Winter Park Resort April Skiing

April Skiing Winter Park Colorado

Looking for the best month of the year to ski in Colorado? Well that would be April in my opinion.  The weather is a little warmer and there are some glorious days with a nice white blanket of snow overnight and a sunny blue sky day for what we here would call a bluebird day.

The deals on lodging and lift tickets always seem to pop up in late April and the big spring-break crowds of March fade away.  Want to celebrate spring?  There is no way better than to spend an the afternoon after a day of skiing on one of Winter Parks glorious decks with a beer in hand.  Need some deck suggestions?  Well, we have The Sushi Bar, Derailer, Doc’s Roadhouse, The Cheeky Monk, Fontenot’s and these are the places not on the ski hill.  On the the Winter  Park Resort ski hills I would suggest Snowoasis, Sunspot or Club Car at the bottom of Mary Jane.

The snow report is saying we are in for a bunch more snow before this ski season comes to an end.  Here is what our favorite snow forecast site (Snowforecast.com) is saying about the rest of March and April snow at Winter Park Resort:

There is a break in weather/ snow possible after next Tuesday/ Wednesday’s storm, then another shot at snow possible for the last weekend in March (27th/ 28th). Pacific storms (with snow) should move through with good frequency right into April. The rest of April still looks potentially snowy (what we mean by “snowy” – at least 1 day with snow for every 2 sunny/ no snow days).

Don’t forget about the best day of the year in Winter Park, the Winter Park Spring Splash, April 18th this year.  A day of fun, debauchery and a celebration of the ski season gone past.  A day that should not be missed by anyone that has a love for skiing and Winter Park, Colorado.

The above photo is by Mr Scott Heffel on Jones Pass for a Skiing Magazine photo shoot.

How Much Snow for Winter Park Resort 2009/2010 Ski Season?

Winter Park Resort Snow Total Contest

How much snow will Winter Park Resort receive for the 2009/2010 ski season ending on April 19th, 2010?  That is the question that we  skiers ponder up here in Winter Park, Colorado.  Kinda of like mulling over the lint in your belly button but much more fun.  We here at Winter Park Lodging Company thought we could make this snow forecasting bit more fun if we had a contest.  So here is the contest:

Guess how much snow Winter Park Resort will receive by April 18th, 2010, as reported on the Winter Park Resort website, for a chance to win dinner and drinks for two at one of our fine restaurants here in WP.  Use the comment section below for your official entry and all guesses need to be in by April 1st ( yes April fools, you fool).  He/She that is closest to the snow total wins.  We will post a winner by April 20, 2010 on this blog.

We had a slow snow start to this ski season but the ski gods have been pretty kind to us the last month or so with a couple of doozy storms that dropped as much as 16″ of fluffy white on our beloved Winter Park.  A couple of these storms also sent avalanches crashing down on US Highway 40 to give us Winter park folk the better part of the day to enjoy Mary Jane/Winter Park by ourselves (and those fortunate enough to already be here).

The snow report and total for today March13th, 2010 look like this:

Winter Park Resort  averages 350″ inches of snow per year so we should be getting some big storms the rest of March and April this year.  Here is some historical info on snow totals at Winter Park Resort for the last year and the ten previous years:

Plenty of info to base your guesses on but please research away.  I will put my guess in first and may the best man win.  We all actually win with the more snow we get though!

Winter Park Resort Skiing For Kids

Teaching Kids to Ski at Winter Park Resort

We had our third day out with the twins on the slopes at Winter Park.  The day wasn’t as nice as last week but we captured Nicholas and Willem in action on video.  The plan was to head up the Gemini lift and spend a few hours at Discovery Park with the boys but when we got to the resort the snow was falling and the wind was a howlin’.  No problems!

We headed over to Sorenson Park and made about six quick runs down.  Willem skied all the way down a few times and Nicholas perfected his hard right turn to slow down.  I don’t think he means to make a hard right turn but lets give him the benefit of the doubt, he is only two.  All in all it was a very successful day and the boys are now excited to go skiing.

Next week we will take the first lift ride up to Discovery Park and make a few turns up there before we head down Turnpike.  Oh Boy, Turnpike is making my back hurt just thinking about all of the bending over.

Anywho, we are trying to get the boys comfortable on skis this year before we put them in ski school next year.  I think we are well on our way and I hope the  Nicholas and Willem do truelly enjoy the skiing and it’s not just the M&M’s that we are bribing them with.

Here is Winter Park Resorts description of their ski school for three year olds:

JUST BECAUSE I’M THREE

The main focus for the day is skiing, but a full day of skiing can be a lot for three year olds. Your 3 year old will learn about skiing and may also enjoy activities such as outside snowplay, arts & crafts, Adventure Sled rides. Children must be potty trained and willing to participate.

Guests without reservations may enroll their 3-year-olds on the 2nd floor of the Winter Park Kids Ski & Ride School.

Winter Park Kids’ Lesson Season Pass for $1299!

Winter Park Resort: Fourth Best Ski Cafeteria Food

Moffat Market at Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Resort just seems to be racking up the awards of late.  Skiing magazine just named Winter Park’s Moffat Market as the fourth best Ski-Resort Cafeteria.  That is not bad as the building it operates in is quite old compared to the others on Skiing Magazines top ten list.

The Moffat Market was the highest ranked Colorado ski cafeteria and Vail’s Two Elks Lodge was the only other Colorado cafeteria ranked and they came in at number six.

Here is what Skiing Magazine had to say about the Winter Park Moffat Market:

Moffat Market, a railroad-themed food court (named after the Moffat Tunnel, a 6.2.-mile-long railroad tunnel that has its west end at Winter Park ski resort), offers food from around the world. There’s New York-style pizza at Grand Central Station, Tex-Mex at Santa Fe Station, and Asian noodle bowls at the Umami Station. We recently tried a veggie coconut curry bowl with rice noodles here—and were blown away by how spicy and delicious it was.

We recently had a chicken burrito at the Moffat Market and I have to say it was a huge burrito and very tasty.  Cost was a little pricey but food at ski resorts is never cheap.

Serving breakfast and lunch, the Moffat Market food court has a railroad theme and offers fresh cuisine and specialties that reflect the different regions of the country and the world. Storefronts and names identify the different food stations with options such as: New York-style pizza at Grand Central Station; Tex-Mex at the Santa Fe Station; enjoy Asian noodle bowls at our newly revamped “Umami” station; and hearty soups at the Shortline. Moffat Market also features an Einstein’s Bagels kiosk for fresh breakfast bagels, and lunch specialties. New this season is a totally revamped breakfast menu at the Moffat Market. Stop by for their specialty, “Eggs Delphia.”

Of course, you go to a ski resort for the good snow and terrain. But you’ve got to eat while you’re there, right? Skiing Magazine has done their research—eating at ski areas all over the country—and have selected the 10 best on-mountain restaurants in ski country.  And to call the Moffat Market a cafeteria simply doesn’t do it justice.

Top Five Winter Park Kids Activities

Winter Park, CO Kids Activities

After hitting the slopes and the Grand Park Rec Center with our twins I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of the top five activities with kids here in Winter Park, Colo.  These are the can’t miss things to do when coming up to Grand County with your little ones in the winter.  For summer there will be a whole other list.

Learn to Ski at Winter Park Resort - This is a no-brainer as most everyone coming to Winter Park this is the main reason that they are heading to our little piece of paradise.

Spend a Day at The Grand Park Rec Center – Our Rec Center sitting just at the end of the town of Winter Park is a kids and parents dream.  With two pools , diving board, lazy river, water slide. steam room, dry sauna, basketball courts, climbing wall, trampoline and lots and lots of exercise equipment for the adults this a great place to take a vacation from the snow outside.  Grand Park Rec Center also offers day care for kids.  This is especially helpful for those parents with the wee little ones.

Go Sledding or Tubing at Winter Park’s Colorado Adventure Park - The Adventure Park  offers Tubing, Airboards, Snow Scoots, and Sleigh Rides.  They are conveniently located just minutes from the Winter Park Ski Resort, in Fraser, and an easy 70 miles from Denver .  From young to young at heart they have something for you!  This is an exhilarating place.  The hill you go down is big and you can get some serious air.

Take a Dog Sled Ride at Winter Park Dog Sled Rides – We bought a ride for our niece and sister-in-law and they loved it.  When the the sled takes off it looks like a rocket.  The ride goes through some secluded forest area and it just amazing how fast the dogs go and how quiet it is in all the trees.  They are located just a short drive from Winter Park Resort on Grand County Road 5.

Sit in the Hot Springs at Hot Sulphur Springs – There are enough hot springs for the whole family with temperatures  for everyone.  There are  22 pools and private baths, which include a solarium pool, the therapy Elk Pool, and a summer swimming pool.   They are known as one of the nation’s oldest, largest and finest natural hot mineral springs resort and spa.  Relax and enjoy the sacred waters where the Ute Indians once bathed, healed mind, body, and spirit.

Enough activities to keep the adults and the little tykes busy for a week or so.  Stay tuned for the top five summer activities for kids in Winter Park, CO

Learning to Ski at Winter Park Resort

Teaching Your Kids to Ski at Winter Park, CO

We finally got our precious twin 2 year-olds out to the slopes at Winter Park Resort.  What took us so long you ask.  Well we waited until we had some nice spring like days with plenty of snow and warm, blue sky weather.  If we would have known how cool it would be seeing your children ski down the hill we may have had them out there a year ago.

We spent our first two days of ski learning and teaching experience at the base of Winter Park.  The first day we were on Mt. Maury with the Winter Park ski school classes.  I think from some of the comments that that hill is reserved for Winter Park ski school.  I think this is a better hill to teach kids on as everyone on this little hill looked to be under five years of age.  The second day we went over to Sorenson Park with all the big kids.  By day two Nicholas and Willem skied all the way down the hill by themselves.  Awesome is all I have to say.  No, they weren’t turning and they need help getting onto the magic carpet but these barely two year-olds skied down a hill all by themselves!  I could not have been prouder as some observers at Sorenson Park were cheering for the little tykes.  What a great day!

As you can see above Winter Park has wagons that are a great help in transporting the kids around the base.  It says on the wagon not to be used to go over the snow to Sorenson Park but we have been told by the Winter Park Hosts that it is OK to take the wagons over there.  There were three or four wagons at Sorenson when we arrived with ours.  Mt. Maury and Sorenson are just a short walk to Winter Park Base Rental ski shop and the Winter Park Market/Cafeteria.  The whole setup is very very convenient with the Winter Park Ski School right here as well.  Now you are asking why the heck didn’t we just put our little future skiing Olympians in ski school?  Well, the ski school will not take kids that are not potty trained.  And at the pace of our little ones they may be skiing black diamonds before they know how to use a toilet.

Next week we will attempt a chair lift ride up to Discovery Park.  We will keep you posted as to how that goes and if it goes at all like to today it will be one of the better days indeed.

Winter Park Powder Day

Powder Skiing Winter Park Resort

It was a powder day yesterday at Winter Park Resort.  One of the localized snow storms that Winter Park is famous for dumped a nice 16 inch blanket of the white fluffy stuff right on top of our hills for the enjoyment of the Winter Park guests and locals.

Berthoud Pass was closed on Sunday at 6:30 PM so only those here and those willing to drive around through Silverthorne and Kremmling were able to enjoy the best day of skiing here in Winter Park in over a year.

It was an eventful day from start to finish.  I was supposed to do some back-country skiing with Powder Addiction yesterday but the pass closure scuttled that.  But not to worry, fresh tracks on 16 inches of new is dream of a Monday.  We were inline at 8:30AM for the 9AM first lift and the runs did not disappoint.  I did break a ski pole and my ski partner Scott Emory, he of Moonshine Liquors, lost a ski.   But overall it was a spectacular day and my legs are feeling it today.

March and April are the best months to ski in Colorado and especially Winter Park Resort.  Chances are we will get some storms as big as Sundays in the next few weeks so get on up here and don’t miss on the next powder day.

Here is the trail report for March 2, 2010:

We are at about 206 inches so far for the 2009/2010 ski season, that means we should have another 150 inches by the middle April.  Don’t forget Winter Park Resort closing day is April 18, 2010.  Last year we received over a foot of snow on the closing weekend of Winter Park Resort just in time for Spring Splash.

So don’t make this another I should have skied more year, come on up and get your spring skiing turns in.

Over Two Feet of New Snow in Winter Park

New Snow at  Winter Park/Mary Jane Resorts Colorado

Snow snow and more snow in Winter Park.  That’s right we have been getting crushed with snow here in Winter Park.  27 inches is the total in  the last week with more on the way.   Here are our snow totals for the last few days and for the year as of Feb 23, 2010:

Winter Park/Mary Jane averages around 350 inches for the year so we can expect to just get blasted the next eight weeks that the resort is open.  Here is what our friends over at SnowForecast.com are calling for for the next month or so here in Winter Park:

–We may see lingering snow flurries next Monday, mixed with sun and clouds, then next Tuesday high pressure ridging is possible. Mid next week (3rd of March) begins a series of storms, some moving more southerly, some northerly, but frequent, for frequent light to moderate or even heavy snow. This unsettled pattern over the west should keep the slopes fresh through mid March at least. The rest of March and most of April still look potentially snowy.

Snow in December, January and the first part of February was below average with most of the Colorado storms hitting the resorts located in the southern part of the state.  It looks as though that these storms should start taking a more northern route and it is looking really good for Mary Jane and Winter Park.

March and April are by far the best months to ski in Colorado.  The weather is a little warmer, the snow a little deeper and the beers taste a little better.

Spring Skiing in the Colorado Rockies – heaven on earth!

Spring Skiing at Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Spring Skiing

It is getting to be that time of year when the heavy parka goes away and the nice light fleece accompanies you to the ski hill.  Spring! in all its glorious incarnations is just a couple of weeks away and you know what that means? Lotsa lotsa snow, blue skies and drinking beer on the base decks.  There is not a better time to ski in Colorado than spring and that goes for Winter Park as well.

As I said, the snow is usually best in March and April and the temperatures get a little bit warmer and the days a little bit longer.

Winter Park Resort is putting on the Spring Blast presented by Snickers® – Party at the Park on April 3rd and 4th, 2010.  Here is what they have to say about their Spring Blast:

Celebrate the coming of spring! Relax on the decks of Derailer Bar with drink specials and live music, shop ’till you drop at our end of season blowout sales in base area shops, get free bump tips from the Winter Park Ski and Snowboard school, watch the area’s best freeride competitors in rail jam competitions and demo’s, and don’t forget about the season finale Winter Park Spring Splash.

Winter Park Resort is in the top 10 Spring Break Ski Trips  for 2010. Coming in at number3.  Here is what About.com has to say about Winter Park Resort as a spring skiing destination:

Winter Park is just 1 1/2 hours from Denver, Colorado, making it easy and cheap to get to by car, bus or Amtrak train (in fact, you can take the Amtrak ski train straight into Winter Park from either coast and get a 15% Amtrak student discount). A mountain bike-friendly place in summer, Winter Park is loaded with apres-anything spots.

So the weather is looking like Winter Park will be getting hit by lots of wet spring snow storms and the weather will be heating up: it is Spring Skiing in the Colorado Rockies.

Snow in Winter Park, Colorado

Snowing in Winter Park, CO

The white stuff is falling here in Winter Park.  Supposed to get 5 to 6 inches of snow from this storm and a couple more each day the rest of this week.  So far this year has been a feast or famine year with snow but most forecasters are calling for late February, March and April to be way above avareage.  Here is the snow report as of Feb 12, 2010:

And as I sit here the snow has been dumping at a furious pace all day.  I would not be surprised if there was 10 inches of fresh powder by tomorrow morning.  Now is the time to head up to Winter Park Resort to get your fresh helping of freshies.  If you want some real deep stuff take a trip with Powder Addiction, our snow cat professionals up here in Winter Park.

Compare Winter Park’s snowfall with that of other resorts in the area. What will you find? We get more snow than anyone in the Colorado area. That’s great news for your ski and snowboard vacation!

Here is the long range forecast for Winter Park from our friends at SnowForecast.com:

–Strong Pacific storms start pushing into the west coast, and moisture feeds into Colorado, around the 21st/ 22nd of Feb. Storms should be a bit more favorable for northern regions at this time. We will watch and see how this unfolds. March and April still look like potentially snowy months.

As I finish this blog post the snow is now really really coming down and I say LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!  Winter Park Style.