TogwoteeLodgeRider Updates 2008/2009 Togwotee Pass!

[TogwoteeLodgeRider]

The snow is back and so am I! It snowed about a foot on Togwotee Pass over the weekend. This is the 1st real dump we have had, so don't pack the trailers yet!

Togwotee Mountain Lodge is very excited to start our first winter season under new ownership by ARAMARK Parks & Destinations.

I (Ben Wallace) have lived and worked at the lodge for 7 years now for two different owners, ARAMARK now being the third. Don't look for there to be a 4th owner anytime soon. The cool thing about working for such a large company is not only the capital for new projects and equipment, but also the fact that when ARAMARK purchases an asset they keep it for the long term!

Currently we are remodeling the suites on the third floor and installing wifi across the entire property, cabins too! Two brand new groomers are being leased this winter; so bumpy trails due to broken equipment will not be a issue this year! Look for many more improvements in the coming years on cabins and lodge rooms, and much more!

The one thing that has not changed is the core group of managers here at the lodge. Jeff Golightly (11+ Years) is still the General Manager, assisted by Rebecca Horton(9+ years) as the Assistant GM/Snowmobile Operations Director. Duncan Allinson(8+ Years) is still the Food and Beverage Director and Resort Manager, and I have taken on a new role as Sales and Marketing Director. A new Rooms Division Director will be joining us to take over my old responsibilities.

New on Togwotee Pass!
The Wyoming Department of Motor Vehicles has redone portions of the pass and created a 100 car parking lot 1/2 mile west of the lodge. They have also installed a tunnel to safely cross under the road! We will no longer plow the lot across the road from the lodge (per DMV) and all road crossings by the lodge will be done safely through the tunnel.

We will have a new website within a week, with our updated activity rates. The lodging rates are correct for this year.

With my new role in Sales and Marketing I'll be able to dedicate more time to the forums and keeping everyone up to date. I'll even answer my Snowest private messages quicker!

We are very interested in your input as to how we can make Togwotee Lodge better in the coming years. I'll be holding open meetings this winter to solicit input and always welcome any words of advice.

We are very excited for another epic year of snow and hope all of you Snowest Junkies will be able to join us again or for the first time!

100 Car Parking Lot Below!

 

[snengineer]

Way to go WYDOT for bringing to life such a great idea! under hwy crossing, I can imagine the problems in the past with hwy crossings to the only gas in miles for the sledders, Nice lot too.

 

[05900]

Nice lot for cars...but what about trucks with trailers

 

[mnrmkrb]

togwotee lodge

Hi Ben, Im glad to see you are still there.I heard ther were big problems trying to book rooms. However I booked last month for Jan 3 2009 and it went real smooth.If there is snow on dec1 we will be coming then to.
Keep these updates coming
thanks see you soon: ;

 

[skidooboy]

welcome back ben! my wife talked to you on the phone today, about help at the novi show, rooms, rates and leaving the sleds out there possibly, for a multiple trip winter. thanks for all the help. hope this year we get a day to ride together. maybe we can get noah, and get out to the deep and remote areas.

what is the tunnel floor made of? trying to figure what the tracks and skis will ride on. i am hoping it is not rocks and or sand LOL! i know we cant get snow in there but some substrates are rougher on a sled than others. maybe we can take up a collection for ski guides. LOL! its funny but a good idea.

keep the updates comming, hoping the prexmas season is as good as it was last year. ski

 

[rprmc77]

Guides

Ben whats the deal with guides same ones coming back and will it be the same deal with private groups such as min x amount people and max amount people in groups

 

[auggie11]

Parking Trailers

I too am curious about your parking lot 1/2 mile west of ya? Will there be enough room for parking truck and trailer in there? Have a 28' Enclosed and it was sometimes dicy gettin into the lot even across the road from ya. Enjoy coming to tog mtn lodge and hope to continue but will also have to stick with places we can get our rigs into? Any info?? or pictures?

 

[TogwoteeLodgeRider]

Car=Truck w/trailer

My New England terminology occasionally comes out. If I mention a sled I am not talking about a plastic saucer! Same goes with “Car” pronounced “cah” in my native tongue! This applies to trucks too, and yes trailers. The point of the whole parking lot is for snowmobile truck and trailer use. It will have a large open driveway right off the highway and big enough to maneuver in. The tunnel is less than 200 yards from the parking lot! We will push snow into the tunnel to protect the skis on snowmobiles. The guides are all the same as last year! We are trying harder to manage the maximum size of a group. We have a new computer system that lets us book snowmobiles including the information of experience and desired riding. The computer system can not cut off the total number of guided sleds per day, our magic number is 90 people or 9 groups of 10! We will formulate the groups outside of the computer system. Our goal is to keep the groups to a manageable size, we prefer the max to be 10 sleds per guide.

 

[MNpowderfiend]

Thanks Ben for the info.

It sounds like all sled traffic from the south of the road MUST cross under the road at the new parking lot. Is this true? Or, can we still cross directly in front of the lodge at the gas station or the new tunnel?

Thanks, and we look forward to coming out again this year.

Eric

 

[Bullcamp]

Went to Togowotee for the first time in 25 years last winter. Had a ball. Even had to go twice we had so much fun. If the snow is anywhere near what it was last year, Yahoo. It's a great place you have there. See ya in December.
Go Pokes.

 

[TREEKILLER]

its the tunnel of love doesnt disney have one too? and its park ya caah at the new parkin yaad. its the wyoming big dig! can you make sure the tunnel doesnt collapse on us? will it leak waata too?

 

[sdbanker]

tunnel

I hope they made it wide enough to go through side by side!!!!

 

[jtoo]

Any new snow in the past 10 days? and is there any snow remaining up high?

 

[deepsnow8]

snow baby snow !!!!!!!!!!

I just made reservations for the night of December the 1st at the lodge..........My dad and Brother in Law are flying up here and we hope their will be some snow to sled on those days..........Last year 3 weeks before Thanksgiving we were out their tearing it up................

 

[REV4ARUSH]

Hey Ben, do you think you guys will open the cabins up for Thankgiving weekend like last year? Thanks, Jamie

 

[Swing2827]

here is a good pic of the new overflow parking lot that WyDot put in by the lodge which Ben was talking about. Up high perspective.

 

[SPDLT]

Thanks for that lasted pic. It does put the parking lot in perspective.

I too think the tunnel is great idea. Someone above asked about people being "required" to use the tunnel. I don't see that happening 1/2 mile from the lodge unless there is a fleet of law enforcement posted on the highway. Hopefully everyone will pay attention as they cross the road at the lodge since most of the sled traffic comes from the north instead of the parking lot side of the lodge.

Stay safe!

 

[Qreiff]

Food & Beverage service??

Ben:

A couple days ago under "Book your reservation" on the Tog website it stated no food or beverage service after 9/25.

What is the status of this post??

 

[Rev Kev]

Sounds Good Ben, Like all the Changes at Tog. See You this March, with the Gang from Moms Motorsports. If Your at the Novi show in Michigan, I'll Make sure to stop by and say HI.

 

[Snoclo]

Got our reservations for the 27th thru Jan. 3, location & lodging is awesome. The food kinda slipped a little in my opinion, got to ritzy for my taste & some others. Hopefully they've got that turned around.