SkiChicken.com

First off, a snow storm is coming to Colorado! It’s been a pretty bleak year for snow in Colorado. It sounds like we might get an actual snowstorm this week though! I was going to take my kids skiing at Loveland again today, but decided instead to take them to an indoor playground. My conversation with Loveland ski school reservations was brief but informative: There was already a waiting list for the 4-5 year old ski school today. We almost didn’t get in last time, so I thought we’d just push the “easy button” for the day. This afternoon, we’ll get their season ski rentals at Larson ski and sport. They have excellent prices on season rentals:
Kid’s Pkg
(5 yrs. and under) $69.95
Standard Kid’s Package $99.95

I think having their season’s skis will help keep them excited for next time – hopefully next weekend!!

I just took my kids to the Kids Ski School at Loveland Valley. Kids are supposed to have reservations. I called the number and only could get voicemail: I don’t know if it’s a different extension than the 170 “general mailbox”, but that’s what I called into. From the road.On the way up.At a stoplight. Yeah, I’m lame.

Ideally, you should make reservations days before. Ideally, have your kids up at at 8am (9am at the latest, but there I go pushing it again). Despite being late, they took us in and got the kids suited up. I always feel like the ski resort staff and instructors are wiling to go the extra effort, and they sure make the kids comfortable.

The all-day lessons are a hundred dollars a kid, but that includes rental and ticket. I’ve been saving up my money and enthusiasm for years, and had to take the kids!

They really know their stuff at loveland, too: At the rental shop, they put the boots onto the kids for a perfect fit. That’s rare. My smallest son marveled at how the boots made him feel like he was walking on the moon. My oldest son did a great job at staying excited through the process of signup and rental. One tip for parents: Most kids can’t walk fast at all in ski boots. So don’t take off suddenly like I did!

This is the first of a lifetime of ski trips together, and I have looked forward greatly to this day. They are actually on the mountain now as I write this, an I’s better get back out to do my own skiing. 🙂

Ski Conditions / Loveland Valley / Eisenhower Tunnel
It’s blustery and cold up here, but such a wonderful day. We’ve got enough snow to “suffer through”, and the roads are passable.

It’s just a few weeks until Copper Mountain opens. The official day is November 4, 2011. They usually are making snow in October, just to get the slopes ready. Copper Mountain is one of the best resorts to take new skiers. Most people look at where the challenge is, but I find it fun to get new people excited about skiing. Copper Mountain’s lumberjack lift has a plethora of slopes that help beginners relax and improve skills. The lift can take a while, but gives you a chance to check email, enjoy the scenery, or have a good conversation with your newfound ski buddies. Can’t wait!

Does it feel like ski season yet? I recommend you ponder that slopeside, with a song in your heart and powder blowing upon your face. Yeah, I said powder. Apparently, Wolf Creek has received 36 inches of snow in the last 24 hours and they are opening for the weekend. They will be open 9am to 4pm with 3 out of 5 lifts operating. Powder is specifically mentioned in this article over at westword.com. Lift tickets are $33/adult, $19/children & seniors.

I won’t make it over there this weekend, so I sure hope you’ll go. And please collect a little baggie of snow for my collection!

For an excellent list of other ski resort openings, see the list over at Colorado Ski.

Snowmass has announced their opening day!

Ever giggled the whole way down? If you’ve never had the pleasure of skiing at Snowmass, you haven’t lived. It’s premium skiing – an experience you won’t forget. Come November 25, 2010 you can “giggle like a schoolgirl”*.

Check out Snowmass on opening day of the 2010-2011 season, November 25, 2010!

*My buddy Jason came up with that on gunners view.

As I was sifting through the internet tubes, I happened to notice that Loveland HAS OPENED! I could not have guessed any resort would be open this early in the season. Loveland, you have bested me again. Touche.

So if you need to get your ski freak on early, get your freak up to Loveland.

Great article about their opening over at westword:
With five inches of snow last night on top of the snowmaking operation they’ve been running all month, opening day is tomorrow, Sunday October 24. Loveland’s staking their claim as the first ski area open in Colorado for the second year in a row (Maine’s Sunday River got the jump on them yesterday on the East coast). Better yet, they’re predicting a powder day: It’s still snowing up on the pass today.

Or check out this cool video, where the snow actually does like quite enticing:
Alday Productions went up to loveland for the opening day of the 2010 season! so stoked.
http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1000136271/ugc/ugc-videos/opening-day-at-loveland-ski-area-colorado-10242010-2/

Loveland opened today at 9am. They’ve been making snow since Spetember 21, but I’m sure they’ll get plenty more soon! The base on opening day will be 18 inches, which is pretty good. With 3 trails and more than a mile of ski-worthy terrain, it looks like a pretty exciting start to the season.

Copper Mountain opens in less than a Month! Many of the web searches we receive every year ask “When does copper Mountain open for the 2009 season?” Well, there’s your answer.

It looks like they have a big party weekend planned: Their opening weekend festival is called “Lift Off,” and includes a free movie tour and concert. they usually have some pretty great entertainment at these things, so I hope to see you there!

Copper’s April is off to a great start. While the Temperatures are warming, there was just enough wind yesterday to keep the snow in PERFECT packed powder conditions.

Skiing on a Tuesday means smaller lift lines, but yesterday was a little different. Copper was hosting the USASA, and had a few lines closed over on the American Flyer lift. The combination meant a bit of a wait, but the Timberline lift (over beside the T-REX cafe) had almost no one there! Once I was on the mountain, it was run after run. The slopes didn’t feel crowded, and the snow was amazing. I might need to ski every Tuesday, just to experience it. Hopefully nothing will warm up too quickly.

I followed the day up with a Copper Bowl Brown Ale and Empenadas at Endos. Yes, they were out of Guinness.

Well, I didn’t get up to copper until 2pm on Saturday. I missed opening day but made it for opening weekend, and it was sweet. The mountain was emptying out and the bars were filling up. Beginners were tuckered out, leaving the mountain much less terrifying for the rest of us. Not that I’m an expert by any means- I terrified my share of people up on ptarmigan, some of which I know will never be the same. Think about that. Never the same.

I spent 4 runs on the lowest trail they had open, Main Vein. They wrapped the trail around to the east a little this year before the final descent. It seemed much more mellow than the icy frightfest it has been in previous years.

I ended the day with a plate of jalapeno poppers and a pint of guinness at Endos’s cafe. The bar staff was much more responsive compared to the end of last season. Ski season burnout runs rampant at Copper and every other resort near the end of the season, so no hard feelings.

The place next door was horrible a few years ago. We had to wait 45 minutes to be served at the bar. Luckily, we got a table and got served some nachos and beer at a table. It’s much more efficient to serve bar food and drink at the bar, and save the tables for customers wanting a full meal, but that place wasn’t exactly a bastion of efficiency.

Excellent staff here at Endo’s, though -the bartender just offered me water in addition to my beer. She’s good seed.

Oh yeah, the snow. Not melty. The snow was pretty good. I heard it was a little more icy up top yesterday. Today, a light breeze kept a dusting of snow and prevented the snow from getting too melted, then iced up. Many left the slopes early, but I rode the mountain until every lift closed. Because If you don’t ride the mountain until every lift has closed, it’s just sad.