Winter Park Colorado Spring Skiing

Colorado Spring Skiing in the Rockies

Not to beat a dead horse, but my favorite time to ski in Colorado and specifically Winter Park and Mary Jane Resort is the awesome months of April and March.  March is Colorado’s snowiest month and April is true spring skiing with a light jacket and sunglasses.  So far this March Winter Park Resort has been getting hit with some very big storms and some great weather.

Here is the snow totals as of March 9, 2010:

Winter Park averages over 350″ a year so we should be getting some great storms the next six weeks.  Here is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle about spring sking in Colorado.  So the secret is getting out about the quality of skiing here in the spring.

Did you get a chance to watch the Olympic skiing events?  Want to see how well you stack up next to the pros before the snow melts? Bump (mogul) runs can be tough to navigate midseason – the lack of fresh powder (and hard snow) can wreak havoc on your knees – but spring skiing is a great time to take a few turns and work on being able to ski the whole mountain. Winter Park Resort, located here 95 miles from Denver International Airport, is widely considered one of the best places to ski bumps in North America.

To play on Winter Park’s signature terrain, start early and head up the Zephyr Express. Warm up by heading down Outhouse and Mary Jane before heading up a variety of lifts providing access to tight glade runs, hellacious black diamonds and steep bumps. The mountain, however, isn’t all wild ups and downs. Kids ski school and a variety of intermediate terrain provide skiers of all levels with enough options to fill any vacation.

We also have some great music festivals to go along with the great skiing in March and April.  At the Winter Park Music Festival for the past 20 years, Winter Park has been inviting young musicians to compete in its organized music competition held over two weekends in April. Judged by professional adjudicators, individuals and groups descend upon the town to perform while capturing some end of season ski and snowboard.

What else is there? Great snow, warm weather and music – Spring skiing in the Rockies is what ski dreams are made of.

Winter Park Resort Spring Splash 2010

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.

More Money Problems for Intrawest

Intrawest Winter Park Resort

Where is Intrawest heading with their money problems?  After a two month extension of a loan payment due in late October of 2009, Intrawest missed the extension date on a payment of $524 million.

Intrawest, which operates four Canadian resorts such as Olympic-skiing venue Whistler Blackcomb, as well as six resorts in the United States, defaulted on the $524-million debt payment in late December and has been trying to work out a deal with lenders.

The company is owned by private equity firm Fortress Investment Group LLC, which acquired Intrawest in 2006 for $1.8-billion. Fortress also assumed $950-million in debt in the deal. Fortress paid a 20-per-cent premium over Intrawest’s share price to get its hands on the company, but said in a letter to shareholders in August that it had marked down the value of the investment to 29 cents on the dollar.

Sounds like not a great investment so far for Fortress.  What to make of Intrawest is the question for us here in Winter Park, CO.  Intrawest has sold Copper Mountain Ski Resort and is in the process of selling its Sandestin, Florida beach resort.  Earlier in the year, Intrawest sold two of its resorts in France to holiday company Pierre et Vacances. That price was also not disclosed.  Will Intrawest up and walk away from their management agreement with the City of Denver?  Very unlikely, but in these crazy financial times for resort developers nothing is beyond belief.

This next year will be a very interesting time to see what happens to Intrawest.  They have disbanded the development part of their company, Intrawest Placemaking, and are having a hard time selling the real estate it has already developed.  So their revenue income is now mainly from sales of lift tickets, food, beverage, lodging, and equipment.   A great snow year with  skier visits up and Intrawest may be OK.  With a down year I think they may be selling off their parts.  That may be the case anyway if they can not come to an agreement with their financiers.

Anywho, Winter Park will be celebrating it’s 70th year of continuous operation this January 23rd here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  And now would be a great time to visit and buy property at Winter Park Resort.

Winter Park Village Lofts

Winter Park Village Lofts

The Winter Park Resort Village lofts are finally completed and owners are now taking possesion.  There are fourteen lofts and only a handful have sold.  Winter Park Lodging Company is now listing one Winter Park Village four bedroom loft and one Winter Park Village three bedroom loft.  These are the most luxurious and convenient of all lodging at Winter Park Resort.  There is your own private parking and you are just steps from the new restaurants and shops in the Winter Park Village.

USA Today did an article on the Winter Park Village and the lofts in this pat Friday’s Living and Travel section.  A great article on second home and lodging options here in WP.

THe Winter Park Village is now home to Cheeky Monk, Lime, The Back Bowl Soup Company, Goody’s Creperie, Shirt Off My Back T-Shirt Shop and soon to be a store front for Grand Adventures/Powder Addiction outdoor adventures.  The Village is starting to come around and there is not a better place to stay than at the base of Winter Park Resort.

Winter Park Ski Resort | Top Two in the USA

I found the UK publication Independent News and Media Limited  “The 50 Best Places to Ski This Winter” list while Googling around and our little humble hill here in Winter Park is the #2 US resort on the list.  Vail, that behemoth, comes in at #9  and the next US resort on the list is Winter Park at #43.  In fact, there are only 4 US resorts on the top 50 list and Winter Park is right there hanging just above Heavenly and a couple before Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Damn, those Europeans know what they are talking about when it comes US skiing.  Check out their little blurb about the Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort:

“Huge snowfalls and plenty of fresh powder make the unpretentious town of Winter Park in Colorado, with its world-class mountains, a magnet for lovers of snow-sports, whether boarding, downhill or cross- country skiing. Cross-country skiers will find plenty of ski areas, all with generally excellent snow and a total of over 125 miles of well groomed trails. Tours into the back-country add to the variety of terrain and for many, Winter Park is an all round world class resort.”

Now that is the press that Winter Park is due.  No we don’t have the disco bars, trinket stores and salt water taffy outlets that some of the more popular big resorts have but we do have the best snow around and skiing that makes your thighs burn.  And lets not forget about the friendly Colorado locals attitude that pervades Winter Park.

The top five in the list goes:

1. Les Gets, France
2. St. Anton, Austria
3. Borovets, Bulgaria
4. Kravec, Slovenia
5. Banff, Canada

I have not been to any of these resorts but they are now on my list.  It is very interesting because US top ski resort lists usually have a #1 and #2 of Vail and Whistler/Blackcolmb.  I guess those Europeans have different way of seeing it.  I’m ready to listen though if they can see through all the sales speak and come up with Winter Park as the #2 US ski resort.

Village at Winter Park – Sit in the Big Seats

The Big Seats At the Village

Visit the Village at Winter Park this Fall and get a holiday card worth framing. You can sit in the big chairs near the pond and snap a good photo of the kiddos.

Winter Park Resort | Intrawest Money Problems, What does it mean for the resort?

Winter Park Resort

We have been hearing some rumors about Winter Park Resort’s parnent company Intrawest the last few weeks and heard Gary DeFrange talk about what the current economy has in store for the resort.  I did a search and found an article about Intrawest’s financial state from Canada’s Globe and Mail.  A pretty interesting read.

What, though, will this have in store for Winter Park Resort?

Well, that is a little tough to discern at the moment.  In the short term Winter Park resort will see a slow down of the on mountain improvements that were planned.  The current base construction will not be added to as with the original Winter Park base development plan.  On the bright side if you have cash you can get a great deal on a condo at the base of the resort.

Intrawest is in the eighth year of a fifty year operating lease from the city of Denver on the Winter Park Resort.  My understanding is that Intrawest has done very well with Winter Park and would in no way want out of their lease.  I think that is good for Winter Park as Intrawest has overall done a great job with the resort.

So here is hoping that this economy turns around and the snow god’s look favorably on Winter Park and we have a great 2009/2010 ski season.

Winter Park Colorado | Five Best Things About Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park, Colorado

Sitting down at the computer today I seem to have writers block or bloggers block because I had the toughest time figuring out what to write about.  Seems strange,  we try to do ten blogs a week, is that the reason?, because there is so much to do and see here in Winter Park, Colorado.  That got me thinking that I should do a list of what are my favorite things about this place up here in the Rockies. Narrowing it down to five was the hard part because there is really so much to like about this little slice of heaven here .  So here goes my top five things about Winterpark:

1. Winter Park Resort: It’s the reason we moved here and I can’t wait for the snow to fly this year!  November 18th, get it on the calendar – The resorts opening day.
2. Winter Park Mountain Biking: The saying goes you come for the winter but stay for the summer is very true.  Best mountain biking in the world.
3. Winter Park locals.  The people here in East Grand County are just the best.  Friendly and fun and always up for an outdoor adventure.
4. The scenery here in the Colorado Rockies is just amazing.  All year long it never ceases to amaze me at what a beautiful place we live in.
5. Winter Park Lodging Company, might sound cheesy but we have created a pretty cool company and I think most people agree.  Our owners and our customers are generally pleased with the job that we do.

So there is the short list of what gets me jazzed about Winter Park.  Feel free to comment about what are your favorite things about Winterpark!

Ski Winter Park | Old Winter Park Ski Brochure

I thought this old ski brochure for Winter Park was cool.  Look at the prices $5.00 for a day of skiing in 1968.  The lodging prices are very nice too!  $20.00 to $28.00 for two people at Beaver’s.  They were even having fashion shows there.  It really must have been a hoot.  Check out the trail map.  What is there 6 lifts and not a whole lot of ski-able terrain.  This map was done for the 1967/1968 ski year, that is the year I was born.  My first time up to Winter Park was in 1973.  Man has the resort changed.  Bigger, bigger and better!  Winter Park ski resort is now one of the top destination resorts in Colorado and is internationally recognized as one of the best resort for families and bump skiing.  It has also won awards for their terrain parks, disabled skiing program and their environmentally sound design.  The University of Colorado and the University of Denver as well as the US Special Olympics teams all train here.  Looking at the above trail map all I can think is WOW! what changes in the last 40 years.

Winter Park 2009/2010 Snow Predictions | El Nino is gonna dump!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an article about El Nino weather on July 9th, stating that they “expect this El Niño to continue developing during the next several months, with further strengthening possible. The event is expected to last through winter 2009-10.”

So what in the world does that mean forWinter Park Resort? Since the Colorado Rockies have enjoyed exceptional snowfall during past El Niño winters, it means there’s a great chance that Winter Park has an exceptional powder-filled winter on its way. Cross your fingers for tons of snow for us this winter. And think ahead for lodging in Winter Park so you can come enjoy the white stuff!