St Patrick’s Day in Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park Resort St. Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is coming upon us quickly.  What are your plans to celebrate that little bit of Irish that we all have in us? Well, there is always a good reason to ski a few runs and have a few  green beers in Winter Park.  This year St Patrick’s Day is Wednesday March 17, 2010 and there is plenty to do celebrate the all that is Irish.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Wednesday, March 17

Join Winter Park Resort for some toe-tappin’, hand-clappin’, good drinkin’, “gotta get up and dance” renditions of traditional and original Irish tunes!

• Discovery Center Plaza: 2:30-5:30pm
• Cheeky Monk: 8:00-10:00pm

Get Your Irish On!

In the town of Winter Park there is no shortage of things to do.  Head to the Winter Park Pub and have a green beer.  Or head over to Randi’s Irish Saloon for some traditional Irish Grub and nip of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Come on up to the Colorado Rockies and celebrate this St Patrick’s Day Winter Park, CO style.

Beer and Food Tasting Winter Park, CO

Cheeky Monk Winter Park, Colorado

The Cheeky Monk in the Winter Park Village is having a beer and food pairing Thursday February 25th.  The tating will start at 6PM and go until close.

The Cheeky Monk is  featuring Trappiste Ales & “Southern Influenced” food .  As always, seating is limited & tickets go fast!  Please call 970-726-6871 to secure your reservation today!  What a great way to end a day of skiing – great Belgium beer and some Southern style food.

Email Michael Patrick, the manager at michaelp@thecheekymonk.com for more info and pricing.

Come on out and support our local Winter Park Restaurants and enjoy some great beer and food.

Winter Park Colorado Mountain Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

Looking for something to do in to celebrate Mardi Gras?  Well look no further, there is much to do up here in Winter Park, Colorado and this is the perfect time to head to the hills and get away from the February blues.  The snow is falling and we should have around ten inches of new snow by this coming Monday, Feb 8th, if the forecasts are to be believed.  So come check out the Winter Park Mountain Mardi Gras.

Saturday February13

12:00-5:00pm at the Winter Park Village

High Altitude Style! Come join the party in the Village to celebrate this New Orleans tradition Winter Park-style! This event features bands, street performers, festive decorations, food and plenty of beads to go around!

Music (in Starbucks Plaza)

12:00pm-1:00pm:  Louisiana Clan Dogs
1:20pm-2:20pm:  Aden Harrell & Friends Jazz Quartet
2:40pm-3:40pm:  Otones Brass Band
4:00pm-5:00pm:  Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe
Performers (throughout the Village)

12:00pm-5:00pm:  Salida Circus Performers (includes flame throwers, jugglers, trapeze artists, jesters & unicyclists)
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Face-Painting and Caricature Drawings
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Children’s Crafts – masks and crowns
1:00pm-3:00pm:  Giant Puppetry
2:00pm-4:00pm:  Ear2Ear Photobooth

Food (in Starbucks Plaza)

Jambalaya, crawfish, etouffee, gumbo, crepes, bread pudding and beignets provided by Village restaurants

FAT Tuesday February 16th

• 6:30-8:30pm – Mardi Gras Parade at Cooper Creek
Square: Come in costume and participate in Fat Tuesday
(Winter Park style) in the shortest, craziest, coldest
Mardi Gras Parade on Earth!
• 9pm – The Grand County Blues Society presents
Trampled Under Foot w/Samantha Fish at Smokin Moes

All of this to be had while trying to get in all the runs at Winter Park and Mary Jane Resorts.

“Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez”

Winter Park Base Ski Rentals and Ski Tunes

Winter Park Resort Ski Rentals and Tune Ups

Who knew that a simple ski tune up would make  my day at Winter Park Resort.  I had skied 13 times since the last tuneup and the skis were getting dull and not holding an edge on the crusty stuff or the ice.  I took my Dynastar Legends in to Winter Park Resort Rentals and by the next morning the sticks were as good as new if not better.  I heard the claims that the Montana Chrystal Glide tuning system works wonders but I didn’t think there would be that much of a difference.  I do now believe!  Had a great day skiing and the skis performed better than I expected.  The young lads working at Winter Park Base Rentals did a great job and were very friendly and knowledgeable.  They had the skis tuned and ready with an overnight turn around time.

The base is the THE place for ultimate convenience in ski rentals right at the base of Winter Park Resort. Guests of Winter Park Lodging Company save up to 40% off walk-in rates with Winter Park Resort Rentals, located just steps from the lifts! See below for all of the extra benefits you’ll get when you rent with Winter Park Resort Rentals. This discount is reserved only for guests of Winter Park Lodging Company, so when you book with us, we’ll send you all of the prices and instructions on how to reserve your ski rentals online.

More than just ski rentals, when you rent with Winter Park Resort Rentals you also enjoy these extras:

• Free on-snow storage. Pick up your skis and poles on the way to the lift, then return them for overnight storage at the end of the day.
• Late pick up. Open until 9pm so you can stop by on your way into town the night you arrive.
• Lift ticket and lesson pick-up. Pick up your pre-paid lift tickets or ski rental vouchers while you get fitted for skis.
• Purchase lift tickets. Buy your lift tickets when you pick up your skis. You can even use our money-saving COUPONS.
• FREE Kids Rentals. If you rent a performance or demo ski or snowboard package, you’ll get a free kids rental. One free kids rental per adult.
• Retail Discount Card. Get a discount card good for 10% off all Winter Park Resort Retail – waiting for you in your welcome gift bag. Also good for 10% off walk-in ski/board rentals and 30% off on-snow storage for last-minute stays.
• Additional gear such as goggles, snow clothes and helmets are available for rent.
• New Gear. About 80% of all sport and performance ski and snowboard equipment is brand-new for the 2009/2010 ski season.

Winter Park Base Rentals  Custom Ski/Snowboard Deliver Service

It doesn’t get any more convenient than this:

Rent with Winter Park Resort Rentals and you also have the option to add on Custom Delivery Service. A ski technician will deliver your boots to you anywhere in Winter Park or Fraser until 10:00 pm the night you arrive, then fit everyone to be sure you’re good to go. You’ll get a claim ticket to present at the outdoor counter on the way to the lifts. They’ll have your skis/board and poles outside waiting for you!

In addition, they’ll deliver any ski lessons or lift tickets that have been pre-paid, so after you pick up your skis, you’re ready to go. No lines. On the last day you ski, bring your regular shoes and they’ll store them so you can drop off your boots at end of day and you can walk away in your shoes.

The price is $29.99 for up to 4 people and then $5 for each additional person.

Winter Park Resort Base Ski Storage

This service is available to all guests of Winter Park Lodging Company, even if you don’t rent skis through the Winter Park Resort Rentals. Save up to 35% off of regular prices when you present your discount card that is provided to all guests in your welcome gift-bag. Normal prices are about $5.00/night.

So get your ski deals from Winter Park Base Rentals with Winter Park Lodging Company.

Five Best Restaurants in Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park Colorado Best Restaurants

Top five favorite restaurants in Winter Park, Colorado.  I guess you could say the Winter Park, Fraser, Tabenash area because they are not all in town proper of Winter Park, CO.  This list is of actual full service restaurants and does not include Winter Park breakfast restaurants or Winter Park walk up restaurants.  It also is focused on food even though a couple here are also my favorite Winter Park places to have a beer or cocktail.  The list is in no particular order and is definitely not exhaustive.

**** ENTER TO WIN TWO FREE NIGHTS OF LODGING! Comment below with your favorite dinner restaurant in Winter Park and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win two free  nights between June and August at a two-bedroom condo.  Must comment by Feb 28th with winner announced March 2nd****

Winter Park Top Five Restaurants

1. Tabernash Tavern – Right on US Highway 40 in our home of Tabernash.  The Tavern describes themselves as: “A wine bar in beautiful lower downtown Tabernash, Colorado, serving Chef Alberto Sapien’s international culinary creations”.   As the description says it is a mix of very different styles of food and they haven’t missed every time I’ve been there.  The Tavern has opened an Italian eatery in the town of Winter Park under the name Alberto’s.
2. Hernando’s Pizza Pub – Probably the most popular of all Winter Park Restaurants and one of the most consistent.  The pizza is very good and their salads are fantastic.  A great bar to watch the tourists and the locals alike with some great bartenders.  Be sure to arrive early or call before heading over because Hernando’s is usually very busy.
3. The Sushi Bar – Yes, sushi up here at over 9,000 ft in the Colorado Rocky Mountains is pretty darn good.  The Sushi Bar is located at the end of WP on US 40.  The Sushi Bar has some great food and a very friendly waitstaff.  With $1.50 bottles of beer everyday you can’t go wrong with some WP style sushi a a cheap cold one to wash it down.
4. Mirasol Cantina – Located on US 40 in the Conoco Shopping Center.  Mirasol is a taco bar with great tacos ( try their lamb tacos) and the best margaritas in Winter Park.  Chips and Salsa are fantastic and their salsa bar has some of the best salsas I have tasted.  They have a small bar of about five seats that is a fun place to spend an evening eating and drinking.  Mirasol is not open for lunch so make sure to join them for dinner.
5. The Ranch House Restaurant at Devils Thumb Ranch – Located in Tabernash at Devils Thumb Ranch.  The room is spectacular and the food is just as good.   The Ranch House serves New American Mountain Cuisine  – which means real food, cooked with real ingredients. Organic and locally grown whenever we can. Always fresh, always delicious.  Probably the most expensive restaurant on this list but also maybe the best with the highest level of service.

Maybe I should have done a best ten of Winter Park because there are some I definitely left out.  The above list of five should most certainly include The Cheeky Monk, Fontenot’s and The Back Country Grill.

Our little town of Winter Park has some very good restaurants.  Check out Winter Park Lodging Company’s restaurant discounts to get some great grub and drinks for a little bit cheaper.

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.

Breakfast in the Winter Park Village

Goodys in the Winter Park Village

I headed out the other morning to give Goodys breakfast crepes a try and to hit the Winter Park slopes for some early morning turns.  Well, it was a great day all around.

I had a breakfast crepe with ham and cheese while I sat at Goodys counter.  There was some skiing videos to get me psyched up to ski  and there was a good stream of customers coming through the doors.  The service was quick, efficient and friendly.  The man working the counter, Gill was his name, was chatty and pleasant with a great attitude.  The crepe, as I said, was very tasty and the price of around $7.00 for the crepe and a medium OJ was more than reasonable.  I have to say for a quick tasty bite before you hit the slopes, Goody’s can’t be beat.  I will have to make a return to try a desert crepe.

The rest of the day was spent on the Winter Park/Mary Jane hills and even a bad day skiing is a pretty darn good day.

The Back bowl Soup Company Breakfast

Last week I also had a chance to try the Back Bowl Soup Company’s breakfast burrito.  The burrito was very tasyt and I would recommend the one with bacon – filling and quick to get you on your way to hit the slopes.  The burrito was good and service from Jodi and Woody, the owners, is always very friendly.

The Back Bowl Soup Company offers an all you can eat end of day bowl of soup so be sure to stop in around 4:30 or so to fill up on some soup.  Here is a sample of the soups they had this past Tuesday:

Beef Stew
Artichoke Pesto
Thai Chicken
Green Chili
White Mountain Chicken Chili
Cheesy Brats

Come up to the Winter Park Village to get your treats and eats before you hit the slopes!

Winter Park Base Bars Derailer and Doc’s Roadhouse

Derailer and Doc’s Roadhouse Winter Park Resort

We got out of the house yesterday and spent our second day up on the hill at Winter Park Resort.  We still need some snow but what was on the slopes was pretty good and made for a fine early season ski day.  We skied with Mr. John Glancy, the unofficial mayor of Winter Park and our ski patrol pro, and Dave, John’s ski patrol buddy.  As I said skiing was decent and the day was  a good time but my skiing companions got me into a couple of places I would usually shy away from.  We visited The Derailer Bar for a quick beer and chips and finished the day at Doc’s Roadhouse.  These two Intrawest owned and operated eateries have been around for awhile and reviews are always mixed.

Some people think Derailer and Doc’s are great and others try to avoid at all costs.  I recently have been of the later mind and have not visited either watering hole the last few years.  My reasoning has been that if Intrawest runs their food operations as they do some of their other operations I definitely didn’t want them mucking around with food and drink that I was going to consume.  Well,  I was skiing with two Winter Park Resort employees and they actually wanted to go into these establishments then they must not be all that bad. And true to their word we had a grand time and we talked to some great people on both sides of the bar.  The beers were cold and on special (but why are the employee discounts different at each bar John asked?) and the food was served with a smile and was tasty.

Intrawest describes Doc’s and Derailer as the following:

Derailer Bar is Winter Park Resort’s most coveted deck-space, offering great grilled fare and daily specials in addition to the best views of the resort.  The Derailer Bar is a casual outdoor grill open daily, starting at 11 a.m., with full bar service available on weekends. The whistle blows at 2pm for Happy Hour, which is 2 hours from 2-4pm. Open daily.

With a kid-friendly menu, Doc’s is a great place for the entire family. Located at the base of the Zephyr Express Lift, Doc’s offers delicious breakfast, lunch and dinners. Doc’s also offers carry-out items fresh from the kitchen to take back to your condo. With a full bar, you don’t want to miss Doc’s Happy Hour with discounted beer specials, its famous margaritas and a fabulous bar menu. Open Daily 8am – 11pm. Come n’ get it!

At Deralier we had a few beers and chips with queso dip.  Chips were from a bag and dip from a can but they were salty and little spicy and went well with our beer.  Our bartender Sally (she is darling) was friendly and let us know when happy hour was and that on Friday’s they have a live music apres ski.

At Doc’s we had cheesy fries, more canned cheese, with crispy waffle fries that weren’t bad.  I had a bacon cheddar burger that was above par for ski resort food.  Our bartender Trevor, a friend of John’s, gave great service and was very welcoming.

So overall, I have changed my thinking and and in a pinch we will visit Doc’s and Derailer again.  They do have two of the better locations on the ski hill and they are staffed with some great folks that do their jobs well.

Here is to a change of heart!

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 Colorado Skiing

Skiing Winter Park Colorado

Now that Winter Park Resort is open for it’s 70th year I thought it would be good to post the ski area statistics and such.  We are getting more snow this week and are supposed to have more of the resort open by next week. Here are the stats for Winter Park Resort in Grand County, Colorado.

Elevation

• Base: 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
• Summit: 12,060 ft (3,680 m)
• Vertical rise: 3,060 ft (930 m)

Winter Park Resort Base Village Map

Winter Park Resort Shuttle Map

Trails

• Skiable area: 3,060 acres (12.4 km²)
• Trails: 143 total (9% beginner, 34% intermediate, 57% advanced/expert)
• Average annual snowfall: 365 in (9.3 m)

Lifts 

25 total ( year installed)

• 1 high speed eight person cabriolet gondola
  • Village Cabriolet ( 2008)
• 2 high-speed detachable six-passenger chairlift:
  • Super Gauge Express (@Mary Jane) ( 2005)
    
  • Panoramic Express (@Mary Jane) ( 2007)
• 7 high-speed detachable quad chairlifts:
  • Eskimo Express ( 1999)
  • Gemini Express ( 1993)
  • High Lonesome Express ( 1991)
  • Olympia Express ( 1996)
  • Pioneer Express (@Vasquez Ridge) ( 1986)
  • Prospector Express ( 1994)
  • Zephyr Express ( 1990)
• 4 triple chairlifts:
  • Arrow ( 1977)
  • Eagle Wind ( installed 2006; former Outrigger chair)
  • Endeavour ( 1993)
  • Sunnyside (@Mary Jane) ( 1989)
• 7 double chairlifts
  • Challenger (@Mary Jane) ( 1975) Photo
  • Discovery ( 1984)
  • Galloping Goose (@Mary Jane) ( 1975)
  • Iron Horse (@Mary Jane) ( 1975)
  • Looking Glass ( 1965)
  • Pony Express (@Mary Jane) ( 1975)
• 3 surface lifts:
  • Apollo
  • Lariat handle tow ( 2002)
  • Spirit platter pull ( 2004)
• 3 conveyor lifts:
  • Children’s Center magic carpet
  • Comet magic carpet
  • Meteor magic carpet

Elevation

• Base: 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
• Summit: 12,060 ft (3,680 m)
• Vertical rise: 3,060 ft (930 m)

[edit] Trails

• Skiable area: 3,060 acres (12.4 km²)
• Trails: 143 total (9% beginner, 34% intermediate, 57% advanced/expert)
• Average annual snowfall: 365 in (9.3 m)

View looking north from the top of Parsenn Bowl, Winter Park Resort.

View looking east from near the top of the Mary Jane section of Winter Park Resort.

[Lifts [5]

25 total (manufacturer, year installed)

• 1 high speed eight person cabriolet gondola
  • Village Cabriolet (Leitner-Poma, 2008)
• 2 high-speed detachable six-passenger chairlift:
  • Super Gauge Express (@Mary Jane) (Leitner-Poma, 2005) Photo
  • Panoramic Express (@Mary Jane) (Leitner-Poma, 2007)
• 7 high-speed detachable quad chairlifts:
  • Eskimo Express (Poma, 1999)
  • Gemini Express (Poma, 1993)
  • High Lonesome Express (Poma, 1991)
  • Olympia Express (Poma, 1996)
  • Pioneer Express (@Vasquez Ridge) (Poma, 1986)
  • Prospector Express (Poma, 1994)
  • Zephyr Express (Poma, 1990)
• 4 triple chairlifts:
  • Arrow (Yan, 1977)
  • Eagle Wind (Yan, installed 2006; former Outrigger chair)
  • Endeavour (Poma, 1993)
  • Sunnyside (@Mary Jane) (CTEC, 1989)
• 7 double chairlifts
  • Challenger (@Mary Jane) (Heron-Poma, 1975) Photo
  • Discovery (Heron-Poma, 1984)
  • Galloping Goose (@Mary Jane) (Heron-Poma, 1975)
  • Iron Horse (@Mary Jane) (Heron-Poma, 1975)
  • Looking Glass (Riblet, 1965)
  • Pony Express (@Mary Jane) (Heron-Poma, 1975)
• 3 surface lifts:
  • Apollo
  • Lariat handle tow (Poma, 2002)
  • Spirit platter pull (Poma, 2004)
• 3 conveyor lifts:
  • Children’s Center magic carpet
  • Comet magic carpet
  • Meteor magic carpet