Beads, Beers and Beats

Posted on February 21, 2012 by LD

Click image to get a full list of events

I knew something was different about my trip to Steamboat Springs this past weekend the moment I checked into our lodge. Before I got the room key I was handed an extensive itinerary for Steamboat’s Ski Mardi Gras festivities. I glanced over it nonchalantly and stuffed it into my purse without thinking twice. Well let me tell you something about Steamboat after spending 48 hours there, the weekend leading up to Fat Tuesday: Steamboat takes Mardi Gras very seriously.

Our adventure began Friday night. It was not much of a party for us, because we arrived around dinner time and had tunnel vision to grab a bite to eat before we called it a night to rest up for a big ski day. We got to the mountain on the early side and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Around 2pm I was ready to call it a day. I headed down to the Gondola Plaza solo, and I couldn’t see the plaza but I could hear it. Horns. Loud and vibrant horns were playing the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching.” I skied through some crowds and saw a parade. Before I could take my skis off I was thrown purple Mardi Gras beads. I, like most skiers and riders just heading in for the day, was caught off guard by men on stilts and the overwhelming purple, green and yellow themed outfits worn by all in the Ski Mardi Gras parade. After taking a moment to put on my beads I looked around and realized I was in a sea of people gathered to watch the parade. Some had beer in their hands while others seemed to be noshing on crawfish and corn.

Waiting for Dumpstaphunk to hit the Steamboat Gondola Plaza stage

Who knew that a ski town in Colorado fully embraced the New Orleans spirit of Mardi Gras? I certainly did not, but when it came time to the Saturday après ski entertainment after the parade I was glad to be a part of the Mardi Gras spirit. The entertainment, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, is funk royalty. The show started at 3pm and as people trickled off the mountain the crowd started to expand and it looked as if the whole town of Steamboat Springs desended upon the Steamboat Ski Area’s Gondola Square stage wearing ski boots, ski gear and beers in hand. Click here to check out some video of Dumpstaphunk. The show lasted two hours and despite the chill the band put on a great show that I enjoyed along with my parents. It was fun for ALL!

 

Click on the image to get up to 50% off your next trip to Steamboat Springs!

To check out the rest of the Ski Mardi Gras festivities click here! There are still events going on and this is sure worth checking out in the future!

- Laura Daly, Marketing Team

** After my trip, Steamboat got a record breaking 27 inches in a 24-hour period! I can attest that it was quite the storm as I drove through it Sunday afternoon on my way back to Utah. I debated turning my car around to enjoy the “Champagne Powder” that Steamboat is famous for. Below are some epic photos of skiers skiing through the fresh 27 inches of pow!

 

 

Posted in Colorado, Steamboat | Leave a comment

Ski-Free Vacation in Park City

Posted on February 20, 2012 by LD

A couple of weekends ago I was able to go to Park City during the Sundance Festival and had such a great time. My husband and I got there Friday evening and loved the Timber Wolf Lodge where we stayed at. It was a two bedroom place that slept up to 8. Most of the furniture was made from Pine Trees and made this a perfect lodging place in the mountains.

The main floor had a beautiful kitchen, dining room with an amazing antler chandelier, bathroom, and living room with a flat screen TV, pull out bed, and fireplace. Upstairs had the master bedroom with a large king size bed, flat screen TV, and a bathroom with jetted tub. The second bedroom had two queen beds, flat screen TV and bathroom too. We even had a washer and dryer for our clothes. It was perfect for all of our needs.

Click image to get up to 30 % off your trip to Park City!

The first night we were there we ate at Park City Pizza Company and it was so delicious. You order your food at the counter and it is delivered to you wherever you sit. We were full after our meal and next hit up the Tanger Outlets, which were my favorite. I found so many great deals for my little nieces and nephews at Gap Kids Outlet and Old Navy Outlet. For myself, I found awesome clothes and accessories at Banana Republic, Coach Outlet and so many other great stores.

Friday night we hit up Main Street in Park City to see the nightlife and what was going on. During the Sundance Festival more people are in town so it was fun to walk up and down the main road and to be among the people taking pictures of Main Street’s attractions.

Later that night we went back to Timber Wolf Lodges where we hung out and played Wii and board games. What a blast, it was great to get away and just spend time with family.

-Elise Pearson, Marketing Team

Posted in Park City, Utah | Leave a comment

What Makes Beaver Creek and Vail Epic?

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Kai Nilson

Taking a breather before going down a groomer

This weekend I was fortunate enough to make my first ski trip to Beaver Creek, and although I’ve heard a lot of talk about this luxury destination, I truly was not dissapointed by a single aspect of the experience. Check out the videoof Destination Expert Matt Danitz and myself crusing down “Stacker” under the Strawberry Park Lift–snow was light earlier this season, but it’s here now!

Conditions on the groomers were superb, as you can see, and the off piste is opening up nicely now! Beaver Creek is one of those resorts known for it’s groomers, and since few venture into the trees, you’ll likely be rewarded with powder if you do!

Click on the image to get up to 40% off your trip to Beaver Creek!

Indulging in some after-ski cookies amongst the ski schoolers

After skiing up a storm, Beaver Creek has you taken care of: free cookies for all guests bring out the kid in everyone!!! Of course, you’ll have to succeed in a little game of “Where’s Waldo” just to find their famous Chefs among all the adoring cookie fans in ski school…

If you find yourself with more energy to spend after a day on the slopes, you can always take in a little ice skating action in the middle of the Beaver Creek Village…or you can just enjoy a cookie with that special someone in your life.

Gourmet drinks and food at Rocks Modern Grill in the Beaver Creek Lodge

But if you ski like I do, you’ll be hungry for more than just snacks. If you stay in Beaver Creek Village, you’ll have countless options for drinks and more! For a more lively and less expensive experience, try the Chili con Carne @ the Coyote Cafe (14 different peppers had me sweltering for about an hour afterwards! yes!), or stop in for some pizza and margaritas at the Blue Moose. We opted one night for a more elegant experience, and were quite pleased by the Rocks Modern Grill in the Beaver Creek Lodge. We were delighted to find exciting ingredients like basil, ginger, and even jalapenos in our drinks, and were not dissapointed by the main course either! The duck is a sure winner if you find yourself there…

And perhaps the best part of a stay at Beaver Creek: your lift ticket is also valid at Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Araphoe Basin! So the next day we marched off (15 minutes away) to Vail for my first experience there. I know that Vail is the largest ski resort in the US, but to actually ski the back bowls is to truly believe. Don’t take my word for it, see it as I did here. Despite a reported 40″ base, the snow was great on the summit, and more kept falling throughout the day. With so much open space, we were even able to find boot deep powder tracks in the middle of the open, more than 24 hours after the last serious accumulation.

Click on the Deal of the Week to get up to 50% off your trip to Vail!

Thank you Jesse for great hospitality!

From the entertainment, service, and the food, to the conditions and the mountains…it’s easy to see why so many skiers and riders alike are proud to show their colors at Vail and Beaver Creek. I’d like to thank all the friendly locals like Jesse, pictured, from Colorado Springs, who welcomed us to their mountain and showed us a truly awesome Colorado escape! We’ll be back!!!

~Destination Expert Kai Nilson

 

Posted in Beaver Creek, Colorado, Vail | Leave a comment

Free Gear, Free Ski, Free Stay

Posted on February 14, 2012 by LD

Click on the banner to enter to win FREE Salomon gear

Getting a “Hookup” for free ski gear, lift tickets, and lodging is something everyone loves. So if you like the sound of that, then enter to win some killer FREE gear from Salomon by simply clicking below. The best part is that you are automatically entered to win a luxury ski vacation to Aspen, Colorado! Click Here to Enter.

Wait, that’s not all… not only has Mountain Reservations teamed up with Salomon for some cool ski gear, but also to give you FREE LIFT TICKETS to the top 30 ski resorts across the country. Just book a ski trip with Mountain Reservationsby calling 866.838.3534 and mention “Salomon FREE Pass.” Free lift tickets are available for Vail, Stowe, Breckenridge, Whistler Blackcomb, and many more. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Click on the banner below to start planning your vacation today and get FREE LIFT TICKETS!

Click the banner to get FREE LIFT TICKETS

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Win a Free Pair of Atomic Skis!

Posted on February 14, 2012 by LD

Here at Mountain Reservations we want YOU to win a free pair of skis. How do you go about doing so? Simple: you take a picture of yourself while wearing our “What’s Your Sign Sticker?” and upload it to our Facebook photo contest. Click here to request the sticker and to enter to win the competition. There is, however, a little history behind this promotion. Skiing is a funny sport. It’s social, but requires some level of athleticism. Some people make it their livelihood while others hit the slopes once a year knowing there is an après drink waiting for them at the bottom of a run.

I myself used to fit into the latter category until I moved out to Park City three winters ago. People assume, because I live near great mountains and spend a majority of my free time skiing that I am a gnarly skier – gnarly meaning awesome. If people ask my skier type, I say humbly that I am alright, but I know that I can go down almost anything. I say alright, because I compare myself to my friends who jump off cliffs and think it’s no big deal. On the other hand, those who ski a handful of times in their life think I look as good as my friends who huck off cliffs.

Checkout our in-house snow bunny Elise. She makes the "What's Your Sign?" sticker a fashion accesory on her hat for the day.

So when it came time to put a promotion together for skiers to tell us what type of skier they are, our department experienced an interesting exercise in defining the different skier types. I come from a pretty regimented ski school background (I taught skiing my first two winters in Park City) whereas some of my coworkers started skiing a couple of years ago. When I brought up the logistics of working from a wedge to parallel skis as moving from a beginner type to an intermediate skier type I was being answered with “well I know I am not a beginner anymore, because I don’t knock people over when I get off the chairlift.”

As humorous as it sounds it’s totally true. It’s all relative and meant to be fun. That’s what we think here at Mountain Reservations so much so that we want you to go out there on your ski days and take pictures of yourself with our “What’s Your Sign?” sticker. Whether you are hitting the groomers, lazily enjoying your pitcher of beer, or perfecting that daffy move get out there and tell us what your sign is!

Promotional details:

Place the “What’s Your Sign” sticker anywhere on your gear while on the mountain and take a pic! Visit the Mountain Reservations Fanpage to upload your photo and that’s it! You’re entered to win a free pair of skis from Atomic. Winner will be announced on April 20, 2012.

If you don’t have a sticker, e-mail us your address. Click here to request a sticker and we’ll send you one.

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Love at the Bird

Posted on February 14, 2012 by LD

I use the single line to cheat the crowds or if I am flying solo for the day when I ski, but to speed date? Really? Does that even exist? The answer to this question is yes. Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort is taking dating to new heights, literally, by offering speed dating on its Peruvian Express lift for Valentine’s Day – today!

Photo taken from The Salt Lake City Tribune

To keep in the spirit of Valentine’s Day Snowbird is also offering some love for all with discounted tickets at a rate of $40. Those who are single can try their luck at love by riding up with other singles on Peruvian Express and/or join in a singles social at the El Chanate after the mountain closes. For those couples who want to celebrate slope side they can enjoy some Valentine’s Day spa and meal specials.

It’s not too late to take advantage of this quirky and awesome idea! Go get some turns in this afternoon or head up for the evening festivities. You won’t be disappointed by Valentine’s Day this year at the Bird.

Posted in Commentary, Snowbird, Utah | 1 Comment

National Geographic’s 25 Top Ski Destinations

Posted on February 13, 2012 by LD

Featured destination Fernie, British Columbia, Canada; photography by Ryan Creary, Corbis

What do Japan, New Zealand, France, Italy, Austria, Canada, and the US all have in common? Sweet ski spots according to National Geographic’s new feature on the World’s 25 Best Ski Towns. For each destination, National Geographic covers the essentials like the “Best Digs,” “Best After-Ski Party Spot,” and “Classic Ski Run” all according to an acclaimed local. Coupled with gorgeous photos the featured ski towns will make any adventurer want to hop in a car or jump on a plane to experience the best slopes the planet has to offer.

We are stoked at Mountain Reservations, because it seems that great minds think alike. Some of our top ski destinations made the list including Park City, which National Geographic tagged as a place for “cinephile families with a range of abilities” and Telluride: a place best for “big-lunged skiers and boarders with a taste for fine wine and the mountain high life.” Other of our destinations made the top 25 including Taos, NM, Whistler, British Columbia, Steamboat Springs, CO, Sun Valley, ID, Jackson Hole, WY and the list continues.

To check out the complete article click here! At least check it out to see some gravity defying photos. You will be blown away.

-The Mountain Reservations Ski Team

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Cold Winter Nights in Park City

Posted on February 10, 2012 by LD

Before Utah, I lived in Maine. I have dealt with my share of cold winter nights, but last weekend reminded me of what it really means to be cold. So cold you can’t feel your feet, hands, nose, and no matter how much you move around the only thing that could possibly make you warm is to hold up next to a fire.

It wasn’t abnormally cold in Park City last weekend and I admit I have a low tolerance for cold weather, but in order to watch the 2012 Visa Freestyle International Worldcup at Deer Valley Resort sacrifices needs to be made. Layers need to be put on – warning you might feel like the michelin man – and for the average attendee a backpack full of beer is a must.

Making the walk up to the Dual Mogul competition. Shoes with good traction are a must.

What’s great about the freestyle competition is that it’s family friendly, very social and a fun way to check out the world’s greatest athletes compete in events that will make you shriek, cheer, hold your breath and want to come back year after year. The competition lasts three nights and every night the crowd makes the hike up lower Bald Eagle Mountain at Deer Valley to check out the sites. The first night’s events are the Men’s and Lady’s Moguls, second night are the Men’s and Ladies’ Aerials and lastly, a favorite of mine, the Men’s and Ladies’ Dual Mogul competition.

This year was especially cool because it mixed tradition and newness. The courses were the same used in the 2002 Olympic Winter games, but the events were judged under a new judging format. After athletes make it through the qualifying round they are broken into finals. One is for the top 12 or 16 with a Super Final for the top four to compete against one another. This process of elimination made the Dual Mogul event especially exciting to watch. Hannah Kearney, Olympic gold medalist, dueled her way down the course four times to win her 13th world cup championship. That kind of adrenaline can keep anyone watching warm. Definitely worth checking out in the future for those living or visiting Park City!

To check out some cool photos from the events click here!

Posted in Deer Valley, Utah | Leave a comment

Canada, Please Stop Hogging All of the Snow.

Posted on February 8, 2012 by LD

Skiers in the states are pretty jealous of our neighbor up north. Why? Because Canada keeps getting pounded by snow. So much snow that powder days are an understatement. Deep powder is more appropriate. What constitutes deep powder? That would be over 22 feet in total snow fall so far for the 2011-2012 winter season and when walking up to three feet of new snow is no big deal.

Whistler Blackcomb

Canada’s snowfall is making weather headlines; however, Whistler has always been a hot spot for winter sports and was home to many events for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Games. With funky snow fall stateside Whistler, and Canada in general, is the place to be this season for great snow and a great adventure. Below is a list of the Top 5 Adventures for the thrill seek in Whistler Blackcomb:

  1. Ride the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. It’s almost an astonishing 3 miles long!
  2. Ride the Ziptreck zipline over the Coastal rainforest.
  3. Participate in the Fresh Tracks program and load up on an Olympic sized breakfast and get early loading privileges.
  4. Take a day off the skis and go snowmobiling.
  5. Go Heli-Skiing! Whistler Heli-Skiing has over 31 years of experience.

To check out more top 5 lists for Whistler Blackcomb click here! There is something for every type of skier and vacationer.

Also, be sure to check out the Snow Report if you don’t believe all the hype. Don’t be fooled by the metric system. Whistler Blackcomb is kind enough to provide measurements and temperatures for us Americans who have no idea how many centimeters are in a foot or what Celsius means. If you are powder hound or just looking to enjoy a winter ski vacation think Canada and start planning today with up to 25% off in Whistler!

Posted in British Columbia, Whistler | Leave a comment

Old Time Elegance at Sun Valley Lodge

Posted on February 6, 2012 by LD

Inside Sun Valley Lodge

Sun Valley was America’s first destination ski resort. Built in 1936, the Lodge itself has a marvelous history and as soon as you step through the front door, you immediately feel like you are a part of it. It has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, classy European decor and an over accommodating staff focused on the guest experience. The lodge itself is beautiful, and although they have remodeled and updated over the years, many of the original pictures, flooring, and marble remain. The Lodge has several different room types to choose from, as well as apartments that are located directly adjacent to the main building. Inside the lodge you’ll enjoy Gretchen’s Restaurant, the elegant Lodge Dining Room, the infamous Duchin Lounge, Beauty Salon, Spa and Exercise Room, the famous outdoor hot pools, a bowling alley and game room. A Gift Shop and concierge are located in the lobby and right out the backdoor where the indoor and outdoor skating rink, a walking village filled with shops and restaurants, a mini convenient store, post office and even a movie theater are located. With all of the amenities right at your fingertips, you’ll find it hard to leave.

I live in Sun Valley, so I have only stayed at the lodge once, however I frequently find

Click above image to get your 4th night free on Sun Valley lodging!

myself walking around the village enjoying the shops, dining in one of the many on site restaurants, catching an ice show or maybe some live jazz in the Duchin. For locals and tourist alike, the Sun Valley Lodge is the place to be!

-Shannon Allen, Destination Expert

Posted in Idaho, Sun Valley | Leave a comment