Hello Folks,
I wanted to share with you my first experience on the GrandMesa and staying at Thunder Mountain Lodge. In one word, “Spectacular”! What a great time...
I have been around for a while and have had the opportunity to experience countless customer service experiences but I honestly believe that Mark, the owner of TML, and his staff, are some of the finest hosts I have had the pleasure of dealing with.
When we arrived, Mark was instantly engaged to say hello and to ensure our needs were attended to, and that everything we needed to get settled in were met. He is by far one of the most hospitable and personable gentleman we have had the pleasure of working with. A top notch guy with a down to earth approach to customer service.
His main receptionist, Chandra, was on maternity leave (Congrats!), but did everything beforehand to arrange our trip to TML. She also went above and beyond regarding a few “special” requests I had as it was our 31st wedding anniversary. She took that extra effort to make the trip even more memorable. Thanks Chandra. Then there was Michelle who was apparently substituting for Chandra who’s jovial attitude was there to greet guests with a smile and a “can do” attitude. Did I mention everyone on the staff was all about guest satisfaction...!
Everything at TML is about the customer, to include catering to the “feeding” of hungry folks before and after a long day sledding on the Mesa. Wait until you get a taste of the country breakfast or prime rib dinner Billy, the chef, whips up. I can’t say enough about the chow, awesome... What was extra special about the chow at TML was that Billy was there at all hours to accommodate the guests, pretty much did not matter what the time of the day was. Outstanding job Billy.
The actual sledding was the finest I have experienced since moving to Colorado a few years ago. As you meander through the trees, the meadows were endless. You can ride all day and not encounter another soul if you desired, or, you could team up with some of the other guests who knew the area to explore together.
We left a day earlier than scheduled (Tuesday) because of the storm this week, I was concerned about making it out so that I could get back to work on time. Anyway, it snowed most of the time we were there and it made for spectacular riding conditions; the best I have ever experienced... With the 19 new inches Mark mentioned this morning, I can only imagine!
I would be remiss if I did not mention the hospitality of Cliff, a close acquaintance of Mark’s who was in town lending a hand. Thanks for the help with connectivity on the laptop looking at weather forecasts, light conversation early in the morning and the coffee before anyone else was up and about. Have a safe trip back to Texas.
On a technical note, I drove from Colorado Springs and took “50” all the way in. With conditions on Monarch Pass and the numerous towns along the way, it took me 6.5 hours and almost 1.5 tanks of gas. I was towing a two-sled enclosed trailer. Anyway, because of the storm tracking south along “50” when we left, we decided to take “70” back to the Springs. We cut a minimum of an hour off of our timing for the trip and did it on a tank of gas...
Bottom line, a magnificent trip, incredible hosts, spectacular riding, great chow... Thanks to everyone at TML for making our anniversary a memorable occasion; job well done. We’ll be back again.
Chaos
