Category: SummitCove.com Blog

Upcoming Spring Events at Arapahoe Basin

Although Keystone Ski Resort has closed for the season, Arapahoe Basin will be open for at least another month and a half with great spring events and skiing!  World class skiing, some of the best terrain North America has to offer. Not to mention amazing food, drinks and the incredible views!

 

For the rest of the season, your Keystone season pass is valid at Arapahoe Basin.  Don’t let these amazing snow conditions and bluebird days slip by, summer will be here before you know it! Along with an already incredible experience, A-Basin has an incredible line-up of spring events and concerts.  There is a free concert series, ‘Shakin’ at the Basin’ every Saturday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm starting on Saturday, April 27th.  The series features both national acts and acts from Denver’s bustling music scene. The final weekend of concerts is June 1 and 2, 2019.  Put on your glitter and bring your hula hoops, Shakin’ at the Basin is a do not miss colorado experience taking place at the sun soaked Mountain Goat Plaza.

 

The Earth Day Celebration is Saturday, April 20th.  A-Basin will pay its respects to Mother Earth with a mountain wide scavenger hunt, for just $20 a team. To promote carpooling, the first several hundred people who show up with 3 or more people in their car will receive free Darn Tough socks, Cliff bars and raffle tickets for the Apres party starting at 3:00pm, at the Mountain Goat Plaza.  Proceeds of the day go to benefit POW (Protect Our Winters).

 

Sunday, April 21 is Easter!  The Easter bunny visits Arapahoe basin and hides 5,000 eggs all over the base area for skiing and non-skiing kids alike at the Beach N’ Egg Hunt.  Kids can search for eggs on foot or on skis and one lucky winner will take home a Kids’ 19/20 Season Pass!

 

Saturday, May 11th is Arapahoe Basin’s Infamous Swimwear Day and Spring Rail Jam.  Stop by the A-Basin tent in your family friendly swimming costumes to receive a raffle ticket.  At 2:00pm a Never Summer snowboard will go to one lucky winner. The rail jam starts at 10:00am in the treeline terrain park.  It’s sure to be as fun for the spectators as well as the tricksters.

Swimwear day at Arapahoe Basin!

 

On Sunday, May 19th, Bock Fest comes to Arapahoe Basin.  Bock Beer Fest is a traditional German party to celebrate the onset of springtime.  Featuring Bock beer, traditional German food, and live music by the Rhinelanders! Show off your dance skills to Polkas, Waltzes, and the ever popular Chicken Dance.

 

Memorial Day Weekend at the Basin is stacked with fun events and music! On Saturday, May 25th, checkout the final rail jam of the season.  Come show off your best tricks and win lift tickets, gift cards, and more. Sunday, May 26th is my favorite spring festival of them all, The Festival of the Brewpubs!  This is the largest Basin party of the year. This funnest of festivals takes place at Mountain Goat Plaza from noon until 4:00pm.  Brew pubs come from all over Colorado to serve you, and then add in live music and skiing-  how could you go wrong!

 

Pick one weekend or pick them all! SummitCove Lodging is partnering with Arapahoe Basin to offer great lodging deals with all of their Spring Events! Book 1 night in a studio condo at Keystone Resort for just $109, including all taxes and fees! Or, stay the whole weekend for 2 nights and pay just $189! What’s even better is that the free Summit Stage bus line runs back and forth from Keystone to Arapahoe Basin throughout the Spring!  Book a spring stay today!

New Keystone Season Pass Options for 19 / 20 Ski Season

Keystone’s EPIC 2018/19 snow ski season is over and it’s time to start looking at passes for next season. After over 20 years of partnering with Keystone, Arapahoe Basin is cutting ties with Vail Resorts. If you have a Keystone ticket or pass, you no longer will be able to use it at A-basin for the 2019/20 season. With the end of this ski pass partnership, Vail Resorts has introduced a new pass to replace the Keystone/Abasin pass- The Keystone Plus Pass.

 

The Keystone Plus Pass will give its pass holders unlimited skiing at Keystone plus access to spring skiing at Breckenridge starting April 1st, 2020 until the resort closes. This year Breckenridge plans to be open through Memorial Day Weekend! Between an early opening date at Keystone with it’s upgraded snowmaking system and a late closing date at Breckenridge, you’ll be able to ski a record amount of days with this new pass option- you can be out on the slopes for about three quarters of the year! This pass also includes 5 days at Crested Butte, one of the best resorts in Colorado. There are holiday restrictions for both Keystone and Crested Butte on this pass; 11/29/19 – 11/30/19, 12/26/19 – 12/31/19, 01/18/20, 02/15/20 – 02/16/20.

 

If this pass doesn’t have enough resorts for you, there are plenty of other Vail Resort season pass options. The Summit Value Pass keeps the cost down and still gives you unlimited and no restrictions for your skiing/riding at Keystone plus Breckenridge with holiday restrictions. This is a great choice when you like to use those holiday days for your Keystone ski trips. The Epic Local is the most popular pass with unlimited and unrestricted access to the Colorado resorts of Keystone, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte. This pass also includes 10 days with holiday restrictions at Vail, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb, giving you plenty of ski options throughout the season. There are over 30 additional resorts that participate on this pass with limited restrictions giving you fantastic skiing across the country. The Epic Pass will give you the most options at over 65 resorts worldwide. For the Colorado resorts, you get unlimited unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte plus 7 days at Telluride. There are also many other resorts across the world with various restrictions so you can follow the snow across the globe!

 

You’ll get the best price the earlier you buy plus Vail Resorts lets you put down a $49 deposit to lock in the deals. If you purchase your pass by April 14, you’ll get 10 buddy tickets with select season passes.  While you’re at it, you can also secure your lodging for next ski season too. It’s especially important to book early if you are looking for a larger property or visiting over the holidays or a 3-day weekend, as those properties and dates tend to book out early.  Get your season passes and lodging for the 19 / 20 ski season locked in today! 

 

Live Music, Rehearsal Dinners or a Fancy Night Out at the Snake River Saloon

Our favorite weekend to ski Keystone is closing weekend!  There are always so many fun things to do, with concerts, the Slush Cup, fireworks and more!  This year we planned a bachelorette party over closing weekend. Our lodging company, SummitCove Lodging suggested making our dinner reservations at the Snake River Saloon and it was perfect!

 

We were impressed with their delicious menu and warm atmosphere.  We had the baked brie and escargot for appetizers.  The chicken picatta was excellent and so was the prime rib.  I had the walleye and it was delicious! Our server was great and definitely played up the bachelorette vibe with speciality cocktails and wine. Then our server told us that the Snake River Saloon had live music that night, as they do every Friday and Saturday during the ski season.  After we finished our fantastic dinner we went to the bar area and continued our celebration!  We could not have asked for a better environment for a bachelorette party in the mountains. The band was jammin’, we danced the night away and we all had a blast!  The best part was that at the end of our crazy night we only had a 5 minute walk back to our condo at Snake River townhomes!

 

The Snake Saloon is a great place to host a large group meal as well such as a family reunion or rehearsal dinner. They offer great food, a nice atmosphere and better prices than many of the other options at the resort.  They are always happy to customize your special night and make it memorable!  Families are welcome too and they have a special kids menu available, offering something for everyone.

 

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The Snake River Saloon will be closing briefly starting April 13 for about 2 weeks for deep cleaning and then will reopen to have their bar and saloon side open during mud season. They will be fully open for the summer season starting Memorial Day Weekend in May.

 

 

Send Out the Season with a Splash! It’s Closing Weekend at Keystone

Keystone’s closing weekend is upon us and Keystone is going all out with the fun and games for everyone.  Our weekend starts Friday, April 5th. Super snowy science school begins at 1 pm at Kidtopia Headquarters in Dercum Square.  For an hour you will learn about the science of snow and avalanches. Follow up your new found knowledge with an old fashioned milk shake social featuring a guest appearance of Ripperoo. Gather at the Mountain House at 4:30pm for a milkshake and photo-op with Ripperoo! 

 

Saturday, April 6th brings even more fun starting with crafter-noon and face painting beginning at noon at Kidtopia Headquarters, which is located in the main level of Expedition Station in River Run Village.  The afternoon features the famous Ripperoo parade, with music, dancing, and free cookies. The parade launches at the gondola and winds through the village to Dercum Square, kicking off at 4:00pm. Not to be outdone by daytime activities, the final winter concert series show is none other than the Tim O’Brien Band. This bluegrass legend will have everyone out on the dance floor.  Doors open at 8:00pm and with the opener at 8:15pm and then main act begins at 9:15pm at Warren Station.

 

Sunday April 7th, is closing day at Keystone for the 18 / 19 ski season.  For the kids, Fireside Cocoa and Coloring will take place at 1:00pm at Kidtopia Headquarters.  The big event of the day is the Keystone Slush Cup. Participants will parade up the hill in crazy costumes in an attempt to launch themselves down the hill and skim across the man made pond.  Prizes are awarded for best costume as well as the longest skim. Each participant will make two runs at the pond. Spectators are encouraged to dress in their finest costume attire. Techniques will range from the tips first method creating the largest splash to the podium worthy superman sprawl.  You will see back flips, belly flops, and tandem jumpers. Grab your water wings, beach chairs, and sunscreen the spectacle of pond skimming will not disappoint. A special guest DJ will be spinning tunes as skimmers fly into the pond. The Slush Cup begins at noon at the mountain house base area.  Awards begin at 3:00pm.

 

SummitCove Lodging is offer some incredible lodging deals for closing weekend, with up to 33% off stays!  Book your stay and head to Keystone for closing weekend celebrations!

Feeling run down? Vida Flow can help!

After skiing 2 days and having 3 more days of skiing in front of me, I thought there was no way I could ski another day.  I work out and I am active but my buddies seemed to be kicking my butt on the mountain and I was not happy about it. Our lodging company SummitCove suggested going to Vida Flow for a hydration treatment, to help me feel better. That is when it occurred to me that I might feel physically wrecked, not just from skiing, but because I was also experiencing altitude sickness.   

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I was a little freaked out at first that it was an IV treatment but I was desperate. After I called Vida Flow and talked to the staff I realized they are all accredited medical professionals and it is an individualized treatment.  I was able to get an appointment that evening.

 

At Vida Flow the staff was very friendly and explained everything very well.  The reason they use IVs for hydration is because when the solution is injected into the bloodstream your body absorbs 100% of the vitamins, which makes you feel better faster and allows you to get the full benefits. They have a variety of treatments available, whether it’s because you have altitude sickness, caught a cold or even just had too much to drink the night before. It can help with jet lag and headaches, too.  I was shocked that in 45 minutes I felt like a new man! That night I slept amazing and my muscles felt relief.  I woke up feeling stronger and I had more energy. 

 

I was able to meet my buddies at lunch and skied the rest of the day as well as the days after.  My friends could not believe how much better I was and a few of them made appoints with Vida Flow too.  The treatments Vida Flow gave me saved my vacation!  

Oxygen Can Help You Feel Your Best at Altitude

Coming from sea level makes adjusting to the altitude difficult.  We love to ski and we love the mountains but the altitude does not love us!  We come to Keystone every winter and this season we discovered RentOxygen.com. Our lodging company SummitCove, gave us a coupon for Rent Oxygen.  Until then it had never occurred to us to get oxygen delivered while on our ski vacation. And it was a game changer!

Skier

Rent Oxygen delivered an oxygen tank to us at our Keystone condo within one hour of us calling them. The representative from Rent Oxygen was professional and friendly. He also gave us information on things to do in the area.  He was very helpful. 

 

After the first night we used the oxygen machine my husband and I could not believe how well we slept.  Of course we had great energy that day too. I was not sure if it was the oxygen that helped us sleep or just being tried from travel but the next night was great sleep too and so were the 3 nights that followed.  This is the driest State ever and neither one of us got headaches and we didn’t feel as dehydrated as we normally do. Having oxygen was a game changer! We felt better and enjoyed every part of our vacation more. Having the oxygen delivered made it an easy process and really helped us feel our best to truly enjoy this vacation.  This is also a great idea to have on hand for weddings or reunions when you have elderly folks visiting. We will be calling Rent Oxygen again!

Leave the Driving to Summit Express

We are very impressed with Summit Express!  It was easy to make the reservation online and we received a discount through our lodging company SummitCove.  Summit Express had excellent communication. They sent us a reminder text the day before and the driver called us too. I was very impressed that they tracked our flight so when we were delayed they put us on a later shuttle.  

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We also arrived during a time that the ski areas where getting epic amounts of snow.  There had been multiple avalanches that closed the main highways the day before we arrived. We were pretty nervous about driving up and we felt very safe with our driver and I was glad we were in a big luxury van.  The vans are very comfortable and look brand new and even come equipped with Wi-fi so you can do some last minute research on the way up the mountain, but don’t forget to look out the window at the great views along the way! The vans were stocked with bottled water, which was amazing because this is the driest state I have ever visited!  

 

Our driver was fantastic!  She was really funny and had great stories about the historic snowfall that was happening.  She pointed out the avalanche slides and we could not believe the amount of snow! We have never seen anything like it. She also gave us ideas and tips to help us during our vacation. I also appreciated that she helped us into our condo with our luggage and skis.  We were staying in River Run Village, so it really didn’t matter that we didn’t have a car during our stay. We could walk to shops, restaurants and the gondola right from our room! 

 

When it was time to depart Summit Express watched our flight times and the traffic to get back to the airport.  Again, it was a smooth ride and we were able to relax and reflect on the fun we had over the week during our vacation.  We are from Florida and my husband and I were both less stressed letting the experts do the driving.

 

Taking the Summit Express Shuttle definitely kicked off our vacation right and ended it on a relaxing note.  We saw so much more on our drive back and forth to the airport because our driver knew the area and pointed out everything!  We will use Summit Express again!

 

VIP Visitors at the Springs Condos Last Week in Keystone

Guests of The Springs in River Run Village had some ‘VIP’ visitors to the grounds last week! These moose were seen grazing in the front of the building and around the aspen trees.  Although they are fun to see, we’d like to remind everyone that these are wild and unpredictable animals- keep a safe distance and never try to feed wildlife! Moose can be seen in Keystone throughout the year and have been seen numerous times this winter.  Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife on your next visit to Colorado!

Wildlife sightings moose in Keystone's River Run Village at The Springs

Upcoming Not to Miss Spring Concerts in Keystone

We are nearing the end of ski season, but there is no shortage of great concerts and events coming up to finish out the season!

 

Tomorrow, March 23
The Lil Smokies at Warren Station
Don’t be fooled by their ‘acoustic’ title, The Lil Smokies bring an electric energy to the stage that is sure to get you moving with their bluegrass rock beats.  The Lil Smokies have won various awards including 2015 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition and the 2016 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year award.  Catch them this Saturday night, March 23 at Warren Station in River Run Village at Keystone Ski Resort. Doors open at 7:30 pm. The opener, The Lonesome Days will be playing from 8 – 8:45 and then The Lil Smokies hit the stage from 9:30 – 11:15 pm. Tickets are $25 in advance online. 

 

Thursday, March 28
G. Love and Special Sauce at Warren Station
Back for year 2 at Warren Station, G. Love and Special Sauce will be bringing their 25 years of experience to the stage on March 28. This iconic band has an eclectic style that will please all audiences! Unique for this show is the special ‘Pre-Show Pop Off’ which the ticket includes early entry to a special pre-show performance, group photo on the stage, an autographed poster and a Q & A session with G. Love! Tickets for the general show are $30 in advance or $35 at the door if available. Tickets for the main show plus the ‘Pre-Show Pop Off’ are $99.  General doors at 7 pm, at 8pm the opener Ben Sparaco and The New Effect come on, with G.Love and Special Sauce beginning at 9:15 pm.

 

Friday, March 29
JL Universe at The Snake River Saloon
Head to The Snake River Saloon in Mountain House for a night of fun with JL Universe, a blend of electronics, poetry and universal sounds. Cover charge may apply.

 

Saturday, March 30
Alive on Arrival at The Snake River Saloon
Denver soul funk band with New Orleans rock roots will be bringing down the house at The Snake River Saloon on March 30, a cover charge may apply.

 

Saturday, April 6
Tim O’Brien Band at Warren Station
Sending off ski season with a bang, Tim O’Brien Band will be taking over Warren Station over closing weekend at Keystone.  Grammy winning singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist, Tim O’Brien brings a lot to the stage, with a focus on old time and bluegrass tunes.  Tickets are just $20 in advance online. Doors open at 8 pm and the show starts at 9 pm on Saturday, April 6. Stay the weekend and ski on Sunday, April 7 which is closing day! Then catch the Keystone Slush Cup Pond Skim from 12 – 3 pm.

 

If you love live music, be sure to make it to one or all of these great shows taking place in Keystone! There are just a few short weeks left to enjoy the 7 feet of new snow and all of your favorite runs at Keystone Ski Resort! Take advantage of our Spring Lodging deals and book your stay today!

Passholder Appreciation Week Starts Next Week at Keystone!

Sunny bluebird snowboard day at KeystonePassholders we celebrate you! Help us enjoy this amazing end of season snow, sun, and fun and special deals that are only available to season passholders, for one week, March 25 – March 31, 2019! Take advantage of the food and beverage discounts, samplings, and a even a bean bags tournament on March 31. 

 

This weeklong appreciation event includes:

Spiked Seltzer Toast at the Outpost  
Bask on the sunshine soaked patio with a complimentary spiked seltzer, just by flashing your Epic Pass! 

Breckenridge Brewery Hat Give Away at Go Big Burger*
Scoot down to Go Big Burger, purchase a Breckenridge Brewery or Bud Light beer, and you’ll be stylin’ with a complimentary Breckenridge Brewery hat, daily from 1 – 4 pm.  *While supply lasts.

Food and Beverage Discounts around Keystone
– Complimentary dessert at Keystone Ranch Restaurant with an entree purchase, but only one per bill.  

– Alpenglow Stube is offering half off of a small plate or dessert for lunch or half off a bottle of wine at dinner.

– You’ll get 15% off all entrees at 9280′ Taphouse in River Run Village.

– On March 29th, don’t miss the Breckenridge Brewery complimentary flight tasting at Bighorn Bistro in the Keystone Lodge at Lakeside Village from 3 – 6 pm. *While supply lasts. 

 

And to round out this fabulous spring week at Keystone there is a Passholder Bean Bags Cornhole Tournament at LaBonte’s Smokehouse BBQ on the mountain on Sunday, March 31. Bring your bag skills to ski beach outside LaBonte’s, registration available in the morning, with the tournament starting at 11:30 am for a modified times, single elimination style tournament.  There will be 16 teams of 2, playing 15 minute games. Prizes for first, second, and third place, plus a complimentary bud light participation beverage for all players.  *Must be 21+ to enter, but all ages can watch!

 

Springtime brings activities for the whole family.  Come check out one of the many Spring concerts, learn something new and spend some time together on the ski slopes!  Keystone is offering science classes, painting classes, concerts, fireside cocoa and coloring to name a few fun things throughout the rest of March and April with their Kidtopia programming.  G. Love and Special Sauce on March 28th is sure to be an amazing show. You don’t want to miss the Saturday night fireworks on April 6th, followed the final concert of the season at Warren Station, Tim O’Brien band! To cap off this epic snow season on closing day, be sure to come out and watch (or enter) the Keystone Slush Cup. You’ll see the SummitCove Vacation Lodging Yeti as he makes his best attempt at skimming across the icy pond on April 7th, Keystone’s closing day!