Ski Resort Reviews: Winter Park Resort, Colorado

Winter Park Ski Resort is Authentic Colorado. From the moment you descend Berthoud Pass and into the Fraser Valley, you know that you've entered a special place. Winter Park has been a favorite of Front Range resident's since it opened in 1940 as a mountain park of the City and County of Denver. Located 67 miles west of Denver, it is famous for its bump skiing and friendly people.

Winter Park has two base areas. Winter Park is the tame side with a variety of terrain for the beginner and intermediate skier and rider. Mary Jane is the wilder side. It contains the infamous bump runs as well as glades, trees, and the above treeline extreme experience. There is a total of 3,060 ski-able acres that includes 143 designated trails and 1,212 acres of off-piste terrain. Winter Park receives well over 300" of snow annually with over 389" in the 2008 season. With 25 lifts, it has an uphill capacity of 36,920 skiers per hour. With this amount of terrain and capacity it is still possible to find untracked powder for yourself days after a storm. You may however have to bribe a local to discover the best stashes.

Good terrain for those just learning to ski is Winter Park's award winning Discovery Park or as us locals say "Disco Park". Beginner level skiers can find gentle terrain accessed by the Gemini, Prospector, Olympia, and High Lonesome lifts. Intermediates can find more challenging terrain around the Pioneer, Sunnyside, and Panoramic lifts. Expert enthusiasts should check out terrain around the Challenger, Super Gauge, Iron Horse, and Eagle Wind lifts. Those looking for the extreme alpine experience should hike over to Vasquez Cirque.

Both skiers and snowboarders are at home at Winter Park. There are some traverses but, if you learn their locations, it is possible to find alternatives to avoid them. There are a variety of terrain parks rated from beginner to expert. Easy features can be found at Starter Park and Jack Kendrick. Intermediate features can be found at Jack Kendrick and Dog Patch. The more advanced park is Railyard, which contains the super-pipe. A park for the advanced to semi-pro is Dark Territory. To obtain entry to Dark Territory, one must first watch a safety video at Showcase Snowboards in the base village before you can buy an entry pass.

There are a variety of lodging options at Winter Park base village, the town of Winter Park, and Fraser. About a third of the lodging is available at the base village with more available in town or in nearby Granby. If you desire ski-in/out slope-side lodging, your current options are the Iron Horse or the Zephyr Mountain Lodge.

Currently, Apres-ski is somewhat limited at the base area and in town. At the base area most of the action can be found at the Derailer Bar, Doc's Roadhouse, Lime, or The Cheeky Monk. In town, some of the better happy hours can be found at The Pub or the Mirasol Cantina. If you desire something on the more untamed side with live music, visit the Crooked Creek Saloon in Fraser. Tamer apres-ski can be found at Five Mountain Tavern in the Vintage Hotel at the ski area. If you enjoy an active nightlife, dancing with an Australasian accent can be found at Freestyles Sports Bar.

There are a variety of eating establishments in Winter Park and Fraser. Winter Park favorites for locals and visitor's are: Hernando's for pizza, Deno's Mountain Bistro for casual dining, Randi's Irish Pub for pub fare, or New Hong Kong for Chinese. In the morning, be sure to pick up a fresh cup o' Joe at Rocky Mountain Roastery in either Winter Park or Fraser. They also have a terrific selection of teas and herbal teas.

To improve your skiing or riding, check out Winter Park's Ski & Ride School. Never-evers can take lessons through Easy Start lessons or Burton Learn to Ride lessons. If you already know how to ski or ride, your options are: group lessons, private lessons, semi-private lessons, specialty clinics and camps. For kids, a wide range of programs are available: skiers age 3-17 and snowboarders age 6-17.

If you are not into skiing or riding, there is an assortment of other winter activities to choose from. At Winter Park Resort you can go ski biking, take snowshoe tours, snowcat tours, or purchase a foot pass to ride the Zephyr Express to Sunspot. Fraser Tubing Hill offers frills from AM to PM. Guided snowmobile tours are also offered that start behind the Winter Park Mountain Lodge.

There are several ways to reach Winter Park. If you are arriving from DIA (Denver International Airport), one can either rent a car and drive or make reservations through Home James. If you don't feel like carrying luggage about on your trip there is a new service for the 08/09 season called SportsExpress. One of the more classic ways to travel to Winter Park is by train. Amtrak's California Zephyr services Winter Park daily with the train station located in Fraser. The free bus system services the train station and provides extensive service throughout Winter Park and Fraser. Greyhound has also recently re-established a limited route from Denver's Union Station through Winter Park.

Winter Park is a high alpine environment. The base area is at 9000 ft (2743m) and climbs to 12,000 ft (3657m). With a few precautions you can minimize altitude sickness. The best precaution is to arrive hydrated and stay well hydrated. If coming from sea level, take it easy your first day. Sunscreen and eye protection are highly recommended.

Winter Park is still owned by the City and County of Denver but it is now operated by Intrawest. Since taking over operations Intrawest has invested heavily in the infrastructure and continues to invest in the resort. Several new lifts have been installed and they have made terrain more accessible. Intrawest is now is the process of upgrading and expanding the base village area of Winter Park. Once completed, Winter Park will be a destination resort offering a larger range of non-ski activities, expanded nightlife, and a variety of shopping opportunities.

Winter Park offers an authentic Colorado skiing experience on the spine of the Continental Divide. Come for the skiing but leave with memories of friendly people and lifelong experiences. Discover why Winter Park is also known as Colorado's Favorite.

http://www.skiwinterpark.com/index.htm