Thanksgiving on the Ski Hill at Winter Park Resort

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Chris

Lodge at Sunspot Winter Park, CO Thanksgiving Dinner

Have you ever had dinner up at Sunspot at Winter Park? What a great evening, take a gondola ride up the zephyr lift, looking over the snow and moon drenched Rockies and then head to dinner in the rustic luxury of The Lodge at Sunspot.

Want to have a Thanksgiving experience that you will never forget. Plan Thanksgiving dinner this year up on top of the slopes of Winter Park and Mary Jane.

Dinner seatings start at 4PM and goes until 10PM. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner buffet is being served and it is a spectacular sounding menu.

Buffet Menu:
Salad Station – chef tossed to order Caesar and/or field green salad with champagne vinaigrette and ranch dressing. Served with fresh bread & butter.
Chef carved turkey and prime rib with a jus and horseradish sauce.
Mashed potatoes with giblet gravy and sweet potatoes.
Soup du jour.
Herbed stuffing.
Sautéed baby carrots and green beans.
Desert Bar – pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate trilogy and assorted mousses.

Thanksgiving Buffet- $49.95 Adults / $19.95 Children 10 and under (Buffet Only)

For reservations call 970.726.1446

Price includes gondola ride, buffet, non-alcoholic beverages, & dessert. Sales tax and gratuity will be added. Alcohol and specialty beverages are additional.

What a feast and there is no turkey shopping, cooking or cleanup. You could ski all day or sit in the bar at The Club Car at Mary Jane and watchsome NFL football all day. Then the whole family could head over for your spectacular Thanksgiving meal.

Make it a perfect Thanksgiving weekend and ski eat and hot tub and not even have to get into your car. Check out the Winter Park Lodging Company’s ski in and out lodging at the base of Winter Park Resort.

Come on up and enjoy a Thanksgiving at the one and only Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort.

Winter Park Village Getting Ready for Ski Season

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Chris

winter park village colorado colorado winter park village snow

With New Snow Winter Park Base Getting Ready for Opening

With twenty-five inches of new snow the Winter Park Village is getting ready to open Wednesday, November 17that 9AM. There are a few changes in store for the Village and this year promises to be the best year yet for the three year old development. The Village is now home to fourteen lofts, seven eateries/bars/restaurants/coffee shops, a snow cat ski operation, T-shirt shop, a couple ski rental shops, an eye wear store, a jewelry store, general store, private ski lesson headquarters and an arcade. Whew, there is a lot of things going on in the Winter Park Village these days.

The two newest additions will be the Winter Park Resort Private lesson headquarters mary jane private ski classes , pictured, and a new pizza by the slice eatery. The Village restaurants include The Cheeky Monk, Lime, The Back Bowl Soup Company, Goody’s Creperie, Doc’s Roadhouse and Starbucks.

The Village also has lots of activities for all. There is an ice skating rink (with ice skate rentals), a small sled hill, the Winter Parcade and lets not forget this where all the lifts are that will get you onto the sweet slopes of Winter Park and Mary Jane.

Powder Addiction is also centered here to take you up to Jones Pass for some of the sweetest back-country powder skiing that you will find in all of Colorado. If you have decent skiing ability, do not miss a chance to head out with Powder Addiction, it is a skiing experience that you will never forget.

Last but not least are the Winter Park Village Lofts, Zephyr Mountain Lodge, Fraser Crossing and Founder’s Point developments to keep you warm and comfy for your trips up Zephyr lift and onto the best skiing in Colorado.

This season is looking to be a great snow year so come out and see how the Winter Park Village is doing in year three.

First Big Snowstorm at Winter Park Resort 2010/2011

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Resort Snow

The snow just seems to keep on coming in this late October blizzard that is hitting Winter Park, CO. About six inches are on the ground already and about 10 to 15 more inches of the fluffy white stuff should be in the ground by Wednesday.

Here is the forecast for today October 25th, 2010:

Very windy with base rain or rain/ snow mix in the morning (all snow above 11,000 feet), then all snow as the snow level drops to near 6,000 feet. Winds look strong, with low visibility in blowing and drifting snow. Snow continues overnight.

Precipitation:

Rain or a rain/ snow mix, then all snow definite by mid morning.

Snow Potential
4 to 6 inches of snowfall at the base, and 8 to 11 inches of snowfall above 11,000 ft.

It is a whiteout here today and there are several big trees down on out property in Tabernash. Hopefully this is a harbinger of this to come this ski season. La Niña wether pattern is usually good for Winter Park/MaryJane and the Northern Colorado Rocky Mountain ski resorts.

The white out has continued into today Tuesday the 26th with three to five inches of additional snow.

Snow, snow, snow, let it snow here in Winter Park.

The National Weather Service says between 14 and 24 inches of snow could fall by Tuesday afternoon in the Gore Range and Rabbit Ears Pass. Between 8 and 15 inches are possible in the central mountains, including Vail and Aspen.

Our first real blizzard of the year is here in Colorado. Lets keep the storms coming mother nature.

Winter Park, Colorado Top 25 Ski Resorts

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Chris

Top colorado ski resorts winter park Best Colorado Ski Resorts

The new SKI Magazine Ski Resort Rankings for 2010-2011 has hit the shelves. The ski areas are ranked by readers with results in several different categories. The rankings were based on a comprehensive survey of over 20,000 SKI Magazine readers. The SKI Magazine resort rankings are highly thought of in the ski industry and are great exposure to adoring ski enthusiasts.

Colorado as whole did very well with 9 rankings in the top 25. Vail came in at No.2 and Beaver Creek No.3. Steamboat fell out of the top 10 and landed at No. 13 this year. Our beloved Winter Park Resort came in at No. 22, one spot higher than last year.

Here is what SKI Magazine had to say about the Winter Park and Mary Jane ski area:

We’re surprised: After all Winter Park has gone through, with a cool new village and four new lifts—six years and $40 million later—it only moved up one spot this year. No matter. We know it’ll take time for readers to realize there’s now more to this place than 3,078 acres of sweet terrain. (Like restaurants, ski shops, an ice-skating rink, a sledding hill and a brewpub.)

The terrain, though, continues to stand on its own; it has always been enough to keep this Denver-local hill in the top 25. “Mary Jane has the best bumps in North America,” raves a reader. Indeed, The Jane enjoys scores of passionate devotees who hit Railbender, Derailer and Drunken Frenchman, then eat lunch and blast music in the parking lot.

But the resort is attracting new disciples for its sidecountry terrain: “The Vasquez Cirque and Parsenn Backside are my special happy places,” says a reader. If you can get to them—“tough to get from one mountain to another” is a common refrain. And despite the new village, readers complain that the base still lacks what the bigger, more luxurious resorts offer: “No superb restaurants or retail,” a reader says. However, others enjoy this nightly serenity. Next year, thanks to several new restaurants moving in, we predict Winter Park evenings will be a bit less serene—and a lot more fun.

Winter Park again did well in the on mountain side of the rankings and suffered in the apres or nightlife part of the rankings. Here is my take, if you want to ski be it beginner, intermediate and especially expert there is not a better place to visit. The snow is usually the best in all of Colorado and the ski school is one of the best in the country. If you wear a fur coat and as an adult need someone to carry your skis to the lifts then maybe you should head to Deer Valley, Utah or Vail. But if you like to ski and you like snow Winter Park, CO can not be beat. I have skied all the Colorado resorts in this years Ski Magazine top 25 and I will say not a one has anything on skiing at Winter Park and Mary Jane.

Check out the full SKI Magazine resort rankings here.

The above photo is courtesy of Winter Park Resort.

Escape the I-70 Mess Ski Winter Park Resort

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Chris

Escape I-70 Ski Winter Park, CO

I-70 heading back down to Denver on a Sunday evening. Nothing can be more infuriating. The highway problem is starting to get a lot of attention as this is the lifeblood of the Colorado ski resorts and brings a lot of cash rolling into Colorado.

Here is what Ski Magazine columnist Tom Winter has to say about the state of pesky I-70:

This week, the powers that be will meet to discuss the state of Colorado’s Interstate 70. The highway, according to the “experts” has become too crowded, and they need to “widen it”. As a frequent traveler on the highway, this got my dander up. So in the spirit of democracy, I rattled off a ranting screed to the Colorado Department of Transportation about the utter foolishness of spending billions of dollars to widen a highway that is plenty wide enough with one exception: the road can’t handle Colorado’s skier traffic on the weekends. As I don’t drive on the highway on weekends (because of this very fact) my point was: screw the weekend warrior, let them rot in the traffic of their own making or learn how to carpool.

Living in Winter Park, CO and very rarely needing to travel I-70 during the busy traffic times I agree. The road is plenty wide and adding a little bit here and a little bit there will not solve the traffic problem for more than a few years. Rail, rail, rail is the way to go. With rail service coming shortly from DIA to Union Station this puts Winter Park, only a new version of the ski train away, from being the only North American Ski Resort that is connected to an International Airport. Yes, the old ski train was not the most efficient or effective means of getting up here to Winter Park and Mary Jane but it did move people up here. With some investment the ski train through the old Moffat Tunnel or a new train up the I-70 corridor will continue to make Colorado the premier ski destination in the United States. A new train up the corridor will be a long time and money from being completed especially with all the politics that will get involved. There is a good chance it may never happen considering all the obstacles that it would have to overcome. A new train through the Moffat Tunnel would be a a walk in the park comparatively. This solution would only help WInter Park/Mary Jane Resort, Solvista and maybe Steamboat Spring (with a track extension).

So this brings me to my point of what to do now to deal with the traffic. First of all spend the least amount of time on I-70 and get off at Exit 232 and head over Berthoud Pass and ski Winter Park. Next is stay the night in Winter Park or Fraser, with Winter Park Lodging Company, and drive the roads when the Front Range weekend warriors are back at home getting ready to hit their 8AM jobs on Monday morning. Lastly ski the weekdays if at all possible. The snow is better , the crowds less and of you can rent a place to stay the prices cheaper.

Here is how Ski Magazine columnist Tom Winter end his I-70 rant:

Unfortunately the ideas that the Colorado Department of Transportation is throwing out to solve the weekend congestion are shortsighted and mostly involve more pavement. And we’ve seen how the “solution” of more pavement has worked out for Los Angeles.

My advice to those who ski Colorado and those who run the ski resorts is to settle for nothing less than a long-term solution.

And, for anyone who has landed in Zurich or any other Swiss airport and then seamlessly transferred from the plane to the train to a ski area, the long-term solution is expensively evident. Given that Colorado’s ridiculously cheap season passes aren’t going away soon, the only way to ensure the state continues to be a destination for out of state skiers is to develop rail links from Denver International Airport through the mountains. Yes, it will be expensive. Yes, it will take years. But ultimately, the entire state will benefit. Until then I’ll be doing my skiing on weekdays, and I suggest you to do the same.

I completely agree. More roads are merely a bandaid, what is needed is a long term solution and that solution appears to be high speed rail. Or in the mean time ski Winter Park Resort on a Tuesday.

Winter Park Resort Private Lessons

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Chris

private ski school instruction mary jane co Private Ski School Winter Park, CO

Looking to improve your skiing technique and get better on those bumps? How about ski school for the kids or a little instruction for the misses? Well, the privates (as they are called here in WP) just got better. Guests and locals alike that take a private lesson at Winter Park Resort will get extra pampering this winter. There is a new Winter Park Private Lesson Center at the base area in the Village at Winter Park, just a few feet from the Zephyr Express lift. It is set to open in mid-December. This is formerly the Discovery Real Estate Center and is in prime location to serve the as the private lesson facility.

You do get rewarded for taking a private. A complimentary locker is provided for those with a full-day private. A concierge service is available for local dining and entertainment options. Arrange your rental equipment from Winter Park Base Rentals in advance and it will be delivered each morning. You’ll zip up the Zephyr Express a lot faster with your own private lift line. Beginner skiers and riders will be shuttled via snowmobile to the Sorensen Park area. Boots hurt? You can get customized boot fitting on-site.

A private lesson is the way to go if you are thinking of any ski instruction at all. This is true for both adults and kids. With a private lesson you receive much more hands on time (hands on time in a private, that sounds fun) and you will have the same instructor for as many lessons as you are willing to take. Yes, a private is a bit more expensive but you will be spending your dollars wisely and you will see the difference on the slopes. Rates are determined by the Winter Park Private Lesson desk and will vary depending on the number of students and the duration of the lessons.

Winter Park Lodging Company recommends four great private instructors, Sandy Schmidt, Nigel Conners Pam Conners and Bart Smith. All four are certified alpine instructors at Winter Park Resort Ski School with years of experience in private and family private lessons. Family private lessons are a great deal for families who want a guided mountain experience, with a pro in charge of their kids while still all enjoying quality family time. Bart and Nigel are Aussies and Sandy and Pam are Colorado locals. You can not go wrong with any of these four and your skiing will be all the better for it.

Contact Sandy at sgrifschmidt@hotmail.com. She has been instructing since 1975 and teaches all ages and abilities, from first-timers to beginning moguls.

You can contact Bart at bmatt_smith@hotmail.com. The kids will love his Australian accent.

Nigel has taught skiing for 15 seasons in Australia, Canada and USA (this is his 10th at Winter Park)
Fully certified instructor, race coach and accredited trainer (one of about six on staff at Winter Park)
Available for all varieties of private lessons- Family (4 or more people), Regular (1 – 3 people), 1/2 day, full day and multiple days.
Contact Nigel in his cell- 970 531 3871 or email; nigeski@hotmail.com.
Nigel can also arrange discounted lessons if you book directly through him and can also assist with equipment needs and boot fitting.

Pam, Nigel’s wife if you are wondering, is great with kids and women and is a fully certified instructor. Pam can be reached at wpskigal@msn.com.

So if you are headed up to Winter Park or Mary Jane make sure to take a private, oh that sounds much more fun than “going to ski school” doesn’t it?

Winter Park, CO Mountain Bike Video

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, Colorado Mountain Bike Trails

The weather has been just spectacular up here in Winter Park, CO this fall. I would have to say it has been the best fa weather that I have seen in the last ten years. We have had the first Winter Park, CO snow and that about seems to have been the only inclement weather we have had here this fall. And this great weather has made for perfect mountain bike weather. There is not a better time to hit the bike trails than when there is good fall weather in Winter Park.

The above video was shot on Saturday, October 16th a few days after Winter Park Resort received 10 inches of snow at mid mountain. The snow was still around on the north faces of the hills but pretty much gone everywhere else. The trailhead was in the Rendezvous subdivision between Winter Park and Fraser, CO. The trip starts up meadow trail to Cross trail up to the Corona Pass Road to the old town of Arrowhead and then into the James Peak Wilderness. From here it continues down Broken Thumb to Twisted Ankle and back into the Idlewild Trail system on South Fork Loop. Then up and out on the Winter Woods trail and back down Cross Trails and out on Meadow trail. Total ride time of this trek was about two hours give or take some time for a couple of crashes. The above video is about 15 minutes long as almost all the uphill climbing is cut out. Y’all wouldn’t want to watch that.

Check out the video and I hope you find it entertaining. Sarah has said it is too long and bores her. I find it kinda cool but maybe thats because I made the vid and did the riding. Let us know in the comments bellow what you think.

Steve Worth and I are the riders and the songs are:

Hot House Flowers – I Can See Clearly Now
Sunvolt – Drown
Red June – Run Boy Run
Red June – Biscuits & Honey

Again I hope you enjoy the vid and do let us know what you think of it down below.

Winter Park, Colorado Cabins

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Colorado Cabin Lodging Vacation & Ski Cabins in Winter Park, CO

Looking to spend some time away from the go, go, go of the city? How about a cabin getaway in Winter Park? The Winter Park Lodging Company has some new cabins that are ideal for your family reunion, holiday getaway and that annual Colorado ski vacation. Here are a few of Winter Park Lodging Company’s cabins to satisfy all your vacation lodging needs.

Moose Crossing Cabin With frequent moose and other wildlife sightings, a unique hilltop location, and three stories of expansive living space, Moose Crossing Cabin is the perfect lodging option anytime of year. This home easily sleeps sixteen with four bedrooms plus a loft, and boasts a large living area with a beautiful stone fireplace and vaulted ceilings. Head out to the wraparound deck and take a dip in the steamy outdoor hot tub, or grill a fabulous dinner on the private grill.

Timber Ridge Lodge (pictured above) This luxury private home is located at one of the highest points in Winter Park, giving you a beautiful panoramic view of the mountains. Relax in one of the four bedrooms, your own private outdoor hot tub, or at the expansive bar in the gourmet kitchen. Vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and a huge living area round out the amenities that make Timber Ridge a truly amazing place.

Elk Run Cabin Situated in a quiet neighborhood and surrounded by pristine forest, this HUGE private home is mountain comfort at its best. It’s custom-built with all new furniture, a private outdoor hot tub, and a two-car garage. You’ll love all the outdoor space – there is a full yard for snowman building and even a kid’s jungle gym. The home is only three miles from the slopes, one mile from downtown, and ½ mile from the national forest trails for biking, hiking and snowshoeing.

Pine Cone Cabin Nestled in a quiet neighborhood and surrounded by pristine forest, this custom built cabin is rustic luxury at its finest. This home boasts all new decor, immaculate kitchen, 2 living areas and fireplaces, a large private outdoor hot tub and a garage. You’ll love the outdoor space and views from the private porch. The home is only three miles from the slopes, one mile from downtown, and ½ mile from the national forest trails for snowshoeing, hiking and biking.

Snowshoe House Secluded and charming, this unique home sits minutes from downtown Winter Park, yet maintains the feel of a private mountain getaway. Floor to ceiling windows across the entire back of the house bring the outdoors in- and the surrounding national wetlands provide both privacy and tranquility. High ceilings and an open floor plan make this home cozy and comfortable. There is a fireplace, private outdoor hot tub , and separate upstairs balcony.

Nothing beats a summer or winter getaway than having your own private cabin to escape to. Let the Winter Park Lodging Company plan the perfect vacation for you at one of these beautiful cabins.

First Snow In Winter Park, CO

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Chris

First snow at Winter Park Resort Winter Park Resort’s First Measurable Snowfall

We have had our first snow at Winter Park Resort. On Monday, October 12th, there was lots of snow falling at the Winter Park Resort Base. Up at mid-mountain there was over 10 inches of some wet wet snow. Good snowfall this early should mean a good base for WInter Park Resort for opening day of ski season November 17th. The snowmaking guns are out this year already and will start making snow sometime this week. That is a week earlier than last year.

First snow was a little bit later than the last couple of years and that should mean a winter of great snow for Winter Park Resort. Last year first snow was September 21st for the start of a not so good El Niño year. In 2008/2009 first snow was September 10th in an OK snow year. This year the La Niña first snow was later than usual with an October 8th arrival. Hopefully, this portends a huge snow year for us here in Winter Park, CO.

The winner of the Winter Park Lodging Company’s first snow contest is, drumbeat, …….. DeAnn Munoz. Prize is dinner and drinks for DeAnn at either Deno’s or The Cheeky Monk in the Winter Park Village. Nice guessing, you were right on. Here is DeAnn’s guess with a little reasoning as to why she picked October 12th:

It snowed early last year but last Summer was atypical for Colorado and not very hot. This summer has been very warm and our heat index is pretty large this year. Therefore, I’m going to guess October 12th.

DeAnn was not guessing, she thought out the snow pattern and voila she had the correct first snow date. Nice work DeAnn. My guess was off by just short of a month with September 15th. Darn I never win anything.

Now that first snow is here lets get excited for the first day of ski season….. It could not come soon enough for me.

The above photo is from Winter Park Resort’s Facebook page.

Bistro 28 at Pole Creek Golf Club

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Chris

Burgers, Beer and Fun in Tabernash , CO

Have you had a chance to play some golf out at Pole Creek Golf Club? Did you get a chance to try some of the vittles at Bistro 28 in the Pole Creek club house?

Well, Bistro 28 is serving up some of the tastiest food in the Winter Park, CO area and the views are just grand. They are also offering up some great food specials. Bistro 28 at Pole Creek is open all through fall and winter for dinner 3 nights a week. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4.30pm to 8.30pm with great specials every night. The menu offers a great variety of fresh dishes that include homemade Angus burgers, pizzas, ribs, fish and chips, Thai curries and a great variety of bar food.

Thursday night is Burger Night. Order any burger or pizza and get a free draft beer, house wine or well drink. Friday night is seafood night with great seafood specials. Saturday night is prime rib night with Angus Prime rib. For all the parents out there kids 10 and under eat fee before 6PM.

Nigel Conners, manager of Bistro 28, has done a great job with the wine offerings and the quality of service. So head out early with the kids have a glass of wine or two and relax under the majestic Rocky Mountains and the kids eat free. Now that sounds like a fun evening.

If you didn’t get a chance to paticipate in the full moon snowshoe or cross country ski at Pole Creek Golf Course last winter, make sure to hit the cross country ski and dinner this year. Ski and snowshoe trails for all levels with complimentary hot chocolate and Schnapps out on the course.