Ski Train MIGHT Be Back on Track

San Luis & Rio Grande operator reportedly considering operating Ski Train

Mountain bikers heading for the Winter Park-Fraser area trail system have missed summer operations of the Ski Train from Denver this year, and skiers were already mourning its disappearance after 69 years of operations when owner Phil Anschutz sold the rolling stock to a Canadian operator a few months ago. Now, the Denver Post reports, there is a glimmer of hope on the Ski Train horizon.

In a piece called "Colorado Ski Train Revival Gathers Steam," reporter Jeffrey Leib reported that the Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC, which owns southern Colorado's Alamosa-based San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad and Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, could take over the route. Although it is "premature" to hope this might happen, Edwin Ellis, Iowa Pacific president, did indicate to authoritiex that his company "can provide all services necessary for the Winter Park train, [including] railcars and locomotives, onboard services, reservations and ticketing, sales and marketing, and administration."

In his front-page story in the Post's business section, Leib wrote, "Any new operator of the Denver-to-Winter Park route will have to get permission from Union Pacific, which owns the track and operates freight trains in the corridor. UP has an office that coordinates with Amtrak and other passenger-rail ventures that want to use its track, yet that office 'has not been contacted regarding the re-establishment of the train,' Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said Tuesday. Doing so 'is the key to beginning the process of seeing if it is even feasible to re-establish the Ski Train,' Davis said."

I rode the Ski Train near the end of last ski season and mourned the news of its demise just a few weeks later. Count me as one of those hoping that the Ski Train will be back on track for the 2009-10 season.

Inflation Hits Travel Prices

Travel costs rose by an inflationary 6 percent over 2007

The Travel Industry Association, which keeps track of such things, released the following dismaying report, just as the summer travel season is gearing up:

"The April Travel Price Index, TPI, rose 6.0 percent compared to April 2007. Gasoline prices increased 5.6 percent from March and jumped 21.1 percent
from one year ago. Lodging prices were up 0.8 percent compared to April 2007 and
down 2.2 percent from last month. Airfares increased 10.1 percent against twelve
months earlier and 0.9 percent from previous month. The Consumer Price Index, or
CPI-U, was up 3.9 percent from April 2007.

"Developed by TIA, the Travel Price Index (TPI) measures the seasonally
unadjusted inflation rate of the cost of travel away from home in the United
States. The TPI is based on U.S. Department of Labor price data collected for
the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI). The TPI is released monthly and is
directly comparable to the CPI. Please click here to access the current month Index."

Four Styles at Four RockResorts Hotels in Colorado

Checking in on The Osprey, Arrabelle, the Lodge at Vail and the Jerome
In 1956, Laurance Rockefeller (yes, those Rockefellers) began developing (and later purchasing) resort properties that combined luxury and what, more than half a century ago, reflected a concern for the environment. The best known of those properties, which soon became known as RockResorts, were Caneel Bay and Little Dix Bay in the Virgin Islands and Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. Mountain properties included the Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake Lodges in Wyoming and Vermont's Woodstock Inn. Over the years, ownership has changed (Vail Resorts Inc. now owns the entire group), and individual hotels have dropped out of or joined the RockResorts family.

Today's RockResorts are a worthy heir to Laurance Rockefeller's original concept of combining luxury with sound environmental practices, and we all know a great deal more about sound environmental practices than was common knowledge back then. I recently was invited to visit four of RockResorts' Colorado properties -- three in the Vail Valley and one in Aspen. In one fashion or another, I was familiar with most of them (I had stayed at all except the new Arrabelle, and I'd even popped in to look at that when I last skied at Vail). In addition to the impressive environmental commitment, RockResorts maintains a high level of service across the board. What is dramatically different is the range of sizes and styles, from modest and low-key to over-the-top grandeur. How fine for guests to have such a choice among some of Colorado's most luxurious resort lodgings.

Below are the four properties I visited in reverse chronological order, from the newest to the oldest.

The Osprey at Beaver Creek

The Inn at Beaver Creek, which I stayed at many years ago, had a fortuitous location right next to the Strawberry Park chairlift. And the location is what I remember about it. It was a perfectly nice and perfectly comfortable, but "distinctive" is not an adjective that comes to mine. Last December, the old Inn at Beaver Creek was reborn as The Osprey at Beaver Creek, a stylish, contemporary lodge. The $7 million makeover did not alter the footprint or expand rooms and bathrooms. The Osprey isn't bigger than the old Inn at Beaver Creek, but it's a whole lot better.

The 45-room Osprey is now a boutique hotel worthy of Beaver Creek's high standards. Still, nothing was overdone. The changes were cosmetic-plus, not an expansion of the property but an enhancement with a dramatic and guest-friendly facilities, furnish and fixtures. The Osprey Lounge offers tapas and a good wine list and custom cocktails that assure conviviality.

The Osprey at Beaver Creek, 10 Elk Track Lane, Beaver Creek, CO 81620; 866-621-ROCK or 970-754-7400.

Arrabelle at Vail Square

Vail Associates developed LionsHead in 1969 using a concept for a modern, functional satellite village that would contrast to Alpine-style Vail Village. Vail Associates is now Vail Resorts Inc., and LionsHead is now Lionshead, and other changes are more significant to visitors. The second village center didn't age quite as gracefully as the original, and recent redevelopment has taken on a warmer, more opulent style.

Opened for the 2008-09 ski season, Arrabelle at Vail Square is big, bold and luxurious. It has just 62 oversize hotel rooms and suites and 25 huge "residences," which is what upscale resorts call condominiums, spread over three (or is it four?) interconnected buildings around several courtyards and lanes that help bring this large development down to human scale.

The lobby/lounge/bar/ dining area similarly is a series of smaller spaces that flow into each other rather than one overwhelming one. Centre V is a French-style restaurant that really echoes the ambiance of a fine Parisian brasserie. Everything has been planned and executed with care and quality, and the spa is a lovely, tranquil retreat.

The rooms and bathrooms are oversize, and in addition to the regulation doormen, bellmen, front desk people, concierge, waitstaff and housekeepers, Arrabelle guests are assigned a personal butler to attend to whatever other needs or wants thy might have.

The Arrabelle at Vail Square, 675 Lionshead Place, Vail, CO 81657; : 866-662-ROCK or 970-754-7777.

The Lodge at Vail

In the context of Vail, one of the older of the Colorado Rockies' "new" resorts, the Lodge at Vail is venerable. When Vail Mountain opened on December 15, 1962 with one gondola, two chairlifts, eight ski instructors and a $5 lift ticket, the U.S. Forest Service had stipulated at least one lodge with a minimum of 30 sleeping rooms. The Lodge at Vail, which had been open for just one month, was that property.

Boasting an enviable heart-of-Vail Village location, it now has grown 165 rooms and suites styled in the manner of a fine European chalet. It is a place of understated elegance, charm and warmth. The exterior displays Vail Village's original Alpine chalet style. The Wildflower Restaurant is one of Vail's fine-dining meccas and the more casual Cucina Rustica serve three meals a day during high season to lucky Lodge guests and outside guests as well. There is now also a spa, which seems to be required of every luxury resort hotel these days.

The Lodge at Vail, 174 East Gore Creek Drive, Vail, CO 81657; 877-LAV-ROCK or 970-476-5011.

Hotel Jerome, Aspen

The final stop on this whirlwind itinerary was the venerable Hotel Jerome in Aspen. As frenetic as Aspen can be in the lofty heights of ski season, a visit to the Jerome puts things back into balance. After all, this brick beauty on Main Street across town from the Silver Queen gondola has seen it all: the mining boom, the mining bust, the second boom, the second bust, the Depression, World War II, the post-war era referred to locally as "the quiet years," the start of skiing, the growth of skiing and the jet-setting and glamorizing of skiing, including its centennial celebration in 1989.

The hotel, which has gone through many owners and was twice bought for back taxes (once by a bartender), and might again be on fragile financial footing. According to a report last week in the Aspen Daily News, the assets of LCP Elysian Aspen Owner LLC, which has owned the Jerome since 2007, might be on the verge of being auctioned off. Stay tuned.

But like every great hotel staffed mostly by unflappable individuals, no problems are loaded onto the guests. The lobby, still in original form from 120 decades ago, is warm and welcoming, and in fact, sink-into chairs and sofas are considerably more comfortable that true Victorian originals. The public spaces are an artful combination of original pieces and quality period reproductions, and each of the 94 guest rooms had different wallpaper, and all are impeccably furnished with harmonious but not identical from room to room.

No matter what bankers, lawyers and even auctioneers might be negotiating behind closed doors, the hotel's services from doorman to restaurant waitstaff doesn't miss a beat. The cedar cabinet beside the outdoor swimming pool is stocked with heated towels. A cloth bag containing the New York Times is hung on the doorknob early every morning. The hotel balances the needs of meeting groups with social guests.

Hotel Jerome, 330 East Main Street, Aspen, CO 81611; 877-412-ROCK or 970-920-1000.

FromRockResorts : There was an erroneous ad placed in the Aspen paper about the Hotel Jerome being for sale. RockResorts corporate has issued the following statement. "The Hotel Jerome is not for sale. Hotel ownership remains committed to RockResorts management and to the Hotel Jerome,” said David Pisor, CEO of Elysian Worldwide LLC.

From the Aspen Times, September 27, 2009: "An unpaid loan balance of $36.3 million has put the historic Hotel Jerome on the auction block.The 92-bedroom Main Street hotel, built in 1889, is scheduled go to a foreclosure auction sale on Jan. 27, Deputy Treasurer Desiree Wagner said Monday.The Pitkin County Treasurer's Office opened up foreclosure proceedings for the 92-bedroom Main Street property Thursday, when it filed a “notice of election and demand for sale.” The notice says that LCP-Elysian Aspen Owner LLC has an unpaid balance of $36,292,781 to Jerome Property LLC, which holds the deed of trust on the property. . . .Deputy Treasurer Desiree Wagner said the hotel owners can take steps to stave off foreclosure by filing an intent to cure. No such notice had been filed as of Monday, she said." The read the entire story, click here.

More Airline Woes

Tough times continue for Mesa, Frontier and US Airways

Just two days ago, I wrote that we are all tired of these troubled travel times and posted some positive news about a few favorite places in the West celebrating important anniversaries this year. That was then, and this is now -- time to report more discouraging airline news. Mesa Air promises to file for bankruptcy on July 20 if Delta severs its commuter contract for regional service. For its part, Delta claims that Mesa has not lived up to some of its agreements. Without going into tedious detail, the result could be that travelers again are the losers.

Frontier employees have taken pay cuts to help out their employer, which is operating under bankruptcy protection.

The New York Times reported yesterday that the United-US Airways merger talks appear to have unraveled. According to the paper, "There has been little to no contact between United Airlines and US Airways in recent days and the internal teams of senior executives at both companies, as well as external bankers and lawyers assigned to the project, have put it on 'permanent hold,”' one person involved in the talks said. While it remained possible the talks could be revived, people involved in the most recent discussions said they had never advanced to final negotiations."

Perhaps in preparation for continuing to go it alone, US Airways is further circling its fiscal wagon by eliminating free peanuts in economy class.

Major Western Anniversaries

Visit the wildlife refuge and classi amusement park at 100, renowned resort at 90, tribal park at 50, Asian teahouse at 10

I'm tired of writing about the miserable state of air travel these days, the diving American dollar and the increasing abuses inflicted on travelers by the Transportation Security Administration, and if you are a regular visitor, you're probably tired of reading about them. So here is an anniversary tribute to a quintet of very different places in the Rocky Mountain region and the Southwest that I've enjoyed and hope that you will too.

Centennial - National Bison Range, Moise, MT

If it weren't for the National Bison Range, the great shaggy beast that once dominated the Plains by the millions might exist today only on the nickel. In fact, the range's Bill West declared, "The whole concept of saving an endangered species sort of begin with the American Bison Society 100 years ago. It started the idea of philanthropy in the wildlife realm and also the idea of buying land specficially for wildlife."

With the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, Congress established the National Bison Range in 1908, when the national census of bison (commonly referred to as "buffalo") had dwindled to a few hundred head in private ownership, including some under the protection of the Pend Oreille peoples, and a federally protected herd in Yellowstone National Park.

Today, the 18,500-acre National Bison Range is a federal wildlife refuge whose 340- to 500-head herd is carefully managed to maintain health and diversity. If you go, stop at the visitor center before embarking on one of three self-drive vehicle tours. In addition to bison, you might see elk, deer, pronghorn, black bear, coyote and ground squirrels, and birds, birds birds. Among the more 200 species of birds that call the home are eagles, hawks, meadowlarks, bluebirds, ducks and geese.

National Bison Range, 58355 Bison Range Road, Moiese, MT 59824; 406-644-2211.

Centennial - Lakeside Amusement Park, Denver

Long before there was Disneyland and all the corporate-owned destination theme parks that have followed, there were local "amusement parks" with rides, entertainment and gardens. Denver had at least two, the original Elitch's in northwest Denver and Lakeside Amusement Park, which opened on Memorial Day 1908 on the city's western fringes. The current Elitch's bears no resemblance to the original, having been relocated to the Platte River Valley, acquired and divested by Six Flags. Through it all, Lakeside has remained a friendly old-style park.

When it opened, it was called the “Coney Island of the West,” because it was ablaze with 100,000 electric lights. No one was concerned about leaving a big carbon footprint in those days! It was so popular that a trolley line was laid to drop visitors right at the illuminated Tower of Jewels, then Colorado’s tallest building and still a local landmark. Today, the 40 major rides include spinning rides, upside-down rides, flying rides and a new drop tower. Don’t miss the classic wooden Cyclone Coaster, the original merry-go-round, and two tiny trains pulled by the country’s last two miniature steam locomotives from the 1904 World’s Fair. Family-owned Lakeside welcomes today’s families with a charming Kiddies’ Playland and affordable pricing.

Starting next week, Lakeside will be open daily through August 17, and then weekends through Labor Day. Gate admission (no rides) is just $2.50 (single ride tickets are available); unlimited rides $13.75 weekdays, $19.75, Friday through Sunday through Labor Day. Through sounds and images, the nostalgia-rich website evokes the feeling of a century ago.

Lakeside Amusement Park; 4601 Sheridan Boulevard, Denver; 303-477-1621.

90 Years - The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Next month the Broadmoor celebrates its 90th anniversary. I was kind of hoping that this magnificent resort hotel, which has been honored with more AAA Diamonds, Mobil Stars and assorted wine and hospital official accolades than any other, would make a big production of this noteworthy annivesary. But either they are saving their firepower for the centennial, only 10 years from now, or are so busy with the upcoming US Senior Open Golf Championship coming up on July 28-August 3 that there's no time to throw a birthday party worthy of Broadmoor standards.

The hotel opened with three buildings, 111 guest rooms, one golf course and lofty ambitions to match the finest European hotels in terms of architecture, cuisine and most of all, service. It is now the grandest resort in Colorado, and one of the grandest in North America. Set on 3,000 acres, it now includes 593 hotel rooms, 107 suites, 40 new "cottage" accommodations, 14 dining facilities from the fine-dining Penrose Room to the casual snackbar-style Cafe Julie, four lounges, magnifident public spaces, three golf courses, a tennis center, pools, a luxurious health club, a private lake, a movie theater, meeting and thousands of square feet of convention space, plus, plus, plus.

There's no better place Colorado, and few in the country, for a sybaritic vacation or romantic getaway, a wonderful special occasion dinner or Sunday brunch (right), an opulent 70-item feast in the Lake Terrace Dining Room (adults, $38). But even if you are on a tight budget, you can come into the hotel, walk the main-floor corridors whose walls are hung with historic photos and memorabilia, stroll around the lake, park yourself on a lakeside bench or sink into a comfortable chair in the grand lobby. It doesn't cost a king's ransom to dine in The Tavern (lunch, $9.50-$28; dinner $16-$48). Any way that your budget and time permit, this would be the year to come and share the anniversary spirit of this landmark resort.

The Broadmoor, 1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs; 719-577-5775 or 866-837-9520 (hotel reservations), or 719-634-7711.

50 Years - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, AZ/UT

Monument Valley's spectacular sandstone towers, arches and fins are ancient formations that have served as backdrops for numerous Western films, but the official Navajo Nation tribal park designation is "only" 50 years old this year. Earlier this month, the anniversary was celebrated with two days of races -- a marathon, half-marathon, 10K relay and 5K fun run. Monument Valley Celebration Day Coming up on July 11 are the Drums of Summer and Outdoor Concert Series with live entertainment. The golden-anniversary year culiminates in the Monument Valley Hot Air Balloon Rally, December 12-14, with balloons entered by invitation only. Also scheduled for completion later this year is the new View Hotel & Spa. Otherwise, all you need to do is drive or ride through the park. General admission is $5. Guided tours, camping and hiking are also available. Inquire about permit procedures and fees.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, P.O. Box 360289, Monument Valley, UT 84536; 435-727-5870. The visitor center is at the junction of Highway 89 and Highway 64 in Cameron, AZ.

10 Years - Dushanbe Teahouse, Boulder

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is one of Boulder's sister cities. As a token of friendship, that central Asian city donated a classic teahouse, tiled inside and out, to the City of Boulder. It took some time for Boulder to decide where to erect it and more time for Tajik artisans to assemble it here. It opened in 1998, and in just a decade, it has become such a Boulder fixture that it seems to have been in place forever.

Within the intricate and colorful walls, the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse is a popular place to come for a meal or a spot of tea -- an oasis of Asian tranquility. It is neither strictly vegetarian nor vegan but offers many dishes to meet these dietary needs. Breakfast and brunch entrees, $5.95-$11; breakfast scones and pastries, $1.50-$2.25; dinner entrees, $13-$18.

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse is at 1770 13th Street (that's the Boulder Country Farmers' Market block), Boulder; 303-442-4993.

My New Favorite Trail Map Series

Easy-to-use trail maps loaded with info for hikers, mountain bikers and winter users

We have every Trails Illustrated map of Colorado and beyond -- in many cases, several increasingly comprehensive editions both before and after National Geographic took over publication. When I was putting things together for a trip that started in Steamboat Springs where I planned to go for at least one hike, I forgot to grab any of them. I neglected to bring a trail guidebook either. My friend, Reed, and I wanted to find an inetresting trail somewhere in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, which is north of Steamboat Springs. She hadn't brought a map or book either. We picked up some basic US Forest Service trail info sheets to help us decide where to go. She read trail descriptions as I drove, and we both thought that the Three Island Lake Trail sounded really good.

We made a pit stop at the Clark Store, a small general store/post office/video rental center/bakery about 20 miles up Routt County Road 129. There I bought a Steamboat-Mt. Zirkel map put out by Sky Terrain Trail Maps. Like other maps in the series, it is printed on sturdy, waterproof and rip-proof material. It includes 16 US Geographical Survey quadrangles, which is a huge area roughly from near the Wyoming border on the north to Rabbit Ears Pass on the south and east and Sleeping Giant/Steamboat Lake State Park to the west.

These detailed, shaded topographic maps are 1:50,000 scale with 80-foot contour lines. They clearly show hiking trails, singletrack mountain biking trails, ATV routes, winter trails for motorized and non-motorized use, campgrounds, campsites, fishing access and wildlife management areas. Mileage and elevation information is clearly shown, and the maps are feature UTM grids for easy use with GPS units, which I don't use by my husband does.

Sky Terrain maps also feature brief descriptions of selected trails and their highlights. The map and also the USFS information sheet describe the Three Island Lake Trail as "popular"and imply that it tends to get crowded. When we reached the parking pullout off FS 433, three vehicles were parked there. We got a late start, and as we were on our way up, we saw all three parties who were on their way down: four people and two dogs, two people and two dogs, and one person and one dog. That was it for the "crowd."

The lovely lake at 9,878 feet is nestled in a high basin. We sat on a log, broke out cheese and crackers and fresh fruit and enjoyed the wunny, wind-still afternoon. For those of us hike in the Front Range, such wilderness solitude is rare -- and virtually non-existent for a "popular" backcountry route.

Europeans CuttingBack on Vacations

Americans are not the only ones cutting back on their travels

Comment dit-on, Staycation en francais? How do you say "Staycation" in French or German or Italian? I don't know if there's a word for it, but Europeans -- like Americans -- are doing it. According to a USA Today news report, "Europen Vacations are Downsized,"

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) reported that international tourism in Europe is down about 10 percent the first half of this year compared to 2008, but of course, that includes most of the ski season but just the leading edge of summer. When all is said and done, visitation is probably going totake a 7 to 9 percent hit, according to some sources, and those people who are traveling will do so closer to home and will most likeky spend less.