Colorado ski resorts prepare for ski season, introduce social networking to slopes

Skiers and snowboarders who have been eagerly waiting for the Colorado ski season to begin, had their patience rewarded last week when Keystone Resort opened to the public for the first time this year. They’ll soon be joined by Breckenridge, which fires up the lifts tomorrow, followed by Vail and Heavenly, who kick off the season on the 19th, with Beaver Creek finally joining in on the fun on the 24th of the month.

It may still be early November, but the snow has already been flying on the mountains, with several of the resorts receiving in excess of 7″-8″ of snow in the past few days alone. That means that skiers can already expect a good base of powder when the gates open over the next few weeks, and considering these resorts average 300+ inches of snow per year, you can bet that the season ahead will be a good one.

Fantastic lodges and beautiful powder aren’t the only thing these resorts have up their sleeves this year however. They’ve also managed to bring their lift tickets into the 21st century by incorporating an RFID chip right in the passes themselves. That technology opens up a host of new opportunities for visitors in what can only be described as an Epic Mix.

Epic Mix is a unique blend of outdoor fun, social networking, and technology that comes together in an online environment or on a mobile app for the iPhone and Android devices. As you spend the day going up and down the mountain, making great run after great run, the RFID chip is busy keeping track of how far you’ve skied, how many vertical feet you’ve dropped, and so on. It then allows you to share that information online at the Epic Mix website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. You can even earn special Epic Mix achievements for completing certain goals or attending specific events. Those achievements can be shared with friends and family in the form of badges that can be prominently displayed on your Epic Mix or Facebook page. Examples of some of these achievements are the Snow Turkey, which is awarded for visiting a resort on Thanksgiving Day or the Three’s Company badge for skiing more than 3000 vertical feet in a single season.

As of this writing, the Epic Mix mobile apps are not available yet, but the website promises that they’ll arrive “by Christmas.” Android and iPhone users will find plenty to love in these applications, as they’ll not only allow you to access your Epic Mix account while on the go, they’ll also show you exactly where your friends are on the mountain at any given time, and allow you to message one another to set up when and where to meet. The apps will also give you real time weather and snow reports, traffic updates, and information on the conditions of your favorite run.

For more information on what Epic Mix can do, check out the video below and be prepared to have an even more social experience on the slopes in Colorado this season.

[Photo credit: Breckenridge Lodge]

Golfing dads should keep Keystone Resort in mind this summer

Father’s Day is coming, and if you’re old man’s a golfer, you might want to ship him off to Keystone Resort for a weekend. The “Stay and Play” package includes two free rounds of golf at the Ranch Course, and kids 17 and under can join dad (after 5 PM) for no charge, as well. For fathers with kids who are looking for some bonding time, this can be a great way to get together free of distraction (except that pesky white ball) for a few hours).

For the big weekend, rates start at only $144 a night, and they are as low as $125 for the rest of the summer. The “Stay and Play” package is also available at the RockResorts in Vail, Beaver Creek and Jackson Hole.

Three late-season skiing options in Colorado

Spring sunset skiing sessions kick off in only a few weeks at Keystone Resort. Starting March 28, 2010, you can get some great late-season skiing out in Colorado. Most resorts in the Rockies don’t force skiers and snowboarders to call it quits until April 11 or 18, so there’s still plenty of time to hop a plane and get a few runs in. at Keystone, you can pick up the “Game On” package for $99, which includes free NASTAR ski racing (for the family) and Nordic skiing.

Need some late-season skiing ideas? Here are three in Colorado:

1. Keystone Resort
Book by March 31, 2010 and you’ll pick up a free night with the “Spring Break on Us” package (must stay three nights). While you’re there, take the kids to the new Kidtopia Festival, with the Mountaintop Ultimate Snow Fort featuring 12-foot walls, a snow throne and a draw bridge, parades, disco tubing and more.

2. Vail
Take 33 percent off your stay at The Arrabelle at Vail Square and your lift ticket. While you’re in town, check out the April 17 Wyclef Jean concert, as well as the World Pond Skimming Championships.

3. Arapahoe Basin
You can ski here through early June and even enjoy a ski “beach” scene, with barbecues, snow beach volleyball and hot tubs. If you need to feed your skiing addiction, A-Basin is the place to do it.

Document your vacation with RockResorts “Three for Free” promotion

With the slumping economy and decline in hotel occupancy rates, lots of hotels and resorts are offering deals that allow you stay for free after you pay for a certain number of nights. But not many resorts are throwing in a free “adventure cam” to use during your stay.

RockResorts, which operates properties in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and St. Lucia, is offering a “Three for Free” promotion that goes above and beyond the standard package deal. The minimum stay at each resort varies (ranging from 3-6 nights) and dates of validity vary through April depending on which of the 12 resorts you choose, but at each one you’ll receive: one free night’s stay, a $50 gift card or resort credit, and a free Adventure Eye Video Systems action/ helmet camcorder to make a movie off all the fun you have during your stay.

As an added bonus, those who actually use the camera to record themselves out and about on the property can enter their movie into a contest to win free Epic Passes for the 2010-2011 season. The passes allow unlimited skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado.

To take advantage of the promotion, rooms must be booked by January 31.

[via La Times]

Keystone offers a better alternative to holiday shopping

The best travel deals don’t happen on Black Friday. Instead of rushing out to the nearest big box store to do battle with the other crazy shoppers, pull the trigger by November 20, and get a trip to Keystone, Colorado. Book your stay for between December 19 and 26, and you could score rates as low as $101 a night — 50 percent off the usual rate! The deal works at Keystone Lodge & Spa and the Inn at Keystone, not to mention the condos at Lakeside, Evergreen, Soda Ridge and Aspen Ridge (from studios to two-bedroom suites).

This is a sweetheart deal. For skiers, booking a room for Christmas week by November 20 is a no-brainer, and non-skiers can have a blast, too. Ice skating, dining and shopping are available, and the complimentary Adventure Passport provides free and discounted access to plenty of activities on and off the slopes.