“As the Antlers Turn”………20

January 22nd, 2012

Here is a story of a beautiful couple.  Bound and determined to have fun.

It was Friday night at 11:30 when I received the call.  She had dialed the Antlers version of 911 and that ring comes right to my cell phone.  With a bit of urgency in her voice I heard  “My husband is locked out on the balcony”

That said, my first thought was….”Ohhh mannnn……..”

She told me what unit to report to and I said “It will be a few minutes, but I’ll be there as quickly as I can”.

“Please hurry.  He’s in his underwear and the thermometer says 15 degrees”.  I picked up the pace and when I got to the front door she was standing outside waiting for me.

“My key doesn’t work” she says.  I tried mine.

“That’s interesting, my key doesn’t work either and it’s because the dead bolt is on”.

I had to ask “Who locked the deadbolt?”

“I did” she said.

“But you’re out here with me” I said.

“Well then he must have” she said.

At this point I surmise that alcohol could be a factor.  I looked away from her so as not to be caught laughing and sending the wrong message. After a few seconds of gibberish I looked up and said, ”I need to go back to the office, open up the safe and get the deadbolt over-ride key. You stand right here and promise not to move.  You OK with that?

She looked back at me and said “Could you get my husband a blanket?  I’m sure he’s freezing his little tush off, and hurry because I need to tinkle”.

When I return to the staging area with keys and a blanket, low and behold, he is standing there with his wife.  “Are you the fella that’s locked out on the balcony?”

“Not any more.  Now I’m just locked out of our condo and I could use that blanket because I am still in my underwear.”  Then he laughed.

My new friend had taken it upon himself to rescue everyone trapped on a balcony that night.  He jumped the gate into the snow on the other side.  Climbed down the rock wall that separated the garden and the bike path and nonchalantly walked around the building in his bare feet.  “What an adventure and this is only our second day here”  he said to me.

Of course now it’s time for “Murphy’s Law“.  I try the dead bolt over ride key and it just spins in a circle.  She looks at me with a quizzical kind of look and says ‘Maybe it’s the wrong key?” and then she laughed.

I say “It’s the right key, I think the lock assembly is bad. We’re going to have to climb through a window or use the balcony door to get in.”

“Well we know the balcony door isn’t an option” he said, and the couple started laughing hysterical.  All I’m thinking is this patient lady has not mentioned another word about using the bathroom.  For that, I felt a sense of relief.  They really were having a good time with the string of events and my only concern was climbing through the kitchen window.

It opened but I have another self revelation that I’m to old, fat and ugly to get to the other side.

I need a short, athletic person to jump six inches up and through.  Thank God Amy was at the front desk!  She did a “Circus O’Lea Thing”, right up and in.  Emergency over.

Our fun loving, happy guests welcome themselves back to their warm condominium…..turn back to us….and with obvious appreciation………say…….”You guys want a glass of wine?”

 

January 22, a bit of a Vail powder snow day, 9+ inches

January 22nd, 2012

Finally, we are getting a bit of a turn on the snow.  9+inches today and it snowed pretty good throughout the day so maybe another 3 inches or so will be reported on tomorrow’s Vail snow report.  I did a few runs with Antlers at Vail condominium owner John Taylor over in Game Creek Bowl.  The sun will be out the rest of today and tomorrow and then perhaps we get a bit more snow again on Tuesday.  Chair 5 opened today, but mainly with skiing in Sun Up bowl.  From what we could see they have not opened Sun Down bowl.  Portions of Blue Sky Basin and China are open.  We are just about 2300 acres open with more to come.     Chris Ratzlaff

 Game Creek Bowl

John Taylor checking out Sun Down bowl and noting the skiers coming up Chair 5

 

Skiing January 9, Vail Colorado

January 9th, 2012

8 inches of snow this past Saturday/Sunday.  Monday groomers were great.  Still need snow to catch up but here are some pictures for you…

Top of Chair 2

Top of Born Free

Skiing Mid-Vail

Looking into the Back Bowls, we probably need another 15-20 inches before we can open them (I think)

Vail fox down at Antlers hot-tub

January 8th, 2012

The guys were checking on the pool early this Sunday morning and a fox was getting ready to take a dip into the hot-tub.  8 inches of new snow in Vail today (Jan 8).  The fresh snow certainly helps the slopes !

 

January 6, 2012 quick Vail ski report

January 6th, 2012

We are waiting for more snow but we are certainly skiing in Vail everyday!  Some pictures and a video for you below.  I joined a couple of guests from New York City this afternoon.  We mainly stuck to runs in Northwoods and Chair 14 (Sourdough lift).  The western U.S. has been very dry this winter and yet we are open with 1500 acres.  Conditions are hard packed until we receive some more snow, so stick to the groomed runs for now.  You can ski the bumps (and we do) but they are icy between the tops. We are hoping for 2-5 inches by Sunday morning.

Heading down towards mid-Vail


A little video from January 5

Looking over towards Vail’s mountain top

Skiing under Sourdough lift in Vail January 6, 2012

Best runs were off of Chair 14 in Vail

Local Vail Valley girls have some fun in Austria yesterday

December 30th, 2011

Local Vail Valley girl Mikaela Shiffrin born in Vail (now 16 years old) gets a third place finish and the podium in Austria yesterday. Congrats! Maybe we’ll be seeing more of her…

And then another Vail local gal (Sarah Schlepper) has her final World Cup run and finishes with her 3 year old son “Lasse”.

Action Photo’s in December

December 25th, 2011

Snowmobile rides await with Colorado Backcountry Tours. Baton Rouge, LA.

 

It’s Christmas time all over the world and there may not be a better place to celebrate this Holiday Season than Vail, Colorado.  Allow me throw a few photo’s at you.  They are random and just show a few of our guests enjoying Colorado in December.

Here to watch thier Ski Team compete at the BIRDS of PREY competition.Tokyo says Hello.

 
    

Girls weekend at the Antlers for no particular reason. Littleton, Colorado

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Merlyn, owner of Camalot Ballons, drops off after the 2 hour ride over the Valley. Lafeyette, Lousianna.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Trick Photography by Accident. Aaron and Casey - Atlanta, Georgia.

  

 

 

 

 

 

The Vail Valley Recreation District sponsors “Vail Holidaze” and the Antlers hosted Santa’s Work Shop.  We were busy all afternoon as kids brought their parents to say hello and get those last minute projects done.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Even I have a little spirit this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wherever you may be during this special time of year, we all wish you the best through the Holiday Season. 

Restaurant Reviews! Concierge month!

December 24th, 2011

It’s early season and the businesses of Vail are out in force trying to get the Antlers at Vail concierge’s attentions!  The restaurants around town have been treating us to wonderful free or cheap dinners for the past couple weeks and I have decided to do my part and put up the reviews!

First: Lord Gore Restaurant

5 out of 5 Antlers

This is one of the older restaurants around Vail.  However, they’ve got a new management team and so far are kicking butt in the Vail Valley.  I attended a concierge night where they had samplings available for most of the items on their menu.  It was like heaven!  I tried everything once, tried quite a few a few times more, and then finished with a chocolate decadence that had me and my fellow concierges squabbling and stealing it from each other like 5 year olds.  They are really changing things up over there and they are holding another concierge night with the other half of the menu very soon which I am H-E-doublehockeysticks bent on attending.  Their dining room is amazing (even though the manager is convinced its not good enough) with a great fireplace, 20-25 ft ceilings, and a MASSIVE window looking up into the mountain.  It would be a gorgeous place to sit and have breakfast early morning and watch the sun wash over the mountains.  They are really trying to cater to the customer there.  They are offering multiple sizes of all their starters and entrees to fit the needs of the dainty eaters and the black hole stomachs of this world.  Also, they offer massive platters so the whole family can share a single plate.  It’s a small establishment sitting maybe 60 people so reservations are HIGHLY recommended.  I can’t wait to go back.

 

Second: Terra Bistro

5 out 5 Antlers

This place rocked it.  I went with a bit of a foodie and she ask a LOT of questions about EVERYTHING.  The server and the host were both up to the challenge and were very knowledgeable.  The atmosphere was cool, calm, and quiet but it wasn’t busy that night.  I hear it can be a great place for apre ski because they have a decent sized bar and great happy hour specials (3-5 I think?).  The food was fannnntastic.  I highly recommend the dates wrapped in bacon starter it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted (I hear its one of the happy hour specials).  The menu seems a bit small but I bet every item on there is really good.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a good high class meal.

Third: Lancelot

4 out of 5 Antlers

Had a reservation for 2 at 8 oclock on a Friday night.  We arrived 10 minutes early so expected a little wait.  We ended up waiting a good 30 minutes and watched the maitre d seat a walk in group who came in behind us without a reservation BEFORE US.  That was a bit of a sting to the experience.  However, once we sat down the rest of the experience was gold.  The service was speedy and knowledgeable, the food was excellent (steak and shrimp dinner was amazing, shrimp wrapped in bacon, steak smothered in an awesome sauce).  This place is considered by many to be the best prime rib in the valley so definitely recommend giving it a try.

 

Fourth: Mezzaluna

4 out of 5 Antlers

A good italian place located just next door to our building inside the Lionsquare Lodge.  A great place for apre ski, they have awesome happy hour specials and a great menu for dinner.  I went to lunch there and enjoyed a sampling of all their starters which all were good and reasonably priced.  Their location is A+ being right next to the gondola.  You can sit on the deck and watch all the skiers returning to the base of the mountain while sipping a Fat Tire beer.

 

 

 

 

More Vail ski lifts open

December 16th, 2011

This is just a quick update summary for ya on December 16th………..Vail’s ski lifts will open at 8:30am starting this Saturday, scratch that, (it is BEAVER CREEK that is opening at 8:30am per the Vail Daily newspaper)….giving you a head start for you “early bird” types.  Vail and Beaver Creek received around 6 inches or so the last couple of dates and more terrain has opened.  At Vail they opened Chairs 10 and 14.  That is the Highline Express lift and the Sourdough Lift over on the east end of Vail mountain.  We still need a bit more before we can open Vail’s Back Bowls, so keep your fingers crossed.  Vail is open with 21 of 31 lifts and 1400 acres.Beaver Creek is now open with 24 of 25 lifts and 88 trails and 1058 acres, so they are doing pretty good too!

Vail shopping shuttle to Silverthorne Outlet stores

December 12th, 2011

If you just can’t get enough shopping done in Vail during your Vail vacation, we have a back-up plan for you.   New this year at the Antlers at Vail, the Silverthorne Outlet stores Express shuttle will be picking up people that wish to do a little shopping over at the Silverthorne Outlet/Factory stores, just 40 minutes from Vail.  The Outlet Shopping Express meets in the Antlers courtyard two times a day, with one trip in the morning and one in the afternoon after skiing.  Cost is $20 for the round trip. It isn’t just for non-skiers.  Wtith the afternoon trip you can even do a little skiing in the morning and a bit of shopping at the factory stores to finish out the day.  Check with the Antlers front desk for pick-up and drop-off times.