Learning to Ski at Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Resort Ski Lessons

Day three os teaching the little ones to ski at Winter Park Ski Area went rather well despite the snow and wind.  We headed up to the bunny slopes with the idea that this would be our first day on the lifts.  When we arrived at the resort the snow was blowing and there was no sun to be seen.  We decided that it would be better to work on our skiing technique at Sorenson Park rather than risk a break down by the 2 year-olds.

It was a success as Willem skied down the whole slope looking very confident (as you can see in the video above).  Nicholas has a developed a nice right turn that is effective at slowing his speed.  We took about six runs down the hill with plenty of M&M’s bribery before the cold became a factor.

All in all it was a good day and we will head up to Discovery Park next week with our first ski lift for the twins.  So far Nicholas and Willem are excited to go skiing and all seems to be working well.  Turning is not really being done with a conscious deliberation and shuffling needs to be coaxed but they want to go to the ski hill so that, I think, is a success.

We will keep you posted as to how the ski lift goes next week so wish us luck that there are no two year old melt downs.  Day three for the future Olympic skiers was a success.

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 Skiing

Skiing the Bumps and Powder at Winter Park Resort

After getting to ski some of the best powder we have had here in Winter Park in the last year I was doing some searches to see if any of the national media had picked up on how good our snow has gotten here in Colorado and especially Winter Park in the last month.

I didn’t find much besides an article in our local Sky Hi Daily News and a mention in the Westword blog about skipping work to go skiing.  Too bad you Denverites would have had to drive the long way through Silverthorn to get to our pristine 16″ of new new powder yesterday.  We love all the Front Ranger’s here in Winter Park, Colorado but sometimes it is very nice to have some of the skiing all to ourselves.  Anyway there wasn’t much the national media was saying about the snow we have been getting here in Winter Park but with a couple of more good storms like this past weekend and I’m sure we will be all over the airwaves.

However, I did find a nice article that came out last week in the Winnepeg Free Press about Winter Park Resort skiing and Nordic skiing at Devils’ Thumb Ranch.  The article could not have come out at a better time with all the powder we have gotten in the last month or so here Grand County.

Keep your eyes out for the next storm up here in WP because the forecast is calling for lots of snow from now until the end of the ski season.  Here is the long range forecast from Snowforecast.com:

Next Monday (8th) we remain unsettled with some clouds/ sun, + light snow showers and little/ no accumulation as low pressure leaves and an unsettled northwest flow aloft remains. Mid next week (10th) we could see weak high pressure and mostly sunny skies. Late next week into Saturday, another low pressure system moves through with snow across the area. The rest of March and most of April still look potentially snowy.

Yes potentially snowy! We are at about 206″ of snow for the year and our average is 350″ so I expect that from now till the end of ski season, April 18 we should be getting lots of snow.  Come on up and get your Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort bump skiing and powder skiing in before the season takes a bow for the year.

Top Five Ski Runs at Winter Park Mary Jane Resort

Best Ski Runs Winter Park, Colo

With all the snow we have been getting here in Winter Park I thought it would be a good time to do a best of or favorites list of runs here at Winter Park/Mary Jane.   There are lots of runs here in Winter Park so this was no easy  matter coming up with a short five.

Here is a resort trail map to follow along with if you care to.

Well then, here goes my top five ski runs at Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort:

1. Runaway/Trestle – there are a couple of ways to ski this and it all depends on the snow which is better.  If snow is thin take Runaway to the lower part of Trestle avoiding the rock face on upper Trestle.  If the snow is plentiful do all of Trestle and enjoy the jump turns on the rock face.

2. Upper Arrowhead Loop/Rainbow Cut – You get to ski right past Sterling Way and Golden Spike where it seems all the other skiers are heading.  Upper Arrowhead has some very steep bumps and usually great snow.  The run then opens up after the “hero bumps” (that’s how you feel after you ski them) into Rainbow Cut.  Nice and wide with good snow usually up against the trees.

3. Eagle Wind – Not a true run but all the runs off this lift kind of mingle together and there is always good snow and good tree skiing.  The run out at the bottom can be hell on the legs but it’s usually worth the the skiing you were able to enjoy.

4. Belle Fourche ( Bella Foosh) – Thick thick powder, kinda hard to get to and the same crappy run out as Eagle Wind, equals some of the best skiing in Colorado.

5. The Trees – To be specific ‘Topher’s Trees or Buckaroo Trees.  Not on the map and on opposite sides of the resort but some great fun tree skiing.  Ask a local and you may get a guided tour.

I left out Panoramic Express terrain because that is where all guests seem to be heading these days.  There is great skiing over there but anymore there are lots of people to go with them.  And it is chilly on top of Parsenn Bowl.

Think I’m way off or right on?  Leave a comment on what are your favorite runs at Winter Park/Mary Jane.

Spring Skiing in Colorado

Winter Park Spring Skiing

What is the best time of year to ski in Colorado?  That is a question that we hear regularly hear in Winter Park.  And my answer is always spring!  To be specific it is mid march until the end of ski season in mid April.  Colorado receives the most amount of snow in March and the temperatures are a little bit warmer.  Spring is in the air in March and April and there is the influx of the spring breakers, why go to a beach when you can have the fluffy white snow in the Colorado Rockies.

Ever skied the corn?  Well up here in Winter Park we usually don’t get the corn until late in April when our temperatures start to really heat up.

Corn is the name given to the large rounded snow structure the evolves from a melt and freeze cycle. The warm days melt the snow pack, form larger snow crystals and then refreeze at night leaving shapes like baby corn.

Know the conditions and try for the best corn skiing conditions. Don’t ski when it’s like a rock. Avoid the late afternoon melt when the conditions are a mess and it’s more like water skiing. You can manage this by following the sun. Ski east facing slops early, move on to the south slopes and then the west facing slopes to finish the day.

Here is the snow totals for Winter Park Resort last year:

Winter Park is north faced and holds a long season.  Last year with out 70′ inches of snow in April made it one of the best skiing months that I can remember here in Colorado.

Here is what one travel site says about Vail for spring skiing:

Second in size to Whistler Blackcomb, Vail is huge. Vail is a really crowded place during the season. Vail, with lots of sun exposure, is more erratic for late season skiing however.

March is one of the snowiest months of the year at ski resorts in the western US and Canada. You never know for sure where the skiing will be the best once March hits and spring begins but there are some places that are more reliable for snow seekers.

Look no further than Winter Park Resort for your spring skiing fix.  The snow is deep the temperatures are a little bit warmer and sun shines a little bit brighter.

Spring Splash is the celebration of the last day of the ski season here in Winter Park and it is a party that should not be missed.  So come on out and lets get ready for spring up here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains – Winter Park style.

Rate Your Ski Area – Winter Park/Mary Jane Resorts

Rate your Favorite Colorado Ski Resorts

I was clicking through the internet looking for info on my favorite Colorado ski resorts and I came across this rate ski areas website.  Pretty cool website that gives you the low down on what people are thinking about the various ski resorts that they have visited.

You can check out the Mary Jane and Winter Park ratings.  Fairly decent ratings for for our beloved ski hills here in Grand County Colorado.  Comparing Winter Park to some other Colorado resorts I think Winter Park does very well.

So take a few minutes and rate your favorite ski areas.  Give Winter Park and Mary Jane some love with some of those high rankings.  Also check out the ratings for Jones Pass back-country skiing that is now serviced by our friends at Powder Addiction.

All this reading about skiing is giving me a desire to get out on the slopes so hasta la vista I’m heading over to Winter Park to make some turns.

Mary Jane Top Two Ski Resort for Bumps

Mary Jane Best Bumps in Colorado

I was reading up on the best ski resorts for bumps and I came across a top ten list of mogul ski resorts.  This is from MountainYahoos.com and I think their list is pretty much right on besides Winter Park being right behind Taos.  I have skied all the resorts on this list besides the two in the East.

In fact, four of the resorts on this list are on my top five Colorado ski resorts.  Taos is a very nice ski destination indeed, with some great steeps and good bumps but it is really not in the class of bump skiing here at the Jane.  I have to say  that none really compare to Mary Jane with it’s deeps, steeps, powder, The Chutes and the famous Elevator Chutes.

Here is what the Mountain Yahoos have to say about our beloved madam of the night Ms. Mary Jane:

“The Mary Jane (part of the Winter Park resort), dedicates itself to moguls. You can find moguls on the entire mountain. This is the break down of the trails:

• Expert Only: 1% (Double black diamond)
• Most Difficult: 57% (Black diamond)
• Advanced: 22% (Blue-Black)
• Intermediate: 19% (Blue)
• Beginner: 1% (Green)”

I also found another ranking of best bump/mogul resorts for Colorado and I very much agree with this list from D Bahr of Regis University.  His explanation of how he feels about Vail could not be said better: “Vail. Ok, go ahead and shoot me. I know you love it, but I don’t. It’s boring and expensive. There, I said it.”  And about Breckenridge: “Breckenridge. Used to have the advantage of being a real town, but like much of the I-70 corridor, it has been overrun and condo-ized. Oh, and the skiing sucks. Flat and boring. Sorry.”

Well there you have it.  If you are wanting to ski the best bumps, trees or have some of the best snow in Colorado, Winter Park and specifically Mary Jane is the place to be.