Pricing for Weddings at Thunder Mountain Lodge

Hosting a wedding at Thunder Mountain Lodge is a little bit different than other locations.  You have the freedom to do whatever you would like with the area for the weekend.  You can set up a large event tent, bring up a food truck, port-a-potties, and whatever you would like!  We charge $1000 as a venue fee, $250 as a security deposit, and you are required to rent all of the cabins for 2 nights.  We charge for 5 people in each cabin regardless of how many people you put in the cabin.  When you buy out the lodge, we do not charge extra for pets, personal tents, or rv’s.

Pricing
Venue Fee$1000
Security Deposit$250
Cabins for 2 nights$3240
Resort Fees$162
Taxes$289.17
Total$4941.17

You can reference this other blog post that has some pictures of previous weddings.

Things you want to keep in mind:
Unfortunately, we do not have an indoor space for a large gathering.  You are welcome to set up an outdoor event tent.  Also, since you are renting all of the cabins, you do have ample room to store food in the refrigerators, and you have 9 working kitchens.

If you plan on having family and friends stay in the cabins, there are no other bathrooms for your group, and we highly suggest having port-a-potties brought up for your guests that are not in cabins.

You are welcome to play music, but we ask that all loud music be turned off by 10 pm.  We are right across the lake from a campground, and the sound tends to travel.  This does not mean you have to go to bed, you just need to keep the music to a minimum.

Payment schedule for weddings:
$1250 is due when you pick your dates, and we block the cabins for your group.  Most people reserve their dates about a year in advance.
50% of the cabin rentals is due 6 months prior to the wedding date.
The second 50% is due one moth prior to the wedding date.

Please e-mail us if you have any questions.
info@thundermountainlodge.net

Snowmobile Tours on the Grand Mesa

Winter is here again!

If you are new to the Grand Mesa or the surrounding areas (Grand Junction, Cedaredge, or Delta), you really need to come and explore the Mesa in the winter! Let us show you around on a guided snowmobile tour!

Snowmobile Guided Tour Grand Mesa

 

 

 

Snowmobile Tours

Our snowmobile tours let you discover a new type of adventure and cover a vast area of the Grand Mesa in just a few hours. We start out at our lodge, make sure you are fully equipped and have instructions for the operation of your snowmobile. Then we lead you out the back yard to the network of groomed trails in the area.

Each year, we like to explore new areas of the Grand Mesa, and then we are able to keep our snowmobile tours fresh and exciting for our repeat customers. Snowmobiling on some single track through the woods is always a highlight for our tours. We make sure to hit some amazing views overlooking the valleys below, and of course an open meadow, so you can see what your snowmobile can do. Don’t worry if you get stuck in some snow, our guides are experts at getting snowmobiles unstuck! But you will have to help, and in the process, you will become a better rider.

Grand Mesa Snowmobiling View
Distant Mountain Views

Safety First!

We like to make sure each tour follows this guideline: safety, fun, learning. So our first concern is making sure you are safe, next make sure you are having fun, and finally, maybe you learn something and become a better snowmobiler, or maybe you just learn something about the Grand Mesa. We have a wealth of knowledge about the area and about the wildlife. In the winter, we see many tracks of animals in the snow. It’s always nice to see them and know that this forest is rich with life and activity.

Snowmobile Tour on the Grand Mesa
Single Track Through the Trees

 

 

Gear Up!

Did you know that on our snowmobile tours, you could show up in street clothes, and we have all the gear to keep you warm for the snowy adventure! Snowsuits, boots, helmets, goggles, gloves, and neck gators. We also have delicious hot chocolate for after your snowmobile tour (with plenty of marshmallows!!) to warm you back up! Mmmmm!

Check out the different tour options on our website here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. 

The answer is yes, we are open year round.  Our summer customers ask what we do with the cabins in the winter, and our winter customers ask where we go in the summer.  Our Venn diagram of customers looks like this:    

My math teachers would be proud!

Let’s start with some basic information that covers questions we get all year.

We are located at 10,200′ in elevation.  We get about 420″ of snow each winter.  We are on top of the Grand Mesa, not in the town of Cedaredge, but that is the closest town and we share a zip code.  

All of our cabins have a full kitchen, a bathroom, and different bed situations that can sleep up to 8 people.  The most beds a cabin has is 5 and that includes a futon.  Each cabin is about 400 square feet.  Even if there are more beds in a cabin, and you can technically sleep up to 8, putting more than 4 adults might be tight, especially in the winter.  When each person has snow gear that needs to hang and dry, the cabin quickly becomes smaller.

In the kitchen:  refrigerator with freezer, stove, oven, microwave, toaster, coffee pot, dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, pots, pans, lids, glasses, coffee mugs, coffee filters, coffee, sugar, and spices. We also stock each cabin with dish soap, dish towels, paper towels, sponge, large bowl, some Tupperware, colander, baking dish, cookie sheet, cutting board, tin foil, and matches.  We expect you to be able to just bring your groceries and be able to cook meals easily.

Cabin 8’s kitchen and main room

Cabin 8’s kitchen

Cabin 7’s kitchen

Cabin 4’s kitchen

Cabin 4’s kitchen

In the bathroom:  shower, toilet, sink, toilet paper, tissues, towels, wash clothes, hand towels, conditioning shampoo, body lotion, bath soap, and hand soap.

Cabin 8’s bedroom

All of the beds have sheets, blankets, and pillows.

Cabin 9’s twin over queen bunk bed in the main room

The cabins are pet-friendly.  You may bring your pet with you for an additional fee.

Each cabin has a very efficient heater for winter and nights in the summer.  The cabins do not have air conditioning, fans, or fireplaces. 

Each cabin has a very efficient heater!


The heaters are very easy to use.  However, if you set them to 68 – a normal temperature – it will feel like 80!  We keep ours set to 60 all winter long.

During the summer, each cabin has a picnic table, charcoal grill, and fire pit.  So you can bring firewood and charcoal or you can purchase those items from the office. On the property, we also have two larger fire pits.  So if you are hosting an event, you can gather around one of these fire pits instead of the smaller ones at each cabin.  We also have a community pavilion with more picnic tables and a gas grill.  We provide propane for the grill.  During the winter, we shovel out the fire pit next to the community pavilion.  So you can use the gas grill and the fire pit all winter long.

This information hopefully helps get rid of some of the questions like, “do you have running water?” and, “should I bring blankets?”  Well, you can bring blankets if you want…

Jeff & Jessica

Super short story:  Jeff is originally from Milwaukee, and I am from outside Philadelphia.  We met in Vail in 2010.  Then Jeff visited the Grand Mesa and stayed Thunder Mountain Lodge in 2011 & 2012 when he was working for the VIP Ski-doo demo tour.  After the restaurant burned down, Jeff was able to buy the lodge in 2014.  We opened for business in May 2015.  Then we got married at the lodge in September 2015, and we had all of our friends and family visit to see what we were up to.

Restaurant

The lodge with the restaurant burned down in April of 2012. We do not have plans to rebuild or open a restaurant at this time.  We sell espresso and hot cocoa in the office.

The previous owner had the fire, and we were able to buy the cabins and the business at an affordable price.  If the restaurant had not burned down, we would not be the owners.  So yes, it is sad that the building burned down, but that event created an opportunity.

The lodge changed names in 2006 from Spruce Lodge to Thunder Mountain Lodge.  We still get many phone calls for Spruce Lodge.  If you haven’t stayed here since it was named Spruce Lodge, we have made many improvements!  Please come check it out!

Are there any nearby restaurants?
Yes.  Just down the road, a half a mile is Alexander Lake Lodge.  They have a bar and restaurant.  Then about 2 miles away, on Highway 65, Grand Mesa Lodge opened a bar and restaurant.  You can also always drive to Cedaredge, a 20-25 minute drive, where there a multiple restaurant options.  Coming Spring 2020, in the old Frost RV location is a new restaurant being built.

Where should I stop on my drive to pick up groceries?
If you are coming from I-70 Grand Junction area, I would stop in Grand Junction.  We are an hour drive from Grand Junction.  
If you are coming from I-70 and driving through Glenwood Canyon, I would stop in the next town, New Castle.  There is a very easily accessible City Market right off of the exit.  
If you are coming through Delta, I would stop in either Delta or Cedaredge.

Is there cell phone coverage at your lodge?
No.  

Do you have WiFi?
Yes.  It works best the closer you are to the office.  Therefore, cabins 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 get decent WiFi.  Cabins 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 not so much.  

Do you have an off season rate?
Yes.  During the months of October – Mid December and again Mid March – Mid May, we offer an off season rate.  It is applied at check out when you book online.  After a long winter, this is a great time for people to come and snowmobile in spring conditions.  Then in the fall this is a great opportunity for hunters to come and stay for a week trying to get their elk!  

Summer Questions

Where can we fish?
All of the lakes are stocked.  So anywhere!  You can buy bait in Cedaredge at the grocery store or at Grand Mesa Lodge.  They also sell lures and other fishing equipment.  We do not sell any fishing gear at our lodge.  There are some lakes that have posted signs about using lures only.  If there are no signs, you can use bait.

How many lakes are on the Grand Mesa?
More than 300!

Columbine flower overlooking Alexander Lake

 

Sunflowers overlooking Deep Ward Lake

 

Overlooking Hotel Twin Lake from the hiking trail

Can we swim in the lakes?
Yes….. but usually the water temperature is usually quite cold.  You might not last long.

Do I need a fishing license?  Where can I purchase one?
If you are 16 or older, yes you need a fishing license.  I suggest purchasing one before you get here.  Any Walmart or Sporting Goods stores should sell them.  You can also get one online at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.  If you get one online, make sure to take a screenshot of it to have it with you while you are here fishing.

What is the best hike on the Mesa?
Crag’s Crest.

What is an easy hike from the cabins at Thunder Mountain Lodge?
You can walk around Deep Ward Lake and Alexander Lake right from our cabins.  There is also a short hike behind the cabins to the edge of Hotel Twin Lake and Arch Slough.  Then a split off from the trail would take you back to the Ward Camp Ground.  Here is a digital copy of the map you can get in our office.

What else is there to do on the Grand Mesa?
We rent canoes, a rowboat, inflatable kayaks, stand up paddle boards, a hydrobike, and a peddle boat.  You could rent one or a few boats and have fun on the lakes!  Grand Mesa Adventures (now Altitude Outdoor Adventures) offers ATV and fishing tours.  There are mountain bike trails, downhill mountain biking at Powderhorn, weekly events at Powderhorn, weekly nature lectures at the visitor’s center, and there is always a chance to see some wildlife.  We have mule deer, bears, elk, moose, porcupines, fox, coyotes, chipmunks, bald eagles, golden eagles, boreal owls, and more!  Stargazing is amazing on the Grand Mesa.  Since there are fewer lights and fewer cities, light pollution is very low, and the stars are extremely visible.

Baby foxes playing on some rocks.

A bear that walked through the cabins – that is cabin 7’s grill

Some people come to the Mesa just to forage for mushrooms.  We have porcini mushrooms on the hiking trail behind the cabins. 

Porcini Mushroom

In the summer, do not miss out on eating fresh cherries, apricots, peaches, and apples from the surrounding orchards!  I live all year long for peach season!  I never knew what a peach really was until moving here.  

Also, we are not far from the town of Palisade, you can check out some wineries!  Or if you are into mountain biking, they are building the Palisade Plunge – a downhill mountain bike trail that leaves the Grand Mesa and ends up 5000′ lower in the town of Palisade!  

Are there trails for ATVs, side by sides, dirt bikes, and/or 4×4?
Yes.  The visitor’s center sells a large paper map of all the OHV trails.  They also have a general map that also marks the OHV trails.  I would suggest getting one of the maps at the visitor’s center.  The maps online are difficult to navigate, but if you would like to try, check them out here.

Click here to go to a good map of the Grand Mesa, where you can zoom in and see many of the different trails.

Can I ride my OHV from the cabin to the trails, or do I have to trailer?
This one is tricky to answer.  Technically, you are supposed to trailer the 2/10s of a mile to where OHV is permitted on the road.  The “OHV allowed” sign is literally 2/10s of a mile from our driveway, and it seems very arbitrarily placed.  It is in the middle of a paved road with no distinguishing characteristics of why it is placed there.  You cannot park at the sign and continue riding.  So we tell people to just use caution when driving that 2/10s of a mile.  No one has ever gotten in trouble for driving there that we know of, but there is always a chance you could be the first.  However, if you want to access some of the trails on the other side of the Mesa, it is best to trailer over to them.  There are some great, family friendly, easy cruising trails out by Land’s End.

When are there fewer mosquitoes?
During June, August, & September the mosquitoes are not as present.  We sell bug spray at the lodge!

Do you sell ice?
No.  Each cabin has a full size refrigerator with freezer and two ice cube trays, so you can make ice!

Do people hunt on the Grand Mesa?
Yes!  We get hunters from all over who come up to the Mesa to hunt elk, bear, deer, moose, and mountain lions.  We are located in unit 52, but we are on the border of the unit so we are very close to units 411, 41, and 421.  Colorado elk hunting is great on the Grand Mesa!  You can stay in a cabin and shower each day to make sure that your scent is not scaring the elk away! 

Elk

Winter Questions

Can I drive to your lodge in the winter?
Yes.  CDOT does a great job plowing our road, and we plow our parking lot.

Many trucks with their large trailers in our parking lot for a winter storm!

Is there ample room for my large trailer?
Yes.  You may not be able to park directly next to your cabin, but you will be able to park close to your cabin.

Do I need 4×4 to drive to your lodge?
No.  For 3 winters, I drove a 2 wheel drive Honda Fit with snow tires and made it up and down the mountain all the time.  Without snow tires, it may be tricky and difficult.  I highly recommend snow tires.

The roads are plowed in the winter by CDOT

Plowed roads during a winter storm.

Highway 65 going by Skyway Point

The drive up Highway 65 by Skyway Point is a little scary in the winter.  If you don’t like this, just drive up through Cedaredge.

Can I access the snowmobile trails from my cabin?
Yes.  You can drive your truck right up to the cabin, unload, then snowmobile from the property to the trails.  No need to load up on a trailer each day.

Plenty of snow covering the cabin, and you can park your snowmobile right by your cabin in the winter!

Do you rent snowmobiles?
Yes!  Check out the information here on our website.  We have guided tours, unguided rentals, and a private guide service.  

What is the snowmobile terrain like?
There are 800 square miles of snowmobile terrain.  There are open meadows, tree riding, and steep hills and creeks.  There is really something for everyone.  You can stay on the 100+ miles of groomed trails, or you could leave from the cabin and never use the trail.  We generally use the trails to access some riding terrain away from the cabins, but we don’t need to.  

We rent all Ski-doo either 850s or 600s.


Can I cross country ski from the cabins?
The cross country trails are across the street from the cabins.  I wouldn’t recommend skiing across the pavement, but the trails are very close.  These trails are on the Ward system, and there are more trails if you want to drive about 5-10 minutes down the road to the County Line trail system or the Skyway trail system.  The Grand Mesa Nordic Council now has free Avenza maps which you can download onto your smartphone and it will come up with your location on top of the ski trails.  I can help you download the free Avenza app and the free maps from GMNC in our office if you need help.

 

 

Ride From Your Cabin!

The cabins at Thunder Mountain Lodge are “Drive In, Ride Out.”  So you can drive your truck and trailer right up to our parking lot, then you can unload and take your snowmobile right out onto the trails.  There is no need to trailer your snowmobile while staying in one of our cabins.

        

Options for food:  one of the two restaurants within two miles of our lodge.  (Maybe soon we will serve food here.)  Each cabin has a full kitchen, so you can bring a few easy things to cook for yourself, or the town of Cedaredge is only a 20 minute drive where there are multiple restaurants to choose from.

We are about an hour drive from multiple dealerships, just in case you break something.

Our snowmobile fleet is all Ski-doo Summits.  We rent out 850s – for the guy in your group that doesn’t have a snowmobile, or if your snowmobile breaks down.  We fuel up our fleet of snowmobiles with 91 non-ethanol gas.

 

Improvements to Cabins

We have been very busy this fall!  We have been fixing up our cabins to make them more comfortable for you, our guests!  We have gotten rid of some futons and built bunk beds in their place.

Cabin 2

Cabin 2 has a queen bed and 3 twin beds, plus a futon that folds out to a full size bed.  This cabin has come a long way.  We hope you enjoy staying in it!

Cabin 6

It’s like there were supposed to be bunk beds here…. Notice the lights that were already wired in.  Cabin 6 now has 2 queen beds, a twin bed, and a futon that folds out to a full bed.  This is a big improvement from the 1 queen bed and 2 futons that used to be here.  Plus the new mattresses will make sleeping more comfortable.

Cabin 7

Cabin 7 now has 1 queen bed, 1 full bed, 2 twin beds, and a futon that folds out to a full bed.  There used to just be the queen bed, a twin bed, and a futon.  So we have added two new beds here.  And it should be more comfortable with the new mattresses!

Cabin 9

Cabin 9 now has 2 queen beds, a twin bed, and a futon that folds out to a full bed.  Much better than only 1 bed and 2 futons.

We hope you enjoy all of the improvements we have been making.  Hope to see you soon!

Now do your snow dance ***

Weddings At Thunder Mountain Lodge

This summer/fall we are hosting four weddings here at Thunder Mountain Lodge.  The first two went great and we are looking forward to two more!  What’s great is that you can have all of your friends stay and party with you all night, and then they can stay in all the cabins, set up their personal tents, or bring up their campers.  You can use the rental company we work with to set up a large event tent, or chance the weather without one.  We rent you the cabins and charge a venue fee, but for the most part we are out of the picture.  You are renting the space and have fun!

Here are some photos from the wedding August 5th, 2017:

 

Here are some photos from the wedding September 9th, 2017:

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Ski-doo 850 Rentals this Winter!

Last year we upgraded our rental fleet with some new 2017 Ski-doo models, but we did not have 850s for rent. Well the demand was high, and we decided that for this winter we would get two new 2018 Ski-doo 850 SP 154s to add to our rental fleet. We also just ordered some new wrap kits so they match our fleet! We are getting excited for winter! Check the activities page on our website for more information and pricing.

This year we were unable to attend Hay Days, but we are there in spirit! 
See you when the snow flies!

Cabin #10 Improvements

The cabins at Thunder Mountain Lodge are each unique.  Each one has it’s own personality.  They have had these personalities since before we bought them.  Our goal is to add to the character that is already there, and make each cabin great!  Cabin #10 needs a little more attention than the others.  I like to say that the garden walk wall paper is so bad it’s awesome!  But there is also this pink wall paper in there that just does not belong in a cabin in the woods.  So I am undertaking the goal of putting up pallet board walls on top of the pink wall paper.  At first glance it looks like wall paper, but when you look closely you notice that it is paneling with texture in the pink flowers.  Kind of cool, but it still doesn’t belong in a cabin…
Here are the steps I took:
1.  Prep the area
2.  Rip apart pallets
3.  Cut to size
4.  Sand
5.  Stain
6.  Polyurethane
Look at that shine!
7.  Paint the background wall brown
This is a very important step when working with pallet wood!  Pallets are not exact, and by painting the wall behind the pallets, it is much more forgiving.  You can see the texture on the panels now.
8.  Nail gun time!  I employed Jeff to come help with the big tools.
A few cuts were required as we were putting the pallets up.  I had decided that since the pallets are not really exact, that we would wait until this stage to cut the holes for the outlets.  
9.  Finished product
The other thing we addressed was the fact that Cabin #10 does not have a closet, rack, or shelf.  There was no way to hang anything or store extra blankets and pillows.  We had an old armoire that we moved in to solve the issue!  Sadly it blocks a lot of the beautiful new wall… but functionality wins here.
Also, if you look closely at the futon, we have two futon pads.  Cabin #10 has a lot of floor space.  So when we need to, we can pull one pad on the floor, put sheets on, and you can sleep more people now!  

This photo was taken Saturday 1/21/2017.  A little note here about the shovel.  Notice that it’s on a hook by the door?  In the spring time we will find a red and black shovel that is buried somewhere under all of the snow….  Keep the shovels on the hooks, then when it snows 2 feet overnight, you can find your shovel!

Winter!

Winter has arrived in a fury!  Today we are getting our first major snow storm of the season.  Last year by November 17th we already had a three foot base of snow.  Winter is getting a late start this year, but his storm is making up for it.  It has been hammering hard for 4 hours now, and we have about 7+ inches of snow in the parking lot.  
The snow camera is live on our website now!  Check it out here.  Today has been windy, so it only shows that we have 5 1/2 inches.  When we get more snow, we will be able to put up the snow screen.  Then it’ll be more accurate.  
If you are on snapchat, you should be following me for live updates:  @venusfairies ~ of course I mix in snaps of our cat Otto and cooking…  Life on the Mesa!  
Our summer and fall went by quickly!  We have been working hard on upgrading the cabins.  A few cabins now have new(er) mattresses.  We painted some exteriors, interiors, and added some new quilts and blankets.  Have you ever bought 150+ new towels?  It is expensive!  Even with a discount. But it is a nice amenity for our cabin guests to have all new fluffy towels!  Also somewhat new is supplying our guests with soaps and shampoos.  We used to tell people to bring their own personal soaps, but now we have some!  We are trying to make it so that the only thing you need to bring is groceries.  
Here you can see how we painted the bathroom in cabin 6.
In cabin 8, I redid the bathroom with pallets.  It turned out so amazing!  I pulled apart pallets, cut, sanded, stained, and polyurethaned the wood before putting it up on the walls.  The texture is great, and each piece of wood soaked in the stain differently, so even though each piece had the same stain, it turned out so varied.  

The next project is to use pallets in cabin number 10.  If you have stayed in cabin 10, you know that it needs a little updating.  We plan on putting pallet wood on the walls where the terrible pink wall paper is.  The terrible green garden wall paper is safe.  It’s so bad that it is great!  At least for now….  
Here’s your before picture.  Keep posted for an after picture!
We are filling up with reservations for the winter!  Make sure to book your cabin and snowmobile tour soon.  We are already sold out for New Year’s Eve and a few weekends in February.  Hope to see you this winter!!