Children Skiing Winter Park Resort, Colorado

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Chris

Learning to Ski Winter Park, CO

Here is out latest ski video here at Winter Park Resort, Colorado’s Favorite. We are highlighting children and the youngsters learning to swoosh down the hill this segment. The above video is staring WPLCo’s very own and my very own twins, Nicholas & Willem. This is Nicholas & Willem’s second year skiing and they are now able to ski from the very top of Winter Park Resort to the very bottom with only a little help from mom and dad.

The Winter Park Ski School and ski teacher Rosie have done great work with these two little tykes this year. The boys took a a series of four ski lessons with Rosie this January that totally turned around the skiing learning curve. They wen’t from heading straight downhill with no interest in slowing, stopping or turning to being able ski freely downhill stopping on command and turning pretty much anywhere they would like to go.

If you have kids or have someone that is learning to ski, Winter Park Ski School is a great investment of your time and money. A couple of days with group or private lessons will turn your skiing/boarding skills around and get you enjoying being on the slopes. As we learned with our twins trying to teach your kids yourself usually is not a good idea time-wise or for family unity. Going skiing with kids let a professional teach them and parents can have a peace of mind that they are being taken care of and being taught the proper way to ski and board.

Check out Nicholas and Willem skiing Winter Park at 2 years of age and look how far the little boogers have progressed.

Winter Park Resort Closing Day 2011 Ski Season

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Chris

Closing Day Winter Park and Mary Jane

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.

Winter Park Resort Private Lesson Deals

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Chris

Winter Park private ski lesson deals Winter Park Ski School Deals

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. winter park resort ski instruction

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.

Mary Jane and Winter Park Ski Video

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Chris

Mary Jane Powder, Bumps & Trees

It is time for another Winter Park Lodging Company ski video. We have been getting so much great snow this year the video opportunities have been close to endless. We have not been crushed by a huge storm this year in Winter Park but we have been getting a steady flow of good shots of moisture. It’s been 10 inches, 7 inches, 8 inches, 13 inches of snow about two to three days each week. Truly, this has been the best start to a ski season that I have seen in the last fifteen years.

Anywho, the above video is another after about eight inches of snow on a really cold day. Temperature high for the day was maybe 5 degrees at Winter Park Village. It was so cold the snow was screeching at us and was kinda sticky. I finally had someone else wear the camera besides me and Mr. Ed was the lucky guy who got to film my exploits. We skied Little Ten under the Challenger lift and Rainbow Cut on the video.

Demo skis were from the Mountain Adventure Center in the Winter Park Village and courtesy of Winter Park Resort Base Rentals – Thank You! Ed and I were both on Salomon Shoguns. A little rippen’ ski that liked the powder and wanted to turn a bunch. With the cold temps and sticky snow it was a little tough telling what the ski could do until later in the day.

The song is Road Rage by Catatonia, an old favorite, and iI think it kind of gets the mood of the skiing that day. The movie was created in iMovie by Apple.

Hope you enjoy the video and it gets the skiing juices going enough to head up to Winter Park and Mary Jane and hit the slopes. If you are looking for lodging up in the Winter Park area make sure to Winter Park Lodging Company a shout.

Winter Park, Colorado New Year Skiing

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Chris

winter park resort skiing Mary Jane CO skiing

mary jane co lifts

bump skiing mary jane co

Winter Park & Mary Jane Skiing

We have had unbelievable skiing so far in 2011. We started the new year out with some frigid days but the cold has left and the skiing has been great. The above photos are all from the Monday after the New Year with blue skies, sun on the shoulders and five inches of fresh powder. The storms are lined up this week to drop a couple of inches every other day until the coming weekend and then we are looking for another ten or more inch dump this weekend.

The Mary Jane chutes have been open for a day here and a day there with Runaway open the last couple weeks. Eagle Wind lift has been running the last couple of weeks and the skiing over there has been tremendous.

If you are looking to ski now is the time. Winter Park Lodging Company is offering the deal of the year for bookings made before Jan 15th. Buy one night of lodging and get the next night free. Half price to come up to Winter Park and Mary Jane and ski your heart out. Or go sledding, soak in the hot tub or have a night out with the wife and family at one of Winter Park’s fine restaurants. Lots of things to do here in WP and if you have three weeks or so you can fit them all in and what a blast of three weeks that would be.

Anywho, it is all about skiing this time of year and the ski conditions and weather have been cooperating. Winter Park and Mary Jane now have great conditions for skiing!

Powder Day at Winter Park Resort

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Chris

Powder Skiing at Winter Park and Mary Jane

The snow has been just unbelievable so far at Winter Park this year. And with all that fluffy white comes the oh so awesome powder days of skiing. Since we have so much early snow it has allowed us to get out fairly often and check out the conditions. Grade A is what we give Winter Park and Mary Jane this year.

The video was shot in early December after about seven inches of new snow. The light wasn’t the greatest but the skiing was phenomenal. After spending the morning over on Mary Jane we headed for the un-skied tracks over in the trees at Vasquez Ridge. Aces & Eights trees are what we are skiing and man it was fresh pow turn after fresh pow turn. A truly unbelievable day was had on the slopes.

Skiers in the video are yours truly and my buddy Mr. Steve Worth. The song Negative Attitude (some may say that describes me to a T) is from an old favorite, Lloyd Cole, off the Negatives album. demo skies were provided by Epic Mountain Sports, the finest ski fitters in all of Grand County. I was skiing the Rossignol S86′s and they were just about perfect for the day.

If you are looking for some small stashes of fresh late on a powder day, head over to Vasquez Ridge. It takes some effort to get over there but you will be rewarded with some hidden powder in the trees and usually no snowboarders as the run out usually has them shying away. Vasquez Ridge is served by the Propspector lift and at the top are some of the best views you can get ov the Town of Winter Park and The Fraser Valley. That is Sarah, the hotty, below taking in the view from the top of Prospector.

There is snow falling now outside the window here in WP, so it may just be another powder day tomorrow.

vasquez ridge skiing at Winter park

What to Wear on Your Winter Park, CO Ski Trip

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Valarie

Nothing can ruin a great day on the slopes like being as cold as a freeze-pop. Believe me; I’ve learned the importance of dressing properly, as I’m usually hard to keep warm even when I’m not snowboarding. Jeans and cotton clothing are no longer part of the equation; plus, if you caught wearing jeans on the slopes these days, you may fall victim to snickering from the locals. Take a look at some some tips on what to wear on your ski trip to Winter Park.

Brrrrrrr. Stay warm to ski all day long.

HEAD, HANDS & FEET

Keep in mind that the biggest areas of the body that drain heat are the head, the hands and the feet. Keeping these areas warm is your biggest priority. For your head, wear a helmet. Wearing a helmet not only protects you from injury, but it keeps your body’s furnace nice and toasty.

WICKING AWAY FOR WARMTH

Probably the most important tip for staying warm is staying dry. Wicking materials such as wool and synthetic blends (like Under Armour) will keep moisture away from your skin, whereas cotton soaks up moisture that may eventually turn to ice on your body. Wicking materials keep you dryer, and therefore, much warmer. I personally love a great pair of thick wool socks or two thin pair of wool socks.

LOVE THE LAYERS

Rather than wearing your thickest knit sweater under your thickest winter coat, it’s recommended that you wear a couple of thin layers. A waterproof “shell” that goes over a fleece is great instead of a heavy coat. Under the fleece, wear a thin polyester shirt. You can then remove the fleece if you start to burn up and sweat too much. Long underwear made of a synthetic blend material are great under a waterproof pair of ski pants.

DRESS JUST A LITTLE COLD TO STAY WARM

Say hmmm? Think of it this way: if you’re already burning up in your ski attire before you even hit the lift, you’re going to sweat yourself into a shivering frenzy after you make a few runs. You want to be just a teeny bit cool outside before you start turning, so you’ll be perfectly warm after your body heat kicks up from exertion. If the weather is exceptionally cold or windy, you should be at just a comfortable temperature in your ski gear before hitting the slopes.

GLOVES OR MITTENS? THAT IS THE QUESTION…

No matter what, you need to cover your hands. A pair of waterproof gloves is good, but even better are mittens. Mittens keep your fingers together so they collectively keep each other warmer by sharing body heat. One of my biggest challenges in all my years of snowboarding was having cold hands, until I found a great pair of North Face mittens filled with down. I’ve never had cold hands on the slopes since.

FOR WINDY & SNOWY DAYS

Balaclavas. Face Masks. Scarves. Anything to protect your face from the wind and snow is a HUGE help, especially when you’re on the lift. A Balaclava is great because it has a built in face cover connected to a cap that you can tuck back in if you don’t need it anymore.

AHMs (ARTIFICIAL HEAT MAKERS)

You can pick up heat packets at most ski shops around town and the Safeway in Fraser. These little things heat up when you squeeze them and are great to stuff into your mittens or boots. You can even go all out and buy fancy equipment like jackets or pants with built in battery packs that heat up if you want, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny.

MORE TIPS

Consider getting a locker and storing some dry clothes if you get too sweaty and cold. Also be sure to PROTECT yourself from the elements. You need to wear goggles or sunglasses and sunscreen even if it’s not sunny. And water, water, water. We cannot stress the importance of staying hydrated at our high altitude. For tips on how to avoid high altitude sickness, click here.

NEED TO GET NEW STUFF? WHERE?

As you were reading this, you may have come up with a long list of things you need. It can really add up, can’t it? Fortunately, you can rent a ski jacket and ski pants from our partner Epic Mountain Sports. They have tons of stuff, from size 2 toddler to adult 6X. The price is $15 per day to rent a jacket or ski pants alone or $25 per day to rent both a ski jacket and pants. They rent helmets for $5 per day, too.

Epic Mountain Sports also has great deals on ski and snowboard rentals for our guests. Save 20% for ski rentals as low as $18 per day when you book online from our exclusive booking link. Also, as our VIP Partner, our guests get 15% off all regular-priced retail purchases when you present our VIP Guest Discount Card to them at the time of purchase.

Where to Demo Skis in Winter Park, CO

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Ski Demos

Are you looking to buy new skis or snowboard? I have been in the process the last few weeks and the whole experience has been so fun. Demoing skis is the way to go. When you demo skis you take out different brands and models and check out how the ski feels to you up on the ski hill. I have been working with Epic Mountain Sports here in Winter Park and it has been a blast.

Here is how Epic Mountain Sports Demo then Buy program goes:

Each demo day is $30.00
The $30.00 is deducted from price of skis/bindings when you buy your skis

This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I have demoed 4 pairs of skis so far and all ski very different and all have been a blast to ski. There are so many different nuances going on with skis nowadays. There is the traditional stiffness and flexibility, the width of ski underfoot related to width at tip and tail, rocker vs camber, twin tip or no twin tip and on and on. Many different skis that behave differently and perform in complete unlike ways in varying conditions. In the three ski adds above where all three (Olin, K2, Rossignol) skis look and act the same is a thing of the past. This would sound rather complex and it can be but it has been such a blast getting to know each ski up at Winter Park Resort. If I could just demo skis all year long I would be happy.

The guys in Epic have been great. The two Ryans, Ben, Chad and owner Katherine all rock. Take your pick of models from Volkl, Rossignol, Dynastar, K2, Nordica and Icelantic. The techs at Epic know the equipment and know the mountain and will help you pick something fun for you to try. Ask them about the new “rocker/early rise” technology in the new skis.

Needing new skis? Get to demoing with Epic and make an informed buy and have some fun doing it.

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.