So everyone we have got 28″ in the past week which is a lot for this season! We are thinking snow here in the Vail Valley, and from what the weather guy has been telling us it is supposed to keep on coming. We are expecting a later snowfall this winter with heavy accumulation in February and March, hopefully we will see some great powder days!  If you have had a good powder day this year, and would like to share your adventure, e-mail your story to cbennett@eaglevalleyblog.com! Enjoy the new snow!!!!

Cody Bennett

It is December 10, 2009 and The Beaver Creek Park Crew is hard at work on their 2009-2010 Terrain Park Layout!  The Lumberyard was open for business on opening day, a statement you never would have heard in Vail or Beaver Creek even 3 years ago. The lumber yard boasts 2 unique feature lines, the left side is easier and less consequential starting with a flat box, to a c-rail, to a c-box, to an urban down, to a rainbow box, to the massive propane tank stall at the end. The right side is more technical and offers riders a variety of jib possibilities; first there is a box/rail, to a metal culvert, to an urban style down rail, to a pole jam log launch, to a flat down log, to a s-rail, to a coffin box. This early season park at Beaver Creek has made leaps and bounds in the past 3 years, and looks to be still headed in the progressive direction.   The upper terrain parks, Zoom Room and Park 101, are about 95% complete with an expected opening of Dec. 11 or Dec. 12.  Zoom Room will feature 3 Jumps and a 4th Shooter Box feature; along with numerous rails, boxes, bonks, stalls, and just fun features for early season. Once the mountain is fully open Beaver Creek offers top to bottom terrain park, starting at teh top of Chair 8 in Zoom Room and Park 101, moving down to the Lumberyard, then to the  18-22ft Half pipe, and finally The Rodeo! The Rodeo is Beaver Creeks Expert Freestyle Terrain and offers the biggest features Beaver Creek has to offer, everything from Jumps, Rails, Boxes, Logs, Quarterpipes, Hips, Nolls, and Wall-rides. The rodeo is also a local party about everyday, you can always find loyal Beaver Creek locals in the park enjoying good company and great riding, and maybe a beer or two.   Come on out to Beaver Creek Colorado and watch these Park Crew and freeestyle up and comers do WORK!

Beaver Creek is officially open for business today November 25, 2009, the lift lines were tolerable and the snow was not half bad.  There were icy patches towards the end of the day, but there were still great turns to be found amongst the people unprepared for what was ahead of them.

Beaver Creek had one run full run, Latigo, open today, a 16 feature jib-park, and the beginner area at hay meadow.  There were lots of smiles and people looking like they were having a blast.  I sure did.

Beaver Creek did however make one mistake today. They seem to have cut their skier shuttle service in half, from 6 buses to 3. This left our skiers and snowboarders waiting 10-40 minutes for a bus.  There was a lady that I heard say “They better fix this, this just won’t work. I will not stand for this.”  Though she did sound a little hmm… uppity; she makes a good point the people who come to Beaver Creek expect a certain level of service and the resort managers should look at this with serious consideration.   They cannot expect 3 buses to handle the traffic that passes over that bridge everyday. I saw two avon station buses before the next Parking Lot bus arrived, that is 20+ minutes.

As you can see the line was backed up into and over the bridge. I am glad I beat the rush, but event though I was at the front it still took a half hour to get a bus down to my car.   Hopefully they will fix this problem soon.

Today was also the Cookie Contest in Beaver Creek Village, They served free cookies from 2-3 pm and the winner was announced shortly after 3 pm today, The cookies were spectacular, but there was a wonderful turnout so the delicious treats did not last long. There was a line similar to the bus line for the last few remaining cookies from Avondale and Larkspur Restaurants.  Bring more cookies next year!!

It is October 28th and there is snow covering most of the higher elevations in Eagle County.  This is not usually the case, normally we get hit with a good winter storm before Halloween, but it then melts due to a warm front or the ground being still too warm. Not this year! We have more snow in the forecast, 1-2 feet by Friday the 30th.  If this continues we should have great opening day/early season conditions at both Vail and Beaver Creek resorts.  Beaver Creek is planning to open 11-25-09, just 5 days later than Vail’s 11-20-09 expected opening day.  Vail has been blowing snow in Golden Peak, using their new park snow gun setup, and according to rumor is planning to have their half pipe and jumps up very soon after Thanksgiving. For the best lodging, lift ticket, and equipment rental deals in the Vail Valley contact Beaver Creek West by calling 1-800-222-4840.

The 2009 – 2010 ski season is rapidly approaching  don’t miss all the great early season deals offered by Vail Valley Condominiums call toll free 800-222-4840

Beaver Creek resort founded in 1980 has evolved into what could be compared to places such as Telluride and Whistler. There are three mountains accessible from any of the three villages: Beaver Creek Village, Arrowhead Village, and Bachelor Gulch Village; this helps the crowds at Beaver Creek still seem small when the parking lots are packed. There is no simple way to explain the Beaver Creek experience. There are three towns, Beaver Creek, Avon, and Edwards, within 5 miles of the mountain making the area attractive for travelers with all sorts of different needs, but its all High Class. A family that chooses Beaver Creek for their vacation destination has a huge variety of lodging and dining options. At the high end, The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch offers one bedroom accommodations starting at $575.00 per night, this provides access to the amazing infinity pool and spas at the base of the Bachelor Gulch Express. The Ritz-Carlton is a full-service platinum and diamond rated property that meets the needs of Beaver Creek’s high end guests. In the middle range, the Beaver Creek Lodge offers hotel style accommodations starting at $399.00 per night. This includes access to their health club, pool, room service, and restaurant, Rocks Modern Grill. The lower end of the accommodations in the Beaver Creek area are located in Avon, CO at the base of Beaver Creek, and are connected to the resort by bus and gondola. The hotels and condominiums in Avon are located close to Beaver Creek’s free parking lots and make mountain access a breeze. Located in Avon, Beaver Creek West is located adjacent to Nottingham Park and Lake, offers Gold-Rated one to four bedroom fully furnished condominiums that meet the natural living needs of their guests. Beaver Creek West is not a full service hotel, but does have the best summer and winter amenities around; with a pool, 3 hot tubs, sauna, tennis courts, and meeting facilities, Beaver Creek West is fully equipped to satisfy all your needs at a fraction of the price of the lodging options in Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch.

Dining in Beaver Creek can be one or a mixture of two things, expensive and satisfying. As with the lodging options there are many many dining options around the Beaver Creek area. At the high end, Beano’s and Zach’s cabins offer a unique dining experience with a variety of food styles and beverage selections for the big spender. These restaurants are located on Beaver Creek mountain and are serviced by snow-cats that take the guests on a spectacular scenic venture on the way to the best meal around. In the middle, we find a variety of great dining locations including Sato’s Sushi House in Edwards, Agave Mexican Cuisine in Avon, The Coyote Cafe in Beaver Creek, and The Dusty Boot Stake house and Saloon in Beaver Creek. These restaurants offer great service, great food, and affordable prices for a family or group to go out and have a great night without spending a fortune. At the low end, there are many many places that offer rations for the avid saver. Avon Bakery and Deli offers bagels, bread, fish, sandwiches, breakfast and a friendly atmosphere for around 10 dollars a person. Others include Marko’s Pizza, Fiestas Mexican Grill, Burger King, Outback Steak house, Finnegans Wake, and Bob’s Place.

The skiing experience at Beaver Creek varies greatly from that of Vail and other surrounding areas.  Beaver Creek is a private resort which makes for a much more intimate feeling than one gets at Copper Mountain or Vail Resort. The lifties are friendly and the lines are short. Something to notice about Beaver Creek is that even if a line is out the gate it will still be less than 15 minutes before you take your seat on one of Beaver Creek’s 10 high speed quads or 2 new gondolas.  Beaver Creek is separated into 4 areas that all offer different variations of terrain and scenery. If a group starts their day at the Beaver Creek Landing, they will be skiing Bachelor Gulch in less than 15 minutes, and be centrally located to any run on the mountain. If a group wants to start their day at the Beaver Creek Village they can head in two directions up the Strawberry Park Express Lift, or up the Centennial Express Lift. Beaver Creek offers skiing for riders of all ages and abilities, and is set in an environment that ensures any nature and winter fanatic a great time.