Cat Skiing in Winter Park, CO with Powder Addiction

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Chris

Powder Adddiction Winterpark Back Country Skiing Winter Park, Colorado

The snow is here at the resort and now the cat skiing is starting up. Winter Park Resort has had the best early season snow in years and a majority of the resort os open with great snow conditions. Now the backcountry skiing can also be explored with such great snow conditions.

Powder Addiction will start running their new snow cat starting December 4th. This is over a month earlier than last year and last year there was some pretty spectacular skiing up on Jones Pass. Here are the details of the early season cat skiing in Winter Park, CO:

It has been snowing like crazy and we have some of the best early season skiing in the last 10 years! We are opening early, and offering super special pricing on catskiing:

December 4 – December 21, 2010

$250 for a single seat

$2,500 for a private cat

You must pay in full and ski before December 22, 2010 to take advantage of this offer.

For reservations call 970-726-5442 or email info@powderaddiction.com

Check us out on the web:

Powder Addiction

jones pass co cat skiing To the right is the new Powder Addiction snow cat that will take you up to the top of Jones Pass for some of the sweetest powder skiing of your life. If you are a decent skier at all and have a good sense of adventure you need to take a trip with Powder Addiction. For your snow cat seat you will get some nice wide rockered powder skis, lunch, transportation to the hill and up the hill and a couple of Steamworks beers after, while checking out photos and video of yourself tearing up the white fluffy on Jones Pass. The trip is truly a excursio that you will be talking about all season. There are spectacular views, spectacular skiing and you will be completely exhausted in the best way at the end of the day.

Give yourself or a friend an early (or late) Christmas present and take a trip up with Powder Addiction for some skiing to remember.

Skiing Mary Jane at Winter Park Resort

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Resort Bump Skiing from CHRIS BRADFORD on Vimeo.

The conditions have been amazing so far this year and another storm has been dropping lots of the fluffy white on Winter Park again. The roads up to Winter Park may e a little harry for this time of year but the skiing is absolutely divine. Most of Winter Park is open for the turkey day holiday and a good chunk of Mary Jane will also be available to all the Fraser Valley guests. Ms. little La Niña has been very good to Colorado especially all the resort in the Northern part of the state. It is looking lke this La Niña weather will be sending powdery quick storms through this area quite frequently this year.

Here is what Snowforecast.com is saying about the weather pattren this year:

A La Niña SST pattern (much stronger now) is here for the fall/ winter, through possibly the season following (through 2012). This usually means near to just above average snowfall for northern Colorado resorts and near to just below average snowfall for southern Colorado resorts.

We are way above average so far this year so lets hope the La Nina this year makes up El Nada (El Niño) of early season of last year.

The above video was shot on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with an unexpected blue sky day and great snow conditions. The weather forcast was calling for more snow but the day was sunny with no wind but a little chilly at about ten degrees.

The runs being skied in the video are Golden Spike to what I call Upper Arrowhead. Great views and some steep rocky outcroppings that always has stashes of un-skied snow even on some of the busiest days shhhhhh…. don’t tell anybody. At the bottom of this run is what we call the “hero bumps”. Usually perfectly formed bumps with a near perfect fall line with a not to steep verticle makes for bumps that lets you ski like a “hero”.

Anywho, hope Y’all like the video and it gets the skiing juices pumping. If anyone can name the artist of the accompanying music there is a prize from Winter Park Lodging Company for you. Leave your answers in the comment section below.

New Dog in Town- Fraser Valley Hot Dog and Grill

Posted on November 23, 2010 by rachelb

If you’re looking for a quick and delicious lunch in Winter Park, look no further. The WPLCO crew are devoted customers of the new Fraser Valley Dog and Grill, who’s home is now in downtown WP, across the street from Cooper Creek Square. Local resident and owner, Matt Cordts, offers a lengthy menu of quality vienna beef dogs with a gourmet touch, as well as some tasty sandwich classics like Italian beef and Lamb gyros. If you’re looking for a hearty dog to satisfy that apres ski appetite, we recommend the Chicago style. It comes fully loaded (dill pickle and all) nestled in a yummy steamed bun. I haven’t tried it yet, but hear that the Fozzy Dog is delicious too. The Fozzy has ranch, applewood smoked bacon, carmelized onions and mustard on a poppy seed bun. For those of you non meat-eaters out there, Matt has you covered. The carrot dog with goat cheese, truffle oil, and ginger slaw is a must try. He’s got kids dogs for the little ones, and you can always add a drink and chips for only $1.50. For the soda lovers out there like myself, you’ll dig the selection of Hansens natural cane sugar soda, as well as the original Coca Cola Classic, in the bottle. So, stop on in for some lunch from Tuesday- Sunday and you won’t be disappointed. You can contact Fraser Dog and Grill at 970-531-0475.

Thanksgiving Dinner Out in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Chris

Thanksgiving Dinner at Bistro 28 at Pole Creek

Coming up to Winter Park for Thanksgiving weekend and not sure where to get your Turkey Day feast? Well, Bistro 28 at Pole Creek Golf Club is fixing up some fine turkey eats. If you have not been out to eat at Bistro 28 you are missing some great food and some of the best views of Winter Park and the surrounding areas.

Here is what the Bistro is cooking up:

Thanksgiving Dinner

Bistro 28 is pleased to offer a full Thanksgiving dinner. Take the hassle out of the holiday and have us prepare a gorgeous four course meal for your family and friends.

Menu

Caesar or house salad with selection of fresh breads and butter

Butternut squash soup

Roast turkey breast with thyme, rosemary and garlic pan gravy

Maple glazed ham with pineapple honey sauce

Served with:

Homemade mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, cornbread, sausage stuffing, cranberry relish, and candied sweet potatoes.

Homemade Pumpkin pie with a generous serve of homemade whipped cream

Tea and coffee included.

$34.99 per person

Drink Package

Glass of Italian sparkling wine with first course

Glass of Meridian Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay wine

with main course

$8.00 per person

Great specials on wines by the bottle!

Make sure to call ahead for reservations:

970 887 9797

Bistro 28 @ Pole Creek

PO Box 3348,Winter Park, CO 80482

Head out Tabernash way and let someone else do the cooking and clean up. Enjoy your Thanksgiving on the slopes of Winter Park and Mary Jane or on the couch watching football. Then head out and have feast fit for a Pilgrim.

Bistro 28 Website

Winter Park Resort Opening Week Skiing

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Chris

Early Season Skiing Winter Park, CO

What an amazing first week of the ski season we have had here in Winter Park. The Resort opened with top to bottom runs on the very first day at Winter Park, Then there was another six inches of snow and Mary Jane opened three days later. And today Outhouse opened with some great snow and spectacular bump skiing. There should be a few more inches of snow before lifts start up mañana. A great early season for snow and skiing so far and we are looking for this La Niña to keep these powdery storms coming on through. Anywho, I thought that the skiing has been so good that we should take a little video with the new helmut cam to show how good of condition the slopes are already in.

The above little video was filmed Saturday and was the first time I used this helmut cam skiing. I need a little practice to get the angles correct. Iwas skiing with a buddy of mine and we were up pretty early and this was the first run of the day down Balch on the Winter Park side of the resort. Music is Smash Mouth’s You Are My Number One featuring Ranking Roger of The English Beat.

Winter Park and Mary Jane are open for skiing. Six months of glorious, glorious snow, skiing and fun here in the Colorado Rockies. Remember a bad day of skiing is better than a good day at work.

Come up and enjoy the WInter Park and Mary Jane slopes and let Winter Park Lodging Company handle the plans so all you need to be concerned with is the skiing.

Winter Park, Colorado Ski Rentals – Epic Mountain Sports

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park CO ski rentals Ski Rentals in Winter Park, Colorado

We have a new partner here in Winter Park, CO for ski and board rentals. Epic Mountain Sports is a locally owned and operated ski/sports shop that is renting some of best equipment you can find in the Winter Park area. Winter Park Lodging Company has a great deal with Epic Mountain Sports , the newest ski & snowboard rental shop with two central locations in downtown Winter Park. Epic Mountain Sports specializes in quality rentals at a great price, friendly service & expert advice.

Epic Mountain Sports offers packages for individuals, families and groups. Rentals include all a skier/ boarder could want: shaped skis, high performance skis, basic snowboards, performance snowboards, snow blades and children’s packages. Kid’s rentals are free with each paying adult. If skiing is not on the list, then try out some snowshoes for a beautiful and exhilarating walk through the stunning woods that surround Winter Park.

If you are ready to demo some the best and newest technology in boards and skis head on in and talk to the skiing and boarding crazed techies at Epic. They have all-mountain, powder skis, front-side carvers, twin tips for the park & pipe, mid-fats, mogul skis, and backcountry. Of course all of these skis come in women specific models too. Take your pick of models from Volkl, Rossignol, Dynastar, K2, Nordica and Icelantic. The techies know the equipment and know the mountain and will help you pick something fun for you to try. Ask about the new “rocker/early rise” technology in this years new ski models.

Epic Mountain Sports is growing. They now have a new, bigger store in downtown Winter Park across from Cooper Creek Square. The free ski shuttle picks up steps from the door. What convenience. And they still have their store on the north end of Winter Park, located next to Mirasol and Conoco in the Park Place Shopping Center.

And best of all Winter Park Lodging Company has an exclusive deal with Epic Mountain Sports that will get you on the hill in the best equipment at the lowest prices. Check out Epics Winter Park Resort Ski Rental Deals with Winter Park Lodging Company.

Winter Park Resort Opens for Ski Season

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Ski Area Opening

Winter Park Resort is now open. And what an opening it was. With 6.5 inches of fresh powder and 14 inches of snow in the last 24 hours this was the best snow conditions in Winter Park, Colorado in years. The hill was open from top to bottom at a little after noon. With haze in the morning and some low level clouds dropping the last of their snow the day took a turn and the sun was out for the first chair up the Zephyr lift for some early powder turns. Not to often do you get a powder on first chair of the season. Berthoud Pass was closed at 4PM the day before opening but opened at about 8AM just in time for those coming up from Denver to get their first day of turns.

So ski season is upon us and we are looking for this to be an epic snow year. A La Niña snow pattern is prevalent this year so we should be seeing quick wet storms that move in frequently drop a bunch of snow and move on over the plains. Winter Park and Mary Jane have lots of ski improvements this year and it should make for a great ski season.

The Mary Jane side of WP will open this Saturday for one of the earliest openings for Mary Jane ever. Not too shabby to be skiing Mary Jane before Thanksgiving is even here. Maybe we can call these past couple of storms an early ski present from jolly old St. Nick.

I have to write it again I’m so excited for this year….. WINTER PARK RESORT IS OPEN FOR SKI SEASON.

Winter Park Resort Opening – What’s New?

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Chris

winter park co ski sign Winter Park and Mary Jane Opening

Opening day is upon us this week and the snow should be the best opening day snow that we have had in years. What does Winter Park and Mary Jane have new this year and what is to be expected from this 72nd ski season here at The Winter Park Resort?

Winter Park is in year two with its joint cloud seeding program with Denver Water. This La Niña year should prove to be more worthwhile than last years cloud seeding and poor snow results.

Are you excited for ski season? Well, here is a top 10 list of why to get excited about Winter Park and Mary Jane this year (from Sky Hi Daily News).

10 Reasons to get pumped about ski season 72 at Winter Park Ski Resort

1. 20 new rail features:
Two propane tanks-jibs,
“Kid” the horse feature who is back ‘from pasture’,
20 single-barrel rails with a variety of configurations of flat, kinked, C-rails and rainbows.

2.Mobile me
Smart phone access to mobile website for live webcams, trail maps and weather and trail conditions.

3.Blog this
Articles highlighting terrain parks, youth programs, events, multimedia, interviews with staff and guests and news at skiwinterpark.com.

4.Learn in Style
Opening Dec. 11, the new private lesson center at the base of Zephyr Express: The center includes complimentary lockers for full day private lessons guests, a full concierge service, private lift line to Zephyr Express Chairlift, snowmobile shuttle to the award-winning Sorensen Park for beginners, customized boot fitting service and a VIP lounge.

5. Improved Parking
Bye-bye mud bog! Over the summer WPR paved 822 marked spaces at The Vintage Hotel parking lot. Jump on the Village Cabriolet without mud on your boots.

6. More tree runs
Winter Park and Denver Water were awarded a grant this summer to improve forest health by decreasing fire hazard, encouraging new tree growth for a healthy, stable watershed and reducing safety hazards to skiers. The end result — more tree runs!

7. Greener WP
The resort has appointed a new employee council tasked with refocusing the resort’s sustainability efforts — including an improved recycling program for guests and employees, composting, and reduction of water waste. Meeting monthly, the council will work on projects such as ‘Zero Waste’ at its mountain top restaurant.

8. Free babysitting (sort of)
Spend $30 eating out in the village on Thursdays from Dec. 16 to April 14 and the babysitting is free. Open to kids 4-12, the night includes games, crafts, movies, dinner and s’mores by the firepit for the kids, from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

9. Longer season
Thanks to Jesus, the season will be longer this year. With a later Easter, the season will run through Easter Sunday, April 24.

10. Dilly Dally Alley
An old logging road is now WP’s newest blue run. The 200-yard-long offshoot of lower Lonesome Whistle on Vasquez Ridge will keep young riders giggling with its big rolling waves and “whoop-dee-doos.” Surrounded by large Fur Trees and the East Fork of the Little Vasquez Creek, parents may also be enticed to take a run or two.

Pumped to ski this year…. I am ready to hit the hill early and often and hope to get in 60 days this year.

What is going to be open on opening day ?

Here you go straight from WP Resort:

Opening day news: Limited terrain openings on Wednesday, November 17 – check the snow report on opening day for more info. We will start with a mid-mountain opening Wednesday on the Arrow and Gemini, plus other mid mountain lifts (Endeavour, etc.). Zephyr + others projected to open midday on Wednesday.

There will also be a new restaurant in the Winter Park Village called the Pizza Pedal’r (no typo) serving pizza by the slice.

Opening day is here and for six glorious months we have grand Colorado skiing at our doorstep. Lets thank the snow gods for the white we have so far and may they continue to unleash the powder on the Winter Park hills.

New Favorite Restaurant – Deno’s Winter Park, CO

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Chris

Deno’s Mountain Bistro Winter Park, Colorado

We have a new favorite restaurant here in Winter Park, CO. The place has been here for a long, long while but the food and wine have become very good u=in the last year or so. We had a chance to get out of the house and have what the wife is calling a “date night” this past week. The meal we had was exquisite.

It was a slow off season Wednesday night and the snow was falling. We walked into Deno’s at about 7:30PM to a half full bar and a few tables in the dining area. The service was great with an attentive but not overbearing waiter. We had a bottle of Cambria Pinot Noir that was great and at $32 was very fairly priced. Sarah, the wife, had a filet that was incredibly tender and cooked just as ordered. I had the the chicken marsala that was perfect. Tender chicken on top of spinach all over a bed of orzo was just what I needed on a cold night in Winter Park.

The best part of the night however was after the meal was over. Heading to the bathroom I ran into Teddy, Deno’s son and now owner, and he invited Sarah and I up to the new wine room upstairs. I’m thinking on the way up what have they thrown together up here at Deno’s? Well, what a wonderful room that Teddy and company has put together. The wines in this room some of the best wines that can be found in Winter Park and for that matter all of Colorado. The Wine room has a table that will seat six comfortably surrounded on all sides by some fantastic wine. It is really a cool setting. If you would like to resrve the table for a private dinner at Deno’s give them a call at 970-726-5332.

Check out Deno’s menu and wine list.

Denos’ has come back and is one of the best restaurants here in the Fraser Valley. Looking for a nice meal out with the boys or a “date night” with the lovely wife you can not go wrong with Deno’s.

Winter Park Resort Lift Ticket Deals

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Chris

discount Winter Park Resort Lift tickets Discount Winter Park, CO Lift Tickets

Ski season is almost here and the snow is looking very good for early season skiing. Now is the time to figure out your lift ticket and /or season pass sitiuation so you are not paying the walk up window rate which at holiday time can get a little pricey.

The number one way to save on skiing this year at Winter Park and Mary Jane is a season pass. Save with a Season Pass and the perks that come with the pass. Your season pass deal is, you’ll get ten $59 lift ticket coupons for friends & family with each Winter Park Resort season pass you purchase. These coupons can be shared with anyone in your group and, like a season pass, do not have any blackout dates.

Winter Park season passes for the 2010/2011 ski season are currently $389 for adults and $319 for teens 13-17 years old. They’re on the rise and will eventually reach as high at $1000 each. At these sale prices and with the $59 coupons, some groups only have to ski two days to beat the window price.

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 Mary Jane Season Pass Now Before it is to late. 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.

Next best option for cheap WInter Park lift tickets are the Four Passes. The Winter Park Four Pass is the best deal available for four lift tickets, priced at $149. The only catch is that you have to buy it in person in Colorado, since it is a non-transferable ski pass with your photo on it. If you have purchased one before, you can renew it online for an upcoming ski season.

The Winter Park Four Pass is usually available until mid November and can be purchased at the Winter Park Resort season pass office or at two Front Range Christy Sports locations. Blackout dates are December 27th through December 31st.

Plan now to save the most money on lift tickets. Check out all of Winter Park Resort lift ticket deals.

Ski season is here so get your lift tickets now.