New York Times-Wolf Creek

Article by Ski Guide 2010 New York Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/travel/13skiWOLFCREEK.html

Wolf Creek doesn’t get much buzz, but Colorado skiers know this family-run gem gets some of the heaviest snowfall in the state. The mountain may sport a modest 1,604 feet of vertical, yet almost every cranny of its 1,600 acres is skiable, with terrain ranging from perfectly pitched groomers to hair-raising steeps, and all sorts of natural gullies and jumps beloved by snowboarders. Sure, you won’t find megaresort amenities like electronic ticketing or fancy lodges (the base area has just five humble structures). But you won’t find megaresort prices, either. Rather, Wolf Creek is a charmingly retro alternative that is supremely affordable.

HOW TO GET THERE Wolf Creek is in rural southwestern Colorado, and getting there may be the biggest expense. The nearest commercial airport is Durango-La Plata County Airport, about 80 miles west, which services three routes: Frontier and United from Denver and US Airways from Phoenix. A recent Web search showed airfares from Kennedy Airport on United starting at about $340 for travel in January. A rental car is required to get around Pagosa Springs, the quiet town where most of the hotels are situated.

WHERE TO STAY There are no hotels or condos at the base of Wolf Creek. The nearest lodging is in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of South Fork, 18 miles east of Wolf Creek. But Pagosa Springs, in the other direction, has more restaurants and other amenities. Rooms for under $100 are easy to find.

In Pagosa Springs, the charming Fireside Cabins (1600 East Route 160; 888-264-9204; www.firesidecabins.com) has 15 log-style units that offer Old West touches like spurs and saddles, without the kitsch. Each cabin, which sleeps from four to six, is equipped with a kitchenette and gas fireplace and starts at $114. Ask for a cabin set back from the highway.

For more contemporary digs, try the Mountain Landing Guest Quarters (345 Piedra Road; 877-301-4129, extension 5345; www.mountainlanding.net). Occupying three low-slung buildings, the hotel has 13 suites, each equipped with kitchenettes and simply furnished with quilts on the beds. A one-bedroom starts at $90.

In South Fork, the 43-room Allington Inn and Suites (182 East Frontage Road; 800-285-6590; www.allingtoninn.com) is a newer, chain-style motel with clean but generic rooms, indoor pool and hot tub. Rooms start at $72, but specials for as low as $57 can be found on its Web site.

LIFT TICKETS Daily lift tickets are a very retro $52, and on 14 days the price drops to $31 for no apparent reason except that it’s Local Appreciation Day (no proof of residency required). The deal is even better for cross-country skiers: free access all season to six miles of groomed trails adjacent to the base area. Ski rental is just $14 a day ($35 for three days).

WHERE TO EAT Before you snap into your skis, stop at the Junction restaurant on the east side of Pagosa Springs (401 East Pagosa Street; 970-264-5729), where two massive elk heads greet diners and you can fuel up on big breakfast dishes like a Spanish omelet with hash browns and toast ($6.95).

Wolf Creek has two ski-in cafeterias that offer hearty fare on the cheap. The best deal is arguably the daily skier’s special ($7.50), which includes an entree like spaghetti or pork loin, a side and your pick of homemade desserts. Brown-baggers are welcome in the base camp picnic building.

For dinner, Kip’s Grill & Cantina (121 Pagosa Street; 970-264-3663; www.kipsgrill.com), which looks like a surf shack tucked inside a red-shingled cottage, serves seven types of Baja-style tacos ($6.95 to $9.95), as well as elk, buffalo and beef burgers ($5.95 to $8.95). The margaritas ($5) are good, too. If après ski at the Pagosa Brewing Company and Grill (see below) spills over into dinnertime, order the crispy wild salmon fish and chips with a beer-laced batter ($8.95), or one of the specialty pizzas (from $12.95), topped with mozzarella and Manchego cheeses.

APRÈS SKI The base lodge doesn’t offer much of an après-ski scene; it closes at 4:30 p.m. You’re better off in town, where Pagosa Brewing (118 North Pagosa Boulevard; 970-731-2739; www.pagosabrewing.com) brews a dozen varieties of beer, including the popular Powder Day IPA ($5 a pint). On busy evenings, outdoor fire pits are set up in the garden area. Happy hour, when pints are $1 off, starts at 8 p.m.

Even the spas are cheap here. The Springs Resort and Spa (165 Hot Springs Boulevard; 800-225-0934; www.pagosahotsprings.com) has 23 hot springs pools, where you can soak for as long as you want for $20. The outdoor pools range in size and temperature, going up to a toe-curling 114 degrees.

WHERE TO SHOP For stocking up on groceries, the two full-service City Market stores in Pagosa Springs are your best bet for price and selection (65 North Pagosa Boulevard; 970-731-6000; and 755 San Juan Drive; 970-264-2217). Treasure Sports (970-264-4310) at the base of the mountain stocks essentials like sun block, goggles and souvenir T-shirts with photos of the ski patrol’s six avalanche dogs.

Rio Grande Club Hits Press

Article By The Society of Leisure Enthusiasts
http://thesociety.com/blog/2010/01/san-luis-valley-colorado-%E2%80%93-a-4-season-playground/?utm_campaign=Traveler%20Newsletter&utm_content=zaven@riograndeclub.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=(more)

The Rio Grande Club in San Luis Valley, Colorado – A 4-Season playground
January 27th, 2010 by Joseph
Colorado has a reputation worldwide of providing visitors (and residents) the ultimate vacation opportunities from the mountains to the plains. While named resorts such as Vail, Aspen and Telluride are profiled in the popular press, as residents of Colorado, we know a few “hidden gems” which offer spectacular beauty, 4 seasons of recreational amenities and best of all, no crowds.

One such area is the San Luis Valley in southwestern Colorado. Considered remote which is much of the charm, the San Luis Valley represents a Colorado of years past when you did NOT have a lift line at the local ski resort or have to wait for your tee-time on the golf course. An area where the Native American crafts are actually constructed on-site, where two-lane roads dominate and an interstate highway is not the defining geographic feature of the landscape.

Situated at the west-end of the San Luis Valley we are pleased to present The Rio Grande Club providing the ultimate guest and lifestyle experience within the picturesque San Luis Valley.

Ranked in the top 15 golf and fly fishing destinations in the world, The Rio Grande Club features a 25,000 square foot clubhouse, truly the gathering spot of the club featuring a spacious dining room with impressive mountain vista views, a comfortable and cozy lounge, conference and banquet rooms, business center, pro shop, and a spa/fitness facility with cardiovascular stations, circuit training and free weights. There is also a workout room with a wide variety of programs including yoga, aerobics and Tae Bo among other activities. The clubhouse is the perfect location for destination meetings, events, and weddings.

Beyond the clubhouse, The Rio Grande Club’s amenities allow you to choose how active your vacation is. For relaxation (and maybe do a few laps) the outdoor patio includes a swimming pool with sitting area, spacious hot tub and an outside lounging area. Outside food service is also available for the pool area.

For the tennis player, The Rio Grande Club offers two tennis courts. In addition, private lessons and challenge courts are available all season.

For the fishing enthusiasts, the Club has private access to a one mile stretch of gold medal water. This portion of the river is periodically stocked to enhance the fishing experience.

The highlight of a vacation is golfing on the exquisite 18-hole championship golf course, one of the best in Colorado and voted the 6th best upscale course in 2003. The course features the Rio Grande River with a vertical rise of about 500 feet and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and towns. The golf course is spread out over 240 acres, over 50% more land than the typical 150-acre layout.

The golf course has elevations ranging from 8,130 feet to 8,590 feet insuring John Daly style drives off the tee with the total length of the fairways at 7,200 yards and the longest par five is a massive 600 yards. The course has a very mature feel as many of the large trees remain on site.

Six of the holes meander around the Rio Grande, with the river coming into play laterally, as well as crossing. Six holes are in the meadows and provide transition between the Rio Grande and the Mountain holes. The mountain holes are carved into the rock and trees and provide dramatic views with a spectacular finishing hole with a several hundred foot elevation drop. The club has a first class training facility with a spacious driving range with target greens and bunkers.

While hidden in southwestern Colorado, The Rio Grande Club has surprisingly easy access. Just a stone’s throw from the Town of South Fork, many guests drive from Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Denver and Durango. For guests who prefer to fly, commercial airports include Alamosa Airport (ALS), Albuquerque International Airport (ABQ), Colorado Springs Airport (COS), Denver International Airport (DEN) and Durango – La Plata County Airport (DRO). For smaller general aviation consider Del Norte Municipal & County Airport (8V1), Mineral County Memorial Airport in Creede (C24) and Monte Vista Municipal Airport (MVI).

Wherever you are coming from and whatever mode of transportation you choose, The Rio Grande Club will provide opportunities for relaxation and amenities which will remind you to come back year after year. Memberships are presently available at most attractive rates.

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Wolf Creek-National Geographic

Article From National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/travel/ski_vacations.html

Ski Vacation Almanac: How to Ski All Year Long
Text by Porter Fox Photograph by Aaron Black/Outdoor Collection/Aurora

"Ski season" may be one of the great misnomers in winter sports, followed closely by "winter sports." If you have a yen for locking into your bindings and owning the slopes whenever the mood strikes (and vacation days permit), there's no time like the present, no matter the time of year. So tear out these pages and tuck them in your boot bag. Because somewhere, right now, the slopes are calling, and our perennial ski guide is the only answer you need.

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

9. Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colorado
An odd phenomenon takes place each November at Wolf Creek Ski Area: It snows like mad. Powder-starved skiers from New Mexico to Texas converge on the 1,600-vertical-foot (488-vertical-meter) ma-and-pa hill—85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Durango and 10,300 feet (3,139 meters) above sea level—to partake in the largest annual snowfall in Colorado. When CEO Davey Pitcher opened the hill on October 29, 2004, there was a 30-inch (76-centimeter) base at the summit, and he charged $38 a day for a lift ticket, versus the standard $43. Early birds should point their boards to the right side of the trail map for 500 acres (202 hectares) of open bowls, gullies, and glades served by six lifts.

The First Run of the Season: Alberta Face, off the Treasure Chair, is the steepest shot with consistently ample coverage.

The Digs: The western-style rooms at High Country Lodge ($75; www.highcountrylodge.com); they're close to the hill, and breakfast is included.

The Local Brew: Lizard Head Red Ale at the Bear Creek Saloon and Grill (+1 970 264 5611).

Start Here: www.wolfcreekski.com