Inside Summit Express

Winter Reboots Itself! Get on a Summit Express Shuttle, Get Up Here!

2012-01-08T20:31+00:00

After nearly a month without snow, Winter has apparently been rebooted. We don't know who pushed the button, but thank you.

Skating at Dercum Ice Rink in River Run Village

2011-12-27T01:32+00:00

The new 7,200-square-foot Dercum Square Ice Rink in River Run is now officially open and offers day and night skating. Enjoy some free ice time, with the only exception being if you need to rent your skates from the rink.

100 Dercum Square, Keystone, CO 80435
11am - 8pm, Now open, 7 days a week
970-496-4386

Holiday Inn Hotel Summit County/Frisco Gets Amazing Facelift

2011-12-21T05:40+00:00

Holiday Inn Frisco is treating guests to some amazing upgrades to its property. As one recent guest puts it...

"This property is transformed and updated to keep with the changing,progressive face of the modern Holiday Inn. My two day stay was seamless,beautiful mountain and lake vistas surround this property and the staff,especially the GM Colleen,go out of their way to ensure a satisfying experience for all their guests. This property is back on my "go to" list. I travel to this area 6-7 times a year during the ski season as well as the summer cycling season. It is the perfect location for both."

The Secret Lives of Resort Transportation Vans

2011-12-17T03:52+00:00

Did you ever wonder what your ski shuttle van was doing last summer?

Well, if you’re not riding Summit Express, it’s more than likely your van was busy carrying 11 very wet river rafters twice a day to and from their drop-off points along the many excellent white water sections of Colorado’s rivers. I know, because I was one of them and often.

I've been following the transportation industry in Summit County since the early 1990s and I’ve come to learn about a few tricks that shuttle companies to do save money, and increase profits. Don’t get me wrong - I love profits. But I also like companies that turn a profit with high quality services and the best customer experience possible at a fair rate. It’s a very common practice for ground transportation providers to “farm out” their vans in the off-season to generate a little extra cash. Some go to church groups. Others to youth camps and dude ranches. If your shuttle van could talk, oh... the stories of abuse it would tell.

I've seen some pretty nasty treatment of those year-round work horses such as the Chevy Express van and the Ford E-Series van. These are incredibly tough trucks and they can weather the truly rugged terrain of Colorado just fine. But it’s the interiors that take a beating in summer. Wet, soggy rafting enthusiasts, soaked to the bone, sliding in and out many times a day, covered in sand, mud and slime.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg ...

There are the helmets, the paddles, the life preservers, floatation devices, leaky coolers, wet suits, sand-packed booties, pop cans, squashed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bags of ice, and an occasional crawfish rolling around in the back of these vans. Once, someone actually had a frog and a snake along for the ride. I’ll bet at least of few of these vans have seen a mountain goat or a raccoon as a stowaway.

Compared to their summer duties, a winter of double trips between Summit County and DIA is like a three month holiday in the Bahamas for a shuttle van. They’re washed every day and their worn, tattered and sometimes fishy-smelling seats are treated with daily vacuuming. These vans are happy to score a gig doing the ski shuttle and I doubt they care how big or boney your butt is as long as it’s dry. To a year-round shuttle van, winter is like a day spa.

I’m not suggesting all shuttle companies do this, but many do and it’s pretty easy to tell if you've managed to snag a ride on one of these river rats. Just look for signs of rust, torn interiors, or a faint smell of week-old trout. An old-timer and 50 year veteran river guide once told me if you hold your ear up to the side mirrors, you can actually hear the Arkansas river.

At the end of a long flight, no one likes to ride in a crappy seat for two more hours, especially since it’s your vacation. So you might want to ask your ground transportation provider what they do with their vans in the off season. If they tell you they're loaned to a dude ranch or the boyscouts, insist on one that's used by river rafters. Or call Summit Express.

Just sayin’ ... jj

(Ed Note: This article is from a new local writer "JJ" who will be joining us from time-to-time to provide unique and humorous insight into happenings in and around Summit County. As you can tell, "JJ" has some unique perspectives concerning the vans that call the Rocky Mountains their home. By now, you're probably wondering what we do with our tricked-out vans and luxury SUVs in the summer. The picture in this post pretty much tells the story. Our vans wait patiently all summer, occasioning working a charter to the golf course or a casual ride to DIA for conference-goers. But for the most part, they soak up the warm summer sun waiting for the snow and you. Just you.)

Ski Resort Transportation on the Most Dangerous Colorado Roadways

2011-12-10T20:56+00:00

Ed Note: This is an unsolicited guest post from a contributor who wants to remain anonymous.

It was about 6:30a last week when I turned my Jeep onto west-bound I-70 at the Silverthorne on-ramp. It was a Tuesday morning following a little snow overnight. You know, just enough to make it really slick but not enough to postpone my trip to the big city to make a few early runs. It's days like this that I-70 should be feared most - after all, this is one of the most dangerous stretches of roadway in the state.

As I approached tunnel that my usual speed-limit plus 5mph, I encountered a resort transportation van. I won't reveal the brand, but I will describe what I can imagine was a bit unnerving for passengers, especially those sitting in the back of the van. Lets just say it had a little red on it, and some white, and maybe a bunch of other colors that really didn't go well with the brand. Oh, and the tires were rounded and black.

It was going [approximately] speed limit (wink, wink), which is really a good idea since most of these resort transportation vehicles are equipped with big-brother-style monitoring technology. Real-time GPS tracking can easily tell if drivers are breaking the law. But what they can't detect is crappy driving. This driver was all over the place - drifting right, back to the left, speeding up, slowing down. To make passengers comfortable on mountain roads, it's always wise to pick a speed (and a lane) and stick with it. This guy couldn't seem to do either. I passed him, but ever so cautiously.

A few more miles toward the tunnel, I came upon another resort transportation van - this time a less familiar brand - Summit Express. Unlike the driver of the red-and-white-and-every-color-except-those-in-the-rainbow van, he was right on the speed limit and noticeably consistent. But, as I approached from behind, I noticed this driver was dead-solid-perfect - straight down the middle. No weaving, no speed variations. Just good, solid safe driving.

Just thought you might like to know - customers notice stuff like this.

Are you ready for Christmas?

2011-12-04T16:41+00:00

Are you ready for Christmas? Summit Express is with their very own Christmas tree! Have you made your travel arrangements for your Colorado Christmas vacation? If not consider ditching the 2WD rental car and catch a ride with Summit Express to Keystone, Breckenridge or Copper Mountain! Our drivers are experienced in the treacherous winter I-70 mountain driving conditions and you don't need a rental car once you get to the mountains! Let us take the stress and worry of white knuckle blizzard driving out of your ski vacation! Summit Express....your premier Breckenridge Airport Transportation Provider.

Summit Express Mobile Reservations App

2011-11-19T20:53+00:00

Keystone Opens With Killer Conditions, Get Your Gear

2011-11-17T23:04+00:00

I was out on the mountain after they opened and I was surprised at the texture of the snow. While mostly man-made, what a fantastic day of turns. Sure, toward the end of the day I had to use some edge, but carving long fast ones is my thang!

Check out this video - killer stuff.

Getting to Copper Mountain from Denver International Airport Just Got Better

2011-11-05T16:43+00:00

Back in the 80's and 90's, Resort Express provided the first vans and SUV services to help vacationers travel from Denver's Stapleton International to Copper Mountain and since 1995, DIA (Denver International Airport). For many decades this was a great service owned and operated by families here in Summit County. Eventually, Resort Express was acquired by Colorado Mountain Express in 1997 and it continued as a key transportation provider for guests heading to the Copper valley.

In 2008, CME was acquired by Vail Resorts. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, CME has become a peripheral competitive threat for logging and hospitality providers across Summit County because Vail itself, also has many lodging options that it owns including Rock Resorts. And of course, Vail owns many ski areas which compete with Copper Mountain. The CME acquisition was seen as less than ideal for Copper's brand and its customers because of a variety of conflicts of interest. This forced Copper to look for alternative transportation partners and Grayline got the nod.

For many years, Grayline Bus Services was the go-to ground transportation provider for travel between DIA to Copper Mountain, but economic factors have caused Grayline to reduce operations in the mountains of Colorado.

Today, Summit Express is the exclusive provider of fast, efficient, and safe transportation for skiers and boarders to the famed slops of one of the Rockies greatest resorts. At the foot of Cooper's magnificent bowls and powder-rich glades is a transportation team ready to provide the finest ground transportation experience.

You'll love traveling to Copper with Summit Express

Summit Express, founded in 2010, is growing rapidly in a resort transportation climate that requires safe, reliable, and comfortable services. Copper Mountain has selected Summit Express because it meets these requirements and is resort-agnostic - a fancy way of saying we serve guests and their transportation needs, not resorts. Our fleet is unmatched when it comes to comfort and luxury for you and your family. Check out the ride - this is how we roll.

In the coming weeks, you'll begin to see the unmistakable blue and white Summit Express logos moving about the Copper valley providing unmatched transportation luxury for Copper Mountain employees and guests. Summit Express drivers will also have access to the core village which gives them the latitude to deliver travelers right up to the entrances of properties throughout the resort.

If you're travel includes Copper Mountain Resort, be sure to give us a call.

How To Avoid The View From Island #2

2011-10-15T13:53+00:00

When you arrive at DIA, you need to grab your luggage and head to Island #2 outside door #511. This is where you'll stand until you're picked up by the regular shuttle service you've booked. This is true regardless of which company you've chosen to use for ground transportation to Summit County and beyond.

The view from Island #2 is not exactly what you'd expect for Colorado. I've spent a lot of time standing there waiting for CME. It's on the east side of the airport which faces away from the mountains. On a clear day you almost feel like you can see Kansas and parts of Nebraska. One time I thought I saw the Gateway Arch in St Louis. I swear, while waiting one time, I thought I saw the Golden Spike tower in North Platte, Nebraska. I think I was hallucinating from the intense boredom. How did our ancestors survive out there?

If I were blessed with music talent, I would have written at least a dozen songs about the prairie dogs, the bunny rabbits, and a few pickups and dust devils. Yes, I've spent a lot of time at Island #2. Too much time.

Island #2 is a pretty view in it's own unique way, but it's not why you came to Colorado. And it's not likely to cause you to reach for your iPhone to snap a few pics. On a cold, windy day, the view from Island #2 sucks. Seriously, it really sucks.

How To Avoid The View From Island #2

It's simple - book a Private SUV Charter. Start your vacation with the exclusive Summit Express airport charter service in one of their luxurious SUV's. As you pull away from Island #2, your fond memories of the view to the eastern plains of Colorado will quickly fade while your travel-weary butt sinks softly into a rich, clean leather interior.

Your kids will be glued to the DVD player and your spouse will be sipping complimentary bottled water while chatting up the young, very fit extreme powder skiing driver. Wait second. What!?! Oh, he's married. No worries.

The mountains now fill the windshield and you've only been off the plane 20 for minutes. All is good. Island #2 is a distant memory and your condo is just an hour away.