This is where we bring you our online version of our annual newsletter. Anyone on our mailing list will have already seen all this news.
The Mount Elbert Rag
2009 Newsletter
(and here you were hoping it was a song you could sing around the house to take you back to the mountains.)
We thank you all for another GREAT year!
On top of it all!
Well, I know this looks like 2 mailings from us in one year, something I said we’d never do, but the one you received in January was really the 2008 news letter and this note is the real, one and only 2009 newsletter. In other words I am back on top of it all and getting the newsletter out in a timely fashion. (OK, so those dreams were shattered by some illness, surgery and other things affecting our extended family in December and the actual newletter mailing was delayed until February.)
A late Season’s Greetings to all of you and we wish you all the best in the coming year. Play hard, appreciate the wonders of our world and near and dear to our hearts, we hope you will visit Mount Elbert Lodge as part of your year
Changes:
Change is a crucial and exciting part of our existence on rocket ship Earth and this year has not disappointed in the least.
Our biggest change involves the fall introduction of a new cabin available for small groups and families of up to 6 people. Elk cabin (formerly our residence) is a lovely and spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath cabin with 2 queen beds and 2 twin beds. The cabin does not have a fireplace or gas log stove but does have satellite TV, a jetted tub and a dishwasher. Check our online brochure for pictures and rates. The space is wonderful; all the guests that have stayed in Elk thus far have just loved it. So pamper yourself and reserve Elk cabin for your next visit.
Elk cabin, like Lodge cabin is a pet free area.
Changes 2:
We bit the bullet, succumbed to the pressures of the day, flung caution to the wind and moved into the 20th century. Yep, we brought in satellite TV to Elk and Lodge cabins. So if you absolutely can’t be separated from your favorite program or the news, book Elk or Lodge cabin and you can enjoy the wilderness in the most modern (well, modern for us anyway) fashion - TV and internet.
Please be aware, Elk and Lodge are the only cabins with TV service. We do still rent the VCR setup but there is no TV signal available to other cabins or B&B rooms.
Changes 3:
The Inn of the Black Wolf/Nordic Inn is closed. We are very sorry to lose Tom and Kendra and their great contribution to our valley. For our guests, this means the nearest restaurants this winter will be in Leadville or Buena Vista. We’ll miss having a great restaurant right down the street though we are pleased to announce Tom will be cooking one of our own guest chef dinners. Read on!
Going Green:
Scott and I are very excited about our latest project at the Lodge. We are designing a small hydro-electric system that we expect will generate 90% of our power onsite. It has been a dream of ours since we bought the lodge, to reinstate Bob Rinker’s system. Ours will be a bit different as we will not be charging batteries and will be seamlessly hooked to the grid but the spirit of independence and sustainability will be the same.
Some things stay the same:
This year we will again be offering our:
Repeat Visit Discount
We had such fun with this one last year that we will again offer a cumulative 5% discount for each visit you make falling in 2010. Your first 2010 stay at Mount Eldert Lodge is regular price, your next 2010 visit you receive 5% off, your 3rd visit will be 10% off and so it goes. Max discount with this offer is 25%. Come often, you’ll love the savings.
Guest Chef Dinner Specials:
We are excited to be offering two of these fun dinner specials. Chef Tom will be cooking dinner the 6th of March and Charlie Chase will be back for another guest chef appearance April 3rd. Please go to our Specials page for more information about the Guest Chef Dinners. This special has been so well received; guests spend a wonderful day enjoying the mountains and then come back to a 4 course dinner served in our own dining area. After dinner, with no driving or hassling with traffic, cold or miles, you just toddle off to your room or cabin for a great night’s sleep.
Happenings around the Lodge
In this note, we always like to keep you posted on what’s changed around the lodge. Tall Pine cabin was the big winner this winter with a new paint job. This sweet cabin is looking very fresh and smart now.
Twin Lakes Winter Calendar
Plans are afoot for a couple of fun events to be held in Twin Lakes this winter. We invite you to stay with us when you attend.
February 14th: Chinese New Year/Valentines Day party potluck.
May: Community Garage Sale.
These events should be a lot of fun.
You can find more information about them at VisitTwinLakesColorado.com or call us.
And lastly, as always, THE FAMILY NEWS
As you may have gleaned from articles thus far, we have moved our residence downhill. Kendrick was home briefly this summer to play Grandfather (the bassoon) in Peter and the Wolf and landed right in the middle of moving. He says he’s not coming back during a move ever again! Well, he’ll be home for Christmas and we will be juggling a freezer or two to complete the process. (We don’t think that really counts as moving!) Kendrick, smacking a tree with your unprotected thigh is a very expensive way to get out of freezer moving!
Lewis didn’t think much of the moving process but is quite happy to be living just 2 miles from school now. We get to beat his drum a bit as he qualified to run in the state cross-country meet this year, a very exciting culmination to a strong season. Way to go Lewis! As a junior this year, Lewis is beginning to contemplate life beyond Buena Vista. Visions of colleges, entrance requirements, applications and financial aid are now dancing through his head.
Scott can still be seen working around the lodge, keeping the various systems running along smoothly and dispensing helpful information. His “time off” will find him on a golf course or a river. This fall we explored a bit of Colorado that his Grandfather used to enjoy fishing in. The water was beautiful but the fish weren’t interested in our flies that day.
Laura is spending most of her time at 8,000 feet, not hauling around the O2 and not missing it in the least. I do very much miss helping out at the lodge full time though.
“People come, people go,
the place remains the same.
You lose a little of yourself, you might forget your name
in a place where the mountains are so much bigger than you.” de Francis
We do hope this missive finds you and yours well, prosperous and happy and would like to thank you again for your patronage. We hope your path may lead you here again in the coming year.