G.H.O.S.T. SEASON ENDS

PERFECT RECORD REMAINS INTACT

A few new faces, an extreme case of confidence, and large dose of optimism was not the formula that would propel the Antlers into the post season playoffs. This softball season ended on Monday and we all walked away from the beautiful Ford Fields feeling like gladiators. We did the best we could, but in the end we lay bloody on the field, clinging to life. We would re-group and do it again, for 8 weeks, as the frenzied crowd chanted "death to ghost" every Monday. We lost every game, again, but returned to please the masses as the life was kicked out of us week after week after week.

We did make several huge leaps toward respectability and this beat writer would like to point out some differences from last years inaugural season and share some player comments with our loyal fan(s).

No major injuries for one. We lost a few arms and legs and I remember a couple of eyes that were taken out and we're still looking for Eric's ear, but other than that, nothing serious. Just a few cuts and bruises that were worn proudly and displayed for all bar patrons to see whether they wanted to or not.

I asked coach/pitcher Tom Schlader what he was most impressed with this season and he replied "On 3 different occasions, players from other teams said you guys don't suck as bad as last year".

Darci Walls, the ever so consistent catcher and team leader added "We only lost by 4 runs in one game".

Crissy Greenawalt, the swift right fielder that has been recruited by teams as far away as Washington made this observation. "We would have beaten Loaded Joes but some guy in left field makes this rolling, tumbling catch when we were only 3 goals away from overtime".

One of the new faces on the team, Amy Scherm, who could play anywhere on the field, knew in her heart "Our record is no indication of how bad we are. Let me re-phrase that".

Randi Davis, the wily veteran and stellar 2nd base person seemed relieved. "I can't promise I"ll be back next year. All the other old guys on the team never showed up.
The beer after the game is good though and I do remember catching a ball or making an out or getting a hit or something".

As it is, no one has quit their day job and we are all back to where we belong. We can only watch the playoffs from behind the fence as fans now. We hold are heads high and know we did everything we could to try and be part of the post season, but we just came up a little short. No, we came up a lot short.

I asked Rob LeVine as he was cleaning out his locker, a blue Toyota Prius, how he felt about the season. His eyes gleamed and even though I saw a trace of sorrow in them, he said "This is a great group of fighters and I assure the softball world the funding is there for next season".

The Saint that leads his martyrs into battle. Stay tuned.

2008 Colorado River Ride

Every year for the past four years, some variation of Team Antlers has ridden in the late-July Colorado River Ride ... one of the best and most fun bicycle centuries there is. In addition to the 100 mile route being spectacular (much of it paralleling the Colorado River from Burns to Dotsero) the aid stations are more like big parties then most other rides. That's because a significant number of the 1,000+ riders are locals that all know each other.

This year was Team Antlers' finest hour (so far) with 15 people riding in Antlers jerseys. It was an all-star lineup, including:

Randi Davis (our controller) and her architect husband Danny on their tandem (hanging out about six inches off of their back wheel is truly one of my most happy places in the whole world)

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Bert Farin ... the most fun-loving employee in the history of the Antlers. Period.

Kent Rose ... past mayor of Vail, a stalwart of our regular Wednesday night mountain biking group, and the only guy I know to once ride to Steamboat and back (200 miles) in one day

Ray Tuomey ... Bert's friend (and ours) from Chautauqua in Boulder and now solar panel guru (pictured here using his "portable changing room" aka a Mexican poncho)

Erin Kelly ... son in law of Ebby and Lex Pinson (of Vail Symposium fame and Wednesday nights respectively)

Lee Rimel & Charlie Dolan ... Both Wednesday night vets. Charlie's a builder extraordinaire and Lee built and owns the 10th Mountain Division Hut System's newest hut at the top of Tennesee Pass ... the Continental Divide Hut

Cathy Craig ... Durango's finest product ever and one of my very best buds from Colorado College

Nate Free ... past Antlers employee (last millenium), who now runs club sales for the Sonnenalp golf club and frequent biking pal of Randi & Danny

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and yours truly

Sadly, Ratz, Sarah and Marco Pierotti decided to start from Beaver Creek, whereas the rest of us started and finished in Eagle ... so we missed them. Deputy Sherriff Jeff Layman, caught us midway as well. So too bad ... no photos, but they all proudly wore the Antlers Burgundy and Cream as well.

Coming out of Eagle we were full of piss and vinegar ... constantly challenging each other for the head of the paceline. Well, maybe not ... but you get the idea.

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However by the end of the ride, it was a slightly different story.

Thanks to Kent and Rayma Rose who threw an AWESOME post ride cookout and picnic at their magnificent Eagle Ranch home, the wear and tear of all those road (rode?) miles wore off pretty quickly. On the other hand, I suspect everyone slept pretty darn well that night ... I know I did.

By the way, we've got some open slots for next year's ride ...

Antlers Anniversaries

At the Antlers, we are always excited to host social groups because it allows us to share their special time. This year, we’ve provided lodging for a record number of weddings, anniversaries and family reunions, and have enjoyed meeting and learning about each of the people who come to stay with us.

While hosting guests from Vail, Colorado and across the country (or world!) for social events is wonderful for us, we are even more excited when it is our condominium owners who think of the Antlers for their intimate events. It’s just one more way of showing the Antlers truly is a ‘home away from home’.

This August Lowell and Carol Geithman will be hosting their family and closest friends at the Antlers for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. With the help of Pan for Hire, our in-house catering, and the Geithman’s own special drink, Cataba, we’re expecting a festive evening, celebrating their best memories of the last 50 years. However, the Geithman’s aren’t the only Antler’s owners coming up on 50 years together! The Antlers will also be host to Charlie and Helen Wachendorfer’s family when they celebrate their 50th in 2009.

Congratulations to everyone who has celebrated a special event at the Antlers this year – we’re glad you’ve chosen to include us in your lifelong memories.

En el Antlers at Vail, amamos nuestro trabajo!

Razones por las cuales preferir Antlers at Vail

Quienes laboramos en el Antlers at Vail, amamos nuestro trabajo! Nos encanta lo que hacemos y sentimos pasión por el servicio a nuestros huéspedes.

Sabemos que planificar sus vacaciones no fue un trabajo sencillo y usted aspira a que su decisión haya sido acertada. Nosotros los sabemos, por eso nuestro director de primeras y ultimas impresiones lo recibe con una amplia sonrisa y la primera frase que escucha en esta tierra es: "Bienvenido a Casa!". No lo dejará ni cargar su equipaje.

Conocemos también que usted tiene un presupuesto asignado para esta vacación y nosotros no queremos que lo exceda, sino que sea inferior. Usted no pagará por el servicio de parqueo, tampoco pagará por la entrega del periódico matutino, ni por el servicio de limpieza de su habitación o por el uso de nuestras instalaciones. Nuestro trabajo es servirle a usted y que tenga la experiencia mas cómoda posible con una tarifa justa y razonable que lo incluye todo!

Lo ayudamos a programar sus actividades recreativas:

Si desea esquiar, nuestros agentes le pueden ayudar a programar la compra de sus tickets
Si desea cenar y quiere que se le recomiende un lugar, consúltenos. Nuestros agentes conocen los mejores lugares de acuerdo a sus requerimientos.
Si tiene que hacer compras en el supermercado, nuestro equipo de transporte coordinará con usted el horario para recogerle y traerlo de vuelta.

Si prefiere quedarse en casa usted contará con más de 200 títulos que puede alquilar, para disfrutar su reposo. Las palomitas de maíz van por nuestra cuenta!

Cada uno de quienes formamos el Antlers at Vail se siente orgulloso de estar aqui, pertenecer a este lugar, de realizar su trabajo y ser creativo en el, aportando con soluciones efectivas a cada situacion. Queremos que usted forme parte de nuestra familia tambien! Porque usted es la razon por la cual estamos aqui. Sera un placer tenerlo con nosotros y decirle en nuestra tierra " Gracias por hospedarse en el Antlers at Vail" Es nuestro propósito lograr que usted se sienta en familia y encuentre en Vail su nuevo hogar.

Conference Room - Summer Upgrades

With the sun shining and the beautiful summer weather now in Vail, the Antlers conference center has made some small summer upgrades to try and bring the outdoors in! We've added a fresh coat of paint to the walls and a splash of teal with new napkins. We're also switching out our regular black skirted buffets for an all white color scheme, making the inside of the rooms even more light than with the wall of windows alone!

Also look for new buffet risers and a summer beer offering to come to the conference center soon! As always, contact myself or Magda King to get your group in to see the Antlers summer upgrades!

And when you're not stuck in meetings - enjoy the true outdoors!
(clowe@antlersvail.com; mking@antlersvail.com)

My Last Day

Well, folks, today is my last day of work at the Antlers. It has been a great six years for me, and I hope for them as well. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the Antlers family and that our family relationship will only grow from here. I have learned more from Rob and Ratz than any other bosses I've ever had and I'm so very grateful to them for all the good advise and lessons. Beginning Monday I will be the new Administrator of the Vail Valley Surgery Center at the Vail Hospital. I'll basically have the same job as here but instead of checking people in and out of luxury hotel suites, I'll be checking people in and out of luxury surgical suites. Who knows, maybe I'll even go back to school eventually and finally make my Nana proud!

Vail road biking

It is time for Colorado "touring", both with the car and with the bike. Independence Pass and Trail Ridge road are now open after the record snows this past winter. It sure is a fun time to ride to the top of some of the Colorado passes and then throw some snowballs around or do a little sledding. The pic above is from Loveland Pass near the Eisenhower tunnel. I and a few friends did a training ride from Idaho Springs up to the top on Wednesday. 30 miles up in about 3 hours. All the way down in about 1 hour 10 minutes. It was work. Chris R.

Clock Tower

As promised, here is a shot of our beautifully updated clock tower:

Colorado Children's Chorale goes for "the record"

The Colorado Children's Chorale is in Vail this week and once again the Antlers at Vail is playing host! The kids have a busy and pretty structured week (thank goodness). Even their pool time is scheduled. The kids decided to try for the record for the most people in the pool. Check out the movie. The sad thing is, they JUST missed the record.

The Antlers Welcomes 3 Teva Groups

The first weekend in June is a busy one for the Vail Valley as we are host to the Teva Mountain Games. There are many components that make up this weekend of events, from street concerts to kayaking at International Bridge to DockDogs competitions. And there is even more behind the scenes work that goes on.

The Antlers is proud to be hosting some of the Teva Mountain Games staff over the long weekend, as well as two other groups directly related to the Games.

One of these groups is Cocona Fabrics, Inc., a Colorado based company that uses recycled coconut shells to make athletic fabrics. What a perfect fit with the Teva Games and the Antlers green lodging goals!

The second group the Antlers is hosting is SERAC Adventure Films. SERAC is holding an Adventure Film School during the Teva Games. The students will be out and about filming the games, and then returning to the Antlers to review and edits their takes. We're excited to see what this wonderful and ambitious group of students presents at the end of the week!

The Antlers is excited and proud to be a part of the Teva Games - we hope to see everyone out there this weekend!

The G.H.O.S.T. Is Back

The Antlers Haunts Ford Park Again

All though there was some confusion about our softball team and whether we would be organized again, our fearless leader Rob Levine took charge and we found ourselves drenched in sunshine at Ford Park. It was Monday evening at 5:30 and the usual suspects took the field.

We were a team again, but still confused. The apprehension, the nervousness, the lack of athletic ability. It was all evident for the first 3 innings. Simple grounders were rolling between legs. Pop flies were not dropped, but rather falling harmlessly over our heads. Mighty swings of the bat resulted only in walking back to the bench with heads down in shame.

But this team has grit and we managed to keep the Snow Pigs from a commanding lead. We found ourselves in the 6th inning only 2 runs down and dare I say, feeling like no would could stop us now. But as it goes, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss. We lose 9 to 7 but feel great about it.

Yes, the G.H.O.S.T. is back and this season we may even scare someone. (For season ticket information. you can contact the Antlers. We would love the support).

New Stone Work II

We've almost finished with the stone veneer on our courtyard clock tower, and it is looking great! All that is left now is to grout the stones and remove the scaffolding, which should be completed by Friday. I'll update then with a photo of the finished product.

For now, here's a before shot: ...and during:

It is time for mountain biking

O.k., the trails around Vail still need a few weeks of drying out before they'll be good. However, the trails in Eagle (30 minutes from Vail) are in top notch condition. Very smooth, lots of green, views and new flowers. C. Ratz

Winter is finally exiting Vail

Wow, it is taking awhile, but winter is starting to leave Vail. The picture above is from the Antlers looking up towards the ski slopes. It was taken around May 18th. Don't worry, it has been melting a lot the last few days. None-the-less, we received some snow showers this Memorial Day weekend. The bike path is open up to the top of Vail pass (although it is 5 feet of snow tunnel at the top). Golf course is OPEN! Rafting it EXCELLENT! The Aspen trees are budding big time and within a week it will be green, green, green.

A Famous Guest

Back in March, we had Jorge Ramos stay with us for a little ski getaway. Being that he is a super star in the Spanish speaking world, some of the girls in our housekeeping department were very excited to meet him.(l to r: Carolina, Gladys, Lorena *front*, Fatima, Jorge, Carolina's daughter Alandra, Lola, Macario, Alicia and Eva)

Antlers at Vail unit remodels

Tis the construction season. The mountain has been closed for a little over a week and our construction crews are busy at remodels and updates at the Antlers. Large remodels are occurring in units 303, 305, 503, 505 and 608. Slightly smaller upgrades are being started in 502, 507 and 702. This spring we will be re-doing the exterior rock work on our South elevator, re-painting the balcony railings, and installing a new stairway access in the courtyard to the North elevator.

Tear out starts in unit 305

608 kitchen work

This is 503
That wall you see is being torn down tomorrow!

Another kitchen remodel in progress

It will look something like THIS (below)

Busy Beaver

We were visited last night by a menacing beaver that cut down one of our prized Aspens. When Greg told me about it I said, "Oh, cool! I've got my camera today so I'll go photograph it and put it on the blog." Greg's response: "No, not cool - Rob is not going to be happy."

Bowling Party

For our annual "end of season" party this year we all went bowling down in Eagle. There was plentiful beer and food and a good time was had by all. Sadly, this was Kati's last Antlers event.

That's A Cake?!

This wonderfully whimsical cake was made for us as a "thanks for the hospitality" gift from Kathryn Crouch's sister, Elizabeth. Kathryn and her husband, Andrew Crouch, are the new(ish) owners of unit number 508 here at the Antlers. They have two small kids that are, apparently, real troopers because I see them going out to ski every morning dressed in all their gear and carrying their own equipment. That's impressive! Their family had a great season with us this year and now we have this GREAT cake to show for it. Thanks guys!

Visitors put on the Antlers

Canusa (a large travel agency from Germany) stopped by to tour and visit the Antlers at Vail last week. During the site tour, they put on the "infamous" Antlers for a quick photo in our courtyard. Thank you for stopping by, Canusa!

Flowers Say it All

It's not that often that the staff of a municipality sends flowers to a hotel just for hosting a meeting, but that's exactly what the Town of Vail folks did after their recent retreat at the Antlers. As she so often does, Magdalena King (conference services manager extraordinaire) went above and beyond to meet and exceed all of their needs ... some of which were known, but many were last minute surprises. Facilitator Michael McNally pointed out that he conducts similar meetings all the time and all over the country. He could not say enough about our Magda ... summarizing her as "simply the best that there is". Apparently George Ruther and the rest of the ToV folks agreed. Great job, Magdalena! And thanks for the flowers you guys.

St. Moritz ski update

One of our condominium owners is in St. Moritz on a ski trip (lucky duck) and gave us a ski update from Switzerland......Mark Ulmschneider...... The scenery here is even more dramatic than Vail. I think part of it that your are really closer to the mountains. Also the lift system is more diversified. For example the ride up one day consisted to two cog rail ways, one gondola and one chair lift. The snow is nice like Vail. Reasonably light weight although it does not seem as dry. The grooming is a little bizarre. You really appreciate in Vail what a good job the grooming crew does. Here they have trails marked with poles on each side. It is very important to stay within the poles. Because even if it is a wide open field the groomers do not level out the area between. As a result there is about a 1 and 1/2 to 2 foot wall made of snow on each side of the trail. One of the members of our group was knocked out of commission with an Achilles/calf injury from such a short stop. The chair lifts have a really interesting feature. Some of the chairs hold 6 people, but even the quads all have starting gates. You line up like a bunch of horses at the Kentucky derby and wait for the gates to open and you are off to the races. Six people move up to get on a chair. If you move too slowly, the gate slams shut and breaks your knee caps. I think this leads to a certain discipline. In spite of the high tech features, they seem to not understand the purpose of drawing a line to indicate where everyone is supposed to stop in order to prepare to load. I think maybe they spent a lot of money to get the whole thing backwards but still really impressive. I fell on day one and again on day four. Day one I torcked my wrist. On day four I landed flat on my back. Fortunately I was skiing with a doctor. Unfortunately he was a retired oncologist. While I never have had the need for an oncologist, I have newfound respect. After landing on my back, I encouraged them to ski down and circle around and give me maybe 20 minutes to catch my breath. While laying there I stretched out on the snow in order to ice the painful area. When the doctor returned he explained that I was doing it all wrong. See every time I hurt myself, if I decide to ice it the doctor says no heat. If I use heat the doctor says no ice it. Seem like if you torck (sp) your wrist you want to ice it to prevent swelling. If you have spasm you use heat. Since I know of no rule that the Antlers blog forbids educational content, I thought I would throw that in. Today we walked down the St. Moritz bobsled run. It is absolutely unbelievable. There are many overpasses. It is built of solid ice. What I didn't appreciate was that it ran parallel to the road and you would be able to see the sled just as you are driving down the road. We walked down to the horse shoe turn. It contains all of the advertising signs. What I didn't appreciate was that opposite the turn on the other side of the road was a bar where patrons could watch these Kamikaze drivers descend. Great experience. While Vail is clearly superior, the food, drink, scenery, and the experience makes it a great experience. Your reporter on the scene in St. Moritz.

But the Exchange Rate....Water at the top of the mountain costs $5.5. A plate of spaghetti at the top was $18. Alcohol is about the same out in a restaurant but cheaper if you buy it in a grocery and bring it back to the room. Souvenirs are really high. I bought a turtle fur headband with St Moritz on it for $29.

Mark U.

Epic Day on the slopes...March 31?

Yeehaw! What a day. No one would have guessed we'd have this much snow on March 31st...and it's still dumping! Today was truly an epic day filled with face shots and perma-grin (and no lift lines). Life is good!

March 31, powder day, special Vail ski update

Bikes covered in the a.m.

March 31 Oh baby! 13 inches of snow today and 16 inches in the Back Bowls. We were all a bit surprised by it. And it was dead on the mountain. The Easter Break vacationers are gone and things are a bit quiet. We did laps on Chair 5 and there were no lift lines, can you believe it? Usually, we do just one run there in the morning on a powder day and get the heck out. Not today. Check out the Video of Kati from Group Sales and Randi our Controller.

Locals Jeff, Rick and Alan
(last time I hooked up with these guys, it was early Dec)

Click on this one for full size

Vail's Epic Pass

Everyone is asking "is it true", "are they nuts"? Well, who cares if they are. For the 2008-2009 Ski Season, the EPIC Season Pass from Vail Resorts offers unrestricted and unlimited access to five of the best resorts in the world: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. Unrestricted (no blackout dates) and Unlimited (where you want, when you want). Visit Epicpass.com to learn more and to purchase. $579 for adults, $279 for children. If you are planning on coming to Vail more than once next winter, get it now before they change their minds! Us locals are in shock. This is cheaper than the "local passes" have been in perhaps 20 years. And now anyone can get them. Some have said you just have to put $49 down now and pay the rest later. Check it out.

JUST ANOTHER......DAY IN PARADISE

I reported awhile back about skiing again and mentioned that I look forward to going out with my kids as long as they put on my boots and make sure I'm warm enough (01/13/08 post). Well Lauren, my youngest, is home on school break and offered to do just that. We skied together for the first time in 10 years and what a blast on Vail Mountain. THIS IS YOUR VAIL SKI REPORT MARCH 19.

The sky was brilliant blue. The temperature was 37 degrees. The sun was much warmer than that. The snow was soft and easy to ski. In spite of spring break, the crowds were minimal. What a wonderful day on the mountain.

For anyone keeping stats, I took my first major spill under Chair 7 in Game Creek and put on quite a display for all that were fortunate enough to witness it from the chair. Without exaggeration, 300 hundred yards on my back doing whirlybirds. No problem though. Not even my ego was damaged.

Spring skiing is here and you have to come and enjoy this before it's done.

YOU'RE KIDDING........SAY IT AIN'T SO
Sad news from the Antlers

Katie Schwabe, employed as our Conference Services Manager since April of 2005, has decided to pursue a new career. She will be leaving us for San Jose, California as soon as the ski season ends.

Originally from Wisconsin. she arrived in Vail in 2001. Her original plan was to be here sooner but it took 2 years for her to recover from the devastating Bronco win over her beloved Packers in Super Bowl 32. With the recent retirement of Brett Favre announced, we feel she is not thinking rationally. She has decided to enroll at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in California.

Katie is already an established Massage Therapist and she simply considers this newest endeavor to be an extension of her own goals. She will study in San Jose for 3 years; will not be joining a rugby team; wants nothing to do with a sorority; may try surfing; and loves to play volleyball. OK, maybe she is thinking rationally.

Best of luck to you Katie and know we will miss you. Consider opening up your new office and practice back in Vail?

Who'da thunkit?

I had the best meal I've ever had in Vail tonight.
Where? Kelly Liken? Sweet Basil? Larkspur? Those are the best and it could have been any of them, but it wasn't ... it was next door at the MARRIOTT! You gotta be kiddin' me ... Nope. Chef Mercer put on a show like you wouldn't believe. The lineup was thus:
Brie soup with truffle oil ... puts the "rich" in richie rich. Paired with the ZMor Gewurztraminer (thanks chef) it was a total tounguegasm.
An awesome tomato soup with marshmallows ... don't knock it till you've tried it ... trust me, you'll be back for more.
Oysters Rockefeller ... Chef says, "you probably haven't had these in about 100 years." He was right, but I promise it won't be two weeks before we're doin' that again ... Evelyn and I practically came to blows over the last one.
White Pizza ... more truffle oil (can't GET too much of that stuff), some fun crispy greens (arugula maybe?) and about a dozen other wonderful flavors on top of a crispy crisp.
At this point we're already saying, "it's too good not too finish, but we know there's lots more coming."
Next ... a sea bass to die for with some kind of super light, crispy coating ... in lobster sauce!
Then came the single best lamb chop I have ever had. Period. I'm 52. I LOVE lamb. I eat it a LOT. This was the pinnacle ... and by more than a small margin.
Ok, I think I can force down some of this seared tuna, wrapped around a super thin daikon radish and rolled in a tempura kind of coating. Take me now lord ... it can't get any better than this. But wait ... it does ...
A dessert medley with a cinnamon phyllo apple wrap thing paired with an eiswine (sp?) that's just too good to be true. Next to that was a soft, warm sinful chocolate cookie and vanilla ice cream, accompanied by some Baileys concoction that they ought to require a pilot's license to drive.
Unbelievable. All of it was just unbelievable. Too good to be true. Any one of those courses was as good as it gets. All together? I gotta be dreaming.
If I live another 52, I hope someday I have another meal as good as that one at Ocotillo. I also hope I can return the favor to Mercer sometime, but it ain't gonna be easy.
Rob

March Vail ski conditions

March 30 Great spring skiing today, although it was quite cloudy. I met up with some buddies (the Stoffel twins) from my College days today. (picture taken with phone camera) We went to St. John's in Minnesota back in the late 80s. We did mainly cruisers off of chair 10 and 11. Remember, ride Chair 10 for a long-long cruisers. From the top of 10 you go all the way down Flap Jack and then you take a short cat-walk to the right of Chair 11 to lower Highline (groomed). Later we did soft bump laps off of Chair 3, Kangaroo cornices and Look Ma, again and again. Nice and soft everywhere. 2 inches of new snow. Chris R.

March 29 We'll admit it. Us locals have been a bit spoiled this winter with all the great snow. Many of us haven't been up in the past week. We have been resting. Last few days have been a bit cloudy with flat light, although the sun will poke through for an hour here or there. What this means is that it is quite crusty early in the morning and you have to stick to the groomed runs. Without the sun, it can take till 2pm or 3pm before the runs soften up. Ouch. Light snow this morning. We need a 3 or 4 inches to freshen up the slopes, but don't fret. There is a ton of base up on the mountain and they are calling for snow this Sunday night. We'd be skiing till May if they weren't closing the lifts April 13th! Oh man.

March 23 Holy smokes. It is still cold out there. I went up super late (2pm) and I figured it was going to be warm. Sun was shining and down in Lionshead it felt like spring. NOT. Glad I had my warm gloves, hat, neck gator, etc. High was around 32 or 33F and windy. When is Spring coming? Conditions were a bit icy. Not East Coast type of ice mind you, but the bumps were hard. Chris R.

March 18 The family (brother, sister and nephews) were in town and we had a wonderful day on the hill. We even took the brother out to Blue Sky Basin. I didn't realize that he had never skied in the back bowls in all the times he had visited Vail. Crazy. They all slept in our employee housing unit at the Antlers. The floor was pretty packed! Chris R.

March 17 They reported 4 inches of snow. Sunny skies today. None of us from the front desk could get out but guests were saying, "one of the best days ever". You know, we've been hearing that a lot this winter. Chris R.

March 16 Light snow showers in the afternoon. The front side was crowded with many Spring Breakers. The bowls were quiet. Amazing how even on the south facing back bowls the snow is still light and dry. It isn't set up from melting too much. I skied by the fuel pumps for the groomers at the top of the mountain near Buffalo's. You can really see how much snow we have by how low to the ground the pumps are. It will be late June before all that snow is gone.
Chris R.

Today I snowboarded at Beaver Creek for the day before I had to get to work. Unfortunately, I rode alone, which I do not prefer but I just had to get out. The ten inches we got from Thursday and Friday was still good in most sections of the mountain. The only bad part is that the sun melted the snow, which made it hard, icy, and rugged. I had a great time but I've been having problems with my left big toe. The front of my toe rams into my boot and I have bruises underneath my toenail. (Everyone I guess can relate to this) On my way to work the snow started coming down pretty hard and I knew that tomorrow was going to be a powder day. I wasn't going to let a little bruise toe ruin my powder day. And neither should you! J. Coghill

March 14 Powder day! 10 inches of new snow. I took Snowitch's suggestion and skied the front side (even the lower half) of the mountain today and I had my own tracks till 11am. Snowing hard throughout the day and more snow predicted for the week. It will be great skiing for those here on the Easter Holiday. Usually in March the North side of Interstate 70 is looking brown and the grass is showing due to the slopes facing directly into the sun. Not this year. Some back-country skiers are even hiking up and making tracks down these south facing slopes. In MARCH! Wow. Chris R.

March 9 Sunny day! Sort of like mid-winter conditions still. I over dressed and I'm glad I did. If you were on North facing slopes it was a bit cold. I saw Hank Frazier (super long-time ski instructor) and he said he has overdressed every day since December and hasn't regretted it. When will spring arrive? There was a light dusting of snow. They groomed Bolshoi Ballet the day before and I headed over for the poma lift. Nobody around and the groomed slopes were buffed. Any north facing slopes had light and dry snow, southern slopes corned up a bit with the sun. Chris R.

March 8 Some college buddies of mine had come to visit me for the weekend in Vail. I have not seen them in about 2 years, but growing up we always would go on snowboarding trips. We all were pretty good riders and have been to Vail in the past. The conditions our first day out were great with a solid 2-3 inches from the night before. We all decided it would be best to get out early and make our way straight back to Blue Sky Basin. It was wonderful back there because the chair lift lines were to a minimal for a Saturday and it was not "skied-out" as much as the front side of the mountain. We all had a blast especially my two buddies that have never traveled back to Blue Sky Basin before. Overall it was a great day with it not being too cold out and the chair lift lines moving fast. J. Coghill


March 7 Well, it is good now. Great skiing. Sunny today with 3-4 inches of powder at the top of the mountain (only an inch down low). Cold still. We can't believe how cold it has been the last week. We are in March, aren't we? Great groomers, no ice, and sun. However, a bit of some lines at the lifts. Nobody at Chair 3 but Chair 4 West maze was PACKED. I made runs on Chair 3 while the rest were waiting. It must be getting late in the season because the groomers were having fun. I saw a bunch of them all split up underneath the gondola doing their own thing. They sure weren't working as a team today. One went down Minnie' mile (just one mind you) then another was under the gondola where the lift cuts through the trees, which isn't a ski run. But the groomer was smoothing it out nicely. Sort of fun to watch. Chris R.

March 6 Snowy, cold, and difficult to see. Glad I wasn't up today but then again, some were coming down and saying it was wonderful. High of 19 degrees all day at the bottom of the mountain. Not sure how cold it was up on top.

Employee Profile

Who is Gladys Villeda?

Just one of the sweetest housekeepers ever to enter a unit at the Antlers.

Gladys was born in Honduras and managed to move to the United States in January of 1989. Her dream of living and working in New York was short lived and she didn't last a full winter there. The last I checked, the climate in the Honduras is a bit warmer than up-state New York and I think that may have had something to do with her decision to relocate.

Her choices were clear and after short deliberation of where to settle next, she choose Vail. Ehmmmm?

In January of 1990 Gladys was in Vail to do all the things she has dreamed of doing in a summer wonderland. She realized quickly that she was living in a winter wonderland and decided to stay right here anyway and start her career at the Antlers. We are so glad she did.

Ask her about her hobbies (she has never attempted to ski) and she will tell you that she has four hobbies. They are her children and that keeps her busy enough. If she is not watching Antonio Bandaras movies, she is planning her trip to Hawaii or Puerto Rico (imagine that).

You're Welcome!

Gladys speaks excellent English and speaks with sincerity. She often radios the front desk after cleaning a unit and a typical conversation would go like this: "Unit 204 is ready for check in". The front desk responds "Thank you Gladys". She says "You're welcome". Or "The guest staying in 605 would like service next". "I will do it next"....."Thank you Gladys"....."You're welcome". If you happen to see her leave for the day...."Thanks for a great job today Gladys"...."Your welcome, I will see you tomorrow, sleep well tonight".

You're welcome to come stay with us and and meet this great gal.