 75 to 90 minutes.

Kennel Tours: www.dogsledrides.com/winterpark/summer.php – The kennel tours are for people of all ages and ability levels. We learn a lot about how to care for our dogs, see where they live, see the sleds, and get to mingle with the dogs in the exercise yard. Depending on how many questions are asked, the tour lasts about an hour or so.

Call Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park at 970-726-8326 today.

Winter Park Resort Lift Ticket Deals

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park CO cheap lift tickets Lift Ticket Deals Winter Park Resort

Deals on lift tickets to Winter Park and Mary Jane Resort are getting harder to come by. Intrawest has tightened the lift ticket deal belt and deals will be harder to come by for the 2010/2011 ski season. But fear not Winter Park Lodging Company has looked under the rocks and behind the refrigerator to find the best deals around for our beloved backyard ski area (ya, it’s one hell of a backyard).

As I said, we have searched high and low to find the best discounts on lift tickets for Winter Park Resort this year. See our findings below. Stay tuned for any news.

Save big with a Season Ski Pass
The deal is, you can get ten $59 lift ticket coupons for friends & family with each Winter Park Resort season pass you purchase. Season passes prices at $379 each and NO blackout dates equals big savings for you and yours.

Winter Park season passes for the 2010/2011 ski season are $379 until October 17th, then they’ll go up to as high at $1000 each. At this sale price and with the $59 coupons, some groups only have to ski two days to beat the window price!

Take a look at our Lift Ticket Price Calculator Sheet to see how much your group will spend on lift tickets with this deal. Click here to buy a season pass.

Examples of savings:
(compared to regular lift ticket prices at $92 each)

Two skiers who ski for seven days each spend only $56.57 per lift ticket with one season pass and seven coupons. That’s savings of $248 each or nearly $500 total.
Three skiers who ski for five days each spend only $64.60 per lift ticket with one season pass and ten coupons. Savings of $137 each and $460 total for the whole group.
Six skiers who each ski five days pay only $64.60 per day with two season passes and twenty coupons. That’s savings of $137 for each skier or $822 for the whole group.
Eight skiers who ski for six days each spend only $60.56 per day with three season passes and thirty coupons. That’s savings of $188 per skier and $1500 for the group.

Another benefit to buying a season pass is that you don’t have to ski on specific dates, you can use the season pass and coupons whenever you’d like, with NO BLACKOUT DATES!

Buy your Winter Park Season Pass Now. Consider the Rocky Mountain Super Pass if you want access to Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper Mountain. For that, plus six days at Steamboat Springs, there is the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus.

Check out the other deals on the Winter Park Lodging Company lift ticket discount page.

Oh ya, that is yours truly gettin’ some powder last season up on Jones Pass in the picture above.

Winter Park, CO Ski Tune

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Chris

Get the Skis Ready Ski Season is Coming

It is getting that time to go through the ski bag and check out all of the ski equipment. Take a look at the skis and see if there is any wax left on the boards and is that the Grand Canyon there on the bottom of the snow stix?

Well, it is time to get your skis tuned and ready to go for the early season snow. What are your options on getting those boards ready up here in Winter Park, Colorado?

Lots of options here. There are lots of ski shops here in WP and almost everyone of them offers a ski tune of some sort. My experience is with a couple of these shops and they are good.

My latest favorite is the Montana Crystal Glide tune system that is employed at Winter Park Resort Base Rentals. The Crystal Glide system provides one of the best tunes that I have had an my skis. The skis were doe overnight and the staff at the Base was very friendly.

We here at Winter Park Lodging Company have also had ski tunes done by the Ski Broker, Epic Mountain Sports, Winter Park Ski Depot, Grand Sports and Christy Sports. All the above shops do a great job with ski and board tunes and you will not go wrong wih any of them for your ski or board tune. But the Montana Crystal Glide is pretty spectacular.

Lastly, there is the option of doing your own tune on your skis or board. This way will be much cheaper once you have the equipment. You will also learn what works for you with a little experimentation. Here is a video from Skiing Magazine on how tune your own skis.

Yes it is getting that time so get the boards out and take a look and get ready for the ski season with a little waxing and a file.

Fall Wildlife in Winter Park, CO

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Chris

wildlife viewing winter park colorado mountain biking with bears winter park co
Mountain Biking with Bears in Winter Park CO

The wildlife is out in Winter Park this time of year and we have been having a lot of moose sightings and now the bears are making their presence known.

The above bear was photographed just off of Zoom trail over by Winter Park Resort and was just off the mountain bike trail. Looks like Mr, Bear is rummaging around looking for some berry snacks. Last week it was a moose on the Winter Park area bike trail that I almost ran into.

The bears have been making a lot of appearances around Winter Park the last few weeks. From what I have been reading the experts are saying it is because of a mediocre berry growing season in Colorado this year.

Anyway, there are lots of critters out there to be seeing up in Winter Park this year. The aspens are turning to their famous gold and the air has gotten chilly. So now is the time to come a view the moose, bears , fox and all the other critters as well as the trees. This make the mountain biking all the better when you get to look out for the animals as well as the rocks and trees.

Get outside and get your rides in while the weather is perfect.

Zephyr Mountain Lodge 1400 Ski Lodging

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Chris

Zephyr Mountain Lodge Winter Park Resort

Oh yes,Winter Park Lodging has had a busy summer. Besides taking care of the guests coming up to enjoy Winter Park Resort and Trestle Bike Park we have been adding properties to fit each and every need for your Colorado mountain vacation.

We have added a handful of updated and well appointed ski in and out lodging units at the base of WP Resort. The above property, Zephyr Mountain Lodge 1400, is true ski in and out fun and convenience.

Relax in luxury in this oversized two bedroom condo in the Zephyr Mountain Lodge. With over 400 more square feet than the standard two bedroom, the condo allows adults to relax by the fire while the kids watch TV in the adjacent living room. Want to eat together as a family? The hightop breakfast table perfectly matches up with the large kitchen island and can seat 8 people nicely. Enjoy the high-end custom furnishings, rugs, and decor as well as the brand new kitchen island that makes you feel you are in a private home.

Located in the coveted Zephyr Mountain Lodge Slopeside building, you will have access to your own private grill on the balcony, three new flat screen TVs, a fancy Espresso maker, and free wireless internet. Enjoy access to the building’s underground parking, ski locker, work out facility, and two common area hot tubs.

Sleeping Arrangements: King bed in master, queen bed and bunk beds in 2nd bedroom.

Distance to Resort: Ski in/out (Slopeside Building)

Winter Park Lodging Company now has fourteen Zephyr Mountain Lodge units with one, two and three bedroom configurations. We also have twenty four Founders Pointe and Fraser Crossing units and four Winter Park Village lofts. There is something here for every Winter Park Resort ski and out lodging need.

Winter Park Resort Village Lofts

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Chris

ski in out at winter park resort Ski In and Out Lodging Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Lodging Company has had a very busy summer and we have added quite a few new properties to our rental inventory. From an exclusive private home in the woods to a comfortable ski in out condo on the slopes of Winter Park Resort all can be found right with WPLCo.

A couple of the newest properties are located right on top of the shops of Winter Park Village. These are the Winter Park Village Lofts. The newest, most convenient lodging at Winter Park Base, the Lofts offer three and four bedrooms within feet of the village restaurants and resort lifts.

Winter Park Lodging Company offers WP Village Loft 101, Loft 106, Loft 108 and Loft 110.

When it comes to luxury and convenience, these brand new lofts have it all. Sit back and relax with high-end furnishings, flat screen TVs, a gas fireplace, and a private garage. Just a short walk from the slopes, you’ll be right in The Village at Winter Park, where you can walk downstairs to enjoy a meal at one of several delicious base village restaurants including The Cheeky Monk, Lime, Goody’s and Back Bowl Soup Company.

Have a big group that wants base lodging? Well, the four lofts together can sleep 35 people very comfortably. That would be a big fun get together. Convenient Winter Park Base lodging steps from bars, restaurants and lifts in some of the nicest diggs at any Colorado ski resort.

So if you are looking for convenient, luxurious ski lodging the Winter Park Village Lofts can not be beat.

Snow is on the way so book your ski vacation lodging today.

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Winter Park Fall Mountain Bike Rides

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Mountain Biking

The air has officially gotten very crisp here in Winter Park and this means we have the best time of year for heading out on the bike for a ride. Check out the above pictures. I was able to get a great view of Winter Park Resort and down the whole Fraser Valley and then a burly old moose caught my eye right off the single track.

It was an awesome day of biking up and around the old Idlewild Ski Area and the Corona Pass road. The trails up there are known as Broken Thumb and Twisted Ankle and if you are not a bit careful that is what you will end up with.

There is not better time of year to bike up in the Winter Park area than fall. Over at Winter Park Resort the D2, D3 and D4 trails are all in good shape and very fun. Down valley at Solvista there are some great trails and a killer bike park for the more daring. But my favorites, the Idlewild and Rendezvous trails, are in great shape even though there is some serious tree cutting going up in there.

Get the bike out now for snow is a comin’ to Winter Park, CO and we will have a good seven months of snow and skiing. Winter Park Resort opens for skiing on November 17 for the 2010/2011 ski season and now is the time to get training on the bike while the biking is good.

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Colorado Ski Passes and Deals

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Chris

season ski passes winter park mary jane Ski Pass Deals Winter Park, CO

We are coming up on ski season shortly here in Winter Park and there are lots of ski pass deals to be had. From free 5th grade and cheap 6th grade lift passes to silver and gold medallions from Colorado Ski Country and the Grand Foundation, there are lots of options.

For the fifteenth year in a row, Colorado Ski Country is offering free skiing for fifth graders. This year they receive three free days of skiing when they sign up for the 5th Grade Passport program. Additionally, a free lesson is available in January for those fifth graders who have never skied before. Proof of enrollment as a fifth-grader is required. This is a great way to get the the young ones out onto the slopes.

All sixth graders enrolled in the Sixth Grade Passport program receive four days of skiing for just $99. Again, proof of enrollment is required.

Applications for these two awesome deals will be available mid-September through schools or the Colorado Ski Country website.

Resorts participating in the 5th and 6th Grade Passport program include the following: A-Basin, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Purgatory, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Howelsen Hill, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, Snowmass, SolVista, Steamboat, Sunlight, Telluride, Winter Park, and Wolf Creek.

Both the fifth and sixth grade passes are limited, so be on the lookout for applications in mid-September.

I wondered why the Vail Resorts don’t participate but then I thought, oh ya,…….they are Vail, and it made perfect sense.

There are a couple of super passes out there for the adults also. The Gold Medallion pass from Colorado Ski Country and the Grand Pass from the Grand Foundation. Both are killer passes, pricey, but awesome passes.

The Gold Medallion lets you ski at any Colorado ski resort, besides the Vail Resorts, with no blackout dates and is fully transferable.

The Grand Pass, or Silver Medallion, is good all year long at Winter Park/Mary Jane, Solvista, Copper Mountain and lots of golf in the summer and bicycling and Winter Park Base summer activities including Trestle Bike Park.

Ski season is on its way, so get your passes for you and your kids ready.

Labor Day Fun at Winter Park Resort

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Biking Fun

The summer is almost gone here in Winter Park and those trying to squeeze all the fun that could be had spent this labor day up at the Winter Park Resort. Pond skimming was the test of the day with 2 x 8 boards placed on floats for those brave enough to try biking across the pond. Speed and balance, speed and balance, dough….don’t let that tire get off the board. What a way to send off summer. Winter Park Village was crowded with thrill seekers and gawkers alike hoping to get the last little bit of summer fun.

The biking is not through up here in the high country with Trestle Bike Park open weekend the next three weeks. The cross country biking should be good into early October, depending when we get that first snow here in Winter Park.

But Labor day has come and is about gone taking Lady Summer with her. Fall is here with wonderful colors and the ushering in of glorious winter. This Labor Day could not have had better weather for pond skimming. Slight breezes with sunshine and blue skies and highs around 70 degrees, a great labor day indeed.

Winter Park Lodging Company wishes all a happy labor day and we hope the day was spent doing anything but labor. So lets wish Ms. summer goodbye till next tear and hope Father Winter brings lots of dreamy white snow soon.

Only 72 days until Winter Park Resort opens for ski season. Let the countdown begin.