It'll Be Grand!

What are you doing this weekend? If your plans consist of sitting in a bucket of ice in front of a fan...we have a better idea.

This Sunday, July 1st, is the grand opening of our new biking & hiking trails. Anyone who uses the trails between 10am and 3pm on Sunday will receive a coupon for a half-price lift ticket for the 07-08 season. We're also having a BBQ on the deck along with live music, Pepsi product samples, and huge deals from Loki. The Alpine Trader will be open as well as the Wildewood Restaurant. To top it all off, you can register to win a backpack full of adventure ($300 value)! This prize includes 2 lift tickets, an outdoor adventure package from the Inn at Wildewood, gear, and an Ogio backpack.

So come up for cooler weather (only 79 degrees this Sunday), biking & hiking, and good food.

p.s. If you just want to sit on the deck with a margarita in hand, that's cool too. The bar will be open. And can I come join you?

Top 10 Crashes

A couple of us were going through all of our pictures from the season. We are trying to design the season passes and plus cards for this season. Along the way we found some great crash shots. Here are the Top 10 Crash-n-Burn shots:

10.


9.


8.


7.


6.


5.


4.


3.


2.


1. And this is #1 because what is about to happen looks awful.

Disc Golf at Powderhorn

Well they've finally taken the duct tape off my mouth! We are excited to announce that we will be building an 18 hole Disc Golf course here at Powderhorn. The course is already staked out with a great design by local disc golfer Pete Wade. The baskets are on their way but will probably take two weeks to arrive. The course will be free to the public and open everyday all summer long. We'll keep you posted via the website and this blog on the progress of the project. You're the first to know...so go tell friends!

Mesa, CO

If you are not from the area, Mesa is a town just below Powderhorn. Many of our employees and die-hard skiers live in Mesa. Last night a fire spread quickly into the town and destroyed three homes. All the staff at Powderhorn would like to say our thoughts and prayers are with you Mesa and especially with those who lost their homes. We are very thankful that no one was hurt.

I Got Nothin'

Well for once I have nothing to say....that's pretty rare. It's business as usual up here today. Except this interesting group of clouds that just rolled by...

(click to enlarge)

Is it Warm in Here?

As Charley Brown so eloquently puts it: GOOD GRIEF!

The Weather Channel is showing Grand Junction at 101 degrees right now. That's hotter than a.....well you fill in the blank. But while the valley is roasting it's a nice 83 degrees here at Powderhorn. We generally run about 20 degrees cooler than the valley in the summer. Keep that in mind when kids are frying eggs on the sidewalk this summer.

Now she has the right idea

Trail Review

Check out this article published in the Free Press for a review of the bike trails. Thanks to writer Josh McDaniel for coming up and checking them out!

http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20070615/COMMUNITY_NEWS/70614024&SearchID=73284649727759

Several of us will be spending tomorrow morning on the trails to continue work on getting them as clean as possible. If you've ridden the trails you know there are a lot of little sticks here and there. We're hoping to get a lot of that cleaned up tomorrow along with touch-ups on brush cutting.

The trails are open 7 days/week and always free. Come join us July 1st for the grand opening! Everyone who rides or hikes gets a half price lift ticket for this season, plus we're BBQing on the deck, listening to music, and the Alpine Trader and Wildewood Restaurant will be open.

07-08 Rates

Season pass and lift ticket rates have just been released.

Lift Ticket pricing
Season Pass pricing

There are some changes to our pricing structure this year. First, we took the Young Adult category out of the age groups to fall in line with competition. If you are a Mesa State student, make sure you wait to buy your season pass. We'll be on campus a few times this fall offering you a huge deal! We also decided that it took a rocket scientist to figure out our previous ticket pricing charts....weekday, weekend, holiday rates etc., etc. So, we are changing to one rate for the entire season. No more paying extra on the weekends or holidays or on days that end with 'y'.

Season Passes saw a lot of changes this year. First off, you can get discounts all the way through November. The deals used to end Sept. 31 every year. The earlier you buy your pass, the more money you save! Buying a pass in August actually makes it $54 cheaper than last years pass (adult). If you are one of those people that typically works on weekends or just likes to have the powder all to themselves....you can now buy a Mid-Week Pass for even less! This pass is good only Monday-Fridays all season long but you still get all the great benefits of a full season pass.

Speaking of benefits, we're proud to welcome Monarch Mountain as a partner this year. You get 3 FREE days at Monarch with your Powderhorn pass.

Colorado Ski Country Annual Meeting

I just got back from the Colorado Ski Country Annual Meeting which was hosted by Copper Mountain this year. It was a great time. Among some great meetings and speakers, it was announced that Colorado set a new skier visit record for the second consecutive year! The state hosted 12.56 million skier visits over the season. That's a lot of people!

We also heard from some great speakers on the topic of diversity. It's something every resort in the state needs to pay more attention. At Powderhorn this season we hope to create a better environment to welcome guests from every ethnicity. Skiing and snowboarding are such great sports, we want to make sure everyone has a chance to try it out and join us in the powder. If any of you skiers/snowboarders reading this are bilingual...think about being a full or part-time instructor with Powderhorn this season! It's ok if you don't have teaching experience, if you've got a good attitude we can help make you a great teacher. Plus you get a free season pass and free or discounted skiing at every resort in the state! Email us at ski@powderhorn.com if you are interested.

Excuse Me...

....you have a customer.

Skiing + Gymnastics + Ice Skating?

Just a little something for you to try out this season....

Thanks!

Thanks to all those that came up this weekend and were the first to ride the new trails. We hope you had a great time. Several of you left us messages on the board and we encourage anyone who rides the trails to give us your feedback. You can write a message on the board at the trailhead, call us at 970-268-5700, or email us at ski@powderhorn.com

A few of the messages/tips from this weekend:

• Watch out for ticks. -If you need info about these little buggers go here
• Please cut the sticks. -We will be continuing trail maintenance
• 2 bears sighted on Rock Garden Loop yesterday. -Snap pictures but give them space, always make noise!

Make sure you've got the details on the Grand Opening of the trails to be celebrated July 1. Every rider that day gets a half price lift ticket for the 07-08 season!

Summer Packages & Deals

Boy do we have a deal for you! Yeah right you've heard that before huh? Well these actually are really good.

If you are on our text message list, you have a deal coming your way soon! Buy 1 entree get the second half off! The food at Wildewood Restaurant is amazing (and I'm not just saying that because I'm supposed to) so make sure you come find out for yourself, and bring a friend! If you are not on the list and want to be, starting tomorrow (June 8) you can text the word DEALS to 95495 and get hooked up with the same deal!

The Inn at Wildewood has put together some amazing summer packages for the outdoor enthusiast, romantic getaway, or a girl's night out. They all include lodging, food, and gift baskets! Go here to check out the details.

And Father's Day is coming up! If your Dad likes fishing, hiking, and good BBQ then he'll love this. I'm sure he loves neckties too but this is even better! $129 includes a one night stay for two, $30 gift certificate for Saturday Steak Night, and Sunday Brunch for two. It'll be his best Father's Day yet! Call 970-268-5170 for reservations.

07-08 Season Passes

A few people are thinking snow already (we like that) and have asked about next year's season passes. We are changing up the structure a little bit this year. While I don't have pricing yet (that will be available June 11), here is the new structure. You get to pick your discount this year and the pass sale runs all the way up to December at discounted prices. In the past, you could no longer get a discount after September 30.

August 40% off
Sept 30% off
Oct 20% off
Nov 10% off

Pass benefits this year will include the FREE day at Crested Butte as well as 2 half prices days. I am also working on a reciprocal deal to include Monarch Mountain this year for 3 FREE days. All other discounts and benefits at Powderhorn will remain the same.

If you are a Mesa State student this is important information for you: We will be on campus at least twice this fall selling season passes at a special rate just for you! It's going to be an awesome deal. Look for details around campus and in the Criterion as we get closer.

If you have purchased a season pass in the past, watch your mailboxes next month for a postcard giving you the details on when & how to buy.

Workhorses

Just a quick post to let you know we're still alive up here. Everyone is helping out to get the mtn. bike trails looking good. I'm on my way to do more cutting right now. In fact we are naming the loops this morning. If you have any ideas let us know!

UPDATE: We saw a large male black bear while placing signage on the mtn. bike trails this morning! He was about 50 yards away and walking toward us. I am kicking myself that I didn't take a camera with me! Please bear in mind (that was a ridiculous pun and I apologize) that these animals are in the area when you are bike riding or hiking up here this summer. Be smart!