Thursday, December 31, 2009

Poudre

The type of powder we have right now could be more appropriately referred to as "poudre" because it's so wonderfully light and delicate. No offense to the french.

It's what so many people call "champagne" powder. But we can't call it that. Steamboat has the rights and I don't want to get in trouble.

Here's how the snow has stacked up so far this season:

Last 7 days: 24"
December: 77"
Winter to-date: 107"

Keep it coming!



Just a reminder- you can follow us on Twitter for updates in real time!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Moose Sighting

Brian Bennett sent these snapshots of a momma moose and calf. He spotted them when leaving the resort a few days ago.


Send us your pictures of playing at PH anytime! ski@powderhorn.com

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

New Year's Eve

2010 is rapidly approaching! And just when I finally got myself trained to write 2009 on my checks....sheesh.

Here's the full schedule of everything going on up here for New Years:

Ski & Ride all day! Lifts 9am-4pm

Dinner at the Sunset Grille 4-7pm
Italian style buffet
$12 adults
$8 ages 4-10
Under 4 are free!

Music by Record Setters 4-8pm

Rail Jam 5-6pm
Watch 20 of Powderhorn's top skiers and riders compete. Located between the Base Lodge and Skier's Union/Inn at Wildewood.

Torchlight Parade & Fireworks 6pm
Our instructors and ski patrol snake down the mountain with red torches while fireworks blast over the mountain culminating with the "Fire Ring Jump of Death". If you've never seen this show, come check it out! No need to be a skier to enjoy this.

Dinner & Party at the Skier's Union Cafe & Bar
Dinner: 3 seatings from $25-35 per person. Call for reservations 970-268-5163. DJ and party following dinner.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Week in Photos

A few monks (yes that's what I said) came to ski early this week. They LOVE the snow and come to Powderhorn this time every year. He's not hurt, just hanging with the redcoats.





Santa was spotted delivering toys out on the slopes....or he was just carrying that bag to make it look like he was working.






We got a big fat Christmas present wrapped in white...




And the park crew just got a nice jump built on Maverick with a perfect backdrop of a snowy valley


Maverick's Picks

Maverick got a new board for Christmas and was spotted all over the mountain yesterday breaking it in. Here's his picks for the week:


Run: Powderkeg is soft right now and diving in and out of the trees on either side is always fun.


Food: the snow is so good I've been eating on the go for max ride time. Any of the sandwiches-to-go from the Trader Cafe or Sunset Grille are great. There are different sandwiches all named after different ski runs.


Gear: These last 2 days I've been loading up in the morning on hand warmers in the Alpine Trader. They're only $2 and make my day a million times better!


Feature: I got to test out the new step-over jump on Maverick! I figured since its on my signature run I should get first crack at the jump. Never mind the fur left behind in the landing. Next stop: Freeriders camp starting January 10.


Apres: tasting the local flavor with a Palisade Red Truck beer from the Sunset Bar.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Face Shots


Aren't face shots just about the best thing ever? They make grown men giggle like wee-little girls. We got it today!

There's a cloud camping out on the mountain, still dumping snow. Also making visibility a little interesting. There are skiers in these pics somewhere...



Check out this board....pure awesome.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Presents

What do you get a ski area for Christmas? That's easier than buying for your Twilight obsessed pre-teen.

SNOW!

Looks like we could collect 8" of new snow by Christmas morning. What a nice gift!
After you unwrap that new board, get it to the mountain ASAP! You can register your new equipment daily at Guest Services. This provides the Mesa County Sheriff with information on your new toy in case something should happen. We have extra staff working after Christmas just to help deter those grinches that would try something so cruel. While this is rare, be smart, lock up your stuff! Locks are available in the Alpine Trader.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Maverick's Picks

Maverick has been out doing his usual "research" and has submitted his favorites for the week:

Run: Redeye on the West End. A fun, wide groomer with soft snow and lots of twists & turns.

Food item: the sweet fries at the Sunset Grille mmmmmm!

Gear: anything by Dakine on the giant glove wall in the Alpine Trader. They have sizes big enough for my hooves.

Equipment: thought I'd teach myself a thing or two and rented a telemark ski package. Turns out I should probably just take the Tele Clinic this Saturday.

Apres: a nice cold Odell Cutthroat Porter at the Sunset Bar. I also joined the pint club for my new PH glass and deals all season.

Protein: a bison burger over at the Skier's Union Cafe & Bar. Thank god they don't serve moose!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Conditions Report

This is a first hand report from the marketing office- conditions are GOOD! Its hard for many of us to be in the office right now when good turns are to be had just outside. The snow is soft and fun to carve. If you haven't been out yet, make plans to get here this weekend!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Upcoming Events

The season is in full swing now! We're hitting the ground running with fun events for you and your family. Here's the rundown for December:

This Saturday the 19th
Breakfast With Santa
8-10am
Sunset Grille
Bring the kids for a breakfast buffet with Santa, then look for him out on the slopes later in the day!

Christmas Eve Service
Join Alpine Resort Ministries at 7pm in the Sunset Grille for the annual Christmas Eve service.

December 27th
1-2pm
Terrain Park
FREE TRYOUTS for the New Year's Eve Rail Jam
We're changing things up this year! The feature on New Year's Eve will be pretty unique, something you haven't seen at Powderhorn before. In order to compete you MUST tryout. Tryouts are free and open to everyone. The park crew will select the top 10 skiers and top 10 snowboarders. The New Year's Eve Jam costs $10 with prize packs for winners. The tryouts will take place on a standard/existing park feature. Please DO NOT tryout if you cannot attend the New Year's Eve event.

December 31st
Torchlight Parade & Fireworks Show
Dinner Buffet at the Sunset Grille
New Year's Eve Rail Jam
It all begins as the mountain closes at 4pm. Grab dinner in the Sunset Grille then watch the Rail Jam at the base area. The torchlight parade & fireworks will begin at dark. This is the most unique event in the Grand Valley, don't miss it!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

It's Here!

It's finally here!
This gang of hardcore kids got here at 5:40am to catch the first chair privledges. I guarantee many of our employees weren't even awake yet.














Friday, December 11, 2009

Maverick's Picks

It's time to start our new weekly blog by our mascot, Maverick the Moose. His job consists of skiing, eating and generally goofing off. So each week he'll give us the rundown of his favorite things around the mountain. I have to type it for him though, those hooves aren't keyboard friendly!


Run: Bill's Run is groomed and going to the be the best warm up run for the 2009-10 season.

Breakfast: cinnamon roll at the Sunset Grille. A moose needs carbs for skiing powder!

Lunch: the world-famous sirloin fillet burger at our new Skier's Union Cafe & Bar hit the spot.

Gear: Got myself a new O'neill jacket at the Alpine Trader. It's pretty colorful, can't miss me!

Apres: Bailey's and HoCho (hot chocolate) at the Sunset Bar warmed me up nicely.

And a special treat, Maverick wrote us a little poem...

Twas the night before Opening Day, and all through the house
Everyone was stirring, and planning with their spouse.
The skis were placed on the car with care,
In hopes of scoring Powderhorn's first chair!


See you on the slopes!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Open Terrain

Ski Patrol & Slope Maintenance have done a great job managing all this snow. We'll be opening 75-80% of the mountain on Saturday. Here is the projected list of open terrain:

Bill's Run
Maverick
Equalizer
Lower Equalizer
Yoohoo
Powderkeg
Showdown
Harold's Way
Quickdraw
Racer's Edge
Wonderbump
Peacemaker
Greenhorn
Looky Looky
Dude
Whistle Pig
Bottom's Up
EZ
Redeye
Snowcloud
Sweet Misery
Hooker
Cow Camp
Tenderfoot

Tentative:
Cannonball
Bear Claw

Lifts: 4/4
Terrain Parks: 1/2 (3 feature line)
All services open

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Terrain Parks

A lot of people have been asking on here what to expect from the terrain park crew this year. Well, I finally have some answers for you.

For starters, the parks will be located in the traditional areas. On opening day you can expect at least a 3 feature line to include boxes and wall ride. Every Friday throughout the season the park will have 1-3 new features. Something fresh every weekend!

We're planning a lot of great events. First off, the New Year's Eve Rail Jam. This competition will be very different from those in the past. Click here for the details. If you want to participate, you gotta plan ahead! Open rail jams, slopestyle, kid's only comp and some goofy stuff are all in the works. Information on that to come.

Take a moment this weekend to say hi to Joe Pope, our new park manager! Joe has 10 years of park building experience. We're going to see a lot of great things from him.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

OPENING DAY

HERE WE GO

We will be opening this Saturday, December 12th!

Lifts open at 9am
It's undetermined at this time how much of the mountain will be open. Chance of snow all week so it's looking good!

See you Saturday

Snow Day!

Snow makes us giddy. It's like we're all little kids again! With all of Grand Junction basically shut down, it's a miracle we all made it to work today. So far we've received 24" of snow and it's still snowing HARD.

Digging out

We'll be making a decision today so check back for an update!

Monday, December 07, 2009

Now It Gets Interesting

Old Man Winter is throwing our first winter test at us.



Can we handle it? OH YEAH!

This is when it gets real interesting for us at Powderhorn. We've done a great job preparing all departments for a possible early opening. So now, we just look out the window and watch it snow. Hoping for the best.

We have a meeting at 1pm tomorrow to discuss the possibility of opening on Thursday (one week early). It all depends on what this storm does today and tonight. There's a lot of wind, so it's not accumulating right now as much as we'd like. If Thursday is a no-go, we'll see what the storm does the rest of the week and begin talking about an early opening on Saturday.

I'll keep you posted!

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Waiting & Watching

We're obsessively watching the forecast hoping to see lots of flakes popping up. And, looks like that's exactly what's happening! We're paying close attention to a storm rolling in on Sunday. If it brings the snowfall we need, we'll open early. A decision whether or not to open on Thursday, December 10th will be made on Tuesday the 8th. We'll post info on the website, blog, Twitter, Facebook....generally the whole world will know.

Mountain crews have been working hard making snow every night at the base area. We're ahead of schedule there. The guys have also been inspecting every area around the mountain. Right now, we'd need a good 2 foot storm to fill in the upper half of the mountain. Hey, it could happen....remember last year? Powder opening. Wouldn't that be nice again?

Stay tuned....

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Christmas Shopping

Did the very mention of Christmas shopping just make your heart beat a little faster? And bead of sweat roll down your face?

Yeah, it does that to me too.

We have some easy ideas for your snowsliding friends and family!

- Lift tickets are available for purchase in Grand Junction at Board & Buckle, Gene Taylor's Sporting Goods, Traz Snow & Skate, and Sports Authority.

- Plus Cards are available through December 31st. It's $50 for the card and they'll get $7 off every lift ticket, 5th day free, and an entire week of free skiing in February.

- Gift Cards are also available. You can purchase them in any amount and they can be used for lift tickets, food, rentals, lessons, and merchandise. To order, call 970-268-5700.

- The Alpine Trader will be open as soon as the mountain opens and offers all the new Powderhorn apparel, goggles, outerwear, bags, hats and other gifts. If you're a season pass holder, show your pass for 10% off!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Countdown

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and has recovered from tryptophan comas! We're back at it, getting in the final touches for opening day. Have you seen the website? We're so excited we're even counting down the milliseconds until we open.

It would be nice to see another storm in the forecast before we make any decisions about changing the opening day. Start prayin for low pressure!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Ullr Weekend

Between our snow dance and The Outdoor Junkie's snow party/ski day....we better get some love this season!

A group of snow-lovers celebrated this weekend by skinning up the mountain and rode the white stuff in tribute to Ullr.


Niiiiiiiice!
The hat definitely helps
Those piles of man-made snow look so some, fluffy and inviting...but they're deceptive piles of ice capable of taking down any level skier!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Official Snow Dance

Today was our employee orientation/party/official snow dance. It was great to see everyone back and so excited for the 09-10 season!

After all the formal stuff was complete, the food & beverage department cooked us up a big dinner.



Then it was time for the main event...
THE BONFIRE



That would be one of our Ski Patrollers in his high-tech fire resistant suit...made out of tin foil. Safety first!

Once the fire was sufficient, the snow dancing began.





Hey, we're not claiming to be professionals...but I'd say it was a pretty effective dance.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

28 Days

Yep, that's it. But...let's hope it's even less!
Are you ready for Opening Day?

Have you blocked out December 17th on your calendar?
Do you have your boards waxed and edges tuned?
Are the batteries charged in your camera?
Have you washed your long underwear since last season?
Do you have your pass or Plus Card?
Have you already decided who's getting the coffee that morning? And who's driving?
Do you have 2 alarm clocks, in case one malfunctions?


Get it together people! Your season depends on it :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Snow Pics

After two storms we've hit at least 30" already this pre-season. Let's hope that's a good sign for snow this winter.

Here's some pics of the snow and folks playing at Powderhorn this past weekend. Thanks to Nicky, manager of the Inn at Wildewood for snapping these.










Saturday, November 14, 2009

Bright Lights, No Sleep and Fish Tacos

A small Powderhorn delegation is over here in Denver selling tickets and chatting with stoked skiers & riders at the Ski & Snowboard Expo. With one day down, we're getting ready to start the busy Saturday.

It started to sleet here in Denver last night and that only made people more excited to gear up. We saw a line around the block last night for the Warren Miller show at the Paramount. People are ready!

The bright lights of the convention hall really wear you down after 10 hours but hanging out with everyone is really fun. This lady had the cutest snowboard bear in memory of her brother who was lost recently. Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us!





We've had very little sleep...there's a lot of catching up to do with our friends from other resorts. But we're ready to go so come down to the Colorado Convention Center and get your deals! We've got 2 lift tickets for $53 and FREE Wahoo's Fish Tacos!

p.s. looks like a few new inches of snow at the mountain! Not sure how many, everyone is too busy dealing with the Job Fair today to answer my constant badgering about the snow :)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Denver Ski & Snowboard Expo

We're hoping in the car right now to head over to Denver for the next 4 days. Snow is in the forecast for the high country (3-7" at Powderhorn tonight) so the skis are being inconspicuously packed.

If you're a front ranger, come to the CO Convention Center Friday, Saturday, or Sunday for the big ski expo. We'll have lift tickets 2 for $53, no blackouts! It's also a great time to find deals on new gear.

See you at the expo!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Snowmaking

The guns are in place....now we just need temperatures to drop. We're looking for temps below 25 degrees to make snow. Dew point and humidity also play vital roles. It really is a science. Looks like temps will be dropping and more natural snow is on the way. Even better!


Monday, November 09, 2009

Tis the Season

The season of travel...and deals...and getting ready. Not THAT season. Is anyone else already frustrated with the number of Christmas commercials on TV? It's not even Thanksgiving yet! Sheesh.

Sorry that was off topic.

This week we're continuing our preparations as we head rapidly toward opening day. All our seasonal managers are coming back this week for our big Managers Orientation. This is when we discuss changes/new programs for the season, exchange ideas, and catch up after a long summer. We're also loading up the car to head to Denver this week for the big Ski & Snowboard Expo at the Colorado Convention Center. If you're in the area, come by Friday, Saturday or Sunday and score 2 lift tickets for $53 at the Powderhorn booth. You'll also find lots of good deals on gear.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Ski Swap! If you didn't pick up your pass, we'll begin mailing them out this week.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Ski Swap

Wow it's November already? It's good when the pre-season goes by fast don't you think? Flipping our calendars over to November just kicked up our blood pressure up a notch. So much to do, so little time!

This week we're preparing for the big Ski Swap this Saturday at Two Rivers Convention Center. Grab some coffee and be there when doors open at 7am for the best deals. By the way I like small skinny mochas...

The Powderhorn booth will be easy to spot. Come get your season pass photo taken, buy your Plus Card, or pick up your pass. Passes that aren't picked up at the swap will then be mailed in the 2 weeks following. If you have questions, please stop by and ask away! We'll have all the information on our upcoming events, ski school programs, and deals. And, of course, new stickers!

Don't forget to grab your Warren Miller show ticket at the swap. The show is the same day, 8pm at the Avalon Theatre.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Morning Elk

A herd of elk were hanging out in the snow this morning just below the mountain. Sorry for the quality of the pictures, they were taken from the car as we passed.


I'm sure there's a hunter or two drooling over that guy in the middle.
p.s. Yep, it's still snowing! Just eyeballing it, but we've picked up another 4" at least down here at the base area. If you're on Twitter, follow us for updates throughout the day! www.twitter.com/SkiPowderhorn

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

What's All This?

In a matter of 24 hours we went from mild temperatures and a dry mountain to looking like December or January...definitely not October. This storm has really delivered! We're up to 12" and it's still snowing.

Just for fun, the first snow in-
2007
October 30: 6"

2008
November 6: 4"

2009
October 28: 12+"



UPDATE: Snow stake reading 11am- 21"
WOW!!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

First Snow!

It's official: today is the first snow day for the 2009-10 season! It just started this morning and could continue through Thursday. Looking at the forecast, we could see all the way up to 17" from this storm! That's an incredibly good start.

Webcam
NOAA Forecast

We're extremely impressed with your snow dancing abilities!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Gear Up

Frost on the windshield this morning made me think it may be time to dig up my jacket for the season. When looking through the closet for the jacket, I found my horribly tattered gloves. Better get some new ones this year. And, when you give a mouse a cookie, why not pants...helmet...goggles...skis?

If you've discovered some gear in your closet that needs replacing for the season, here are some great ways to find a deal.

Tramdock posts different deals throughout the day on hardgoods and outerwear
Steep and Cheap is the same thing but focuses on outerwear
Backcountry.com has everything and is currently running a sale with up to 40% off

The Ski Swap is coming up on November 7th from 7am-4pm. You can find deals on equipment and outerwear but come early for the best selection.

New this year, our very own Alpine Trader is carrying O'Neill and Cloudveil outerwear. They have some really great stuff. The Trader also carries local favorite Loki, Smith Optics, Dakine, Spy, and Swaney. The Alpine Trader will be open every day this season from 8:30am-4:30pm.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Answer Guys

We are the answer guys! If you haven't already, check out the conversation taking place on the previous post regarding terrain parks. Join the convo and get your 2 cents in! As always, if you have any questions please let us know. You can post it in a comment or email ski@powderhorn.com. Often whatever you're wondering about, someone else is too.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Terrain Park News

We got an excellent question on the last post. Will there be anything new in the terrain park this year?

Thanks for asking. We're actually making plans to change things up this year. The park will be moving, actually the plan is to have pockets of features spread throughout the mountain. So you can take laps with lots of variety. You'll see the classic stuff with some new creativity and roller sections. The new park manager (to be announced soon) will be designing the park layout. Plus you'll see it change up more often through the season.

The kid's park on EZ is going to see strong improvement too and a competition just for the little guys. Another Magic Forest course is being cut soon too for the ski school groups to enjoy.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

We're Motivated!

Sorry for the delay in posts. Several of us on the management team were in Denver for a business seminar/motivational pep rally. Let me tell you, we're motivated! But it doesn't take a seminar for that. Just dropping temps and the smell of snow in the air. In fact, right now it looks like it could snow any minute.

Things are moving along pretty quickly around here as we prep for season. FYI for the pass holders, you can pick up your season pass (or have your photo taken) at Gene Taylor's on Oct. 24th from 10am-4pm. See you there!

Friday, October 09, 2009

Warren Miller Show

Just got off the phone with the Warren Miller guys. They're bringing the show to GJ on November 7th, starting at 8pm at the Avalon Theatre. It's the same day as the Ski Swap so you can get all your gear, your season pass, then get rowdy with friends at the show! Tickets are $15 in advance (get them at the Ski Swap) and $18 at the door. Each ticket gets you a buy one, get one free lift ticket deal valid Monday-Fridays all season.

Click here to watch the trailer!
(sorry this thing won't let me embed the video for some reason....GRRRR)

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Open Season

It's officially ski season in Colorado! With Loveland opening yesterday and A-Basin opening tomorrow, the state is off to an early start. As I type this, it's spitting snow outside here at Powderhorn. The season will be here before we know it! This is cause for great excitement, and total panic, for those of us on staff. We've got a lot to do before we fire up the lifts, but we're working hard because we want to ski soon, just like the rest of you.

Here's some of the things going on around the mountain-

The new restaurant managers are moving in and changing the Wildewood into the Skiers' Union Cafe & Bar.

All the signage around the resort is changing to reflect our new logo.

Season passes are being printed every day and Plus Cards are on sale.

Snowmaking equipment is being prepared and tested.

The Alpine Trader is unloading all the new winter gear.

New trail maps and other materials are being printed.

And we're staffing up soon! Job Fair is on Nov. 14 at the Base Lodge from 9am-noon. It's pretty dang fun being able to ski/ride at work....you should give it a try!

Friday, October 02, 2009

West Bench Trail

A couple of us headed out with the bikes this evening to ride the West Bench trail then drop down the Powderhorn service road. If you've never biked or hiked this trail, you definitely should! It's nice right now with a little color left...and gold leaves carpeting the trail.

The trail takes of from the Mesa Lakes area and wanders through aspens and meadows



We ran into the biggest porcupine I've ever seen!



After just 3 miles you'll find yourself at the top of the Take Four quad. From there you can keep riding West Bench or head down our service road. Just have a shuttle if this is your plan!



The view from Equalizer



The ride down our service road (3 miles top to bottom)



The view from Midway



Unfortunately the high winds have blown a lot of the leaves off, but it's still pretty and a great time for one more weekend on the mesa!

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Traz Gear Swap

Deal alert! This Saturday, Oct. 3rd, Traz Snow & Skate is having a massive sale and gear swap! Get big deals on last years stuff plus new arrivals. Also a great opportunity to swap/sell your gear.

The Powderhorn Team will be there taking season pass photos and selling Plus Cards. If you've already ordered your pass and didn't need a photo, come by and pick up your pass! Look for the Powderhorn tent beginning at 10am.

It's time to think snow!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

First Snow?

Could our first snow of the season come tonight? Let's hope so! There's a 60% chance of snow tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. The high tomorrow is only 35, should probably stop wearing Chacos...

We'll post updates and pictures (if it snows) here tomorrow plus you can get real-time updates by following us on Twitter.

Time to snow dance! What's the best song for a snow dance?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Color Sunday Pics

Thanks to everyone who came out for Color Sunday! As always, it was a great way to celebrate the beginning of fall...or for most of us, the beginning of "pre-season." It was nice to see the place packed again.

These pictures were sent in by Bonnie Hatch






I snagged a few when I got to take my very own lift ride