 Poster: A snowHead
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We were there Jan. 20-28. Conditions were fantastic with tons of snow. Weather was perfect sun every day but one. Will try to post complete trip report soon.
For now enjoy the pics. (Caution, slow Yahoo link)
Scroll down for trip report
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 8-02-06 8:43; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fantastico.
it looks so quiet, look foward to your stories.
(did you meet rusty ?)
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 1-02-06 18:11; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yes, I took a bump class with him. Great guy. Look forward to next near.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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we'er going in about 25 days, any recommendations ?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We stayed at the Zephyr Mountain Lodge (1 bedroom) which is at the base of the Zephyr HS lift.
It's a nice condo but pretty standard, nothing too fancy.
We self catered most of the time due to the fact we had our 2 y.o. with us.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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RWalter, thanks for your kind words. it was great having you in WP. we are enjoying record snowfalls this winter(20 feet) and the snow just keeps coming.
we have had another good storm pass through in the last two days and have enjoyed knee deep fluff.
i hope any and all snowheads will stop by the ski school meeting place and say hello whether or not you are taking lessons. there are a lot of folks on holiday from the UK in WP at present and all seem to know about this forum. i have to be on top of my game in order to get good reviews!
anyone mentioning snowheads gets the first round of drinks on me in the evening!
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see you on the 26th...
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As promised……………
Winter Park Trip Report
Friday, Jan 20
Fly from Washington, DC to Denver on United
Uneventful flight. Our 2 year old even slept 45 mins!
Arrived at Denver right on time. Got our bags right away and took shuttle bus to Alamo rent-a-car. The lot is a good distance from the terminal; I thought we were going to Winter Park.
We had reserved a mid-sized SUV and when we checked in they asked if we wanted to upgrade for an extra $50. We declined and went over to pick up the SUV. The attendant advised us that they were out of mid-sized SUVs and that we would have to take a Suburban at no extra cost! We just saved $50.
Ride up to Winter Park went pretty smooth. We did hit a big traffic jam mid-town but it didn’t last for too many miles. We stopped just outside of town for a bite to eat and also picked up some groceries. FYI…we stopped where the Apple Jack’s liquor store is located and I remember this because when we use to go with the Ski Club of Washington, this is where the bus always stopped. The bus drivers must get a kick-back! 
Drive to Winter Park took about 2 hours. There were some light snow flurries at the Berthoud Pass and the roads were snow packed but the travel was fine.
Check-in at the Zephyr Mountain Lodge went pretty smooth. The only glitch was they forgot to put a crib in the room. Took us several hours to get that resolved. Then when they brought it, it was a pack-n-play. On the phone they assured us that they had “real” cribs. So this was another 30 min go-around with the front-desk staff. We had to settle on the pack-n-play but luckily our son liked it!
Saturday, Jan 21
Family day. We decided that since this was our son’s first big vacation trip that he should have a day to get acclimated to the altitude and his new surroundings. This was fine since this day was the 30th anniversary of Mary Jane and there we tons of people in town and on the slopes. I think I heard at least 16K that day.
We checked out the day-care facility and let our son roam around in it. We also picked up our lift tickets and ski school vouchers. This turned out to be a minor fiasco. We had ordered 4, (Jan 22 – Jan 24/Jan 25 – Jan 27) 3 day lift tickets with 3 ½ day lesson. It was a great deal at $183 for 3 days. When I went to pick them up they only had the first 3 days in the computer. I showed them my receipt for the other days and it seemed like no one knew what to do about it. FINALLY someone at the day-care figured out that the next three days would not be in the computer until the night before! Dah! What’s up with that? So after at least an hour of running around we got that figured out. My wife also picked up her demo skies at the ski shop right in the Zephyr.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, Jan 22, 23 and 24.
Great sunny days with excellent skiing. We took our lessons every morning and we both agreed that we enjoyed the ski school. We must admit however that by the third day, we could have asked all the questions: What do hope to get out this lesson? Etc, etc.
Tuesday afternoon. BIG SCARE
We picked up our son from the day-car around 3-3:30. At the time he was complaining that his tummy hurt. The day-care “report card” stated that he basically was not himself that day and that he hardly napped. So we decided to take him back to the condo for a nap. He did not nap and in fact he had a very foul BM. We agreed to give him a bath in order to soothe him some. After the bath he turned very pale, very lethargic and very hot to the touch. It was obvious he was very sick so decided to take him to the clinic. The problem was the Winter Park clinic was about to close so they told us to drive to Granby ~20 miles away. We packed him up and headed off. After checking in we got in and the doctor checked him out. The upshot was he had a fever of 104 which was most likely caused by an ear infection. After some meds and an hour wait his fever came down and his color came back. We got some antibiotics and headed home. It was a tough night for him (and mom and dad) but he finally settled down around 4AM.
Wednesday, Jan 25
My wife took the day off and cared for our son. I took a morning lesson and returned to the condo around 12:30. We had lunch and then took a 2 hour nap. Much needed after our night. Our son was doing much better by nap time and it was good to see that. After our naps we went and took a sleigh ride down at the Sombrero stables.(http://www.skiwinterpark.com/todo/grandcounty/wintergrandcountyactivities/sleighrides.htm) It was a lot of fun and our son really enjoyed it. That night we ate at Hernando’s Pizza Pub. Great place especially for kids.
Thursday, Jan 26
After several days of brilliant sun we woke to snow! Our son was a little scared to go back to day-care since he associated it with being sick. However after some crying he went and had a wonderful day.
Once again we took morning lessons. We both went to the “Perfecting Parallel” class. My wife in the slow group and myself in the fast group. This is they day if first met Rusty aka Rusty Guy. He tried to talk me into the “Beginning Bumps” class. I told him, “I hate bumps” and continued in “Perfecting Parallel” class. After our ski-off to determine if we were all in the right class, Rusty and some other instructors “talked me/pressured me” into the “Beginning Bumps” class. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive but that quickly changed.
Rusty is a very enthusiastic, patient and “hands on” type of instructor”. He took us to a bump run and really worked with us (all three of us) and slowly I became more comfortable in the bumps. It was really fun and I’m glad that they “talked me/pressured me” into the class. Next year, I’ll be back at it and I’ll be looking for you Rusty!
For lunch this day we decided to eat at the Lodge at Sunspot which is located at the top of the Zephyr lift. We had a very nice lunch and the place was nearly deserted.
The rest of the day we skied over in Mary Jane in the snow. All in all it was a fun day.
Friday, Jan 27
Our last day. Sniff, sniff. The sun returned and so did the colder temperatures. This day we decided to take our lesson in the afternoon so we free skied in the morning. We skied over in the Vasquez Ridge area. It’s a very nice quiet area of Winter Park but boy do those long flat run-outs suck. They either need to move the bottom of the lift up-hill some or put in a mid mountain loading station.
My wife and I skied together in the afternoon class which was nice. We worked on a variety of things and even ended up back in the bumps. My wife did very well in the bumps and the instructor told her she is ready for the “Beginning Bumps” class so look out Rusty.
For dinner this night we got “take-out” pizza from Hernando’s along with some beer from the local liquor store. We then packed and went to bed early because we had a big day ahead of us.
Saturday, Jan. 28
Got up early to some light snow flurries. Packed up the SUV, checked out and started for the airport around 7:30AM. Road conditions were fine despite the snow and we arrived at the airport around 9:30AM. Used the United curb-side check in (@ $2/bag) left my son and wife and returned the SUV at Alamo. I was gone and back in less than 30 minutes. We went then headed for security which takes a while with a 2 year old. After that we go a bite to eat and waited for our flight.
I wish I could say the flight back was as good as the flight out but………the little one did not do too good. We wondered if it was his ears hurting him but there we a lot of crying and fussing. He finally fell asleep just as we landed in Washington. Wouldn’t you know it!
Final conclusions and comments.
Zephyr Lodge
We were very impressed with our condo and how large it was. As mentioned before we were disappointed about the crib situation. Next year we hope the little one can sleep in a bed.
There also was some confusion about the house cleaning services and trash disposal. We found out on the last day of our stay that there is only 1 house cleaning visit and it’s at mid-stay. In addition you are supposed to leave your trash outside your door for pickup. This was never explained to us at the beginning of our stay.
The underground parking was very nice as was the ski locker area.
Overall we would give it a B rating.
Winter Park Resort
It was very annoying that no one really knew the situation with our lift tickets and other vouchers. You would think that if you book everything using the 800 number then all the vouchers and tickets would be at the front desk when you check in. (This would never happen in Switzerland)
We enjoyed the ski school but next year we might only take 3 days of lessons. It would be nice if they would offer a deal that you could get the same instructor and people in your class for multiple days. I think this way you would really learn fast. Just a thought.
Ski area is very nice with a sure snow record. All the blues and most of the blue/blacks are groomed nicely. If you want bumps head over the Mary Jane.
Traveling with a 2 year old
Some of our friends and family thought we were crazy booking such a big trip but it really turned out fine even with our emergency visit to the clinic. As a co-worker told me the day before I left, “Lower your expectations and try to see things though your child’s eyes.” This turned out to be excellent advice. Sure the plane ride is rough and the little one gets cranky because he is off schedule, but you know what? You get though it.
Winter Park Day Care
We were pleased with the quality of care provide by the day care. We toured the facility and there seemed to be a lot of toys and other stuff for the kids to play with. The staff (mostly Australian) seemed very pleasant and attentive. The ratio we were told was 1 teacher to every 5 kids. (This might be state law)
The only thing we were disappointed in was the fact that they didn’t always take the kids out to play. They advertised this but I think it only happened 1 out of the 5 days our son was there. If it has something to do with the weather of temperature then that should be told up front but nothing was ever mentioned. Next year however our son will be in the “Jump Start Learn to Ski Program”. From the Web Site:
They're never too young to learn! Wee Willies Child Care offers lessons for children ages 3-6 who are ready and willing for a ski experience, but aren't quite ready for a full day on the slopes. The Jump Start program takes children from child care to Mt. Maury to begin their skiing experience. For just $101 during value season and $114 during regular season your child will get a two hour ski lesson in the morning and childcare in the afternoon with rentals included. This lesson will get your child out on the snow having a wonderful time!
Overall rating B+ (Would have got an A if they took them out more)
That’s it for now. If I think of anything more I’ll add it.
Enjoy
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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RWalter, i told you you can ski bumps! and ski them well! thank you for the kind words.
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RWalter, nice pics, particularly as I'm in one of them! Pic 148-4879 to be exact. See the girl in Kermit-green jacket and blue helmet over on the right, that's my wife and I'm standing next to her. Small world eh!
I can second the Rusty Guy recommendation and I've talked about my lesson experience elsewhere on this site and on epicski. He deserves the credit and he's not adverse to getting a round of beers in!
We were in Winter Park for two weeks from 21st Jan. We also stayed in the Zephyr Mountain Lodge. I thought it was lovely - far better that the self-catering accomodation we were used to in France. The whole resort base is coming along nicely I think. One criticism of the Zephyr Lodge is that it has no bar or restaurant. Ludicrous I think given a hotel of this size with no other nearby bars/restaurants open much later than 6pm. Basically, if you stay there, realise that nothing much happens after 6pm and you have to head for the town.
The skiing is truly awesome. It's like dying and waking up in mogul heaven. We never got bored there. The snow was also brilliant. There was lots of it. 'Nuff said.
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