You Still Get a Chance to go to Heaven

Hawaii is often called Paradise and even sometimes called Heaven. What is Heaven on Earth? Forget what it is, we are born, we live, we leave. What before and what after can bore some and others will express their opinion til the sun sets. Try to live, try to learn, try to share, just try. What to some seems so far away and to others they just live a life for, can be had so easy. Perfection in most circumstances is a myth, so why strive so hard, just make your way to Purgatory, CO. This is the old name and the new name, Durango Mountain Resort, may be better to include all that can be had here.

This area will forever have a wild untouched feel, as the mountains will never be tamed. Steep canyons make scary steep roads. Guardrails, that is further north. Help is not on the way, travel at your own risk. The miners of old days still live on through the lips of alive men. Which direction will give you the most scenic pleasure? Why try so hard, look left, then right, move a bit, and look again.

Mountain bikers, get here. Want scenic pleasures. Get here. A well marked ski resort. Get here. Tourist attitudes. Not. Locals who share. Yes. River rafting. You’ll get wet. A wild feel with a current class. Purgatory/Durango Mountain Resort. Creativity flows here, as in the childrens pizza production, where your children make their own pizza and it is served later for dinner. Kim McNulty, Sven Brunso, Alicia Durkin, and James Bunten all added a bit of charm, openess, and their own pride to the Purgatory experiance.

MauiSkiBus.com was invited to drive onto their plaza for some exposure and photos. The look in the eyes of youths, which is our future, when MauiSkiBus drives by, is part of what Aloha means. Having a tropical taste of Paradise in the winter heart of Purgatory, just adds to the delight of this area. This resort makes the 25th ski resort this winter MauiSkiBus.com has visitied.

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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www.Durangomountainresort.com

Show and Tell

Carolyn and Carla in front of Bon Vivant

It is well known by skiers and snowboarders why they endure cold fingers, noses and toes. If you read these notes on the different ski resorts and wonder why anyone, much less a beach bum from Maui, would want to go into the outdoors in the deep of winter, just ask a skier or a snowboarder yourself.

This note is dedicated to those that have no desire to enjoy the cold. Forget that warm beach, a show on Broadway, a casino on the strip, and go to Telluride in the winter. Stay warm in your warm clothes and your warm room and walk down to the warm fire in the warm lodge. Look out at the mountain vistas of Telluride. If you knew that Telluride had a Gondola to the top for free, would you ride it? What if there were fine French dining under the largest  umbrella at a ski resort with delicious crepes? Italian, they have that also, with fine stone work equal to the finest work of Italy. Old, you say, is your taste, try a hundred year old converted sheep herders barn for a fine whiskey.

Maybe you might just get the urge to try to ski. A beginner can venture to nearly 13,000 feet and find beginner runs. On your first day on skis, you could soar with eagles, see above the trees, and ski Telluride, a true mountain that experts around the world just dream and dream to ski. The town of Telluride from that height will barely show up in your vision, but mountains in Utah 90 miles away will be close enough to touch.

Upon a return to you hometown all will have ask, “Were you crazy to forego the warm beach trip to Maui?” After a bit of show and tell, all will realize that Telluride has the equal warmth of any beach trip. Tom Watikinson was over the top as the margeting manager, having lunch with me, skiing with me, and sharing Telluride, more than just a mountain resort in the clouds.

Emil, one of the ski patrollers, loved MauiSkiBus.com and invited us to the Lizard Lounge, a very private secret locale of the patrollers post ski sweep. When the mission of MauiSkiBus was shared with the other patrollers, eyes went wide, as when a child gets a new toy. C-Mon, MauiSkiBus has room, hop on, get to some of these other resorts on four wheels tropical style!

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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www.tellurideskiresort.com

Telluride and the amazing people you meet along the way

Carla and David Bouthillier/MacKown

One of my c0-workers at the Westin Villas Maui is Andy Boutihillier and his mother lives outside of Telluride with her husband. We had contacted them to help with the MauiSkiBus adventure and she gave us a very warm invite to their home.

I would instead call their home a fantasy ranch, nestled in Alder Canyon, about twenty mlies from the heart of Telluride (with its own ski runs in the back yard). I would instead call Carla, a dynamo lady with a sweet teenager charm. David, has abilities of an octopus mechanic/builder, and they both ski/race with grace and speed.

Carla cooked us a fine meal in her country kitchen and a special bottle of wine from our visit to Squaw Valley was uncorked. This petite lady not only cooked the meal but bow hunted to provide the venison (did we mention she also had a captain license?  Did we mention that she is an amazing NASTAR racer and teacher?).

On her love, telluride, she comes alive and is a gracious host, maybe the same as Billy Kidd, without the Olympic medals. Maybe a NASTAR race should take place, Carla of Telluride vs. Billie Kidd of Steamboat. Carolyn’s money is on Carla and I would share with Billy to take the race serious.

We have in Carla and David new found friends.

Aloha and thank you for a wonderful stay and day in your Telluride.

 

Please Blow Horn

Irish Mike, Powderhorn shuttle bus driver

The island of Maui has a famous drive, the Hana Highway, with its numerous one lane bridges, cascading waterfalls, and scary hairpin curves. These curves may have a cliff on one side and a wall of a cliff on the other, or even worse, a local Hawaiian speeding around the corner with a beefed up 4×4, ready to run over a tourist. Many of these curves have signs that read, “Blow Horn”, and this may at least help in a warning. Hana Highway also has the reputation as “Divorce Highway”, with the fear and terror inside of  rental cars.

The drive up from I-70 to Powderhorn Ski Resort is not as terrifying as Maui’ Hana Highway, but a drive to at least have all enjoying the view. At first, the canyons to drive through have wall close to the road 500 feet high. The last half of the drive, the fields on the sides of the road had more wild  animal tracks than anywhere we had visited. A day drive seemed safe, however, I wonder of a night drive.

Powderhorn is like a secret stash in Colorado. Close to Grand Junction, high on a plateau, with a good mixed mountain terrain, and a local ski resort feel. “Trisha”, the marketing manager, was east to contact and set-up MauiSkiBus with a warm welcome. “Irish Mike”, the shuttle driver with a western class, pointed at MauiSkiBus every pass around the parking lot, and “Ski Patrol Paul”, put me to work in trail maintenance.

The moguls under the chair, alias “Hollywood Alley”, were mine all alone and the open glades were a tease, for the still lack of Colorado snow. The mesa of Colorado was above, the vista view was wide open, and the lift lines of Powderhorn were not at all to be seen. The resort was recently bought by new experianced owners and a new vision is headed Powderhorn’s way. I still want to drive the access rode on a moonless night and experiance all of those wild animals that had left those tracks. Would I need to blow my horn?

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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www.powderhorn.com

 

This Boat Floats on Frozen Water

Billy Kidd, his statue, and one Fish

During my three crossings of the Pacific between California/Hawaii/California, I often wondered of the great sailor explorers of centuries ago. To leave Europe on sailing vessels made by hand, sails not as efficient as the ones made  today, and no real understanding of what lay past the horizon. To have the confidence and courage to leave a safe and secure port, the sailors of that time made headways into the unknown, the uncharted, the potential ocean death trap.

A USA Olympic skier in the sixties did somewhat the same thing. The Europeans had always dominated the sport of skiing in the Olympics, until an American kid, not believing what had been the norm, broke the European domination and won a medal. Steamboat’s Billy Kidd, was that young dude and he still has the heart and energy of that same young dude.

On a chance encounter at Steamboat, I met Billy Kidd and shared with him the mission of MauiSkiBus.com. He loved the idea and spent the whole afternoon skiing with me and being a great ambassador of skiing and Steamboat Springs. Many resorts have their own ambassadors, but no resort has one equal to Billy Kidd, as he helped young and old on the finer points of skiing and racing.

A modern town with its roots in the cowboy life, with ranches the best we had seen in Colorado and horses galore. A ten minute drive out of Steamboat, and the skiing scene was gone and the wilds of Colorado appeared. To be free on a horse, on an open range, to gallop from hill top to hill top, is an unique feel similiar to a day on the slopes with fresh powder. Mike Lane, the marketing manager made the day happen in Steamboat Springs and Billy Kidd was the icing on the cake.

Summer falls to Winter

It seems that this season, summer does not want to fall to winter, as we have seen bare mountains great for mountain biking, locals in t-shirts, and a serious demand for sunblock. Breckenridge is charming and seeing many from Maui was a delight, Vail/Beaver Creek teemed with excitement, and the Beach at A-Basin was a soft reminder of Maui. Movement on the quest to ski 100 different resorts in one season is a must, so off to the park, that is Winter Park.

After two very steep mountain passes, Winter Park and its rugged baby sister, Mary Jane greeted MauiSkiBus. A medium size resort base is at the foot of a larger size mountain. The terrain was a delight, the lifts were fast, and again, too little time for MauiSkiBus to fully enjoy all of what this ski area close to Denver has to offer. Mista Lyn, marketing mgr., made sure we were set-up for our ski day there, the resort staff loved MauiSkiBus, and the ski patrol even offered us a shower in their home.

We stayed in the parking lot that night and did promo on the internet for the next set of resorts to come, Utah. Soon, MauiSkiBus.com will be leaving Colorado, of to more resort areas.

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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The Maui Beach comes to the Basin Beach.

“It’s not all down the sink”, is my current motto as of this date for the ski season. So many people rely on the snow and when the snow is lean, so is their pay. A snowstorm is very uplifting in personal moods and personal sporting pleasure. Seeing bare earth is not what locals want to see in the mountains during the winter. The ski resorts are doing their best to make snow and groom what snow that has fallen.

Mother Nature has its cycle. Man can have some bearing on this, but nothing compared to the natural cycle. One major volcano can emit more pollutants in the air than 100 coal power plants. Sun solar flares can interfere with satellite and radio signals. An earthquake can create a tsunami and wreck devastation more the an atomic bomb. Hurricanes can wipe out wholes cities and lead to floods that affect millions. Last year the West had record amonts of snow and this year the West has a record amount of sunny days.

The 65 year old Arapahoe Basin has a new expansion into Montezuma Basin and their famous ”Beach”. Leigh Hierholzer, marketing mgr., set MauiSkiBus.com in the top “Beach” parking spot to share the Aloha Spirit front row and center. Bryan “Wacko” Wachs and Tania Boyd drove over from Eagle/Vail to add to our beach party. Numerous skiers/snowboarders, ski patrol, and workers came by to ask questions and tour MauiSkiBus.com. Franklin and Gykaiya got their bones, Gykaiya got to play tug-o-war, and Franklin was a hit playing soccor.

A-Basin was our 20th resort and the last in Summit County. From the chance encounter at Kirby-Cosmos to the plush two bedroom villa at the Grand Timber, our experiances here with MauiSkiBus.com was over the top. New things are on the horizon as MauiSkiBus departs for places north and west. We will try to attract the Pineapple Express, a welcome moisture flow from the Hawaiian Islands that turns into huge snowfalls for the mountain ski towns.

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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Maui Mafia in Breck

Beautiful Breck

Over ten years ago, numerous individuals from Maui invaded Breckenridge, CO. to work at the Grand Timber Lodge/Grand Lodge on Peak 7. The locals of Breckenridge coined them the “Maui Mafia”. Unlike the real Mafia, these individuals are straight forward in their mannerisms, however all are a bit of characters. The “Don” Grovey Stroevy, D.R. J.R., “Dabman” Brad, “Posi-Motivation” McHenry, Pre-cious Les-lie, “No miss a Beat” Skip, Jimmy James, Brett “Coach Kite” and John “On the Liner”. The Don and Dabman set us up with lift tickets in Breck with the assistance of Pre-cious. Topping all of that Aloha warmth was the D.R. J.R. and his sweet ownership condo at the Grand Timber Lodge.

My new contact from Eagle/Vail, Bryan “Wacko”{he met us at Kirby-Cosmos in Midturn after seeing us numerous times in Taos, NM.} and Tania “Nurse Kiwi” joined us at Breck for some happy smiles. Another experiance due to the idea of the MauiSkiBus.com was shared by many.

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

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TV8 Good MorningVail, Vail Daily, Summit Daily

Here is a link to a morning TV show in Vail, a news article from Vail, and a news ariticle in Breckedridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ2FA1lYtBQ&list=UUEUviHsGJ9OwQKXCSZNc1-g&index=27&feature=plpp_video

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Fifth Degree of Sun

93,000,000 miles away is Earth’s lifeblood of warmth, our stable star that burns vision. We welcome the light, need it for growth, and shy away at times of intensity. Even on most nights, the sunlight reflects in different phases on our moon. Near to us on earth, but still so far away in miles.

A few miles out of a breathtaking, storybrook town called Aspen, is the fifth ski resort of this valley, Sunlight. The drive up to this mountain, is quite charming,and is a mountain that will satisfy all’s ability. New homes, open pastures, one hundred year old barns, mixed with ranches, and pine forest, will keep all eyes focused on the surrounding scenery.

The brightness of the sun was dim compared to the warmth and cheerful energy of Sheila Maurer and her staff. In fact, we had an additional dog visit MauiSkiBus.com, their mascot, “Sunny” alias the dude Shane. Jennifer took the photos and Roman made sure my Opu{stomach} was happy. Every year they offer a skier/snowboarder appreciation day{Jan. 6th, 2012}, where the lift tickets are reduced{$15}, and they encourage costumes{60-70′s attire}.

So the fitfth resort of the Aspen area is Sunlight, easy to get to and a happy financially resourceful resort to visit.

Contact MauiSkiBus.co at mauistyl@maui.net

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