Winter Park Resort Improvements for 2011/2012 Ski Season

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park/Mary Jane Upgrades 2011/12 Ski Season

Winter Park and Mary Jane are making some improvements for this coming ski season. Even with the economy in the doldrums the last few years ski visits in the US and particularly Colorado have been on the upswing.

According to National Ski Areas Association, the United States had more skier visits in 2010-11 than any previous ski season in history, surpassing the 60 million mark. Colorado resorts accounted for more of these visits than any other state in the nation with more than one in five skiers choosing to ski at a Colorado resort.

Winter Park Resort had a good year last year as well and the Resort is plowing the money earned back into the resort to improve the on hill experience. Beginner skiers will see the biggest improvment this year with the Sorenson Trail Bypass. Beginners will now have an easier trail to the Village at Winter Park with the opening of the new Sorensen Trail Bypass.

Winter Park/Mary Jane is also adding a new snowcat for the groomed runs. Other capital at the resort has been re-invested into improving existing infrastructure and services.

This year looks to be a great year in WP. The weather pattern is looking to be neutral or another La Nina year with the same weather pattern as last years epic snow fall.

So lets get ready for November 16th when Winter Park Resort opens for ski season. The summer has been nice but we are ready for some snow.

Airfare Deal Alert from Winter Park, CO – August 2011

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Valarie

We all want to know the best ways to save money. If there is a trick to it, let’s hear it, right? And it seems more and more these days there is a trick to the trade of airfare; how do we escape all of these extra fees that keep popping up?

Fortunately for us, Airfare Watchdog’s got our backs. The self-proclaimed “deal hounds” scour the web constantly for cheap airfare. Plus, they stay on top of all of the details and new policies related to flying this day in age, so they know the tricks to the trade.

Check out the top-ten frequently asked questions, below, and to see the answers from Airfare Watchdog, click here.

How do bereavement fares work?
Are consolidator fares reliable?
Should I buy travel insurance?
When to Buy?
What are Split Fares?
What is the Fair Credit Billing Act?
What’s the difference between non-stop & direct flights?
Will I miss my connection?
Can I skip a leg of my flight?
How do I get more for lost luggage?

August’s Airfare Deals

$20 RT	Albuquerque, NM
$48 RT	Albuquerque, NM
$48 RT	Amarillo, TX
$138 RT	Boise, ID
$138 RT	Burbank, CA
$138 RT	College Station, TX
$238 RT	Dayton, OH
$218 RT	Detroit, MI
$216 RT	El Paso, TX
$208 RT	Greensboro, NC
$579 RT	Honolulu, HI
$118 RT	Houston, TX
$114 RT	Las Vegas, NV
$182 RT	Manchester, NH
$98 RT	Oklahoma City, OK
$98 RT	Phoenix, AZ
$218 RT	Portland, ME
$48 RT	Salt Lake City, UT
$118 RT	San Antonio, TX
$98 RT	Tulsa, OK

When you hop on a plane to Denver this summer, don’t miss out on Winter Park for a couple of nights. Stay with us to get all sorts of freebies and hookups, like free tickets to the Winter Park Jazz Festival After Party or a free pass to the Winter Park Resort summer activities (with the longest alpine slide in Colorado). We can even hook you up with free VIP passes to see Bret Michaels up close & personal on August 7th. Click here to check out all discounts offered by Winter Park Lodging Company.

Remember to check with us for availability at a vacation rental in Winter Park for your dates first, then book your flights! Search Winter Park Lodging Company now to see what options await you.

Recipe of the Month from Winter Park Lodging Company – July 2011

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Valarie

Breakfast will never be the same after you try this scrumptious bread pudding-style, french toast on its wild side, blueberry breakfast bake. Add raspberries to the heavenly cream cheese topping and you’ve got the perfect festive treat to start out Independence Day right.

You could use frozen berries in this super simple brunch recipe too. See reviews and suggestions on Busy Cooks on About.com.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 eggs
10 slices french bread, cut into 1″ cubes
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation:
Generously grease 13×9″ glass baking dish. Beat flour, milk, 2 Tbsp. sugar, vanilla and eggs in large bowl until smooth. Stir in bread cubes until well coated, then pour bread mixture into prepared pan.

Top evenly with cream cheese cubes and blueberries. In small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and nuts and toss to mix. Sprinkle over blueberries and cream cheese. Cover casserole tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake casserole, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serves 8

Spring Spash 2011 at Winter Park Resort

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Valarie

When you see two guys skiing in jock straps, you know something crazy must be going on. Not to mention a bunch of people lining up to ski an obstacle course with a pond at the finish line. At least the guy in the bunny costume was thinking about staying warm and dry!

Happy Spring Splash Winter Park. Mud season has officially started with the end of the fabulous 2010/2010 ski season. What a celebration. Now, let the sun shine, the trails dry quickly and the mountain biking begin!

Grand Lake Lodge Set to Open Under New Owners

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Chris

First Season New Owners Grand Lake Lodge

Colorado’s Favorite Front Porch is set to open under new owners full time June 6th, 2011. Last summer the Lodge opened for a short time with limited food and hours as a kind of audition for the new owners. This season will see the Grand Lake Lodge up and running at full steam serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as getting back into the wedding business.

GLL is now owned by an investor group out of South Dakota and managed by Regency Hotel Management. The full restaurant menu has not come out yet but that should be available in the next few weeks.

The new Grand Lake Lodge website (partially completed) can be found at http://grandlakelodge.rtrk.com/

If you have never been out to the Lodge, it is quite a treat. Some of the best views in all of Colorado. The Lodge sits above the town of Grand Lake which is on the banks of Colorado’s largest natural lake. Grand Lake has been a summer playground for some of Colorado’s most wealthy and famous residents. The entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park sits just outside Grand Lake Lodge’s entrance. If are looking to explore the high country or just get away, there is not a cooler place than the Lodge.

Word on the street is there will not be too many changes coming to GLL at least this year. The Lodge will be open from July 10, 2011 and will close September 11, 2011. Wouldn’t it be really nice of the new owners could keep GLL open in winter months also? That may be too tall an order though. It is very nice to see Grand Lake Lodge reopening and we wish them the best!

Devil’s Thumb Ranch Full Moon Cross Country Ski

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Chris

Moonlit Cross Country Skiing Winter Park, CO

Looking to get out of the house and see how beautiful the evenings can be here in Winter Park and Grand County? There is not a more fun event than the Full Moon Cross Country ski at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. There are two left this year, Feb 18 and March 19.

Head out to the Thumb and arrive a little before six and you are in for a fun, beautiful workout. Join them for skiing, bonfires, marshmallows and hot chocolate under the full moon! Get your cross country ski on and warm up with the bonfire and hot chocolate.

The event starts at 6PM and goes until 9PM. No need to rush though as you can start pretty much anytime you like but need to be finished around 9PM.

If you haven’t been out to Devil’s Thumb you are missing one of Grand Counties treats! With more than 100km of groomed trails nestled in the pristine and private Ranch Creek valley at the base of the Continental Divide, DTR is the premiere Nordic center for Colorado cross country skiing. Whether you enjoy skate, classic or snowshoeing; there’s something there for everyone.

Novices can start the day with a private or group lesson from one of their friendly instructors. More seasoned Nordic enthusiasts will find their advanced technique clinics helpful. And, of course, a wide variety of quality cross country ski equipment is available for purchase or rental - including infant sleds and skijoring rigs (cross country skiing with dog assistance). They are open seven days a week, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Don’t let the snow season get by without a moonlit night of skiing, head out and enjoy Devil’s Thumb Ranch one of the next full moon evenings.

Snowshoeing around Winter Park, CO

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park, Colorado Snowshoeing

It has been snowing, snowing, snowing up here in Winter Park and there is no time like now to get out and check out the snowshoe trails of the Arapaho National Forest trails, Snow Mountain Ranch, Rocky Mountain National Park and Winter Park Resort.

Winter Park is pretty much surrounded with snowshoe trails that are in Arapaho National Park and some of these trails are accessed just by walking out your door. There are miles of trails and solitude and beauty for you to explore on your own pace.

Snow Mountain Ranch just down US Highway 40 in Tabernash has some great snowshoe trails. The YMCA’s winter spot near the Winter Park Ski Resort offers the Nordic Center, a place that features miles of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Perfect for the winter activity beginner. Snow Mountain Ranch’s miles of snowshoeing trails accommodate everyone from the beginner to advanced. Snowshoe rental is available through the Nordic Center. $10-$15 for equipment.

The Rocky Mountain National Park can be accessed from Grand Lake, just a 25 minute drive from Winter Park and has trails for beginners to the advanced snowshoer. You can’t beat the park for its variety of trails. You could spend every weekend there and find a new trail to snowshoe. The problem is many people agree, and so even in the winter, solitude is a luxury. The most popular trails tend to get beaten down and turn so icy that you don’t need snowshoes to hike them. Try to go on a snowy day, when the fresh blanket will eliminate those problems.Rocky Mountain National Park rangers offer guided snowshoe treks in the winter and other snowshoe events are on the calendar.

Winter Park Resort offers guided snowshoe tours and snowshoe rentals. Winter Park Resort has some of the best snowshoeing trails of all the Colorado resorts, this is from word-of-mouth from friends and a couple experiences of our own. Generally any resort or the areas around them have good places to go. If you aren’t into the alpine skiing and find yourself in our little ski town ski town, you can find a good place to snowshoe for free or a few bucks.

That is Mr. ZB above taking on his snowshoe garb and hitting the great trails here in Winter Park, CO.

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.

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, 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.