One of my favorite resorts in the Colorado Rockies is prepping for the Winter fun and I’ve got the scoop on what’s going on for the season, including the great rates, attractions and activities in store for you and your family. It’s a lot of information and tons of fun to take note of, so get ready to dust off those snow boots cause we’re heading to the mountains, baby!
If you haven’t visited Keystone before, check out two of my many reviews at:
Family Adventures at Keystone, CO
Feasting at Keystone Resort’s Culinary Festival
And for further consideration, here’s the 411 on what’s going on at this wonderful mountain destination this season:
Lodging Packages
Ski Free Stay Free. Book Early & Save With Our Lowest Price Guarantee.
Includes: Includes discounted lodging and lift ticket pricing
Buy 2 get 3 Packages Starting From $92 per person per night.
Package available 11/4 – 12/12/11, 1/3 – 2/16/12 & 2/27 – 3/8/12.
Longer Ski Free Stay Free packages also available over Buy 2 Get 3 date ranges.
Buy 4 Get 5 Packages Starting From $136 pp/pn.
Available 2/17 – 2/26/12
Buy 5 Get 6 Packages Starting From $149 pp/pn.
Available 12/23 – 1/2/12 & 3/9 – 4/8/12.
These convenient units are located at the original base area of Keystone -the Mountain House Base Area and are a good value for their location. Walk or take a shuttle to the Peru Express lift, ticket offices, ski rental, child care & ski school.
Enjoy Keystone’s 3 mountains of bumps, steeps, glades, groomed trails & A-51 terrain park. Also, enjoy the longest ski day in Colorado with night skiing in Keystone.
Lowest featured rate based on studio, weekday arrival, standard occupancy 11/4 – 12/16/11. Price point based on lowest price point and date range & not valid over all date ranges. Keystone only SF SF lift ticket.
Unwrap Your Holiday
For a limited time, book your stay in River Run Village for 7 nights or more between December 17th and January 2nd and we’ll give you a FREE iPad 2, on us.
Studio accommodations starting from $221 per night. Two bedroom condos from $461 per night.
On the slopes, experience Keystone’s three mountains of bumps, steeps, glades, groomed trails and Keystone’s A-51 terrain park. Keystone’s Independence Bowl offers access to Keystone’s most challenging terrain. Book Direct with Keystone for the Best Rate Guarantee, plus Free Night Ski on Day of Arrival during normal Night Ski Operations.
Featured rate based on 7 night stay 12/17-12/23, in a River Run studio condo. Other rates, dates & selected accommodations available. Restrictions apply, based on availability while supplies last. Book by November 1, 2011.
New for the 2011/2012 Season:
Dercum Square Ice Rink
This new 7,200-square-foot rink in River Run offers day and night skating along to music piped in from an overhead sound system. All skating is free, with the only exception being if you rent skates at the rink. And when it’s time for a break, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is steps from the rink for hot drinks and 300 varieties of handmade chocolates and confections.
Camp Keystone
Children ages 3 – 14 years old are welcomed with open arms at Keystone Ski & Ride School’s Camp Keystone. This new and exciting take on Ski & Ride School features theme days, new kid friendly learning areas, and best of all students that book for three or more days are guaranteed to have the same instructor! From check in to check out we are thinking of your child’s every need. With a simplified check in process children will be engaged on every level with goodies, a comfortable learning environment, friends, and memories that will last a lifetime.
Asian and Bakery Station at Summit House
Be sure to stop in and fill your belly with our new delicious noodle bowls and tasty treats at the bakery station. Our Asian station will feature warm broth and tasty proteins to keep you going throughout Colorado’s longest ski day. If you are looking for sweets and some hearty breads the new bakery station is sure satisfy your craving!
Events, Attractions, & Activities
The Keystone Kidtopia Snow Fort
As part of our Kidtopia programming bring the whole family to the top of Dercum Mountain to play on our famous Snow Fort. Play in a maze, sit on the Kidtopia throne, climb atop snowy towers and much more. This unique playground is open as late as the lifts are for the ultimate ending to a great day at Keystone.
Kidtopia Family Weekends 2011/2012
During peak family vacation periods throughout the winter, Keystone Resort is offering family activities throughout the week or weekend with special activities designed just for families including, movie night in the village, live entertainment, interactive arts and crafts, family dining and more. Please go to www.keystonekidtopia.com.
Kidtopia Dates:
December 27 – January 3
January 13 – 16
February 4 – 5
February 17 – 20
March 10-14
EpicMix. Now with Photo
Vail Resorts’ award winning and popular ski and snowboard application EpicMix, has new added functionality that revolutionizes the vacation photo experience. EpicMix launched during the 2010-2011 season providing skiers and riders with hands- and hassle-free tracking of vertical feet skied, number of days skied and digital pin accomplishments thanks to a RF-enabled chip embedded in smart card passes. This season, Vail Resorts is doing something that no other resort or ski mountain is doing – taking and then giving free on-mountain photos to guests to easily share on Facebook and social sites. Starting mid-December, guests will be able to take their own photos or get their photos taken and combine them with their vertical feet, digital pins and memories of other special moments of their visit through the new EpicMix platform. Additionally EpicMix is expanding its program to nearly all guests this year through an upgrade to “smart” RF-enabled lift tickets. For more information and to watch a video of EpicMix, visit http://www.epicmixphoto.com.
Keystone’s $5 Value Meal
Keystone’s $5 value meal offers guests an incredible deal. Offered at all on mountain cafeterias at Keystone Resort., this meal will vary by location, but may include a hot dog and fries to macaroni and cheese. 5 bucks also gets you a coupon for a small soft drink refill!
Adventure Point Tubing
One of Colorado’s best tubing spots is at the summit of Dercum Mountain at Adventure Point. With a good pitch and long runout, the park’s four tubing lanes deliver fast fun and entertainment for the entire family. Snow biking is also a part of the exhilarating times at Keystone’s Adventure Point. New this year! Every Thursday is Disco Tubing night- to go along with the Kidtopia festival the Disco Tubing continues even when Kidtopia is not in session. Bring your best dance moves! Call 800.468.5004 or visit www.keystoneresort.com for more information.
Mom, Dad and Me Program at the Keystone Ski & Ride School
Keystone offers a truly unique hour-and-a-half afternoon parent/teacher conference-type of class for the kids and parents or grandparents every day. The instructor who’s been working with the child all day summarizes the lesson and counsels the parents on how to continue teaching their youngster. The parents also get tips on skiing or riding. It’s the perfect way to ensure the whole family is on the right path to learning. The Mom, Dad & Me Program allows children to get the quality family time along with the benefit of professional coaching from Keystone’s ski and ride school.
Family Private Lessons
Today’s families are time starved and often don’t get to spend much quality time together. Keystone has designed a program for families where they receive world-class instruction on the hill and spend family time together. Our private instructors are some of the most knowledgeable folks on and off the hill and can serve as a family’s “ski/snowboard buddy” with tips on where to eat, what to do, and where to go, not to mention how to improve the skiing/riding of everyone in the family.
Keystone’s Kid Friendly Trail Map
Keystone also has a trail map specifically for kids. This animated trail map includes information on lessons, skier safety and where adventure zones are on Dercum Mountain. Flip it over and find different features from Keystone’s A51 Terrain Park that children can color in and pop up. Children can actually “play” with this fun, interactive trail map. Foxy and Foxeen can put on their skis or boards and ride the rails and funboxes. Kid friendly trail maps are available at Keystone’s Ski and Ride School, Keystone restaurants and front desks.
Chocolate Village at Keystone Lodge & Spa
December 2011/January 2012
Be sure not to miss this delicious homemade creation from Keystone Resort’s Pastry Chef Ned Archibald. This handcrafted holiday tradition features 2,500 pounds of chocolate crafted into a miniature alpine village, a working chocolate gondola, a cascading chocolate waterfall, 6 foot tall white chocolate Christmas tree with chocolate presents. This mouth watering creation gets a special new addition every year, the 2010/2011 season premiered Santa and his flying reindeer will be soaring over our alpine village. Check out the latest Chocolate Village premiering December 2011!
Guided Snowcat Tour
Experience The Keystone Adventure Tours (KAT) which provides skiers and riders access to nearly 300 acres of Keystone’s most challenging terrain in Independence Bowl through a guided snowcat tour. Participants receive an all-inclusive, red carpet experience that includes: A full day of backcountry skiing and snowboarding in Keystone’s three bowls with expert guides and a catered, gourmet lunch in the new Independence Yurt prepared by the award-winning chefs at Keystone. The KAT program is the largest snow cat operation in Summit County Colorado and it allows advanced skiers and riders to experience pristine backcountry-type conditions in a controlled and guided environment.
Keystone Resort 50 Plus Ski With Us Program
50 Plus Ski with Us is a new complimentary guided ski program for all Keystone guests ages 50 and over (and we don’t check IDs!) Guests of all abilities are welcome to participate in this free tour. The tours are led by a Keystone Guest Services Tour Guide and will explore Keystone Resort. The tours are held weekly throughout the ski season. Tours can last for as long as the guests would like to ski. For more information including dates and times of the tours please call Keystone Guest Services 970.496.3789
Full Moon Snowshoe Tour
At the Keystone Nordic Center, families can enjoy a moon-lit snowshoe hike and supper. The mostly level terrain is perfectly suited for groups and families. $40 includes equipment rental, tour, and soup buffet dinner. Tours begin between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., depending on time of year. Minimum age is 13 years. Reservation required. *Tour Dates: December 2011; January, February and March 2012.
*Subject to change
River Run Rocks! – Free Concert Series
December 3, February 21, March 17 & April 7
Enjoy all of the winter activities Keystone has to offer like skiing, tubing and dining and stay for a free concert in the River Run Village. Past acts include, the Samples, 10,000 Maniacs, Arrested Development and Robert Earl Keen. A kids’ game zone will keep the young ones busy while you enjoy the music with a nice cold beer. It’s an event you can’t miss!
Dining
Keystone Ranch
Rustic elegance and extraordinary cuisine meet in this 1930s ranch homestead. A six-course dinner features Colorado cuisine served in the warm atmosphere of one of Keystone’s most historic locations. The Ranch is an award-winning restaurant, achieving a AAA Four Diamond rating, a top rating from Zagat Survey, and is a Wine Spectator DiRoNa winner. This is truly a dining destination.
Ski Tip Lodge
Cozy and charming, this former 1800’s stagecoach stop is now a bed and breakfast inn and restaurant. Step inside and you’ll immediately feel welcome by the rustic fireplace and aroma of delicious food. Featuring a four-course menu that is frequently rotated, the Ski Tip Lodge consistently receives high reviews for it’s innovative entrees and excellent service. Start with a soup, maybe the Nebraskan Bison Stew, then a salad of grilled fennel and sugar snap peas, followed by an entrée such as the Smoked Garlic Salt Rubbed Beef Tenderloin. Retire to a comfortable seat next to the fireplace and finish with dessert and Ski Tip Coffee. You will leave knowing why the Ski Tip Lodge is truly a special place, and wanting to keep it as your own little secret. Reservations Required.
Alpenglow Stube
Travel by gondola to the top of North Peak for the highest fine dining experience in the country. Located at 11,444 feet in a stunning setting decorated to resemble a Bavarian fairy-tale, the Stube features contemporary alpine entrées such as Porcini Mushroom Dusted Elk Chop or Sauteed Veal Tournedos. For a truly memorable experience, try the Degustation and let the chef guide you through seven specially selected courses. Complement your meal with the widest selection of wines, ports and cognacs in the resort, and find out why the Alpenglow Stube is consistently ranked as one of the top restaurants in Colorado by Zagat. With stunning views and wonderful fare, this is mountain dining at its finest. Reservations Required.
Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride
A signature Keystone dining experience. Prepare yourself for a night that will become one of your best memories of the winter, as you soak up the sights and sounds of the Soda Creek Valley. Pulled by 2,000-pound draft horses, you’ll arrive at an authentic homestead where a toasty cabin beckons you in from the crisp night air. Our knowledgeable wranglers will entertain you from start to finish by sharing history of the Keystone area and stories about our working horses. Once at the homestead, sit back and enjoy the cowboy tunes performed by one of our local guitar players, while our wranglers prepare and serve you an authentic cowboy dinner.
Bighorn Steakhouse
The Bighorn Steakhouse offers an outstanding steakhouse dining experience in a casual setting with breathtaking views of Keystone Lake and the Continental Divide. Diners can watch ice skaters or paddle boaters have fun while enjoying a delicious meal. The Bighorn offers the finest cuts of corn-fed American beef while wild game, fresh sustainable seafood, chicken and other specialty entrees are also available to tempt the palette. The Bighorn wine list has been recognized by Wine Spectator and has seven sommeliers on staff ready to recommend exciting vintages.
Der Fondue Chessel
Two enclosed gondolas whisk guests to a Fondue lover’s dream on top of Dercum Mountain. Der Fondue Chessel provides a boisterous, social atmosphere where families bond over shared food and live Bavarian-style music by “Those Austrian Guys.” A roaring fireplace and high-flying flags light the room while costumed servers bring four courses of delicious food.
Keystone Culinary Festival
March 3 – 4, 2012
Experience Keystone’s award-winning cuisine at this resort-wide culinary festival. Savor the flavors at the Grand Tasting event, sip red wines from around the world or indulge your palate with a chocolate class lead by our award winning executive pastry chef. In support of Keystone and Vail Resorts’ Appetite for Life Program, chefs will be serving sustainable and organic ingredients all weekend. For updated information please visit www.keystoneculinary.com.
Spa Overview
The Keystone Lodge & Spa, a four diamond AAA rated lodging property has a 10,000 square-foot spa which is entirely environmentally friendly. From recycled flooring and organic uniforms to organic products, indigenous ingredients and treatments that connect the spa to its natural surroundings. The Spa at the Keystone Lodge offers treatments and body therapies for all price ranges and gives Keystone guests an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate during their stay.
Photo credit: Jack Affleck
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