Antlers at Vail lodging condos and conference center

Our Blog has moved to our actual web-site

2010-07-02T16:30:00.000-06:00

The Antlers at Vail blog has become quite popular and therefore we recently incorporated our blog into our actual web-site http://www.antlersvail.com/ Although this information will remain here for quite awhile, we will no longer be making updates here. For new blog posts and in the future, please visit us at blog.antlersvail.com All old blog posts can also be found at that site.

Vail in the Spring!

2010-07-01T13:27:00.003-06:00

I just spent almost a week out at Vail (at the Antlers), cycling every day out along the Golf Course - still just a little snow at the tops of the mountains and...SO GREEN! - dry, sunny, cool - thought you would enjoy this picture that I took one day cycling. The plus was the Artists Festival in Lionshead over the weekend - really interesting art and sculpture and jewelry. See you soon!
SnowWitch

G.H.O.S.T. SEASON ENDS

2008-08-05T15:07:00.008-06:00

PERFECT RECORD REMAINS INTACT

A few new faces, an extreme case of confidence, and large dose of optimism was not the formula that would propel the Antlers into the post season playoffs. This softball season ended on Monday and we all walked away from the beautiful Ford Fields feeling like gladiators. We did the best we could, but in the end we lay bloody on the field, clinging to life. We would re-group and do it again, for 8 weeks, as the frenzied crowd chanted "death to ghost" every Monday. We lost every game, again, but returned to please the masses as the life was kicked out of us week after week after week.

We did make several huge leaps toward respectability and this beat writer would like to point out some differences from last years inaugural season and share some player comments with our loyal fan(s).

No major injuries for one. We lost a few arms and legs and I remember a couple of eyes that were taken out and we're still looking for Eric's ear, but other than that, nothing serious. Just a few cuts and bruises that were worn proudly and displayed for all bar patrons to see whether they wanted to or not.

I asked coach/pitcher Tom Schlader what he was most impressed with this season and he replied "On 3 different occasions, players from other teams said you guys don't suck as bad as last year".

Darci Walls, the ever so consistent catcher and team leader added "We only lost by 4 runs in one game".

Crissy Greenawalt, the swift right fielder that has been recruited by teams as far away as Washington made this observation. "We would have beaten Loaded Joes but some guy in left field makes this rolling, tumbling catch when we were only 3 goals away from overtime".

One of the new faces on the team, Amy Scherm, who could play anywhere on the field, knew in her heart "Our record is no indication of how bad we are. Let me re-phrase that".

Randi Davis, the wily veteran and stellar 2nd base person seemed relieved. "I can't promise I"ll be back next year. All the other old guys on the team never showed up.
The beer after the game is good though and I do remember catching a ball or making an out or getting a hit or something".

As it is, no one has quit their day job and we are all back to where we belong. We can only watch the playoffs from behind the fence as fans now. We hold are heads high and know we did everything we could to try and be part of the post season, but we just came up a little short. No, we came up a lot short.

I asked Rob LeVine as he was cleaning out his locker, a blue Toyota Prius, how he felt about the season. His eyes gleamed and even though I saw a trace of sorrow in them, he said "This is a great group of fighters and I assure the softball world the funding is there for next season".

The Saint that leads his martyrs into battle. Stay tuned.

2008 Colorado River Ride

2008-08-03T20:03:00.038-06:00

Every year for the past four years, some variation of Team Antlers has ridden in the late-July Colorado River Ride ... one of the best and most fun bicycle centuries there is. In addition to the 100 mile route being spectacular (much of it paralleling the Colorado River from Burns to Dotsero) the aid stations are more like big parties then most other rides. That's because a significant number of the 1,000+ riders are locals that all know each other.

This year was Team Antlers' finest hour (so far) with 15 people riding in Antlers jerseys. It was an all-star lineup, including:

Randi Davis (our controller) and her architect husband Danny on their tandem (hanging out about six inches off of their back wheel is truly one of my most happy places in the whole world)

Bert Farin ... the most fun-loving employee in the history of the Antlers. Period.

Kent Rose ... past mayor of Vail, a stalwart of our regular Wednesday night mountain biking group, and the only guy I know to once ride to Steamboat and back (200 miles) in one day

Ray Tuomey ... Bert's friend (and ours) from Chautauqua in Boulder and now solar panel guru (pictured here using his "portable changing room" aka a Mexican poncho)

Erin Kelly ... son in law of Ebby and Lex Pinson (of Vail Symposium fame and Wednesday nights respectively)

Lee Rimel & Charlie Dolan ... Both Wednesday night vets. Charlie's a builder extraordinaire and Lee built and owns the 10th Mountain Division Hut System's newest hut at the top of Tennesee Pass ... the Continental Divide Hut

Cathy Craig ... Durango's finest product ever and one of my very best buds from Colorado College

Nate Free ... past Antlers employee (last millenium), who now runs club sales for the Sonnenalp golf club and frequent biking pal of Randi & Danny

and yours truly

Sadly, Ratz, Sarah and Marco Pierotti decided to start from Beaver Creek, whereas the rest of us started and finished in Eagle ... so we missed them. Deputy Sherriff Jeff Layman, caught us midway as well. So too bad ... no photos, but they all proudly wore the Antlers Burgundy and Cream as well.

Coming out of Eagle we were full of piss and vinegar ... constantly challenging each other for the head of the paceline. Well, maybe not ... but you get the idea.

However by the end of the ride, it was a slightly different story.

Thanks to Kent and Rayma Rose who threw an AWESOME post ride cookout and picnic at their magnificent Eagle Ranch home, the wear and tear of all those road (rode?) miles wore off pretty quickly. On the other hand, I suspect everyone slept pretty darn well that night ... I know I did.

By the way, we've got some open slots for next year's ride ...

Antlers Anniversaries

2008-07-21T16:13:00.002-06:00

At the Antlers, we are always excited to host social groups because it allows us to share their special time. This year, we’ve provided lodging for a record number of weddings, anniversaries and family reunions, and have enjoyed meeting and learning about each of the people who come to stay with us.

While hosting guests from Vail, Colorado and across the country (or world!) for social events is wonderful for us, we are even more excited when it is our condominium owners who think of the Antlers for their intimate events. It’s just one more way of showing the Antlers truly is a ‘home away from home’.

This August Lowell and Carol Geithman will be hosting their family and closest friends at the Antlers for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. With the help of Pan for Hire, our in-house catering, and the Geithman’s own special drink, Cataba, we’re expecting a festive evening, celebrating their best memories of the last 50 years. However, the Geithman’s aren’t the only Antler’s owners coming up on 50 years together! The Antlers will also be host to Charlie and Helen Wachendorfer’s family when they celebrate their 50th in 2009.

Congratulations to everyone who has celebrated a special event at the Antlers this year – we’re glad you’ve chosen to include us in your lifelong memories.

En el Antlers at Vail, amamos nuestro trabajo!

2008-07-08T08:17:00.002-06:00

Razones por las cuales preferir Antlers at Vail

Quienes laboramos en el Antlers at Vail, amamos nuestro trabajo! Nos encanta lo que hacemos y sentimos pasión por el servicio a nuestros huéspedes.

Sabemos que planificar sus vacaciones no fue un trabajo sencillo y usted aspira a que su decisión haya sido acertada. Nosotros los sabemos, por eso nuestro director de primeras y ultimas impresiones lo recibe con una amplia sonrisa y la primera frase que escucha en esta tierra es: "Bienvenido a Casa!". No lo dejará ni cargar su equipaje.

Conocemos también que usted tiene un presupuesto asignado para esta vacación y nosotros no queremos que lo exceda, sino que sea inferior. Usted no pagará por el servicio de parqueo, tampoco pagará por la entrega del periódico matutino, ni por el servicio de limpieza de su habitación o por el uso de nuestras instalaciones. Nuestro trabajo es servirle a usted y que tenga la experiencia mas cómoda posible con una tarifa justa y razonable que lo incluye todo!

Lo ayudamos a programar sus actividades recreativas:

Si desea esquiar, nuestros agentes le pueden ayudar a programar la compra de sus tickets
Si desea cenar y quiere que se le recomiende un lugar, consúltenos. Nuestros agentes conocen los mejores lugares de acuerdo a sus requerimientos.
Si tiene que hacer compras en el supermercado, nuestro equipo de transporte coordinará con usted el horario para recogerle y traerlo de vuelta.

Si prefiere quedarse en casa usted contará con más de 200 títulos que puede alquilar, para disfrutar su reposo. Las palomitas de maíz van por nuestra cuenta!

Cada uno de quienes formamos el Antlers at Vail se siente orgulloso de estar aqui, pertenecer a este lugar, de realizar su trabajo y ser creativo en el, aportando con soluciones efectivas a cada situacion. Queremos que usted forme parte de nuestra familia tambien! Porque usted es la razon por la cual estamos aqui. Sera un placer tenerlo con nosotros y decirle en nuestra tierra " Gracias por hospedarse en el Antlers at Vail" Es nuestro propósito lograr que usted se sienta en familia y encuentre en Vail su nuevo hogar.

Conference Room - Summer Upgrades

2008-07-03T13:05:00.004-06:00

With the sun shining and the beautiful summer weather now in Vail, the Antlers conference center has made some small summer upgrades to try and bring the outdoors in! We've added a fresh coat of paint to the walls and a splash of teal with new napkins. We're also switching out our regular black skirted buffets for an all white color scheme, making the inside of the rooms even more light than with the wall of windows alone!

Also look for new buffet risers and a summer beer offering to come to the conference center soon! As always, contact myself or Magda King to get your group in to see the Antlers summer upgrades!

And when you're not stuck in meetings - enjoy the true outdoors!
(clowe@antlersvail.com; mking@antlersvail.com)

My Last Day

2008-06-27T10:46:00.003-06:00

Well, folks, today is my last day of work at the Antlers. It has been a great six years for me, and I hope for them as well. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the Antlers family and that our family relationship will only grow from here. I have learned more from Rob and Ratz than any other bosses I've ever had and I'm so very grateful to them for all the good advise and lessons. Beginning Monday I will be the new Administrator of the Vail Valley Surgery Center at the Vail Hospital. I'll basically have the same job as here but instead of checking people in and out of luxury hotel suites, I'll be checking people in and out of luxury surgical suites. Who knows, maybe I'll even go back to school eventually and finally make my Nana proud!

Vail road biking

2008-06-26T13:42:00.005-06:00

It is time for Colorado "touring", both with the car and with the bike. Independence Pass and Trail Ridge road are now open after the record snows this past winter. It sure is a fun time to ride to the top of some of the Colorado passes and then throw some snowballs around or do a little sledding. The pic above is from Loveland Pass near the Eisenhower tunnel. I and a few friends did a training ride from Idaho Springs up to the top on Wednesday. 30 miles up in about 3 hours. All the way down in about 1 hour 10 minutes. It was work. Chris R.

Clock Tower

2008-06-10T10:25:00.003-06:00

As promised, here is a shot of our beautifully updated clock tower:

Colorado Children's Chorale goes for "the record"

2008-06-06T19:40:00.004-06:00

The Colorado Children's Chorale is in Vail this week and once again the Antlers at Vail is playing host! The kids have a busy and pretty structured week (thank goodness). Even their pool time is scheduled. The kids decided to try for the record for the most people in the pool. Check out the movie. The sad thing is, they JUST missed the record.

The Antlers Welcomes 3 Teva Groups

2008-06-06T09:49:00.004-06:00

The first weekend in June is a busy one for the Vail Valley as we are host to the Teva Mountain Games. There are many components that make up this weekend of events, from street concerts to kayaking at International Bridge to DockDogs competitions. And there is even more behind the scenes work that goes on.

The Antlers is proud to be hosting some of the Teva Mountain Games staff over the long weekend, as well as two other groups directly related to the Games.

One of these groups is Cocona Fabrics, Inc., a Colorado based company that uses recycled coconut shells to make athletic fabrics. What a perfect fit with the Teva Games and the Antlers green lodging goals!

The second group the Antlers is hosting is SERAC Adventure Films. SERAC is holding an Adventure Film School during the Teva Games. The students will be out and about filming the games, and then returning to the Antlers to review and edits their takes. We're excited to see what this wonderful and ambitious group of students presents at the end of the week!

The Antlers is excited and proud to be a part of the Teva Games - we hope to see everyone out there this weekend!

The G.H.O.S.T. Is Back

2008-06-05T08:44:00.004-06:00

The Antlers Haunts Ford Park Again

All though there was some confusion about our softball team and whether we would be organized again, our fearless leader Rob Levine took charge and we found ourselves drenched in sunshine at Ford Park. It was Monday evening at 5:30 and the usual suspects took the field.

We were a team again, but still confused. The apprehension, the nervousness, the lack of athletic ability. It was all evident for the first 3 innings. Simple grounders were rolling between legs. Pop flies were not dropped, but rather falling harmlessly over our heads. Mighty swings of the bat resulted only in walking back to the bench with heads down in shame.

But this team has grit and we managed to keep the Snow Pigs from a commanding lead. We found ourselves in the 6th inning only 2 runs down and dare I say, feeling like no would could stop us now. But as it goes, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss. We lose 9 to 7 but feel great about it.

Yes, the G.H.O.S.T. is back and this season we may even scare someone. (For season ticket information. you can contact the Antlers. We would love the support).

New Stone Work II

2008-06-03T07:47:00.007-06:00

We've almost finished with the stone veneer on our courtyard clock tower, and it is looking great! All that is left now is to grout the stones and remove the scaffolding, which should be completed by Friday. I'll update then with a photo of the finished product.

For now, here's a before shot: ...and during:

It is time for mountain biking

2008-05-28T10:20:00.005-06:00

O.k., the trails around Vail still need a few weeks of drying out before they'll be good. However, the trails in Eagle (30 minutes from Vail) are in top notch condition. Very smooth, lots of green, views and new flowers. C. Ratz

Winter is finally exiting Vail

2008-05-26T21:59:00.002-06:00

Wow, it is taking awhile, but winter is starting to leave Vail. The picture above is from the Antlers looking up towards the ski slopes. It was taken around May 18th. Don't worry, it has been melting a lot the last few days. None-the-less, we received some snow showers this Memorial Day weekend. The bike path is open up to the top of Vail pass (although it is 5 feet of snow tunnel at the top). Golf course is OPEN! Rafting it EXCELLENT! The Aspen trees are budding big time and within a week it will be green, green, green.

A Famous Guest

2008-05-02T09:29:00.004-06:00

Back in March, we had Jorge Ramos stay with us for a little ski getaway. Being that he is a super star in the Spanish speaking world, some of the girls in our housekeeping department were very excited to meet him.(l to r: Carolina, Gladys, Lorena *front*, Fatima, Jorge, Carolina's daughter Alandra, Lola, Macario, Alicia and Eva)

Antlers at Vail unit remodels

2008-04-28T10:11:00.004-06:00

Tis the construction season. The mountain has been closed for a little over a week and our construction crews are busy at remodels and updates at the Antlers. Large remodels are occurring in units 303, 305, 503, 505 and 608. Slightly smaller upgrades are being started in 502, 507 and 702. This spring we will be re-doing the exterior rock work on our South elevator, re-painting the balcony railings, and installing a new stairway access in the courtyard to the North elevator.

Tear out starts in unit 305

608 kitchen work

This is 503
That wall you see is being torn down tomorrow!

Another kitchen remodel in progress

It will look something like THIS (below)

Busy Beaver

2008-04-21T09:00:00.003-06:00

We were visited last night by a menacing beaver that cut down one of our prized Aspens. When Greg told me about it I said, "Oh, cool! I've got my camera today so I'll go photograph it and put it on the blog." Greg's response: "No, not cool - Rob is not going to be happy."

Bowling Party

2008-04-18T09:07:00.006-06:00

For our annual "end of season" party this year we all went bowling down in Eagle. There was plentiful beer and food and a good time was had by all. Sadly, this was Kati's last Antlers event.

That's A Cake?!

2008-04-14T09:42:00.002-06:00

This wonderfully whimsical cake was made for us as a "thanks for the hospitality" gift from Kathryn Crouch's sister, Elizabeth. Kathryn and her husband, Andrew Crouch, are the new(ish) owners of unit number 508 here at the Antlers. They have two small kids that are, apparently, real troopers because I see them going out to ski every morning dressed in all their gear and carrying their own equipment. That's impressive! Their family had a great season with us this year and now we have this GREAT cake to show for it. Thanks guys!

Visitors put on the Antlers

2008-04-13T15:14:00.000-06:00

Canusa (a large travel agency from Germany) stopped by to tour and visit the Antlers at Vail last week. During the site tour, they put on the "infamous" Antlers for a quick photo in our courtyard. Thank you for stopping by, Canusa!

Flowers Say it All

2008-04-04T22:14:00.006-06:00

It's not that often that the staff of a municipality sends flowers to a hotel just for hosting a meeting, but that's exactly what the Town of Vail folks did after their recent retreat at the Antlers. As she so often does, Magdalena King (conference services manager extraordinaire) went above and beyond to meet and exceed all of their needs ... some of which were known, but many were last minute surprises. Facilitator Michael McNally pointed out that he conducts similar meetings all the time and all over the country. He could not say enough about our Magda ... summarizing her as "simply the best that there is". Apparently George Ruther and the rest of the ToV folks agreed. Great job, Magdalena! And thanks for the flowers you guys.

St. Moritz ski update

2008-04-04T11:00:00.005-06:00

One of our condominium owners is in St. Moritz on a ski trip (lucky duck) and gave us a ski update from Switzerland......Mark Ulmschneider...... The scenery here is even more dramatic than Vail. I think part of it that your are really closer to the mountains. Also the lift system is more diversified. For example the ride up one day consisted to two cog rail ways, one gondola and one chair lift. The snow is nice like Vail. Reasonably light weight although it does not seem as dry. The grooming is a little bizarre. You really appreciate in Vail what a good job the grooming crew does. Here they have trails marked with poles on each side. It is very important to stay within the poles. Because even if it is a wide open field the groomers do not level out the area between. As a result there is about a 1 and 1/2 to 2 foot wall made of snow on each side of the trail. One of the members of our group was knocked out of commission with an Achilles/calf injury from such a short stop. The chair lifts have a really interesting feature. Some of the chairs hold 6 people, but even the quads all have starting gates. You line up like a bunch of horses at the Kentucky derby and wait for the gates to open and you are off to the races. Six people move up to get on a chair. If you move too slowly, the gate slams shut and breaks your knee caps. I think this leads to a certain discipline. In spite of the high tech features, they seem to not understand the purpose of drawing a line to indicate where everyone is supposed to stop in order to prepare to load. I think maybe they spent a lot of money to get the whole thing backwards but still really impressive. I fell on day one and again on day four. Day one I torcked my wrist. On day four I landed flat on my back. Fortunately I was skiing with a doctor. Unfortunately he was a retired oncologist. While I never have had the need for an oncologist, I have newfound respect. After landing on my back, I encouraged them to ski down and circle around and give me maybe 20 minutes to catch my breath. While laying there I stretched out on the snow in order to ice the painful area. When the doctor returned he explained that I was doing it all wrong. See every time I hurt myself, if I decide to ice it the doctor says no heat. If I use heat the doctor says no ice it. Seem like if you torck (sp) your wrist you want to ice it to prevent swelling. If you have spasm you use heat. Since I know of no rule that the Antlers blog forbids educational content, I thought I would throw that in. Today we walked down the St. Moritz bobsled run. It is absolutely unbelievable. There are many overpasses. It is built of solid ice. What I didn't appreciate was that it ran parallel to the road and you would be able to see the sled just as you are driving down the road. We walked down to the horse shoe turn. It contains all of the advertising signs. What I didn't appreciate was that opposite the turn on the other side of the road was a bar where patrons could watch these Kamikaze drivers descend. Great experience. While Vail is clearly superior, the food, drink, scenery, and the experience makes it a great experience. Your reporter on the scene in St. Moritz.

But the Exchange Rate....Water at the top of the mountain costs $5.5. A plate of spaghetti at the top was $18. Alcohol is about the same out in a restaurant but cheaper if you buy it in a grocery and bring it back to the room. Souvenirs are really high. I bought a turtle fur headband with St Moritz on it for $29.

Mark U.

Epic Day on the slopes...March 31?

2008-03-31T14:14:00.002-06:00

Yeehaw! What a day. No one would have guessed we'd have this much snow on March 31st...and it's still dumping! Today was truly an epic day filled with face shots and perma-grin (and no lift lines). Life is good!

March 31, powder day, special Vail ski update

2008-03-31T11:56:00.006-06:00

Bikes covered in the a.m.

March 31 Oh baby! 13 inches of snow today and 16 inches in the Back Bowls. We were all a bit surprised by it. And it was dead on the mountain. The Easter Break vacationers are gone and things are a bit quiet. We did laps on Chair 5 and there were no lift lines, can you believe it? Usually, we do just one run there in the morning on a powder day and get the heck out. Not today. Check out the Video of Kati from Group Sales and Randi our Controller.

Locals Jeff, Rick and Alan
(last time I hooked up with these guys, it was early Dec)

Click on this one for full size

Vail's Epic Pass

2008-03-27T11:02:00.003-06:00

Everyone is asking "is it true", "are they nuts"? Well, who cares if they are. For the 2008-2009 Ski Season, the EPIC Season Pass from Vail Resorts offers unrestricted and unlimited access to five of the best resorts in the world: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. Unrestricted (no blackout dates) and Unlimited (where you want, when you want). Visit Epicpass.com to learn more and to purchase. $579 for adults, $279 for children. If you are planning on coming to Vail more than once next winter, get it now before they change their minds! Us locals are in shock. This is cheaper than the "local passes" have been in perhaps 20 years. And now anyone can get them. Some have said you just have to put $49 down now and pay the rest later. Check it out.

JUST ANOTHER......DAY IN PARADISE

2008-03-20T09:16:00.005-06:00

I reported awhile back about skiing again and mentioned that I look forward to going out with my kids as long as they put on my boots and make sure I'm warm enough (01/13/08 post). Well Lauren, my youngest, is home on school break and offered to do just that. We skied together for the first time in 10 years and what a blast on Vail Mountain. THIS IS YOUR VAIL SKI REPORT MARCH 19.

The sky was brilliant blue. The temperature was 37 degrees. The sun was much warmer than that. The snow was soft and easy to ski. In spite of spring break, the crowds were minimal. What a wonderful day on the mountain.

For anyone keeping stats, I took my first major spill under Chair 7 in Game Creek and put on quite a display for all that were fortunate enough to witness it from the chair. Without exaggeration, 300 hundred yards on my back doing whirlybirds. No problem though. Not even my ego was damaged.

Spring skiing is here and you have to come and enjoy this before it's done.

2008-03-11T15:40:00.006-06:00

YOU'RE KIDDING........SAY IT AIN'T SO
Sad news from the Antlers

Katie Schwabe, employed as our Conference Services Manager since April of 2005, has decided to pursue a new career. She will be leaving us for San Jose, California as soon as the ski season ends.

Originally from Wisconsin. she arrived in Vail in 2001. Her original plan was to be here sooner but it took 2 years for her to recover from the devastating Bronco win over her beloved Packers in Super Bowl 32. With the recent retirement of Brett Favre announced, we feel she is not thinking rationally. She has decided to enroll at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in California.

Katie is already an established Massage Therapist and she simply considers this newest endeavor to be an extension of her own goals. She will study in San Jose for 3 years; will not be joining a rugby team; wants nothing to do with a sorority; may try surfing; and loves to play volleyball. OK, maybe she is thinking rationally.

Best of luck to you Katie and know we will miss you. Consider opening up your new office and practice back in Vail?

Who'da thunkit?

2008-03-07T22:15:00.003-07:00

I had the best meal I've ever had in Vail tonight.
Where? Kelly Liken? Sweet Basil? Larkspur? Those are the best and it could have been any of them, but it wasn't ... it was next door at the MARRIOTT! You gotta be kiddin' me ... Nope. Chef Mercer put on a show like you wouldn't believe. The lineup was thus:
Brie soup with truffle oil ... puts the "rich" in richie rich. Paired with the ZMor Gewurztraminer (thanks chef) it was a total tounguegasm.
An awesome tomato soup with marshmallows ... don't knock it till you've tried it ... trust me, you'll be back for more.
Oysters Rockefeller ... Chef says, "you probably haven't had these in about 100 years." He was right, but I promise it won't be two weeks before we're doin' that again ... Evelyn and I practically came to blows over the last one.
White Pizza ... more truffle oil (can't GET too much of that stuff), some fun crispy greens (arugula maybe?) and about a dozen other wonderful flavors on top of a crispy crisp.
At this point we're already saying, "it's too good not too finish, but we know there's lots more coming."
Next ... a sea bass to die for with some kind of super light, crispy coating ... in lobster sauce!
Then came the single best lamb chop I have ever had. Period. I'm 52. I LOVE lamb. I eat it a LOT. This was the pinnacle ... and by more than a small margin.
Ok, I think I can force down some of this seared tuna, wrapped around a super thin daikon radish and rolled in a tempura kind of coating. Take me now lord ... it can't get any better than this. But wait ... it does ...
A dessert medley with a cinnamon phyllo apple wrap thing paired with an eiswine (sp?) that's just too good to be true. Next to that was a soft, warm sinful chocolate cookie and vanilla ice cream, accompanied by some Baileys concoction that they ought to require a pilot's license to drive.
Unbelievable. All of it was just unbelievable. Too good to be true. Any one of those courses was as good as it gets. All together? I gotta be dreaming.
If I live another 52, I hope someday I have another meal as good as that one at Ocotillo. I also hope I can return the favor to Mercer sometime, but it ain't gonna be easy.
Rob

March Vail ski conditions

2008-03-07T14:00:00.019-07:00

March 30 Great spring skiing today, although it was quite cloudy. I met up with some buddies (the Stoffel twins) from my College days today. (picture taken with phone camera) We went to St. John's in Minnesota back in the late 80s. We did mainly cruisers off of chair 10 and 11. Remember, ride Chair 10 for a long-long cruisers. From the top of 10 you go all the way down Flap Jack and then you take a short cat-walk to the right of Chair 11 to lower Highline (groomed). Later we did soft bump laps off of Chair 3, Kangaroo cornices and Look Ma, again and again. Nice and soft everywhere. 2 inches of new snow. Chris R.

March 29 We'll admit it. Us locals have been a bit spoiled this winter with all the great snow. Many of us haven't been up in the past week. We have been resting. Last few days have been a bit cloudy with flat light, although the sun will poke through for an hour here or there. What this means is that it is quite crusty early in the morning and you have to stick to the groomed runs. Without the sun, it can take till 2pm or 3pm before the runs soften up. Ouch. Light snow this morning. We need a 3 or 4 inches to freshen up the slopes, but don't fret. There is a ton of base up on the mountain and they are calling for snow this Sunday night. We'd be skiing till May if they weren't closing the lifts April 13th! Oh man.

March 23 Holy smokes. It is still cold out there. I went up super late (2pm) and I figured it was going to be warm. Sun was shining and down in Lionshead it felt like spring. NOT. Glad I had my warm gloves, hat, neck gator, etc. High was around 32 or 33F and windy. When is Spring coming? Conditions were a bit icy. Not East Coast type of ice mind you, but the bumps were hard. Chris R.

March 18 The family (brother, sister and nephews) were in town and we had a wonderful day on the hill. We even took the brother out to Blue Sky Basin. I didn't realize that he had never skied in the back bowls in all the times he had visited Vail. Crazy. They all slept in our employee housing unit at the Antlers. The floor was pretty packed! Chris R.

March 17 They reported 4 inches of snow. Sunny skies today. None of us from the front desk could get out but guests were saying, "one of the best days ever". You know, we've been hearing that a lot this winter. Chris R.

March 16 Light snow showers in the afternoon. The front side was crowded with many Spring Breakers. The bowls were quiet. Amazing how even on the south facing back bowls the snow is still light and dry. It isn't set up from melting too much. I skied by the fuel pumps for the groomers at the top of the mountain near Buffalo's. You can really see how much snow we have by how low to the ground the pumps are. It will be late June before all that snow is gone.
Chris R.

Today I snowboarded at Beaver Creek for the day before I had to get to work. Unfortunately, I rode alone, which I do not prefer but I just had to get out. The ten inches we got from Thursday and Friday was still good in most sections of the mountain. The only bad part is that the sun melted the snow, which made it hard, icy, and rugged. I had a great time but I've been having problems with my left big toe. The front of my toe rams into my boot and I have bruises underneath my toenail. (Everyone I guess can relate to this) On my way to work the snow started coming down pretty hard and I knew that tomorrow was going to be a powder day. I wasn't going to let a little bruise toe ruin my powder day. And neither should you! J. Coghill

March 14 Powder day! 10 inches of new snow. I took Snowitch's suggestion and skied the front side (even the lower half) of the mountain today and I had my own tracks till 11am. Snowing hard throughout the day and more snow predicted for the week. It will be great skiing for those here on the Easter Holiday. Usually in March the North side of Interstate 70 is looking brown and the grass is showing due to the slopes facing directly into the sun. Not this year. Some back-country skiers are even hiking up and making tracks down these south facing slopes. In MARCH! Wow. Chris R.

March 9 Sunny day! Sort of like mid-winter conditions still. I over dressed and I'm glad I did. If you were on North facing slopes it was a bit cold. I saw Hank Frazier (super long-time ski instructor) and he said he has overdressed every day since December and hasn't regretted it. When will spring arrive? There was a light dusting of snow. They groomed Bolshoi Ballet the day before and I headed over for the poma lift. Nobody around and the groomed slopes were buffed. Any north facing slopes had light and dry snow, southern slopes corned up a bit with the sun. Chris R.

March 8 Some college buddies of mine had come to visit me for the weekend in Vail. I have not seen them in about 2 years, but growing up we always would go on snowboarding trips. We all were pretty good riders and have been to Vail in the past. The conditions our first day out were great with a solid 2-3 inches from the night before. We all decided it would be best to get out early and make our way straight back to Blue Sky Basin. It was wonderful back there because the chair lift lines were to a minimal for a Saturday and it was not "skied-out" as much as the front side of the mountain. We all had a blast especially my two buddies that have never traveled back to Blue Sky Basin before. Overall it was a great day with it not being too cold out and the chair lift lines moving fast. J. Coghill

March 7 Well, it is good now. Great skiing. Sunny today with 3-4 inches of powder at the top of the mountain (only an inch down low). Cold still. We can't believe how cold it has been the last week. We are in March, aren't we? Great groomers, no ice, and sun. However, a bit of some lines at the lifts. Nobody at Chair 3 but Chair 4 West maze was PACKED. I made runs on Chair 3 while the rest were waiting. It must be getting late in the season because the groomers were having fun. I saw a bunch of them all split up underneath the gondola doing their own thing. They sure weren't working as a team today. One went down Minnie' mile (just one mind you) then another was under the gondola where the lift cuts through the trees, which isn't a ski run. But the groomer was smoothing it out nicely. Sort of fun to watch. Chris R.

March 6 Snowy, cold, and difficult to see. Glad I wasn't up today but then again, some were coming down and saying it was wonderful. High of 19 degrees all day at the bottom of the mountain. Not sure how cold it was up on top.

Employee Profile

2008-02-26T15:31:00.006-07:00

Who is Gladys Villeda?

Just one of the sweetest housekeepers ever to enter a unit at the Antlers.

Gladys was born in Honduras and managed to move to the United States in January of 1989. Her dream of living and working in New York was short lived and she didn't last a full winter there. The last I checked, the climate in the Honduras is a bit warmer than up-state New York and I think that may have had something to do with her decision to relocate.

Her choices were clear and after short deliberation of where to settle next, she choose Vail. Ehmmmm?

In January of 1990 Gladys was in Vail to do all the things she has dreamed of doing in a summer wonderland. She realized quickly that she was living in a winter wonderland and decided to stay right here anyway and start her career at the Antlers. We are so glad she did.

Ask her about her hobbies (she has never attempted to ski) and she will tell you that she has four hobbies. They are her children and that keeps her busy enough. If she is not watching Antonio Bandaras movies, she is planning her trip to Hawaii or Puerto Rico (imagine that).

You're Welcome!

Gladys speaks excellent English and speaks with sincerity. She often radios the front desk after cleaning a unit and a typical conversation would go like this: "Unit 204 is ready for check in". The front desk responds "Thank you Gladys". She says "You're welcome". Or "The guest staying in 605 would like service next". "I will do it next"....."Thank you Gladys"....."You're welcome". If you happen to see her leave for the day...."Thanks for a great job today Gladys"...."Your welcome, I will see you tomorrow, sleep well tonight".

You're welcome to come stay with us and and meet this great gal.

Vail Ski Conditions February 2008

2008-02-21T15:31:00.003-07:00

2/29/08 Spring skiing baby! Wow, it has been a great week. Powder on Monday night created powder conditions for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunshine and some spring warmth on Thursday on Friday. Lots of sunburn, be careful out there. We had a group (including Bob Grossman, owner of 208) that did the Minturn Mile on Wednesday. So crazy with all the snow. Everything was really covered so well. Rocks or stumps that we would usually jump off of (or avoid) we would just ski right over without realizing it. So much snow in Minturn we could still ski down the streets to the Saloon for beers. The sun has probably melted that off the last few days but they are predicting snow again for March 2nd!

2/22/08 2 inches of fresh snow today. Vail reported that we are a record for snowfall from Dec 1st through Feb 22nd. Over 314 inches so far this season.

2/21/08 Yep, we have been a bit lazy keeping up on the snow conditions lately. I'll tell ya this much, we are finally seeing the SUN every now and then. Yipee! In the last 10 days we haven't received a lot of new snow but the mountain is keeping up pretty good. Last weekend (Sunday) we had 3-5 inches up on the mountain. Overall, the top 1/2 of the mountain is great, the bottom half has had some freeze and thaw cycles so it is a bit icy down low unless you are on the groomed. Don't worry about the snow base. There is PLENTY on the ground here in town. Weather predictions are for a bit of snow for the Northern mountains (that's us) for Monday/Tuesday Chris R.

2/8/08 Some of you might be wondering...."where are the snow updates"? Well, it seems like it has been non-stop this winter and we almost sound like a broken record with, "another powder day". We had that drought in November, which made us all nervous. Channel 9 news out of Denver interviewed Rob (our General Manager) right before Thanksgiving due to the lack of snow and I remember Rob saying, "when we get a dry November we usually have an above average winter". I can't remember his exact words.... but when I heard that I was thinking, "yeah, RIGHT". Well, here we are and it has certainly been an above average winter. Right now they have Interstate 70 closed in both directions from Georgtown to Avon. That's about 60 miles of freeway. Nothing else to do, so I'm going skiing. Chris R.

2/1/08 It just doesn't end. Another powder day. 7-9 inches of super light snow and not too many people on the hill. Not as much snow in Game Creek bowl which was weird. I think there was maybe 10 inches outside the Antlers, then 6 inches up in Game Creek. I had to get off the mountain for work but I saw BERT FARIN heading to the Gondola with Randi and Rob. He was on those super thin Telli skis. 20 year old technology! I don't know how he does it. Chris R.

And oh how he does it ... here's a picture of Bert cutting it up on Jade Glade. A lot more snow there than there was in Game Creek, Ratz. This next picture of Randi was taken as she popped out of the woods at the bottom of Way Over Yonder. That was followed by some frivolity on the lift with Bert's boda bag of lemoncelli (similar to limoncello, but not quite).

What fun.
RL

Employee Profile

2008-02-14T09:41:00.006-07:00

Born Christopher Allen Ratzlaff of Waconia, Minnesota. We affectionately call him Ratz.

Ratz is a serious and responsible type person. He told his mother and father at the age of 3 that he was moving to Vail to get a job at the Antlers. His loving parents, Dale and Janette, insisted he wait until he finished college. So he was off to Saint Johns University to get his degree in Economics and then he was on his way. We're not sure of the date, but we think he drove his International Scout here when he was 11. (Actually, Ratz has been at the Antlers since 1990).

Ask him a question and the answer will be matter of fact, plain and simple. For instance; who is your favorite president? Ronnie Reagan off course. And your favorite country? He'll roll his eyes, USA. And you always wanted to be? Rich.

One of the most active people we know, he has traveled extensively to pursue his need to ski other countries, bike different mountains, and camp in different caves. He is married now girls and his lovely wife, Sara, enjoys everything he does.

As our Assistant Manager, Chris Ratzlaff is not only respected here, but through out the valley. We all know and recognize his importance in the day to day operation of the Antlers. He is also know as the Director of All Things Big and Small and is not someone that could easily be replaced; and he's a great guy.

Antlers at Vail Employee Profile

2008-02-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lets meet DARCI WALLS

Employed at the Antlers since 2004, she is our reservations manager and our good friend.

I had a few questions.....and Darci had a few answers......

So where are you from originally? " I was born and raised just down the road in Eagle"

You must be a great skier? " I haven't skied since 7th grade and I only did that because my Dad made me".

So what our your hobbies? "I like to shop, but I think it's more like a habit".

What is your favorite place other than Vail? "Anywhere there are palm trees. And a beach. And pretty drinks with umbrellas in them".

What kind of car did you want for your 16th birthday? "A Ferrari 360 Modenna".

Did you get it? "No. It was a S15 pick-up, with a little rust and bald tires. I graduated to a yellow Cadilac DeVille that got no gas milage, but it had leather seats. Me and my friends were really hot in that car. I'm saving for that Ferrari".

Who is your favorite actor? "Mike Myers and any movie he is in". Ohhh Behave.

What's your sign? "I'm a Scorpio". I never would have guessed.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be? "Marilyn Monroe". Good answer.

What is your ultimate goal? "To retire somewhere around the age of 35, with a Ferrari in the garage".

What are you doing this weekend? "None of your business".

When you arrive, Darci will greet you with a smile. She told me that coming to work is a pleasure because of the people she works with. "We are all like family here". I am witness that she is capable of making you feel the same way.

Super Bowl Party

2008-02-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Every year we talk about having a Super Bowl party in the conference room with the big screen. Well, we finally decided to do it this year, but only as a "trial run" with just our staff and few other friends. Of course it was an incredible game, which helped, but overall it was a great time. Half way into the second quarter we whipped up a makeshift box grid and Janina drew numbers for anyone who wanted in. Fifty cents a square. Evelyn mopped up with the 7 - 0 numbers at the end of quarters two and three, worth $15 each. Aaron from maintenance made out with the final $20 when Eli hit Plaxico at the end. Greg, Lisa and I had bets on everything from whether the next commercial would be for beer or a car, to what song Tom Petty would play first. Oh yeah, we bet on the game, too. Ultimately, I'm into them for three bucks. Whoopee.

Joe and Janina Greene (110 owners) joined us, as did Nate and Lisa (from the Sonnenalp and the Christie Lodge, respectively). Staffers Justin, Magdalena (and husband Tony), Darci (with daughter Maria), Crissy, Lisa and Ratz all joined in for at least part of the game. We used up a fair amount of Coors beer, somewhat past the born-on date I believe (but hey, "free" rhymes with "me"). And the foodstuffs were perfect ... Greg boiled some old fashioned tube steaks, which when smothered with Evelyn's elk chili were good enough for me to down a pair of them (or was it 3?). Ratz snagged a bunch of crawfish from the Vail Chophouse, who had a Mardi Gras celebration going on. Plenty of grilled Buffalo wings, chips, deviled eggs and some of Lisa's leftover (but tasty) birthday cake all insured that everyone went home pleasantly stuffed.

All in all it was a hoot. Now that we know this works, we'll have to do it again next year with a few more folks invited. Heck, maybe we'll even crank it up for the Stanley Cup. Give us a shout if you want to join us ... you're definitely welcome.

Rob

Ahh Nuts....We Didn't Win

2008-01-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

SPOTLIGHT NEWS......The Antlers at Vail, named one of three finalists by the Vail Valley Partnership for Green Business of the Year.

On Friday we were honored to be in attendance for the Vail Valley Success Awards Banquet. The gala was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek and 10 Antlers employees were dressed in their best "duds" to partake in cocktails, dinner, dancing, good old fashion socializing, and hopefully to accept the award. Rob LeVine, who compiled all the information required for our 10 page finalist application, was giddy with excitement as the master of ceremonies opened the envelope and announced "and the winner is....not the Antlers at Vail".

Rob and the rest of our group were a little disappointed but as is usually the case, we were gracious, held our heads high, ordered a round of martinis and toasted the winners. (I think Rob was looking forward to putting the award next to the "business of the year award" we received in 2004, which is still on display in the lobby).

When Hazel Miller and her small orchestra started up, the dance floor was alive and I personally believe we would have won something if the producers of "Dancing With The Stars" were in attendance. This Antlers group doesn't just excel in the hospitality business. They can "cut a rug" too (see video).

It needs to be mentioned how important this nomination was to us. We at the Antlers have been green and considered it part of the way we do business long before there was an award for doing it. We would like to thank Vail Valley Partnership for their consideration, the Ritz for hosting a fabulous affair, and Hazel Miller for drawing us away from our inhibitions.

Oh, and congratulations to GREEN LIMOUSINE for being honored as the 2007 Green Business of the Year.

Hazel Miller and her small orchestra put everyone in the mood

Mountains Are the Best Medicine

2008-01-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Whew...it's almost February. Year after year, January brings lots of med talk to the Antlers as we host medical conference groups new & old. Academic Hospital Affiliates (AHA) celebrated their 11th year at the Antlers this year! It's almost like they're part of our Antlers' family. Actually, it's exactly like that! Dr Susan Black & Dr Mark Trankina, who host the event with the Cucchiaras, are owners here. We're happy to say that we'll see them all again in 2009 for more skiing... and work, of course!

Ski lay-off....Too Long...

2008-01-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

NEWS ALERT! UPDATE! YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST! STAY TUNED!
SKI LAY-OFF WAS TOO LONG

Greg Z. went skiing on Friday for the first time in 8 years. It seems he has struggled with fear, bad memories, no interest, and several other things related to psychological barriers that only Doctor Phil could begin to address. When asked why the sudden change of heart, his response was only "I live here and it's a long time before the golf courses are playable again".

We did a little research on this Antlers employee and found that the he raised 3 children and taught them all how to ski. "I spent a lot of time in the parking lots looking for gloves, putting on boots, and drying tears before an exhilarating day on the cat walks. This was part of the bad memories", he explained. He continued, "when they all got better, I couldn't keep up and I just ended up being brought down on a stretcher. This resulted in my fear. I didn't want any more re-hab in my life. I convinced myself that I had no interest in the sport and my ability was not that of all the legendary skiers in this valley anyway".

He had so much fun on Friday that he went out again for a few hours on Saturday and that his outlook has changed about everything. "I'm back baby! This is fun. There is something for everyone up there. As soon as these legs get back in shape, I' m going to ski with the kids again, but not until they put my boots on and make sure I'm warm enough".

We asked Greg what he enjoyed most about his re-discovered passion and his simple reply was "The views". I had forgotten how beautiful it is".

Any advice for the person that may be thinking as you did? "Get over it. Get up there and dance like no one is watching". He added, "don't push yourself, ski to your own ability, and stop every once in awhile to take in all that's around you".

He told us as he was headed to the hot tub with a cocktail that "I deserve this tub. My legs are burning, I'm exhausted, and it feels great. I never feel like this after a lousy game of golf."

The Antlers Has Inspired Me

2008-01-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of buzz in the ether about "going green" lately. Oprah did a show on it and showed it twice in the span of a few months. I happened to catch it both times and, both times I found it very interesting.The first time I watched, I accepted the show's challenge to change just one thing that I do to make an environmental impact. That day, I started turning off the water while I brush my teeth (Which saves 4 gallons a minute. That's 200 gallons a week for a family of four.) This time, I feel ready to make a couple of more changes.

It is easy to get overwhelmed because there are a lot of statistics out there about how much water and energy it takes to make this or that and about how petroleum (i.e. oil and fossil fuels) is burned for the energy to make packaging for products like liquid body wash. That tears it! I'm switching to bar soap in my shower. It's kind of exciting because now I can shop for fancy bars of soap and display them in my bathroom (if I can find space). I like these at Etsy from Dennis Anderson. I would also like to try switching to eco-friendly grocery bags. Up until now, I've been getting plastic bags at the store and saving them (in empty Kleenex boxes - thanks to Amanda) to use as waste basket liners. You can get a whole grocery shopping set for under sixty dollars at Eco Bags. Even though it's just a small start, I feel like I'm really making a difference. The Antlers is up for a Green Business of the Year Award right now, too! Wish us luck.

Vail Ski conditions January 2008

2008-01-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

1/28 Three new inches. A little windy up there but it made for an adventure. I cruised all the way over to Blue Ox for the morning. That new Chair 10 is really fun. I hadn't skied those runs for years and year but with the quick lift now in, it is a breeze. Chris R.

1/26 Randi and I, along with friends Nate, Lisa, Tom & Karen, cut it up pretty good from 9:30 to the closing bell. Big day for me ... we covered a lot of the mountain, but the highlights were Widges, back to back Genghis Khan's, followed by back to back Prima Prontos. Oh yeah, and then there was Highline ... Ouch. Major soft snow everywhere with lots of freshies, but a pretty good case of retro-thigh nonetheless. Grabbed a bite at Two Elk late, and then off to another one in China Bowl, followed by a Rasputin's that was starting to put the set in set up. Just what I needed after a full day of deep lunges (as Randi put it). Oh well, it's all good. It was a spectacular day with nothing but sunshine ... got a little fried, but thankfully Lisa had some sunscreen to share on the Teacup lift. Can't wait to do it all again. Rob

1/25 4-5 inches of fresh. Nice, dry and light. I had to work at 11am so only had time for 4 runs. Cry me a river, right?

1/23-24/2008 Sunshine and powder. On Wed. we were all surprised by 4-8 inches depending on where you were on the mountain. John Katapodis (owner of 207) just raved about the conditions.... "it was over my knee in places". It has been one of the best Dec/Jan in memory. Not a lot of huge powder days but just consistent. Hardly an icy day on the mountain since Dec 1st. Can it keep up? Well, perhaps more snow on Friday again. Chris R.

1/21/2008 Back into my morning routine of 5 runs before 10:30am. Great base of snow but it would be nice to receive a couple of inches of fresh to freshen up the runs. No ice mind you, but maybe I'm spoiled now after 2-3weeks of powder. Groomed runs are great but the moguls are getting harder with the cold nights. Trying to poke the moguls head on with my GS skis wasn't working. Hit some lift lines with the Martin Luther King Holiday. Chris R.

1/16 - 17, 2008 Too cold for me to ski. The snow is great but cold. Light snow each day and it is pretty dead up on the hill. If you want the mountain to yourself, now is the time.

1/15/2008 Finally a sunny (and relatively warm) day to ski. Sarah and I were planning on going up for perhaps an hour for a few runs and I stayed up for 3 hours and Sarah skied all day until the end! Dead on the hill. Never a line. Did some runs over in China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin. Sort of sad but we hadn't been over in Blue Sky for weeks. A reminder for how big the mountain is. Chris R.

1/11/2008 Ian from the front desk (he is from South Africa) said it was AMAZING! Ouzo, Chair 2 trees and Sundown bowl. He estimated it was 20 inches deep in the back where it has been piling up for days. It has been snowing pretty hard all day.

1/10 2008 I snuck out this afternoon for a couple runs. I'm afraid it's starting to sound like a broken record ... but a really good broken record. The skiing is simply awesome. Lots of face shots, which are admittedly easier when you're skiing on tele's (half a binding, half a brain). Even when I finally got out there at 2:30 I found a line in Ouzo Glade that had to be a dozen turns of untouched and DEEP. There was another spot near the gulley between Straight Shot and Windows that will also stick in my memory banks for a LONG time. What fun ... hope you can join us soon.
Rob

1/9 2008 Randi and I made some runs with Bob & Catherine Michela (518 owners) as well as Bob Magruder and Bob Sorry-I-don't-remember-his-last-name. We had a great time cutting it up in Game Creek. The skiing just doesn't get much better. I took this photo at the top of the Game Creek lift on my new iphone ... which I'm still struggling with a little. Oh well.
Rob

1/8-9 2008 No one made a report while I was out of town. Tom S. from engineering and I went up to Steamboat for a little snowmobiling. Roads were terrible. 2 hour drive to Steamboat took 3 hours. They are getting snow too but Vail had a bit more for sure. Started in Colorado near Steamboat lake and ended up in Wyoming. 60 miles round trip. Up near the border the snow was deep! On the car ride back we saw tons of deer near 4-eagle ranch. Only section of good roads were the 4 miles between Wolcott and Edwards. Chris R.

1/7/2008 Oh oh....we are getting tired. Too much snow. I did a quick run into Game Creek, over to Kangaroo, then down the old gondola line from Mid-Vail and I could barely ski. Legs were too tired from all the previous powder and we had 10 inches of snow!

1/6/2008 I hadn't been up in about 3 weeks. Man, you get out of shape fast. I didn't get out until almost noon, but made one run on Minnies, one on Ouzo and then six runs in the back. Thought I was gonna die. "Forever" was so good though, I just couldn't stop. Three different times, with three different lines, and all of them spectacular. On the last run though, and on the way back down, it was snowing so hard you couldn't see 100 yards. Tomorrow could be epic. Rob

1/5/2008 John Taylor (owner of 314) reported POWDER! Vail Resorts said there was only 1 inch but that was at 6am. Then it has been snowing most of the morning. 5-6 inches as of 1:30pm and still snowing. NOBODY in the back bowls. He said Seldom and Yonder were good but Faro in Game Creek wasn't the best (chunky underneath). Let's hope the snow keeps up. No lines the whole day.

1/4/2008 1 inch of new snow. Nice and warm. I dropped into Game Creek and the back bowls but perhaps that was a mistake. It was sort of crusty underneath. Nothing terrible but when I went back to the front side the snow was better. I did some bumps in Northwoods. South Rim and Prima Cornice. I saw two sets of groomers (6 cats each) during the day. One doing Ramshorn and the other Columbine. Chris R.

1/2 - 1/3/2008 None of us got to ski but the sun is out and finally warmer. Highs around 30 degrees but in the shade it is still brisk. Everyone likes the new Chair 10 and 14. No complaints from anyone. Who can gripe with sun and soft snow? But...... they are calling for fresh snow again on Sat/Sun but even warmer.

1/1/2008 Cold outside still but wonderful skiing. It is sort of a New Year's tradition for my wife to ski on January 1 and we ended up seeing quite a few friends up on the mountain. First day that local restrictions were lifted so everyone was out. Also, practically the first day of sun in a week. We mainly skied in the back doing runs in China Bowl, Red Square and on Ghengis Kahn. Our feet became really cold after 2 hours and we headed for Buffaloes to warm them up. It was packed at 2:30pm.

Remember When....at Vail!

2007-12-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

SnowWitch joins you today at the end of 2007, as we begin a new ski season at Vail in 2008 by recalling some fond memories in years past skiing at Vail! Remember when...

Early Vail Skiing - When there was ONLY Vail Village at Vail and no parking structures! Everyone parked along the frontage road!

Studded SnowTires - When few had 4-wheel drive and they allowed studded snowtires or you had to stop, get on your back at the rear of the car, with exhaust and snow blowing in your face and put chains on to get over Vail or Hoosier Pass (there was no access from I-70).

Too Young & Poor to Buy Dinner or Stay the Night - We drove up from Colorado Springs, starting at 5 am, reaching Vail when the lifts were opening, skiied all day and then stopped at Pepi Grammshammer's at the end of the day, bought an "after-ski snack special" of a glass of red wine, a piece of brown bread and a small bowl of spaghetti, wolfed it down and then left to drive back to the Springs. Great times!

It's Better Now - We like it better now - more runs, more bowls, more parking, more lifts, more places to eat....Vail is older..... YET BETTER than ever!!

Vail Ski Conditions December 2007

2007-12-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

12/31/2007 New snow again, but windy and cold. Vail Resorts probably isn't selling too many lift tickets. China Bowl, Tea-Cup and Blue Sky were closed the whole day. 10 inches of new snow but with the wind it was all in the trees. There were 10 inches new but on the ski slopes it seemed like 3 inches. Someone said the line at Chair 5 was 45 minutes because they could only load every other chair with the wind. Ouch. But the front side there weren't many lift lines at all. Everyone that wanted powder was stuck in only one bowl at Chair 5. The sun will be shining Jan 1 and 2.

12/28/2007 O.k. I scammed a lift ticket to get up while our passes are restricted. Cold out but again, good snow. 1-2 inches each day are keeping things soft, yet the front side is a bit icy. All the Xmas vacationers are just skiing on the front side. Some small lines, but then I went in the back and NO ONE was back there. Nice soft powder snow. Empty Chairs on Chair 5. Faro glade had fresh tracks at 3pm. Chris R.

12/27/2007 "Skiers lent" has started. For locals, our ski passes are restricted during the Christmas/New Year's holiday. We have to rest our legs and leave Vail Mountain to the vacationers. It hurts to miss this snow when we are getting fresh each day. The downside for the tourists is that it has been COLD. Tomorrow the high on the mountain will be around 13 degrees. Ouch.

12/26/2007 Us locals haven't been able to ski much lately but local Owner John Taylor has. He reports the skiing as awesome. He skied with the part owner of Bart and Yetis and received a few pointers. These past weeks we've been receiving new snow virtually every other day. Nothing huge, but 2-4 inches every so often. Just enough to keep things soft and fresh. Still COLD.

12/24/2007 John Taylor owner of 314 skied front side and said conditions are great for all levels of skiers. Something for everyone. 5 inches of new snow. Not too cold. A little too much grooming on the front. Leave some powder for us powder fools! says JT -- Sun coming out late in the day. They are predicting another storm tonight!

12/23/2007 Lightly snowing outside but warmer. 19 degrees. 100% of the mountain is now open. We've always had enough snow to open the whole mountain but we think they were waiting for employees to open the Bolshoi Ballet area for skiing. More importantly the Arrabelle shops in Lionshead are now opening! The Mall area of Lionshead is back together after 3 years and you can walk everywhere once again. It is pretty darn cool. The ice rink is not open at this time. Not sure when they'll have that up and running.

12/22/2007 Another powder day in Vail and the sun is out. I'm heading up this afternoon and hope to make a report a little later. (It was cold!) 9 degrees at 3pm, great snow however. Chris R.

12/21/2007 Powder day in Vail. None of us could get up but everyone was telling us how great it was. Makes us jealous.

12/20/2007 It is snowing in Vail! Only time for 2 runs this morning. Pickeroon and Columbine. 1 inch new reported but snowing hard. Conditions will be great tomorrow. No lines, yet there was a goofy guest service guy directing people at Chair 2 and bothering everyone. He had the line goofed up more than us the skiers. Sort of funny to watch. Chris R.

12/19/2007 Was warm up on the mountain but we froze up in Blue Sky. Major wind with the cold front starting to come through. We did a bunch of runs on Pete's lift in Blue Sky. Great views. I quit early due to being so cold. Skiing was great. Skied with Tom Schlader and Tom Conville. Chris R.

12/17/2007 Vail ski conditions are still pretty good. They are opening the chairs at 8:30 now so Eric (Guest Services) and I went up at 8:45. There were a few icy spots in the high use areas but other than that it was great. Good groomers. Snow felt a little like styrofoam but I guess when it is 15 degrees in the early a.m., that is what we should expect. Highs in the low 30s today. We did two runs in the back. They groomed Headwall! Chris R.

12/16/2007 Now we are talking!! Sunny skies, not too cold, beautiful groomers. Perfect temps in my opinion for Vail skiing (25-30 degrees F). I hit a good lift line on Chair 2 today but it was my fault (going out at 9:30am is a bad idea), but after I hit the back-bowls it was clear sailing. Chair 10 and Chair 14 are a blast since they have been replaced. For beginners it is fun to ride Chair 10 and then take FlapJack all the way around for a long, long run. Chris R.

12/15/2007 Ouch, it was cold this morning up on the mountain. -3F, -20C. We did 4 runs and went in to warm up our feet. The snow is great however. I wish we could have stayed out longer during the day as it warmed up but I had to get to work. Beautiful sunshine. Chris R.

12/14/2007 Burrrrr, it's cold out there today! I don't have even a single day on the hill yet this year, how lame am I? Another big storm is predicted but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Just a light dusting came down last night. Vailmama

12/12/2007 Powder again! 8 inches of super dry snow. It was like feathers. Heaven. Another movie. Chris R.

12/11/2007 Sorry, no update today. Too busy skiing. Chris R.

12/10/2007 Great day. Longest day for me of the season. I started out with Bob Grossman Owner of 208 at the Antlers at Vail. Vail Ski conditions were excellent. Powder left over from the day before and sunshine. They are predicting snow tonight. That could be neat. I later hooked up with some friends from Waconia, MN area and I ate all their food up at Two Elk. That's the deal here. If you want a tour from a local, you might have to cough up for the food at Two Elk. Ouch. Corny Movie attached. Chris R.

12/09/2007 Well........ another 8 inches WOW! We got a good lead on everybody for the race to Chair 2 then Game Creek, Ricky's, Milts, West Wall, Blue Sky, Chair 14, Northwoods, Mid-Vail and home. Actually we took two runs on Chair 14 for the heck of it. 120 second ride for powder turns. Too bad you're not here. Click on the photo for a full size version. Chris R.

12/08/2007 Another 8 inches of snow, but no real report from any of us today. (Sorry) I think Rob got some runs. They opened most of the back bowls. 4500 acres My ball and chain said it was incredible. Big smiles from her. She was in Blue Sky most of the day. Knee deep snow on the hill (thigh deep for the short ones). Chris R.

12/07/2007 I decided to celebrate Pearl Harbor Day by making a few runs (any excuse is a good excuse). I'll spare you any references to the skiing being "the bomb", but it was in fact fantastic. I'm riding up chair 8 first thing, ready to head to chair 2 like usual, but the snow right under the lift was just too tempting. So I broke with tradition and came right back down under the chair. 15" - 18" easy. It was all the way up to your smile. 2 out of 3 turns were in unbroken snow. Make that 3 out of 4. Back up chair 8, ready to try plan A again ... but on the way there, the snow on lower Ledges just looked TOO GOOD. Oops, hard left ... a virtual repeat of the first run and back to the bottom. Back up and finally, I made it to the top. Everything up there was great, although part of the time you had to ski by the braille method ... it was just snowing too hard to see. I ended it with an epic run down Minnie's (almost always a sure bet for good deep pow). Back to work by 10:45 ... but with a whole new attitude. I need to do this more often.
Rob

12/06/2007 The sales team (& Randi) took some runs this morning just to give a special report on the Vail ski conditions! Unfortunately, we didn't venture too far due to time constraints. We had hopes of hitting Chair 26, but headed to 2. 26 & 9 are not running today. Great runs on 2. Pickeroon was especially nice & full of powder before the crowds hit it. There's even some fun little lip hits for those of you who like to play! We headed back to the west and had our final run down on Pride which had only a few tracks in a good 5 inches of powder. (p.s. don't tell anyone!) Katie S.

12/05/07 Hey, it's Rob here. My first day of the season (yeah, I know I don't get out enough). Wow, conditions were GREAT! I went skiing with Mike Glass from Alpine Bank. We did the "Woods" over in Game Creek. A few sapling trees showing on the run, but it just made for some fun slalom turns. For how much snow we've received I was really surprised at how good it was. A series of storms are predicted Thur - Sat Rob L.

12/04/07 I went up around 1pm today with the ball and chain. Pretty warm out, but awesome skiing. Man the groomers were fast. This could mean icy conditions super early a.m. tomorrow. But they are calling for snow Wed. night. We did a bunch of runs on Northwoods and GameCreek. They still haven't opened Chair 14. Maybe they are waiting for more employees or guests. Totally no lines. Groomers made a path down the back bowls on Yonder. If we get 6-8 inches back there, they could open Chair 17, but I have my doubts on Chair 5 unless we get a foot. Chris R.

12/3/2007 There probably weren't enough people on Vail Mountain this morning to fill a school bus. It was deadsville and the skiing awesome. 2 weeks ago I pulled out my rock skis for the first time in 3 years. Today, I hopefully put them away for the ski season. I took out my new skis. It's good out there. Now, if we don't get snow in a week, the rocks will be popping up for sure but otherwise coverage is good for early Dec. The groomers hopefully won't ruin everything by pulling out their plows too often (are those guys from Nebraska?) Chair 14 wasn't open, not sure why. Chris R.

12/2/2007 Yipee! Photo above of Alan Sandberg, publisher of Vail's The Parent's Handbook. 11 inches new. What a day. They opened Chair 11 and it was powder skiing. The mountain has been transformed. Looks like they'll open the new Chair 14 tomorrow for more beginner skiing. Making turns today with Rick from RJ Limosuines and Jeff Jacobs from the Westwind Condos. The mountain was loaded with locals. Wish you were here (see photo below) Chris R.
12/1/2007 New snow today and still snowing! Vail ski conditions improved. 4 inches reported up on the mountain. They are opening Chairs 2, 3, 4 and 7 today, so over 500 acres of skiing. It's about time. And of course I have to work today. More snow predicted through the weekend. Guests coming back to the hotel had grins on their faces. Good reports for Chair 4 Chris R.

FREE LUNCH - WOO HOO!

2007-12-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Darci, Randi, Crissy, Eric, Kristen and I all went to the new Vail Chophouse for lunch. It was their "soft" opening ... invited neighbors and friends only ... just to help them work out the kinks. We were excited for a free lunch, but we really got wound up when we arrived and our super cute, South African server Karen said, "We want you to order as much as possible ... soup, salad, appetizer, entree AND dessert". Look out. We waddled home two hours later.
As awesome as the lunch was, the buzz in the place (and outside) was even better. I sat down with owner Brian Nolan, Vail Jazz Foundation exec dir Mia Vlaar and PR guru Pat Peeples for a few minutes and everyone was practically giddy with the excitement of the Arrabelle opening. I've got to admit, after four years of talking about how great it's going to be ... it is pretty incredible.
Rob

2007-12-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Antlers "antlers" make it to Russia.... We received this photo from Alden Thorndike at Vail Resorts central reservations. He in turn received it from some travel agents located in Moscow.

Mention you saw this post to win your own free foam antlers.

Eagle Valley Alliance for Sustainability

2007-12-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

Evelyn and I recently went to a program put on by the Eagle Valley Alliance for Sustainability. Matt Scherr runs that organization and what a saint he his ... talk about good karma. This particular program had three different developers speaking, but each with an eye towards sutainable communities, both environmentally as well as socially. Jonathan Robert, the guy from McStain homes, in Denver was great. I didn't realize how many cool things that company does in their home building efforts. He referred to some of it as "good weird" which was fitting. Stuff like giving away a year's worth of wind energy credits and a Vespa when you buy one of their homes, rather than the traditional discount on closing fees, or whatever.
There was also a guy who called himself Farmer John (don't remember his real last name) but he's hoping to develop a subdivision near Buena Vist with it's on self-sustaining farm. Pretty bold. All in all the program was great and it made me proud to be alligned with them. Now that we're a finalist for the Green Business of the Year in the Vail Valley, it's even more gratifying to work together. We host their speakers on a comp basis whenever necessary and for that they call us the "Official Hotel of EVAS". It's all fun.
Rob

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2007-12-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

This year I procrastinated a little too long on the Christmas decorations, I think. Usually, we have a very intricate Christmas village set up in our lobby but lots of the pieces got broken last year and I just plain waited too long to put it up this year and now I feel that it wouldn't be "worth it" to put it up just for two weeks. I was starting to get a little stressed about it until an idea came to me in a dream. I dreamed that we had a tree in the lobby covered in nothing but candy canes, and then I made it happen! I put up this little sign to let people our candy is for sharing: So far, people seem disappointed with the absence of lights (but there were none in my dream!) so I may have to add some. What do you think?

12/23/7 Update: The tree has been a big success; I had to go to the store today to buy a second round of candy canes because they all got eaten!

The Christmas Party

2007-12-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Antlers Christmas party at Vista Restaurant in Arrowhead. They just opened in the Arrowhead location and their new space is very impressive. They have dark leather chairs that are the most comfortable restaurant chairs in which I have ever sat.
The turnout was great with about sixty people attending this year, including all of our families.
Our very own Santa (aka Hap) made his annual visit and handed out gifts for everyone. The children were posing on Santa's lap while their parents snapped pictures and it must have looked like a lot of fun because the next time I looked up, the adults were posing on Santa's lap for their Christmas shots too!
As usual, everyone had a great time and good conversation, and lots of fun opening their presents. I'm already looking forward to the next gathering!

There was a type-o on the menu which had salmon spelled s-a-m-o-n. Here is Rob coming up with the "very funny" joke of dubbing it the "Christmas Salmon-because it's got no L":

2007-12-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

'SnowWitch' joins you today to divulge some hidden pleasures in early December skiing at Vail!!

Ski early in the day - you'll get some powder runs and the slopes won't be crowded (I know, it's torture to get up early when out here on vacation....unless you're from the East Coast and then it seems like it is mid-day at 9 am!!)
Ski front-side at Vail when there is new powder - everyone else will be in Gamecreek Bowl.....and you'll have Lodgepole and Christmas to yourself!
Take advantage of early-bird or early season restaurant discounts - often 30% off entres is offered
Stop for a break at Wildwood - their apple pie is the best (with whipped cream of course!)

More later - good skiing!!

Timber Hearth Grille

2007-12-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was the annual concierge function at the Timber Hearth Grille at Cordillera. Crissy, Darci and I went and a good time was had by all. When we arrived we decided to go outside first since we were all still bundled up. On the terrace outside the dining room, there were benches surrounding a wood burning outdoor fire pit to warm us while we waited for the sleigh to come back around to give us a ride. We took a horse drawn tour of the golf course which they use as their Nordic Center in the winter, pulled by Charlie and Jacob of Bearcat Stables. Afterward, we posed for a picture with them and then went inside for dinner. There were three stations set up throughout the dining room. One with penne, prosciutto and black truffle carbonara and pulled rabbit meat. The second was a lamb carving station which was delicious, and the third was dessert with pecan tarts, carrot cake petit fours and coffee. As we sat and ate, waiters continually came by with trays of passed hors d'oeuvres and by the end of the evening the three of us were very full. A big Thank You to Timber Hearth Grille and Bearcat Stables!

The PR Bigtime

2007-12-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well, we've hit the bigtime ... from a Public Relations standpoint, that is! Last Sunday we were featured in the New York Times Travel Section (you can see the article in our on-line press room). Needless to say, it was a PR homerun ... or so says Monica McCafferty who handles that role for the Vail Valley Partnership. The only twist was that they goofed and put in the price as per person, per night ... when it was really just per person (for all five nights). Oh well ... we've still had some calls and are able to clarify everything on the phone. More importantly, the exposure from just being in the NYT is HUGE.

November was a heckuva month from a PR perspective ... the NYT feature, a couple quotes in Travel and Leisure magazine, some more in the Vail Daily and an interview on CBS Channel 4 in Denver. Man oh man, our queens of Public Relations (and most favorite consultants) Darla and Eliza have really been kicking butt. The Times article was the biggest coup for the WordenGroup since they got us on the front page of USA Today's business section a couple years ago. I love it when they tell me that Regis & Kelly is next ... but then I'm easily amused.

Office Massage

2007-12-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

In addition to being one of our most favorite owners, Janina Greene has been a physical therapist for many years. Chris managed to coerce her (which in Janina's case means simply asking) into giving some ten minute neck massages to our hard working (no, that doesn't mean "hardly" working) staff. Greg (from maintenance) was the first happy recipient, and no sooner did he start to loosen up, but our director of conference services, Kati (also an experienced massage therapist) decided Janina deserved a little neck work as well. Our controller, Randi (who has no official theraputic expertise whatsoever) just couldn't help but join the fun. It may look like the bunny hop, but trust me ... it was much, much better.

Vail Ski Conditions 2007 November

2007-11-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

11/23/07 Well, the season started out with excitement (in October) with over 2 feet of snow before Halloween. Some of the most snow I've seen in Oct. in a number of years. However, it sort of jinxed us for November (so far). November has been quite dry and warm. The Tues/Wed before Thanksgiving things finally cooled down and we received 4 inches of snow. Enough to get Born Free run open with man-made snow, but that was about it. Vail Mountain has now moved their snow guns over to some green runs and Bear Tree. C. Ratz

11/23/07 Still cold outside and the weather people are calling for perhaps a couple of storms between Nov 27 - Dec 1. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Chair 15 opened for beginners with a large learning area at the top of the mountain. C. Ratz

11/24/07 Darn cold this morning, around 10 degrees. Great for making snow. In fact, they are making snow on lower Simba this morning. Sort of surprising that they are making it over there already. I would think it will take a lot of time to get that run open but who knows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they work on some of the upper trails to get some top to bottom skiing. C. Ratz

11/25/07 I went up right away in the morning. Good groomed slopes. This is the key during early season when there are just a few ski runs available. They have the cat-walk going around to Chair 2 open.... Good for practicing the technique. Saw Mark Ulmschneider (owner of 517) and did 4 runs with them. Also saw Paul Green (owner of 416) Amazing how we could find some decent snow after the holiday weekend crowds. They were blowing snow on Pride, Simba, base of Chair 9 and on Columbine. It makes me think they are working on getting Chair 2 or Chair 9 open soon. You can tell they don't need much snow higher up or just a bit of snowmaking here and there to open more runs. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Chris R.

11/26/07 Snowing lightly outside from 9am-11:30am, not a lot but enough to make the runs soft. I took out the telli skis today and hooked up with Mark and Bernd from 517 again. Five quick runs before work. It was nice with less people on the runs after the holiday. Weather is calling for more snow on Wed and Sat perhaps. Just a foot of snow and ski runs will be open all over the place, but we need that foot. Chris R.

11/27/07 Got out on the mountain pretty late (3:00pm) but got three runs in before the lifts closed at 3:30pm. Certainly a bit icy this late in the day. They are blowing snow on Pride but still haven't opened any extra runs. I saw that someone has been skiing down Columbine near Chair 2 but it isn't open to the public. Not sure if Ski Patrol is working on the trail or what. Clouding up late in the day and they are calling for 2-4 inches tonight. I sure hope so since I have tomorrow morning off. Chris R.
11/28/07 New snow this morning and still snowing as of 10:30am. I did four quick runs. They said 4 inches up at Mid-Vail but there was probably 3 inches down in Lionshead and up on the top of Born Free lift. Nice to get soft snow again. Yellow Jacket guy said they were opening Chair 26 and the Pride ski run today but he didn't know what time. Columbine and Ledges are open from the top of the Gondola but you have to walk to the top of Chair 15 to get to those runs. They were blowing snow at the base of chair 2 (pic above). I still say we need 8 more inches before they can open the upper half. Buddy of mine said East Vail got 6 inches, so top of mountain probably received same. Sweet! Chris R.

11/29/07 They opened Pride and Chair 26. We now have top to bottom skiing from the gondola. They need to blow a bit more snow in a few spots on the Pride, but below Chair 26 (swinging down through lower Simba) the snow was excellent. Then I took the gondola up and walked over to Chair 15 (beginner) and skied Ledges all the way down. It was decent. But we still need a good slab of snow to come down. 4 inches at a time isn't quite doing it to build a base. They were blowing snow on lower Lodgepole so it looks like they are trying to get either Chair 2 open or the Vista Bahn lift for this weekend. Chris R.

11/30/07 I did my daily runs super early. Here's the scoop. Runs were groomed better and it is snowing over by Holy Cross mountain (as of 9:30am). We could see the storm clouds moving in from the South. Vail announced they are opening Chairs 2, 3, 4, 7 on Saturday tomorrow. Wow! My opinion is that it might be a bit thin up there but who knows. They are making a lot of snow and if we get the snow they are predicting, it might be pretty decent. Keep your fingers crossed. Chris R.

Rocky Mountain Vacations Travel Agent

2007-11-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Each year Julie from Rocky Mountain Vacations spends Thanksgiving out in the Utah desert with her relatives. Apparently they have some sort of golf tournament. Hmmmm.... were they drinking?............

Hi Chris,

As promised…the third annual Vail Antlers Ladies Wilderness Golf Tournament held Thanksgiving day on the San Rafael swell. I had everyone show off the logo this year! Thanks for the good times with the Antlers. And remember…don’t feed the wildlife.

Julie Stepniewski
ROCKY MOUNTAIN VACATIONS
Division of Travel Organizers/American Express

Want to Avoid the Lift Lines like a Local?

2007-11-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

1. Get out before 9:30am and you'll likely stay out of lines the whole day. You'll be out in front of the crowds, into the Vail Bowl areas and a couple of lifts ahead of the ski schools, crowds and commuters from Denver. If you are going to sleep in, just have a late breakfast and wait until 11:00am or so and you'll zip right up.

2. Stay away from the gondola. Only ride that thing if there is NO line. You can get up quicker and further up the mountain by taking Chairs 8 and 2 and actually get a bit of a warm up on the cat-walk at the same time.

3. Look before you leap. It sounds too simple but look for a moment at each side of the lift to see which maze has less of a line. And then look closely to see which lane has less people. I can't believe the number of times a well meaning friend will just dive right in to the closest line, when with just 5 seconds of thought there is a better option available.

4. Single lines can be deceiving. Be careful splitting up. Sometimes the regular lines go QUICKER than the single lines. When a maze is completely full (single lines and regular lines are out the maze), many times the regular lines go quicker (particularly on the High-speed quads). Exception is Chair 5

5. If at top of Chair 7, look down to the base of the lift first before diving in.Chair 7 (Game Creek) can be a mess between 10am and 11:30am as the goofs riding the gondola take the cat-walk down to Gamecreek. But you can see down in from the top of 7. If it is mess, dive down the back to Chair 5 or back to the front for Chairs 3 or 4.

6. Don't do Chair 11 between 2:45 and 4:00pm. If you are coming back from Blue Sky or China Bowl and your legs can handle it, ski down Yonder to get to Chair 5. There won't be anyone there at this time of day and it brings you back to the top.

7. Thumbs up for: North side of 7, East side of 2, East side of China lift, East side of Northwoods, East side of Chair 3 anytime, East side of Chair 4 before 10:30 but then West side of same Chair after lunch.

8. Loser moves: Going down to Chair 5 after 10:38 on a powder day (You might as well start walking back up the hill). Skiing runs around Chair 2 from 9:45-11:30 (don't choose those 50 acres to ski on when there is 5000+ out there waiting for you). And the ultimate loser move? Sticking with a friend on a powder day.

New Stone Work

2007-11-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely, the Antlers' building facade is being updated. The original building, which was constructed n 1972, had a different type of stone treatment on the outside than the new Antlers which was completed in 2001. From many vantage points, the discrepancy was glaringly obvious. We are proud to say that it is now almost non existent. This is our clock tower as seen from the sixth floor hallway in our courtyard: It is the last major thing left to be covered in the beautiful new stone.

Here is a section where the two come together: The new stuff is much nicer, don't you think?

Antlers GHOSTS

2007-11-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Although the 07’ ski season is upon us here in Vail, I felt it necessary to inform you of our success in the summer softball league as the Antlers staff (and a few stranglers we found roaming aimlessly on the streets), dusted off our mitts, bought 2 bats, 4 softballs, and called ourselves the ANTLERS G.H.O.S.T. (God help our sh%@#ty team) We were an organized softball team again. Let me re-phrase that. They were organized and we showed up for each an every game with high hopes and aspirations of proudly displaying the athletic talent we were not quite sure we had. Our dreams were dashed of possessing the 1st place trophy and displaying it in the Antlers lobby, when after one inning, of one game, we found ourselves losing by 7 runs and wondering how to make an out. The anguish continued and I wonder if it has taken this long to write of it, because of it. Healing takes time. Some of the healing included the following: LeVine-thigh, hamstring, ankle…Ziccardi-two knees, right arm… Schlaeder-ankle… Walls-leg… Harl-both legs… Everyone else-bruises, contusions (most of these injuries sustained because we tried to catch the ball with various body parts rather than use our mitts).

I was proud of our team though, and the enthusiasm we all displayed throughout the 8 game season could not be compromised. We finished with a perfect record in our division ( 0 and 8 ) and we were taught many lessons because of the experience this past summer.

One of the most important lessons was realized after the first game. We knew that one case of beer was not enough to keep the team satisfied in the dug-out. Then we learned that Bagallis had the best pizza. Then we learned that the Sand Bar had the best wings. Then we learned that a team barbeque was in order to celebrate a complete disaster of a season.

There is talk of organizing again for next year, but that was only for 5 minutes after the last game was played. We thank all of you that attended and were able to witness our play and extend a thank you to all that supported us otherwise. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Greg Ziccardi

New Grocery Cart

2007-11-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

A few years back, Greg in maintenance took one of our older luggage carts and converted it to a grocery cart for guests to use. It was such a big hit that we were constantly looking for the thing all over the property. We just decided that it was probably a good idea to make another one. And then there were two....More to come?

Zip Line Adventure in Wolcott

2007-11-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Antlers owners unit 406 (the Brinkmans) stopped by the front desk and went on and on about how fun the zip line was out by Wolcott (20 minutes west of Vail). Scott Brinkman said he has done sky diving and bungee jumping and this zip line was one of the most fun and exhilarating things he has done. The kids thought it was a blast. One of the zip lines was over 1000 feet long. I think he said it was $125 per person. It is open through November. Zipadventures

Start of the Antlers at Vail blog

2007-11-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

With the beginning of the 2007-2008 ski season underway, the Antlers at Vail figured it was time to start a blog. A place to check on ski conditions, ask questions, give feedback on the Antlers, etc.

Welcome