Mary Jane’s Birthday Bash

This weekend brings us the Winter Park Carnival celebrating Mary Jane’s birthday.  The event celebrates one of Winter Park’s most famous gals – Mary Jane, the lady of the night. Winter Park Resort will host Mary Jane’s Birthday Bash with daily events including free bump tips, a snow sculpture contest, live music, and delicious Après Ski birthday cake (outside of the Club Car, on the Mary Jane base, at 2:15pm Saturday).  Destination Downtown will carry the celebration into Saturday evening with a main street parade, fireworks and family fun activities. Ice Sculpture competition will return this year at Winter Park Resort and downtown Winter Park.

Here are the scheduled events  on Saturday, January 21 to celebrate Mary Jane turning another year older:

7:30-9am Pancake Breakfast at Mary Jane

8am-11am Interactive Ice Display at Winter Park Resort

8am-4pm Snow Sculpture contest at Winter Park Resort and Mary Jane 9am-4pm Retail and Rental specials at the Mary Jane Shop

10am-1pm 5k Less Idle More Wild Snowshoe Series in Hideaway Park 10am-2pm Free Bump Tips at the Top of the Super Gauge Express 11am-1pm Kids fun activities with 1k race in Hideaway Park. 11:30am-5pm Jager Ice Bar & Giveaways Club Car Deck

12pm-5pm Live Music on the Club Car Deck

2pm-6pm Sprint Photo Booth- Old Time Photos

3pm-6pm Mary Jane dress-alike specials & après ski at the Club Car 1pm-4pm vitaminwater Street Team Sampling

3pm-6pm Coors Liberty Ski Giveaway at the Derailer Bar 3pm-6pm The Silver Bullet Base Bash Live Music Series presented by Coors with Kort McCumber at the Derailer Bar

4pm-6pm Free Campfire – S’mores Hot Chocolate and Sledding Party at Hideaway Park

4-8pm Free Music at Hideaway Park 5:15pm Wish Lanterns to be lit and set off in Hideaway Park

6pm Free Parade down Main Street Winter Park

Fireworks and Cupcakes to follow 9pm The Grand County Blues Society Presents Trampled Under Foot at Smokin’ Moe’s

11:30am-5pm Coors Light Ice Bar & Giveaways on the Derailer Deck

Sunday, January 22 Events:

7:30-9am Bloody Marys at Club Car at Mary Jane

10am-2pm Free Bump Tips at the Top of the Super Gauge Express 9am-4pm Retail and Rental specials at the Mary Jane Shop

11:30am-5pm Jager Ice Bar & Giveaways Club Car Deck 11:30-5pm Coors Light Ice Bar & Giveaways on the Derailer Deck 3-6pm Apres Ski Club Car at Mary Jane

9:45pm Live Music featuring Whitewater Ramble at Ullrs Tavern

Head on out and help Mary Jane celebrate her birthday.

Winter Park Lodging Company

WPLCO1′s Channel

Winter Park Lodging Company now has it’s own YouTube Channel. Want to see all of our latest ski and mountain biking videos to get you psyched up for your coming trip look no further than the WPLCo YouTube Channel.  Also, on the channel you will find tours of our properties to really see the vacation rental that you will be staying at on your trip to Winter Park, Colorado.

You can also find on the, hopefully in the near future, famous Winter Park Lodging Company YouTube Channel are Winter Park, Colorado mountain bike videos.  Some fun stuff on the 600 or so miles of mountain bike trails we have surrounding WP.  Here is a trip down Winter Park Lodging Company favorite Broken Thumb and Twisted Ankle:

Looking to see some Winter Park/Mary Jane ski and mountain bike footage subscribe to the Winter Park Lodging Company YouTube Channel.

If you would like to come and enjoy our ski runs and mountain bike hills check out the Winter Park Lodging Company vacation rentals.

The Ski Magazine ski resort rankings are out and Winter Park Resort was one of the big winners.  Ski magazine does their yearly resort rankings each October and this years rankings has Deer Valley, Utah as #1 and Vail as #2.

Winter Park Resort came in at #14 this year. Winter Park/Mary Jane jumped 8 spots in SKI Mag’s rankings to #14! The most moves out of all the North American ski resorts.

Down-to-earth feel. Nicely quiet at night. Serious skiing in the day! Winter Park Lodging Company couldn’t have said it better. With pluses of, Local favorite with a neighborly feel.  And minuses of, Village and town lacking in dining and après ski.  

On the minus notes we are getting new and better restaurants here in Winter Park.  No, it is not Vail but who really wants that?  As Ski Magazine said, Serious skiing in the day!  Friendly locals and skiing that is what Winter Park, Colorado is about.  Ski goes on about this a little bit: You still won’t find the dining or shopping that other Colorado resorts are known for, but there’s a sense of community here that you won’t find at those resorts either. Employees eagerly point you in the right direction or grab a wagon to haul your gear around the base— not because they have to, but because they want to.

Well sign me up, all skiing no pretension and friendly locals…. that sounds like a ski vacation.  And yes this is Winter Park/Mary Jane, the #1 Colorado destination resort for snowfall.  You can have the fur coats, the snooty lifties and all the shenanigans that Vail and Breckenridge throw at you. Give me my bumps, powder and tree skiing at Mary Jane and I will leave with a smile on my face.

So thank you Ski Magazine, finally someone is seeing the light, Winter Park Resort: a gem of a ski vacation destination.

Check out the complete top 20 North American Ski Resorts from Ski Magazine.

We have a bit of a comical exercise program for all those that are planning to ski somewhere other than Winter Park Resort.  While skiing can be a trying endeavor for all it is much more convenient and easier on the wallet here at Winter Park Resort.

SO if you plan on hitting the hills this year make sure you come to Winter Park, Colorado to avoid the exercise regimen below:

1. Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for a half an hour. Afterwards, burn two $50     dollar bills to warm up.

2. Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use.

3. Fasten a small, wide rubber band around the top half of your head before you go to bed each night.

4. If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses.

5. Throw a hundred dollar bill away-now.

6. Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski boots carrying two pairs of  skis,  accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are looking for your car and sporadically drop things.

7. Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed ice, and then tighten a C-clamp   around your toes.

8. Buy a new pair of gloves and immediately throw one away.

9. Secure one of your ankles to a bed post and ask a friend to run into you at high speed.

10. Go to McDonald’s and insist on paying $13.50 for a hamburger. Be sure you are in the longest line.

11. Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of your jacket and ride a motorcycle fast enough to make the ticket lacerate your face.

12. Drive slowly for five hours – anywhere – as long as it’s in a snowstorm and you’re following an 18 wheeler.

13. Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast your face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip into your clothes.

14. Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom.

15. Slam your thumb in a car door. Don’t go see a doctor.

16. Repeat all of the above every Saturday and Sunday until it’s time for the real thing.

The real thing would be November 16th, 2011 at Winter Park Resort this year.  So book your lodging now with Winter Park Lodging Company and avoid the painful exercises above.

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.

Summer is still upon us here in Winter Park, but the bite of fall can and already has been felt. There are even some clumps of aspen trees that are already changing to yellow.  And what does all this mean?  It is time to get ready for the opening of Winter Park and Mary Jane.

This year opening day is Wednesday, November 16th 2011 at 9am.  Let the countdown begin! Last year we had an incredible opening with 7 inches of snow the night before opening and that led the way with a great snow season all year long.  Let us rejoice in La Nina.  The La Nina weather is supposed to stay with us through early winter and into the new year and we can only hope that it brings us the snow of last year.  It looks like we may have an ENSO Neutral, or weak La Nina in store for the fall/ winter period.

So as of today we have 97 days until the slopes of Winter Park are open for our skiing pleasure.  In that time we will get to see the newest Warren Miller ski movie, hit up Sniagrab for the some new ski schwag and hit the gym for the preseason ski conditioning classes.  Don’t forget to get you Winter Park/Mary Jane season ski pass before it is too late, 97 days we will be gone before you know it.

Wednesday, November 16th 2011 is the opening day for Winter Park Resort.

Hallelujah.

Winter Park Colorado April Spring Skiing

The snow has been just unbelievable this spring and the storms keep on coming in.  Here is a video of some of the skiing that we have had here in Winter Park this April.  It is a good thing that Winter Park/Mary Jane os open a week later than the past few years as the storms look to keep on dropping this fluffy white powder right through closing day and hopefully we will have POW day Winter Park Spring Splash.

The video was shot the first week of April after a nice dump of 11″ of snow that closed Berthoud Pass and left a play day for those that were here.  Skiing are some of Winter Park’s finest residents: Nick Meyer, Chas McConnell, Kelly Glancy, Sarah Bradford and one of the not so finest, me.   The snow was deep, fresh and untracked and was a great day all around.  The whole of Winter Park and Mary Jane were exquisite  but we were skiing the front side of Eagle Wind, Bella Fourche and my favorite The Weather Station Cliffs.

April is the unknown ski month here in Colorado.  The weather is a little warmer and snow is usually a bit wetter.  We can get some very big snow storms moving through and it is a great time to be on the ski hill.  April is usually the third snowiest month in Colorado behind March and December.  If you are looking to have a good time skiing when the big ski resort prices drop, April is the time to come.

Here is to spring skiing!

Spring break time is here and it seems the weather has heard and we are now in full spring skiing swing.  We here at WInter Park Lodging Company were able to get out to the slopes and we hit 40°.  There is nothing betetr than skiing with a light jacket and sunglasses.  Check out the Winter Park mascot, ZB, to the right sporting all his spring skiing duds in celebration of old man winter hitting the road.

Here is what is in store for the next forty days of ski season her in Winter Park, Colorado:

• Full moon ski at Devil’s Thumb Ranch
• Free Snow Shoe Tour
• Season Ending Splash at Solvista

There is a lot of fun things to do besides spring sliing here in Winter Park, CO but lets face it we are here for the skiing!  The season ending Winter Park Resort Spring Splash this year will be on April 24th, Easter Sunday funday.

If Y’all haven’t made it up to Splash, as it is known locally, you are missing out.  THere is pond skimming and lots of family fun on the WInter Park side of the resort.  As for Mary Jane we have the party of the year for locals and all those that want to say goodbye to a close to perfect ski season.

Now that spring has sprung get up to Winter Park for the best skiing of the year.  The weather is here wish yo were beautiful, or something like that. Head on up to WP and don’t forget the sunglasses and sunscreen!

Winter Park’s closing day for this 2010/2011 ski season is a bit later than usual.  WP will stay open through most of April, for hopefully some huge spring snow storms, and close on April 24th – Easter Sunday.  That is right Winter Park will be open through almost all of April this year.

Best time to ski Winter Park/Mary Jane? That would be late March and April.  Really April this year because so many schools spring breaks go into the first week of April.  That means there are three weeks of blue sky, fresh powder, slopes to yourself skiing for those coming up to stay in April.

The last few years some of the best snow and best skiing has been on the very last weekend that Winter Park and Mary Jane was open.  This year we have a whole extra week to let mother nature dump some fluffy white and give some blue skies for our skiing pleasure.  And what a great way to celebrate Easter this year, skiing Mary Jane and heading to C lot for the end of ski season celebration, Winter Park Spring Splash.

The lodging is cheap, the snow is plentiful, and the skies are blue come up and stay with Winter Park Lodging Company and celebrate spring with some great spring skiing.  In April of 2008/09 ski season we received 70 inches of snow when WInter Park Resort was open.  That is 70 inches in 17 days that year! Lets do a snow dance and hope this year can repeat that snowfall.

The Winter Park Resort Private Lesson Center continues to receive rave reviews! Presidents weekend is right around the corner and the skiing is looking to be fantastic the rest of February and March.

The Winter Park Private Lesson Center has many new promotions that they will be offering Private Lesson Guest from he Thursday before Presidents weekend February 17, 2011 and will run through the end of March.  Please feel free to stop by the PLC with any questions.

- The new online rate for the Full Day Private Lesson will be $499; No other discounts apply.

- There will be a $25 discount for ALL Full Day Private Lessons booked 7 days in advance over the phone.

- All Season Pass holders will be offered last year’s rates at $489 for the full day and $365 for the half day if they book their lesson(s) by February 28, 2011; no other discounts apply.

- If 3 consecutive half day lessons are reserved 48 hours in advance online or 7 days in advance by phone the guest will get the three lessons for a total of $1035; that’s $345 each lesson.

If you are looking to improve your skiing or have just taken up the sport, there is not a better way to improve than a private lesson at Winter Park Resort. Group private lessons are also a great way for the family to experience the thrill of skiing together and improving your skiing and boarding skills.

Ask for Tom Gulden (pictured at right) one of our favorite Winter Park Resort private ski instructors or one of the other Winter Park Lodging Company recommended private ski instructors.

La Nina has delivered a wintery punch this season with incredible snow conditions at Winter Park and Mary Jane.  Check out the snow conditions, lodging deals, photos and videos at winterparklodgingcompany.com.