Wisp Resort – Page 6 – Deep Creek Lake Blog

Martin Luther King Weekend-Wisp Resort

With a successful Martin Luther King weekend at Wisp Resort behind us, we look ahead this week to temperatures in the lower teens to single digits. This upcoming weekend looks very prosperous for an abundance of fresh snow and manageable temperatures ranging in the mid to upper 20’s. The snow canons are wide open as we speak so take some time to organize a trip here to enjoy you favorite winter sport activity and give us a call with any questions you may have regarding real estate or local activities. Call Betsy Holcomb at 301-616-5022.

42nd Annual Wisp Labor Day Sale-Wisp Outdoors Sale 2012

42nd Annual Wisp Labor Day Sale-Wisp Outdoors Sale 2012. This weekend is very exciting because it is the famous annual Rudy’s Wisp Labor Day Sale and Wisp Outdoors Sale! My phone has been blowing up with calls from clients wanting to get a big jump on competing shoppers for the mega blowout sale. In my best used car salesman voiceJ, “the deals are crazzzzy!”

Rudy’s will be hosting their 42^nd Annual Labor Day Sale in Wisp’s Lodge from Friday, August 31^st through Monday, September 3^rd and I can’t reiterate enough the savings you will receive on skis, snowboards, winter apparel, and the list goes on and on. I’m talking discounted warehouse prices on last year’s inventory. No joke! People who have experienced this sale before put it on their yearly schedule and are first in line to fill up their arms with mountains of winter sports gear.

Hours are:

Friday- 9am-8pm

Saturday-9am-8pm

Sunday- 9am-6pm

Monday -9am-4pm

Questions call 301-387-4640 or email info@rudysatwisp.com.

Wisp Outdoors also has an annual sale that equally compares to the Rudy’s sale! They take their demo and rental paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes at the end of every season and sell them over the Labor Day Weekend at discounted rates. There are a lot of people literally counting down the seconds until this sale starts so they can pounce on this sought after recreational gear. Get there early and scoop up a deal! Remember that this is the best time of the season (in my opinion) to enjoy these sports on the lake. It’s warm, calm and glassy this time of year…

Check out the pricing/inventory below.

Wisp Outdoor Sale

Hours:

Friday – Sunday 9am – 6pm

Monday 9am – 4pm

Location:

WispOutdoorsAdventurePark

Kayaks:

Wilderness SystemsPamlico 100 $299

Wilderness SystemsPamlico 120 $329

Wilderness SystemsPamlico 135T (double kayak) $449

Dagger Axis 12 $449

Kayak paddles $35 -$50 depending on style

Canoes:

Mad River Canoe Journey 156 $475

Mad River Canoe Explorer 15 $600

Canoe paddles $25

Stand Up Paddleboards:

Yolo Red Foam 10’ – $250 (faded) (1)

Liquid Shredder 11’Yellow – $350 (broken handle) (1)

Rivera Nugg 9.6’ White – $475 (1) (good youth and small ladies board)

Stride Inflatable 11’ – Green or Blue $475 (with bag and pump) (4)

Rivera 10.6’ Yellow – $450 (deck pad torn) (1)

Rivera 11.6’Green – $450 (needs vent plug) (1)

Yolo Coastal Cruiser 12’ Rasta – $475 (nose damage) (1)

Rivera Voyager 12.6’ Yellow – $675 (dings on underside) (1)

Rivera Voyager 12.6’ Green – $675 (nose damage) (1)

Tahoe Grom 10.0’ White – $525 (great youth board) (1)

Tahoe Rubicon 12.6 Green – $1099 (new) (1)

Doyle 11’ Yellow – $525 (scratches and dings) (1)

Doyle 12’ Green – $525 (scratches and dings) (1)

Stand Up Paddles Cannon $60

Stand Up Paddles Regular $45

Items are first come first serve, limited stock for sale, 6% tax on all items sold, equipment is rental or demo and is sold as is with no warranty.

Enjoy summer’s last splash atDeepCreekLakeand call me if I can be of any assistance. 240.321.5335

Deep Creek Lake-Chili Cookoff-Wisp Resort

Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor

Deep Creek Lake-Chili Cookoff-Wisp Resort. Forget the fact that the forecast was torrential rain and also forget that the fair had been switched to conflict with our beloved annual chili cook-off. The crowds were leaner than normal but the chili and salsa were out of this world delicious! These secret recipes ranged from tomatillo based white chili with chicken or pork to fire engine hot classic red-style beef chili that was hot enough to melt your spoon. It was very interesting tasting the different and sometimes subtle complexities of each contestant’s special blend. One gentleman broke out a 4-story toolbox with secret chili powders, cumins and paprikas and swore that his recipe would win because he used every spice in the toolbox. Another woman with a chili pepper hat pulled out her six shooter vowing to blast me to kingdom come if I didn’t vote for her chili… The rain trickled at times but not enough to tarnish the integrity of this annual event. Is there anyway to mess up good chili and cold beer? I think not!

GLAF-Pittsburgh Symphony-Wisp Resort

GLAF-Pittsburgh Symphony-Wisp Resort. Garrett Lakes Arts Festival has once again brought back the eloquent sound of the Pittsburgh Symphony to the lodge at Wisp Resort. Lawrence Loh is conducting the PSO at this year’s performance and the theme is light classical/pop. This intimate experience puts you face-to-face with brilliant musicians playing extraordinary music. Over the last few years they have played the famous composerJohnWilliams’ masterpiece Star Wars as well as hits from famous musicals like Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. Get your tickets now and don’t miss this wonderful event.

Friday, July 13^th, 2012
@ The Lodge @ Wisp Resort
7:30PM Tickets

Fire on the Mountain 2012-Deep Creek

Fire on the Mountain 2012

If you are like me you have a Charlie Daniels song floating around in your head after hearing these words. “Fire on the mountain, lightning in the air” goes the old country rock classic song. Well this year we got a little bit of fire and lightning. The event normally commenced at 9:00pm’ish but was delayed a bit this year because of a huge hail/lightning/rain event that backed up the starting time 45 minutes or so.

In case there are a few of you out there that have no clue what I am talking about; Fire on the Mountain is a Fourth of July fireworks event that lights the sky above Wisp Ski Resort every year here at Deep Creek Lake. People line Highway 219 for an optimum vantage point. Or they come by boat to sneak in close to the resort, sit atop Wisp ski slope to catch an eye level view of the fire show, or go to Deep Creek Marina to witness the show while enjoying the new line of boats available for the summer season. Make sure you put this exhilarating event on the calendar with the kiddies next year if you didn’t make it to this year’s event.

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD. I’d like to try to clarify the state of Wisp Resort and the surrounding real estate on the mountain. There have been rumors and sensationalism in some of the headlines and I would like to try to state the facts as I know them.

First of all, Wisp Resort, which is owned by Recreational Industries, owns the ski resort and Wisp’s public golf course. Wisp Resort itself is a healthy, vibrant, profitable business and is poised to begin snowmaking for the 2011/12 season in less than 90 days. The first scheduled date for ski area operations is Friday, November 25 and Wisp is about to complete a positive record-breaking summer operation. To get an idea of the degree of success, gross revenues at Wisp have risen from $9 million to $16 million over a 5-year period with profitability increased more than three-fold.

The Lodestone Golf Course and surrounding home sites were developed by Wisp Resort Development (WRD). The decline in the economy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Lodestone golf course and the surrounding homesites, putting a strain on WRD’s ability to meet their new obligations. Just 20 of the 60 developed sites in Lodestone have been sold and the remaining 137 sites are still in the development stage. Having spent the last 24 years of my life building golf courses that support the surrounding real estate development, I can testify that typically these developments sold out in a very short time. The good news is that the Lodestone course has been ranked as #3 best play in Maryland and #7 best new course in the country; however, even with an extremely high quality golf course, the homesite market is still quite slow. WRD reports that it is attempting to work with BB&T in an attempt to restructure its loan; meanwhile, there will be no interruption in activities at Wisp Resort.

Since its founding in 1955, Wisp has made Maryland’s westernmost county a year-round tourist destination. Vacation homes, some worth millions, ring the 3,600-acre lake. The ski resort is the county’s sixth largest employer with a workforce that swells from 225 in the summer to 650 in the winter. I spoke to Karen Myers, who has ownership interest in both Wisp and Lodestone, who said with her familiar, optimistic smile, “We operate a successful, thriving recreation business at Wisp Resort and we will do everything in our power to turn around the real estate development side of the business as well. Of course, we cannot control the national economy but we can make sure that our Wisp and Lodestone communities have the very best amenities and are offered to consumers at reasonable and affordable prices. Being a 10th generation Garrett Countian, I feel certain that the tenacity that has been passed down through the generations will see us through this economic crisis as well.”

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

Sunrise Service-Deep Creek Lake

Sunrise Service Deep Creek Lake. If you’re visiting Deep Creek this weekend and looking for a remarkable experience, take Chairlift #1 at 6:00 AM on Sunday to the top of Oden’s Chute on Easter Sunday morning 4/24/11. Here you will find a Sunrise Service officiated by Pastor Scott Robinson who does a wonderful job making this an enjoyable event for all. Last year, it could not have been any more dramatic…literally, as the Pastor Scott finished his sermon the sunrise exploded behind him across the vast mountain ranges of Garrett County. A sight to behold!

After the event you will be treated to a continental breakfast courtesy of Wisp Resort were you can meet new friends from in and out of town. No matter what religion you follow this is a great way to enjoy a special spring morning on the melting ski slopes of Wisp Resort. I hope to see you there.

Reflecting On The Winter Deep Creek Lake

Today, I reflect on a wonderful winter that I’ve had here at Deep Creek Lake and all the wonderful adventures that came my way. I finally put down my old-school 10-year old parallel skis and stepped into a set of modern shape skis and had a go on perfect powder at Wisp Resort. I can’t believe that I went this long without experiencing the amazing engineering and control that this has brought to my skiing. As always, Devils Drop is my go-to slope when I want to carve through the trees and experience that “out west” feeling that Wisp can give you in certain areas of the mountain.

I have also had a lot of “first time” experiences this winter which has me buzzing more than my norm with excitement over other winter activities. Since I was a very young girl, I have always loved ice skating and thankfully I had the opportunity to put the skates on again at Wisp’s Ice Rink this winter. I felt exhilarated gliding across the ice with a bonfire roaring along the outside of the ice rink and dozens of people sharing the experience.

Make no mistake about it; my absolute new favorite sport is snowmobiling! For years I have heard from my local friends how they routinely drive their “sleds” across the lake; the safety net in my mind always spoke to me when I would hear this wondering “if these folks were a little short of common sense?!” The old question, “Why would you jump out of a perfectly good plane?” comes to mind as I contemplate driving over frozen Deep Creek Lake waters. I mean, there are plenty of trails around the county on perfectly solid ground that would serve as a safer outlet for me and this sport. The fact is that the lake is impeccably safe after it gets 6+ inches of ice buildup and it’s strong as solid ground when it gets 15+ inches, as it was when I when crossed it for the first time. I’ll never forget the rush of just casting aside my fears and hitting the throttle wide open launching straight across the center of the lake. The change in perspective in viewing the lake in the winter from the middle looking inward while racing at 100mph is something you have to experience to understand. It’s cool because you can cover 60-70 miles around the lake in a very small amount of time and the sights you see are some that many life-long residents have never and will never see. I urge you to put it on your list of things to experience here in Garrett County.

I feel fortunate every morning I wake up and relish every experience that is available throughout all the wonderful seasons we are blessed with here.

Cardboard Box Derby-Deep Creek Lake

Cardboard Box Derby Long And Foster Deep Creek Lake

This year’s Cardboard Box Derby was a big hit again this year with smiles to be had by all the spectators and competitors. Excellent food, like Long & Foster’s own Doug McClive’s world famous “Dougy Dog’s”, barbecue, and cold beverages are in supply and scrumptious. Wisp Resort’s Tubing Park is transformed into a snow race track for vehicles made of cardboard and duct tape in this very popular annual event. There was an amazingly huge pirate ship, a mega pontoon boat, a giant space shuttle, a detailed fire truck, and back by popular demand…Long and Foster’s speed demon hotrod, “The Bobs Sled”. This super slick sled has taken second place for two years in a row with its sleek design and engineering by LNF’s manager, Bob Carney, and Sales Associate, Bob Holcomb, who put enough duct tape on this puppy to last decades! Even though it potentially has many more years of racing, we have decided to retire her after this year’s fast drag run. We are going to build a bigger and better sled for next year!

Long and Foster has a lot of agents who are active in the Lion’s Club who volunteer their time to help raise money for the Blind Skiers program by working concessions for the event. We also have a strong showing from our office to cheer on all the wonderful contestants that come in hopes for a victory in design and speed. Take my advice and start putting together your design on paper now and get construction underway as soon as possible so you can experience a super duper fun time here in Deep Creek Lake!

Cardboard Box Derby Design-Deep Creek Lake

Cardboard Box Derby Design Deep Creek Lake

Cardboard Box Derby Design-Deep Creek Lake. March 19, 2011. That means you only have 37 days to come up with a design, get the necessary cardboard, purchase a couple dozen rolls of duct tape, and try to put together a team of people who will be willing to sip a few beers and help build a cardboard rocket ship for this year’s cardboard box derby. Last year, Long and Foster manager Bob Carney, and myself (Bob Holcomb) from The Spiker Team put together our first entry in this event which was a two man Bob Sled, AKA “The Bobs’ Sled”. Long and Foster agent Doug McClive had the cardboard connection from an anonymous source, and fellow agent Mark Utterback came through with cases of duct tape to get the build started. What better way to get down a track of packed snow than on a Bobsled? So, from there the construction journey began on some old saw horses with many different kinds of cardboard products. It didn’t take too many 3- hour build sessions to get our design laid out and put together.

BLOG STOP! Seriously folks, it is not that hard to build a cardboard box entry. The whole experience from putting it together until you cross the finish line is exciting and rewarding. BLOG RE-START!

Did I mention this is to raise money for the blind skiers program??? I bet I can find more reasons for you to participate then you can invent excuses not too. You have 37 days. Get together with your family, friends, coworkers, or make some new friends and put your best effort in building a cardboard box masterpiece and pilot the vessel to victory. If you finish first or last, consider it a victory in life for supporting a great cause and having a heck of a lot of fun being a part of the process.

PHOTO’S BY BOB CARNEY

Tag: Wisp Resort