NASTAR Ski Championships Winter Park, CO

The Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships and Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships combined to create The Championships presented by Nature Valley at Winter Park Resort, March 23-April 1.  The NASTAR Championships are now a full week here at Winter Park/Mary Jane.

The NASTAR race course is a dual race course where skiers and riders can race side-by-side against friends and family or against the clock. The course is set on Lower Cranmer, just above Snoasis, making the race course accessible to all skiers and riders at an intermediate level or better. Groups of any size and nearly any skill level can enjoy a fun and spirited competition catered to their needs. Ski clubs and councils, business retreats, family reunions, school ski trips, and other groups should give our NASTAR race course a try. Using a pacesetting system, participants can compare their results to other racers of all ages and abilities from across the country as well as with members of the U.S. Ski Team.

NASTAR Winter Park Schedule of Events

March 23-25        The Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships
March 26             Return of the Champions Family Challenge and U.S. Ski Team reunion
March 27             U.S. Ski Team Pro-Am Team Race
March 28-April 1  Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships

NASTAR racers must qualify for the Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships within their age category, division and discipline at any NASTAR resort. There are more than 120 resorts that offer NASTAR racing and a top five rankings as of Feb. 21st at any resort qualifies racers for the Nationals. The overall Champions, fastest male and female, will earn forerunner positions for the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships GS and a trip to a U.S. Ski Team training camp.

Winter Park Lodging Company is offering 5th night free on stays of 5 nights or more or 15% off 2 to 4 night stays.  So, make sure to book your NASTAR Winter Park lodging with WInter Park Lodging Company.

Snowfall at Winter Park Resort

The snow took some time to come this year but it has been falling steady the past week and conditions are fantastic with lots more snow forecast for this coming week.  This week Panorama Express opened with great tree skiing and powder that was waist high.

As of today Winter Park Resort has 19 of 25 lifts open with 111 trails in great skiing condition and all 8 terrain parks ready for all your tricks.  Total skiing acreage open is 1437, that is a lot of space to ski.

The weather outlook for the coming weeks is looking real good with a steady flow of storms dropping some good totals here in WP.  For the year Winter Park Resort has had 101.5″ of snow for the year.  A positive way of looking at the thin snow of December is that we will hit at least 300″ of snow for the year so there will be a whole lot of fluffy white powder being dumped between now and April 22.

Want to follow the Winter Park Resort Snow Forecast? Follow the Open Snow Powder Forecast.

Looking to come hit the snowy Winter Park slopes when there are no crowds and the flakes are flying?  Book with WInter park Lodging Company by January 31st for stays before February 15th and get your third night free.  Check out all of Winter Park Lodging Company’s Vacation Rentals to get your prime Winter Park, Colorado diggs.

The jet stream and storm flow have made a change.  Look for Winter park and Mary Jane to get plenty of snow for some great skiing the next three and a-half months.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.

Year End Photo Album Winter Park Ski Resort

We have our end of the year photo slideshow.  These are our favorite  photos for the year put together with a tune to celebrate what Winter Park, Colorado is all about.  We have some sunsets, foxes, deer and the ever present beauty of the Winter Park area.

You can check out the Winter Park Lodging Company YouTube Channel to keep up with all of the WPLCo videos, photos and movies.

To keep up with our Winter Park Co photo of the day follow our Winter Park Facebook page and our Winter Park photo of the day photo album.

]]> http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2012/01/07/best-of-winter-park-photos-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2011/12/02/winter-park-resort-ski-and-board-demo-fest/ http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2011/12/02/winter-park-resort-ski-and-board-demo-fest/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:31:31 +0000 Chris http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/?p=6380 Continue reading →]]>

Ski and Snowboard Demos in Winter Park, CO

Wanting to check out the latest skis and snowboards on the market this year?  Well, there is not a better way to check out the new offering than at Winter P{ark Resort on December 3.

This years’ Ski & Snowboard Demo Fest is a one-day event featuring some of the best manufacturers in the industry, giving you a chance to try their new equipment for the 2011-2012 season. A variety of manufacturers will be on-hand to introduce guests to new products. This is a free demo located at the base of the Zephyr Mountain Express lift.

To participate, participants must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license, or under 18 with parental consent. Registration is from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and all participants must register in order to demo equipment. For more details contact Winter Park Resort Guest Services at 970-726-1564.

Demos can be taken out in 1-hour increments only, and 2:30 p.m. is the cut-off for the last demo.

Companies participating include Fortitude, Head, Icelantic, K2 Skis, Liberty Skis, Ramp Sports, Salomon, Vertical Skis, Flow, K2 Snowboards and Never Summer.

Also, if you are looking at new equipment here in Winter Park we recommend either Epic Mountain Sports or Winter Park Base Rentals for your demo packages.  Winter Park Base Rentals has very good demo skis at the Mountain Adventure Center (MAC) which is on the ground level of the Zephyr Mountain Lodge.

Demo-ing skis is the way to go to purchase skis, and a great time checking them all out. You are able to see what ski, boots and snowboards work best for you.

]]> http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2011/12/02/winter-park-resort-ski-and-board-demo-fest/feed/ 0 http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2011/10/21/winter-park-lodging-company-youtube-channel/ http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2011/10/21/winter-park-lodging-company-youtube-channel/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:40:12 +0000 Chris http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/?p=5862 Continue reading →]]>

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.

If you live in the Winter Park/ Fraser area you most likely have heard the uproar about Winter Park Resort discontinuing funding for the Fraser neighborhood service with “The Lift” ski shuttle program.  Winter Park Resort has had a lot of flak thrown its way for withdrawing this funding but truly what other ski town has the ski resort operator as the main funder of town transportation?

I think Winter Park Resort was, and is, the only one in Colorado.

Anywho, not to worry for this season, as two of our lodging competitors have stepped up to the plate to come up with the required funding to keep the purple and red  line, the line that was to be discontinued, up and running for this coming ski season.  I think this is a short term solution and that a long term solution will need to be addressed by the Winter Park and Fraser town councils in conjunction with Grand County.

The Lift will be running this year with ski shuttle service to Winter Park Resort.

Details of Ski Shuttle Service:

• Day ski shuttle will be a “New Purple” line, effectively a combined route of areas previously serviced by both Red & Purple lines in 2010-11.
• Day shuttle, on entering USA Hwy 40 from CR 8, will then take a direct “non-stop” shot to the ski area (with the exception of “dropping off” people in Fraser or Winter Park). Night shuttle will replicate service to areas provided by the night Purple line in 2010-11.
• Night shuttle will replicate service to areas provided by the night Purple line in 2010-11.

Ski Shuttle Days of Operation:

• Buses will operate for the 159 days of the 2011-12 ski season, commencing Wednesday November 16, 2011 through Sunday April 22, 2012.

• Additional bus service to cope with “Peak” demand time periods will on an as required basis to cover most Saturdays and Sundays, except November 19-20 and April 21-22 (42 days) as well as the following Holidays (12 days):
• Christmas Week: December 26-30, 2011
• MLK Day: January 16, 2012
• President’s Day: February 201, 2012
• Main Spring Break Week: March 12-16, 2012

An approximation of 250 hours of additional “Peak” service (estimated 4-5 hours per day for 54 days) were factored in to the equation.

Ski Shuttle Hours of Service:

Day Service:

• 2 buses per hour from (1 bus every half-hour) 7:30AM to 5PM with the exception of 11AM-2PM where there would be 1 bus per hour.
• This would effectively mean half-hour service 7:30AM – 10:30AM, hourly service 11AM-2PM, then half-hour service again 2PM-5PM.

               Night Service:

• Bus #1 starting at 5:30PM to 10:00PM (last run), once every half-hour

Ski Shuttle Route:

Ski Shuttle Day Route:

• Start Winter Park Resort
• Hwy 40 to Fraser, Right on CR804-MeadowRidge Road.
• R on CR834-Cranmer
• L on CR837-Balsh
• R on CR836-Hughes
• R on CR8360-Spinner
• R on CR834-Cranmer
• R on CR838-East Meadow Mile
• L on CR840-West Meadow Mile
• R on Meadow Lane
• L on CR832-Meadow Mile
• R on CR8500-Jabberwocky
• Loop through Silvercrest, L on CR8500-Jabberwocky
• R on CR832-Meadow Mile
• R on Cranmer Pl
• R on Wapiti Drive
• L on CR8
• L on US Hwy 40
• R on Winter Park Drive to Winter Park Resort

Ski Shuttle Day Stops:

• Safeway (on CR804)
• Needles Eye & Railbender
• Cabins at Porcupine Ridge
• Eagle Ridge on the Summit
• Elk Court Cabins
• Lookout Village
• Indian Peaks
• Winter Park Tennis Club & Acadia
• Meadowridge Ct #22, #17/18A/Clubhouse, Ct #29, Ct #26, Ct #6
• The Pines
• Bavarian Village
• Silvercrest
• (flag) Upper & Lower Ptarmigan
• Twin Rivers
• Winter Park Resort

Ski Shuttle Night Route:

• Start Safeway Shopping Center
• R on CR804-MeadowRidge Road.
• R on CR834-Cranmer
• L on CR837-Balsh
• R on CR836-Hughes
• R on CR8360-Spinner
• R on CR834-Cranmer
• R on CR838-East Meadow Mile
• L on CR840-West Meadow Mile
• R on Meadow Lane
• L on CR832-Meadow Mile
• R on CR8500-Jabberwocky
• Loop through Silvercrest, L on CR8500-Jabberwocky
• R on CR832-Meadow Mile
• R on Cranmer Pl
• R on Wapiti Drive
• L on CR8
• L on US Hwy 40
• L on CR804-MeadowRidge Road

Ski Shuttle Night Stops:

• Safeway Shopping Center
• Needles Eye & Railbender
• Cabins at Porcupine Ridge
• Eagle Ridge on the Summit
• Elk Court Cabins
• Lookout Village
• Indian Peaks
• Winter Park Tennis Club & Acadia
• Meadowridge Ct #22, Ct #17/18A/Clubhouse, Ct #29, Ct #26, Ct #6
• The Pines
• Bavarian Village
• Silvercrest
• (flag) Upper & Lower Ptarmigan
• Twin Rivers
• Safeway

Winter Park Lodging Company manages 11 Fraser ski condo rentals on this route, so fear not service will be here for this ski season.

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 winner to our first snow contest here in Winter Park, CO.  It has taken a little while to get around to announcing this but yes we have had a couple of snows since the first last week.

There were thirty five entries on our blog and about twenty five more on the Facebook post about the first snow contest and yes there was a lucky soul, ok maybe talented, who hit the first snow date.  It was not a huge snow this year as last but it was over an inch and there is no disputing the picture to the left that it was a measurable snow last week.

So our first snow date for 2011 is, drumbeat please ………….. October 6th.  Yes that was last Thursday and we have a winner.  Stormy the snow predictor this year is Thomas Schneider.  And Thomas pretty much hit the snow fall total also.  Nice work Thomas!  Here is the winning snowfall total post “The ‘dust’ is already at the top, so it won’t be long. That first 1/2 inch will come on Oct 6.”

The fourth Winter Park Resort first snow contest is now concluded and we hope that this relatively early snow and subsequent snow storms means that we are in for some La Nina powder this year.  ALl the mountains surrounding Winter PArk and the Fraser Valley are now painted a nice white and it is looking as ski season is almost here.  Today up at Berthoud Pass there were three a couple of impatient folk with there planks out looking to find some fresh lines down the hill.  That is the spirit.

Well, here is to snow early and often all year long. Put the trail maps in the freezer and do the snow dance…..

LET IT SNOW, LET SNOW, LET IT SNOW

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.

She’s Baaaaack! The National Weather Prediction Center has made an updated outlook on the La Niña weather pattern for fall and winter 2011/2012.  Looking like we are in for another strong La Niña weather pattern bring some great snowfall.  Come on La Niña, you little b****.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center officially upgraded the La Nina Watch to a La Niña Advisory, which in essence means La Nina conditions are forecast to return for the fall and winter.

During September-November 2011, there is evidence that La Niña favors an increased chance of above-average temperatures across the mid-section of the country, and an increased chance of above-average precipitation for the Central and Northern Rockies.

Forecasters said La Niña contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of this year and then faded, but has now re-emerged and is expected to gradually strengthen and continue into winter.

NOAA says there is a standing 50 percent chance of a secondary La Niña to follow a strong event as we had last winter. Usually the second dip is weaker than the first.

That said, last fall and winter didn’t really follow a typical La Nina script – La Niña didn’t really rev up until February and March. Perhaps this winter could be different since we have a head start now.

So, it’s good news for skiers, snowboarders, and rain lovers. It’s not good news for the south because La Niña has the opposite effect of maintaining very dry weather there. La Niña‘s also typically enhance the hurricane season, as we’ve already seen this year.  If the La Niña of last year could be followed by another early one this year we will be looking at some great skiing.

Winter Park Resort had a great snow year last ski season with snow early and late combined a steady flow of storms.  We did not have that one huge storm that we have become accustom to but the good flow of storms more than made up for that.