Friday, July 29, 2011

Save up to 33% on Lodging at Keystone in Colorado

The Key to the Rockies property management company in Keystone, Colorado, just released a new promotional offer. Book 2 nights and get the third night free. This offer is good most of the year with some blackout periods.

Keystone Resort offers a great variety of activities year round for your next mountain getaway. The Key to the Rockies team is ready to assist you in taking advantage of great savings with a large selection of condos, homes and more to choose from.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Season Pass Sales, Ski Sales and Bike Events

As the final days of July pass my email box serves friendly reminders that another ski and snowboard season is right around the corner. I know thoughts begin to wander to first snows and turns as I prepare to attend Rocky Grass Music Festival in Lyons, CO. I prepare for this fun weekend at the foot of the Rockies and I am reminded that Loveland Ski Area will be making snow in about 60 days as they target another October opening day.  Look for new Mountain Sports Club discounts for the 2011.12 season to be posted in early fall.

Our friends at Ski Shawnee in the Poconos just sent out there initial summer season pass sale. Look for new Mountain Sports Club discounts for the 2011.12 season to be posted late summer. The closest area to Denver, Echo Mountain is now offering season passes for as low as $159.00. This pass has no restrictions and no blackouts.

Meanwhile in Winter Park, Colorado they are preparing for their summer bike extravaganza called Crankworx starting today. A jam packed schedule of events and deals on lodging and activities.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Mountain Festivals and more

The mountains stay alive with festivals and events all summer. One of the more interesting to be announced is at Hunter Mountain in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Located near the location of the epochal Woodstock concert from another era, Hunter will host the first annual blues music festival. The festival will take place in Hunter, NY August 26 – 28. Esteemed blues-rock guitarist Elvin Bishop will headline the festival’s Friday lineup, legendary Allman Brothers Band singer and organ player Gregg Allman. Yes the Allman brothers were at the original summer event in the 60's.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Discounts and Savings at Winter Park Colorado for Summer

Winter Park, CO is open for alpine slides, mountain biking and summer fun. Currently there are a variety of options to stretch your summer travel budget using Winter Park Mountain Sports Club coupons and discount offers. Save up to 25% on lodging, discounts on mountain bike rentals and advance purchase of Full Day Adventure Pass.

The Full Day Adventure Pass includes unlimited use for one day of Colorado's longest Alpine Slide, the climbing wall, GyroXTREME*, Leaps and Bounds Bungee*, the zip line*, bouncy snowcat,* mini-golf, Zephyr Express scenic chairlift (does not include bike transport and closes at 5pm), and Human Maze.
* Subject to height and weight restrictions.

Winter Park Resort's summer hours of operation are 10am through 5:30pm, 7 days a week, from June 11 through September 5, 2011 (Labor Day) – and the same hours weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun) from September 9-25. Ticket windows open at 9:30am. The Zephyr Express Chairlift closes at 5pm, while other activities close at 5:30pm.

Kids 5 and under must purchase an Adventure Pass at the ticket window.

Enjoy Winter Park and the Fraser Valley area in Colorado this summer. 

Discount Mountain Bike lift Tickets and activities in the Mountains

Summer is in high gear as festivals, lift serviced mountain biking, zip lines and more keep mountain visitors busy and occupied in the high country.

Below are new discounts and deals for summer activity highlights in the mountains. Save up to 50% now on lift served mountain biking and activities.

Use Mountain Sports Club coupons at:

Durango Mountain Resort  -Various coupons for lodging offers and the Total Adventure Ticket.

Plattekill Bike Park -Half Price mountain bike lift ticket and limited free mountain bike ticket now available.

Rafting Trips - Enjoy great discounts on the water.

Buy in advance and save on lift tickets and summer at:

Winter Park, CO Various coupons and savings available.

Burke Mountain, VT Discounted tickets on select dates.

Park City, UT Discounts on All in One Alpine Pass.

Angel Fire, NM Discounts and savings on mountain Bike lift tickets.

More deals will be updated as they are available. Be sure to take advantage of the current summer special on premium Mountain Sports Club membership. Join now for one year for only $7.95. Use promotion code july11 to redeem this offer now. Register and save.

Win 2 Mountain Bike Lift Tickets to Plattekill Bike park

We have 2 Plattekill Mountain Bike Park lift tickets (Value $35 each) we are giving away this month, July. Tell us where you have gone lift served mountain biking and why you want to go to Plattekill. Email to john@mountainsportsclub.com, or comment and reply to this blog post.

Plattekill is home to over 60 miles of mountain bike trails and is one of the first lift served bike parks to operate on the East Coast. Plattekill Bike Park is open every weekend from April through November and also features hiking, chairlift rides, camping and operates midweek for group adventure camp tours.Looking for discounts? Be sure to take advantage of the Mountain Sports Club half price ($17.50 value daily) summer mountain bike lift tickets at Plattekill Mountain Bike Park.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Mountain News and Updates

Several interesting tidbits of mountain news the last couple of days ranges from lightning strikes at the mountains, a winding down of this past season skiing and snowboarding, as well as ski and snowboard sales a foot.

The July Fourth weekend saw skiing and riding end at the following resorts:
  • Arapahoe Basin,CO - the word was is was packed and a great time.
  • Snowbird, UT - Closed for the season as well on Monday the 4th.
  • Squaw Valley, CA - T shirts were part of the schwag for the historic day as well
Many others are now getting all the snow off and mountain biking, lift rides, alpine slides and more are in full swing.


Mt Abrams in Maine had their base lodge struck by lightening and a fire resulted in significant damage. Resort operators assured they would be ready and operating by the scheduled start of the next ski and snowboard season.

On the retail side we see that the retail arm of Vail Resorts - Specialty Sports Ventures(SSV) - acquired the assets of Outdoor Outlet, LLC, a Wisconsin-based company that owns and operates O2GearShop.com, an online retailer of outdoor and snowsports goods and equipment with more than 2 million total visits last year. This signals a re entry for SSV into e-commerce. And their local store in Boulder, Boulder Ski Deals kicks off the next retail season with their $69 Tent sale. This is always a signal that ski and snowboard sales will be upon us and the next wave of season pass sales are right around the corner.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Durango Mountain Resort and Summer Fun

We just recently returned from a family vacation down to Durango and stayed at the Purgatory Ski Area at Durango Mountain Resort. The village was quaint and very relaxed with plenty to do to keep us busy.We stayed in a nice 2 bedroom Village Center condo that was very comfortable and conveniently located. It proved to be a great visit and there was lots to do that we did not get to.

A view of the Village at Purgatory from our balcony

My 3 sons and I had traveled down as they had never been to the Southwest part of Colorado. The start of this vacation was to visit Durango, Mesa Verde, Silverton and the area. The first day after we arrived, we planned a hike above Silverton and visiting that nearby historic town which is located about 30 minutes from the resort.

Camp ground and trail head for our hike to Ice Lakes
Our hike for the first day was to try and make it to the Ice Lakes out of the South Mineral Campground. Yes we encountered snow, and did not quite make it to the top. I had never been to Mesa Verde and day 2 was already planned for visiting Mesa Verde National Park and the Pueblo ruins and cliff dwellings.

The third day we decided to enjoy the resort activities at the village. This included alpine slide, putt putt golf, zip lines, climbing walls, lift serviced mountain biking, chair lift rides to the top, pool and more. It was a great time and we had never done this before. My boys are 15, 13 and 10 and we had no problem staying busy and enjoying the mountain. Durango Mountain Resort had just opened the zip line and continues to add more summer activities for their guests. Be sure to check out the coupons for Total Adventure Ticket and lodging packages. The Total Adventure Ticket is an exceptional value and the one coupon is a Buy One, Get One Half Price Total Adventure Ticket (TAT), Save $20.

The Durango Total Adventure Ticket™  - Best value for your day in the mountains, the Total Adventure Ticket gives you unlimited access to our most popular activities:
- Unlimited Alpine Slide rides
- Unlimited Scenic Chairlift rides
- Unlimited Mountain Bike Uplift
- Miniature Golf
- Two of the following: Bungee Tramp, Climbing Wall or Mechanical Bull

Total Adventure Ticket (4 Hours): $40
Additional Hour: $10

Closed-toe footwear is recommended when riding the chairlift and the Alpine Slide. Children must be at least 3 years old and 36 inches tall to ride the chairlift. Children must be at least 6 years old and 42 inches tall to ride solo on the Alpine Slide.The above detail is from the resort.

That evening we went downtown to Durango and joined friends from in town at the Ska Brewery. There was live music and specials for the Taqueria and on beers in an outside setting. What a perfect evening and way to end a fun filled day. A wide selection of the award winning micro brews provided options for everyone. My boys were pleased as the inside pub had big screen TV's and sports for their viewing pleasure.

The mountains have a very different feel in this part of the state compared to the mountains in the central Rockies. My boys noticed and commented on this during our drive down.With all the snow this year we knew we would find snow on the trails and peaks and that proved true all week.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Alpine Slides, Zip Lines, Mountain Biking and Skiing in the Mountains July 4 th weekend

This July 4th Holiday weekend will see lots of activity in the mountains as the mid summer break. Activities include alpine slides, more and more zip lines, lift serviced mountain biking, hiking and a some skiing and riding at several areas as well as fireworks and festivals.

Below are several announcements on summer activities at ski resorts.

Be sure to visit your local resort as there is an abundance of activities planned at most ski area/resorts over the 4th and this summer.  Looking to save on lift tickets next winter? Be sure to purchase your premium Mountain Sports Club membership now for the best price. Now only $7.95 for one year of savings. Use promotion code July11 and register now to save on lift tickets, lodging, dining and more.