Post by ToddW on Dec 13, 2013 16:10:26 GMT -7
Rambling response from the Killington season locker room after an unexpected powder day :-)
Diana is a teetotaler. Harald keeps their average alcohol consumption respectable.
Historically, the Arapahoe Cafe has had good food upstairs and decent grub and bbq downstairs in the pub. Wednesday night is the burger special in the pub. I heard that the food upstairs slipped some in quality last spring. I don't know if the cooks have changed since then. The black cherry smoked pork chops (upstairs) used to be very good. They also serve breakfast, but the portions are large so you risk skiing slowly. Best to do dinner instead.
Groups of campers will be organizing impromptu dinner plans. Speak up in the morning before the ski off asking if there are any plans or if anyone is interested in joining you for dinner. Shy wallflowers often don't hear about dinner plans. The attendee lists have a way of growing over the day. Go to the 1 or 2 apre ski events at the camp. It's a chance to get to know more of the coaches and meet some campers from other groups.
Grab a quick breakfast one morning at the Blue Moon bakery.
I haven't been there in a long time, but the Dillon Dam Brewery has craft beer and pub food. Worth a try unless you hear otherwise.
JimRatliff, Lynn, HighAngles, and I ate at the Red Mountain Grill last winter. We changed tables to avoid serious cold drafts and got some pushback from the wait staff about it. :-(
There are several places to eat in and around the Keystone sprawl. A couple of times groups have gone to the Snake River Saloon just outside Keystone for dinner.
They rebuilt much of the A-frame lodge at the bottom of A-Basin over the summer to enlarge the bar. The kitchen was affected by the construction. If they still have the asian bowls (curry & veggies plus rice or udon noodles and your choice of protein) on the menu those are good. Best to avoid the A-Basin breakfast offerings.
If your group decides between eating at the upper lodge or down at the base lodge, know that the food down below is on average better. But logistics may still make eating "upstairs" the wiser decision.
There are large glasses and a water cooler near the entrance to the A-frame. Partake! It's easy to get dehydrated at A-Basin. Water and ample sunscreen will go a long way to keeping you happy. If you forget your sunscreen, they have huge containers of it in the rental equipment office two buildings over from the A-frame.
As far as tips go, any amount is appreciated. Many campers do not tip, especially those from overseas. My guess is about half do something. A small number have the financial means and passion for PMTS to be very generous. The few times I've heard friends' tip amounts, the monetary amounts have varied widely according to their means and their camp experience ... so don't worry about not fitting the mold or meeting "expectations." The Walmart over by Breckenridge has cheap "thank you" cards that look nice. A thoughtful message often rewards a coach even more than the monetary portion of the tip. The envelope also keeps the monetary denomination from showing to your fellow campers.
And be sure to have a beer with Meput ... he's a good guy.
Geoffda is a local. Maybe he'll chime in with more suggestions for food and drink.
Gotta go before the cleaning crew chases me out.
Diana is a teetotaler. Harald keeps their average alcohol consumption respectable.
Historically, the Arapahoe Cafe has had good food upstairs and decent grub and bbq downstairs in the pub. Wednesday night is the burger special in the pub. I heard that the food upstairs slipped some in quality last spring. I don't know if the cooks have changed since then. The black cherry smoked pork chops (upstairs) used to be very good. They also serve breakfast, but the portions are large so you risk skiing slowly. Best to do dinner instead.
Groups of campers will be organizing impromptu dinner plans. Speak up in the morning before the ski off asking if there are any plans or if anyone is interested in joining you for dinner. Shy wallflowers often don't hear about dinner plans. The attendee lists have a way of growing over the day. Go to the 1 or 2 apre ski events at the camp. It's a chance to get to know more of the coaches and meet some campers from other groups.
Grab a quick breakfast one morning at the Blue Moon bakery.
I haven't been there in a long time, but the Dillon Dam Brewery has craft beer and pub food. Worth a try unless you hear otherwise.
JimRatliff, Lynn, HighAngles, and I ate at the Red Mountain Grill last winter. We changed tables to avoid serious cold drafts and got some pushback from the wait staff about it. :-(
There are several places to eat in and around the Keystone sprawl. A couple of times groups have gone to the Snake River Saloon just outside Keystone for dinner.
They rebuilt much of the A-frame lodge at the bottom of A-Basin over the summer to enlarge the bar. The kitchen was affected by the construction. If they still have the asian bowls (curry & veggies plus rice or udon noodles and your choice of protein) on the menu those are good. Best to avoid the A-Basin breakfast offerings.
If your group decides between eating at the upper lodge or down at the base lodge, know that the food down below is on average better. But logistics may still make eating "upstairs" the wiser decision.
There are large glasses and a water cooler near the entrance to the A-frame. Partake! It's easy to get dehydrated at A-Basin. Water and ample sunscreen will go a long way to keeping you happy. If you forget your sunscreen, they have huge containers of it in the rental equipment office two buildings over from the A-frame.
As far as tips go, any amount is appreciated. Many campers do not tip, especially those from overseas. My guess is about half do something. A small number have the financial means and passion for PMTS to be very generous. The few times I've heard friends' tip amounts, the monetary amounts have varied widely according to their means and their camp experience ... so don't worry about not fitting the mold or meeting "expectations." The Walmart over by Breckenridge has cheap "thank you" cards that look nice. A thoughtful message often rewards a coach even more than the monetary portion of the tip. The envelope also keeps the monetary denomination from showing to your fellow campers.
And be sure to have a beer with Meput ... he's a good guy.
Geoffda is a local. Maybe he'll chime in with more suggestions for food and drink.
Gotta go before the cleaning crew chases me out.