A Bump in the Road

Due to a few glitches, we are moving the opening of our biking & hiking trails to next Friday, June 8. Our signage did not arrive in time and we would like to do a little more trail maintenance before opening to the public.

I went and road one of the loops today for the first time. If you just ride in and do one loop in takes about an hour. The ride down is a blast...the ride back out is a bear but we are exploring another route that would involve more switchbacks. Next week we will be building bridges for creek crossings, doing more brush cutting, posting signage and clearing out some rocks.

For the first few weeks that the trails are open we will be in "beta testing". At this time we welcome any comments and suggestions. Most of those working on the trails are not mtn. bikers and I am an intermediate rider at best so, we will be involving riders from local bike shops to test our trails and depend on you for suggestions. So give us some time and we'll work hard to develop some great trails here at Powderhorn!

p.s. There is a rumor going around that we are putting in lift served downhill trails. That is not the case this year so please help squash the rumor! Don't want anyone waiting by the lifts...they'd be waiting a long time.

Autocross Action

This Sunday is the first Autocross race of the summer! Catch the action from 9am to 4pm

So what exactly is Autocross? Autocrossing is a low-speed competitive driving event. A course is set up in a parking lot with cones and cars are timed through the course. Most cars will be able to complete the entire course in second gear. The low speeds of the event mean that it's safe and non-destructive, but don't think that it's boring! Autocrossing is an excellent way to develop car control skills and get some competition experience at low cost.

The Red Rock Racers are a well organized club that puts these events together. Beginner drivers are welcome! For more details check out www.redrockracers.com

Early Teasers

Some film companies are already getting their teasers online...just to make us salivate until the full length features are available this fall. Here are a couple...

Picture This- Mack Dawg Productions


Mind The Gap- Poor Boyz Productions

Back to Work

Sorry for the distance between posts...I was obviously not at work. I hope everyone had a great Memorial Weekend. If you are as exhausted as I am right now, then you had a fun weekend.

Last week I attended a meeting in Salida that was put on by Colorado Ski Country. About 25 people from almost every ski resort in the state attended the meeting. It's always a fun time when all of us get together. You would think that, being in competition for Colorado skiers, we wouldn't necessarily hang out with each other but that's not the case. The great thing about the ski industry is the friendships and the fact that people tend to encourage and help each other out regardless of the resort. These meetings typically include a few hours of nose-to-the-grindstone stuff and then twice as much time goofing off. For example, this week we had a cocktail hour (ok actually about 3 hours) at the Monarch offices in Salida. Then we met for 3 hours the following morning and then went rafting the rest of the day on the Arkansas River. This was all followed up by an amazing dinner at Laughing Ladies in downtown Salida. As you can see it's about 10% work and 90% fun. I recommend working in the ski industry.

I'll have information for you this week regarding summer projects here at Powderhorn. I just need to find out what's going on first!

Biking Update

Yesterday I went down to help do some brush cutting on the mountain bike trails. They are looking really fun so far! At this point we have an East Loop, Lower Loop, and West Loop. The plan is to build another loop but the weather may hold us up a bit this week as it is snowing right now. At least 4 loops will be built with a fun drop in to the whole area. It's a climb coming out though! Overall there's a pretty even amount of uphill, downhill, and flatter sections as well as some technical rock sections and creek crossings.












The view from the parking area. The first reservoir you can see in this picture is the central area where most of the loops meet.

Hummingbirds

We have lots of hummingbirds here at Powderhorn. They are always fascinating to watch because they can move so fast and are unlike other birds in what they eat and how they fly. Did you know...

Hummingbirds only weigh about 1/10 of an ounce, about as much as a single penny.

They stay warm by eating and moving almost constantly.

A hummingbird's heart beats about 1,000 times per minute.

They fly 24 to 30 miles per hour and up to 60 miles per hour when defending food supplies or attracting mates.

And they eat about half their body weight each day to support their extreme metabolism.

Whew! Wish I had that kind of metabolism myself...

Memorial Weekend Special!

The Inn at Wildewood is offering a pretty amazing special over Memorial Weekend. $189 gets you a 2 night stay, dinner, and brunch for two people. And let me tell you, the new chefs at Wildewood are cooking up amazing food and I'm not just saying that because I work here. For reservations call 970-268-5170.

This is the menu for Saturday Steak Nights....mmmm

Prime Rib
Queen Cut- $17.95
King Cut- $21.95

Steak Dianne- $14.95
Medallions of sauteed Top Sirloin finished in a tangy mushroom dijon demi glaze

Jamaican Chicken- $12.95
Chicken breast seasoned with island spices grilled to order topped with a brandy mango chutney, spicy!

Alaskan Cob Loins- $15.95
Sauteed cod loin topped with pine nut dill Burre Blanc

Veggie Option- $10.95
Chef select choice

All entrees come with your choice of soup or salad, your starch, and a medley of vegetables.

Hiking Humor

16 Steps to Build a Campfire

1. Split dead limb into fragments and shave one fragment into slivers.
2. Bandage left thumb.
3. Chop other fragments into smaller fragments.
4. Bandage left foot.
5. Make structure of slivers (include those embedded in hand.)
6. Light Match
7. Light Match
8. Repeat "a Scout is cheerful" and light match.
9. Apply match to slivers, add wood fragments, and blow gently into base of fire.
10. Apply burn ointment to nose.
11. When fire is burning, collect more wood.
12. Upon discovering that fire has gone out while out searching for more wood, soak wood from can labeled "kerosene."
13. Treat face and arms for second-degree burns.
14. Re-label can to read "gasoline."
15. When fire is burning well, add all remaining firewood.
16. When thunder storm has passed, repeat steps.

Actual Forest Service Complaints

A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.

Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.

Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.

Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.

Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals.

All the mile markers are missing this year.

Found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse.

Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.

Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.

Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter.

Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.

The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.

Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.

Need more signs to keep area pristine.

A McDonald's would be nice at the trailhead.

Too many rocks in the mountains.

The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.

Talking the Talk

The fact that mountain biking is almost here is getting us excited. I'm thinking of bringing my bike to work almost every day and try to get myself into shape. I like to mountain bike but I don't have a $5000 bike and I don't have those clippy shoes...those scare me. So I thought I'd better prepare myself to know what you bike enthusiats are talking about. Here is what I found.

Baby heads: small boulders about the size of. . yea, that's right. . .a baby's head.
Bagging a Peak: Making it to the summit of a mountain.
Bagging Out: Canceling a ride for something other than a death in the family.
Bagger: A person that habitually bags out. Also known as a loser.
Bonk: Reaching the point of exhaustion.
Boulder Garden: Section of road or trail that is covered with basketball sized or larger boulders.
Dab: Taking your foot off the pedal and touching the ground.
Doubletrack: Overgrown road that is like two parallel trails.
Endo: Going over the handlebars. Usually accompanies by "Oh _____!"
Euell Gibbons Trail: Means that "some parts are rideable."
Excedrin Descent: Bone jarring downhill that rattles your brain (providing you have one).
Feeling Nedly: When older riders are having a particular strong outing.
Gnarly: An 80's term for a particular steep and rough section of trail.
Gnarly Dude: Southern Californian for Gnarly.
Gonzo: Riding with reckless abandon. Not generally appropriate for singletrack.
Hammer: Someone in great shape, who goes all out most of the time.
To Hammer: To stand up on the pedals and go all out.
Pokes: Short for slow pokes. This is someone that always lingers in the back of the pack. This is not a crime.
Portage: To carry your bike.
Poser: Rider that emulates the look of Southern California magazine bike geeks.
Powder Run: Extremely dusty section of trail.
Lycra Lizards: Someone that predominately rides on the pavement. Other names include road geek, roadies, bike nerds, etc.
Ugly Geek Jerseys: Shirts worn by posers that are covered with advertising logos to which they are receiving no compensation.

Taking 'Crazy' to A New Level

The Powderhorn trails have now been flagged and cutting will take place next Monday & Tuesday. We're getting closer!

Get Your Powderhorn Stuff!

We've added a new feature to our website. You can now buy several Alpine Trader items online! T-shirts, hats, and hoodies are available online now with more items added in the future. Makes for great gifts. Go here to check it out.

The Alpine Trader is bursting at the seams with new summer arrivals. One of my personal favorites are the chocolate covered sunflower seeds, delicious! If you're heading up the mesa, make sure to stop by, have a cup of coffee with us, and check out the store.

And don't forget, this Sunday is Mother's Day! The Mother's Day brunch at Wildewood Restaurant is filling up fast, make sure and get your reservation soon. Call 268-5170.

Curious Little Things Aren't They?

Various animals have been wandering around lately. They seem pretty curious about our daily activities. I'm not really sure why...most of us are rather boring to watch.

Here is the swallow that sits on my window sill every day and watches me work. If he isn't watching me he must be tracking all the flies crawling on my windows. Me vs. the flies....so far they are winning. I would love to let this little guy loose on them.




And here is another fox that came to investigate the goings-on at the Sunset Grille on Monday.






Perhaps the most curious of all animals around the lodge are the chipmunks. These little guys will make their way into your office just to say Hi. Unfortunately we are not expecting their company when they drop in and the encounter usually involves some screaming and flailing of the arms. Last summer a chipmunk, who has apparently seen Mission Impossible, made his way into the rental shop through a cracked window, across the shop and into the main lobby, then through a vent into the Alpine Trader. He made this trip several times a day. Upon further investigation we found that he was a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms. By the time we caught him in the act, he must have stored up a full winter supply of colorful chocolate candies.

Victory Dance

We're doing a little victory dance today as it was just announced that Powderhorn has won the 2006/07 Best Overall Marketing Program from the National Ski Areas Association. The announcement was made yesterday in California during the NSAA National Convention. Powderhorn was up against other resorts from the US and Canada. Winners are broken down into categories based on size. Congratulations to these other winners...

Up to 99,999 visits: Powderhorn Resort, CO
100,000 – 250,000 skier visits: Angel Fire Resort, NM
250,000 – 500,000 skier visits: Stevens Pass, WA
500,000 or more skier visits: Okemo Mountain Resort, VT

So what does that really mean? Well we won for our text messaging program. So if you are on our text message list, THANKS! Powderhorn was one of a small handful of resorts across America that started using this form of marketing. To put it quite frankly...it's cheap for us, and hopefully delivers good information and deals to you, our loyal customers. Those on our text message list will be the first to hear about the opening of the mtn. bike trails and receive specail deals throughout the summer and next season. If you want to be in the loop, just text the word DEALS to 95495. It's a free service and you can opt out anytime.

Thanks again to those of you that jumped on board this year!

A Snowy Weekend

Sounds like the weather was a little crazy all over the state this weekend with white-out conditions on the passes as well as tornadoes on the plains. The top of the Mesa received about a foot of snow! As you drive up the mountain, many of the runs look skiable again...quite odd for May. This recent storm did put a little delay in the start of our work on the mountain bike trails. But the forecast is calling for highs is the 50s and 60s for the mesa by mid-week so we should be underway soon.

If you are an avid mountain biker and have an interest in helping out with our new trail system, leave a comment or email me at sallen@powderhorn.com

Have a great Monday!

'Spring Into Fashion' This Weekend!

Just a reminder post of the big doins up here this weekend:

First Take Productions and Powderhorn present the "Spring Into Fashion" auction and fashion show to benefit Community in Action. This is going to be a really fun event. The evening includes a silent auction, social hour with cocktails & hors d'oeuvres, fashion show with professional models, and after party with entertainment by rising country star Kelly J. Tons of sponsors, national designers, and professional models will make this one party you don't want to miss!

Saturday, May 5
Social Hour- 5:30pm
Show begins- 6:30pm
After party- 9:30pm

Tickets are $20 advance and $30 at the door. All proceeds benefit Community in Action!Semi-formal dress is required

Models are starting to arrive today and the production crew is currently setting up the stage and runway. We've had great companies donate tons of good food and the models will be sporting some impressive lines. If you've been wanting something different to do on a Saturday night, this is definitely it!

Webcams From All Over

To be quite honest, this post doesn't really have anything to do with skiing. But I figure most of our readers are the adventurous type and might be interested in this. We hope you've enjoyed the Powderhorn webcam this year. It's been a great tool to get a quick view of what the weather is doing up here. Thanks to the digital revolution, you can see live views of what's going on all over the world. Check out these links to some pretty impressive webcams. You can tour other countries from your office chair....just don't get caught by the boss.

Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park- watch the geyser erupt live! Tip: look in the upper left corner of the cam for next predicted erruption.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt- try to catch it early in the day or later in the evening (our time) to catch a glimpse of them in the light
http://www.pyramidcam.com/

Yosemite National Park- live shot of the Ansel Adams view
http://www.teamsk.org/y_webcams.html

Yavapai Point, Grand Canyon
http://grand-canyon.com/grand_canyon_cam.htm

Panama Canal- live view of ships entering the locks
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

Niagara Falls
http://www.fallsview.com/Stream/StarDotTechCamRefresh.shtml

Where Do They All Come From?

If you've ever bought a lift ticket at Powderhorn you've probably been asked for your zip code. We collect over 50,000 zip codes over the whole season. It takes a couple weeks to compile these, but then we get to find out where everyone is coming from. Obviously most people are from the Grand Valley. But several other areas pop up as well as other states.

79% of those from Colorado are from the Grand Valley
10% of those from Colorado are from the Delta/Montrose area
3% of those from Colorado are from the Denver area

Top States
-Colorado
-Texas
-California
-Arizona
-Utah
-Washington
-Florida