Summit Peaks Lodges

BY NICOLE FORMOSA
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado

SILVERTHORNE – When Tamara Goodenbour walked into the former Alpen Hutte Lodge in Silverthorne last month for an annual Summit Dharma Center retreat, she was in awe over the transformation.

“Oh, I was floored. They totally re-did it, it looks so good,” Goodenbour said. “Before it was a lot of unnecessary stuff everywhere. Everything was disorderly and stacked up. It sort of reminded me of like an old fraternity house.” The lodge – renamed Riverside Lodge by new owner Brad Foreman – has been undergoing renovations for the past six months in an effort to change the 20-year-old hostel’s run-down image.

“What we’re trying to do is offer Summit County still an economical alternative for housing, but one that is clean, healthy and safe,” Foreman said.

Peak Investments, LLC – the company owned by Foreman and a partner – purchased the lodge for $1.315 million in late April, and has poured thousands of dollars into a facelift that includes new carpets, fresh paint and updated electronics in two large livings rooms, a handicap-accessible bathroom and two kitchens on the first level.

“The whole bottom floor was redone from tiles on the floor to the texture on the walls, plus we have artwork now,” said James Adams, of Vacation Rentals, who manages the property.

Renovations also included outfitting the kitchen with modern appliances, new countertops, tile floors, cooking utensils and pots and pans, and adding a second full-sized kitchen for guests of the lodge, which sleeps about 70 people.

All the beds in the lodge were also given new sheets and blankets.
Foreman is hoping the revamped Lodge will attract large groups, such as church groups, people in town for a family reunion or wedding, or perhaps ski teams in the county for training.

The lodge is also available to drop-ins – a bed in one of the dorm-style rooms runs about $25 to $30 a night – but in keeping with Foreman’s effort to attract more of a family-oriented crowd, guests must now sign a contract saying they won’t have drugs on the property or be intoxicated.

In the past, the Alpen Hutte had a reputation for allowing unhealthy conduct such as public intoxication and drug use, Foreman said,

Now, if guests do not abide by Foreman’s strict zero-tolerance policy, they will lose their deposit and be asked to leave.

Foreman envisions the Riverside Lodge developing a feel similar to Lodges in other countries that cater to cash-conscious travelers.

“What we tried to do is create that European thing where families could come cook their own meals and stay, save money and be safe, and it’s convenient,” he said.

Foreman’s philosophy also includes treating his guests right, a point Goodenbour didn’t miss during her recent stay.

“The new owners are very hospitable. It’s like what you’d expect from staying in a nice hotel, very customer service oriented,” Goodenbour said.

For inquiries about the Riverside Lodge, call (970) 468-0987 or visit www.summitpeakslodge.com.

Over the years I have had many guests ask Air conditioning during the Summer months?

Well that one is easy, Mother Nature takes care of that for us! Cool nights and moderate temperatures during the day make our Lodges the PERFECT location all summer. Also the Huge insulation log and Bavarian construction holds in the cool in the days and keeps the warm in, during the nights. Come out and experience our “Green” construction that gives you comfort.   

One of the favorite questions guests have before arriving at one of our Lodges is what do we need to bring? Well, we have tried to outfit our Lodges with all the conveniences of home so that you can spend your time with us building memories and not bothering with the problem of finding a cork-screw!

We provide all linens, towels and cleaning products. As a matter of fact if you’re with us a week of more you can pick up fresh linens mid-week if you desire. We know large groups often like to save by cooking family meals so we provide all the pots, pans and utensils that we could think of so you can prepare whatever you like.

Our family loves to Bar-B-que after a fun day of activities so we have charcoal grills for your use too.    All we ask is you bag the COLD ashes and put them in the dumpster so the animals don’t get into them. Yes, we have bears so ashes and all trash should be put in the dumpster daily to avoid problems!

A few years back a guest called me from the  lodge asking me what to do about the BIG bear on the porch…I explained that using the dumpster would eliminate the problem. Her comment to me was she thought I had been kidding about the bears!

I have a TWO  rules when our family is staying at Summit Peaks or Riverside Lodges, #1 drink lots of water and #2 Make sure you follow rule #1.

My rule of thumb is 8 liters of water a day or until ” your #1″ is clear! The Lodge sits at 9,245 feet above sea level and without proper hydration you are certain to have problems.

The other thing to bare in mind is avoid Diuretics, yes all the fun stuff…coffee, excessive alcohol, and even chocolate. (at least in the first days of acclimatization)  This is serious stuff and is the MOST common problem I have heard of over the years from our guests. With simple prevention this can  easily be avoided!

We Purchased the Riverside East and west lodges in the spring of 2007. It was irresistible because it’s PERFECT location in the heart of Silverthone Colorado, winter paradise! Previously know as the Alpenhutte Lodge established in 1984 as a European bed and breakfast/ hostel. We thought the over 7000 sq. Ft 3 store lodge had an excellent location and renovation potential. So $200,000 and 3 months later our dream was transformed into reality!

The cool thing is the over 200 foot of private Gold Metal Blue River run through our back yard!! It was fun to also invent an entirely new main level . We converted the dated space into 2 separated floors, each with their own gourmet kitchen and home theater rooms. The new Riverside now has the flexibility to sleep up to 36 in the West and 38 in the East for a combined total of 74 for the BIG groups. Both are loaded with a video library of 800 movies, free Internet and fireplace to warm you up!

Guests get an exclusive discount at the 62K square foot rec center 100 yards from the lodge! In the mid west we would call this kind of place a water park, but out here all the tourist tax revenue buy some incredible facilities.

Riverside most recently received the honor of International World Cup Ski Team accreditation. This mean you need to keep your eyes pealed when visiting, many famous skiers have frequented these parts!

My name is Nichole Foreman, I am currently a tenth grader in Iowa but my whole life I’ve been going on trips to Colorado. My dad has owned property and lodges located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Summit County, since 1990.

Since we have between ten and twenty thousand guests a year, we thought we’d share our favorite Rocky Mountain adventures. My dad got the lodges so we could vacation in this paradise many times a year. We go to Colorado about two to four times each year, visiting more frequently.

One of the best parts about going to Colorado is that we discover new places and new things to do every time. Even after fifteen years of traveling to the mountains, there is always more to see and experience.

Lodge History:

Summit Peaks South was our first lodge. It was built in 1984 but we bought it in 1990, four years before I was born. In 1998, the lodge burnt down in an accident but we took advantage of it and my dad spent the next four years building it to perfection.

Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds of Douglas Fur were hand picked from the forests of Northern Oregon to use for the lodge. Steve Wilson, one of the most detailed craftsmen and builders at the time, finished the project in 2002. Some logs spanning over 80 feet and over 20 inches in diameter, create an atmosphere that’s one of a kind.

The South Lodge address is 231 North Side Circle at the end of a horseshoe shaped road where the lodge’s back yard is the National Forest. It sits on the side of Buffalo Mountain in the Wilderness Subdivision. It’s hard to believe your only 1.3 miles from I70 exit 204 when you’re nestled into this mountain.

The six bedrooms and 3,900 square feet make the lodge feel very spacious. My favorite feature of the South Lodge is the heated floors, which keeps things toasty in the winter and doesn’t pass germs like a forced air heating system does. I also love the potbelly stove on the main level because it heats the entire house. Sometimes my dad puts a kettle of water on top of it to humidify the extremely dry air, which is probably why we never get sore throats. Just remember to not put your skit boots too close to it or they will melt just like my sisters did! The covered porch provides a very good BBQ all four seasons. We’ve had our whole family of ten out there watching the wildlife as our burgers cook. The atmosphere is just spectacular. As this being the first lodge, it is also my favorite to stay in when we visit.

Summit Peaks North was our second lodge. Even thought you can’t walk between them, it is located on the backside of the same property as the South Lodge and it has the best views of the National Forest behind our property.

After the success of the South Lodge, we acquired the North Lodge so we could double the occupancy to satisfy the needs of the larger groups. The first upgrade was the private breakfast deck off of the upper level. When we have our morning coffee up there, we spot a lot of big game and wild life. It was built by the same builder and with the same meticulous eye for detail as the South.

The warmth of the log construction provides a perfect environment for entertaining and a beautiful gas fireplace heats the wide-open main level. The North Lodge is better suited for couples because it has more queen and king size beds. The two covered decks on the front and back of the lodge provide even more area to enjoy the outdoors.

Nikki Foreman

Hello, My daughter Nikkie and I are going to write about our Summit Peaks and Riverside Lodges and the the MANY Activities in the surrounding Mountains. We hope you enjoy reading about and hopfully experiencing this paridise as much as we do! We appreciate your time and would love your comments so we can share them with others.

Any Summit County Skier that brings their lift ticket to our Riverside Lodge will get up to a 20% discount call Steve @ 970-468-6336 to make your reservations!

As of the 2009 season all Riverside Lodge guest will have access to our new heated Ski Tuning Hut! Stay warm, listen to tunes and ready your skies for the next day! Check it out at our web site www.summitpeakslodge.com