Portillo in a day

     I need to get something off my chest: I`ve been here for two weeks and haven`t been skiing. I know I´m a fraud. The ski blogger who hasn´t been skiing. Fortunately, those cruel circumstances have changed and I was lapping Plateau from nine to five today. The reality was that with our present snow conditions, employees were barred from the slopes. Even the hallowed instructors were told to stay away from off-piste terrain. It`s an understandable decision, really. Portillo needed to conserve the snow that it had for paying guests. But, as I said, all of that changed today. Although WE`RE STILL NOT SELLING DAY TICKETS (I apologize in advance to those who didn`t get the memo and show up tomorrow expecting to ski), the receptionists were allowed a beautiful ski day, and beautiful it was.


The view from Tio Bob`s (photo circa last season)

     I began my morning with pate de cerdo on a stale roll. Some coffee too. Typical employee power breakfast. By nine o`clock I was riding up Plateau lift, the yellow hotel growing smaller and smaller behind me. What´s great about Plateau is that it`s fast and steep. Within minutes, I´m hopping on Condor, the va et vient lift near the top of Plateau, which takes skiers up another 500 ft. If you`ve never used one of Portillo`s t-bars, you`re missing an integral ski experience. Condor, four "seats" wide, literally tears up a 25 degree pitch at ten miles per hour. Approximately. If you`re not ready, the ride is over in seconds. Good skiers and boarders fall off the va et vients all the time. I, of course, made it to the top just fine - but not without holding on for dear life. The consequent run from there to the bottom of Plateau has three different pitches, lots of advanced terrain, and plenty of room for everyone. By 9:20, I was on my way back up Plateau, ready for more.


Another view from Tio Bob`s (photo circa today)

       I was up and down Plateau and Condor until close to noon, when my legs forced me to break and grab some water. My Portillo roommate of two years runs the Ski Box, one of two on-mountain restaurants operated by the hotel, so it`s a regular stop for me. The Ski Box is just that: a box. It sits at the bottom of Las Lomas, near la Princesa, waiting for the tired and hungry to come by for a beer. Sitting with my boots off on the Ski Box patio, I couldn´t have been happier. Portillo is such a beautiful place, no matter where you`re looking. I basked in the sun for an hour before leaving to meet a friend at Tio Bob´s for lunch. Now the Ski Box and Tio Bob`s are two very different establishments. The former is meant to be a quick stop. It`s seating is only outdoors, and the menu consists of easy fixes and lots of beverages. Tio Bob`s, on the other hand, is a definition restaurant, complete with a wait staff, indoor seating, and an array of excellent food options. What separates Tio Bob`s, however, from every other on-mountain restaurant that I`ve visited is the view... and the salads. The view is: unbelievable, unbeatable, scary, and 360 degrees. You can look down onto the Laguna, back towards the hotel, or up at the jagged peaks that surround the restaurant. For the view alone, Tio Bob`s is a must-do for all guests. But the greatness of Tio Bob`s doesn`t stop at the view. As I alluded to, the salad options are absolutely incredible. Of course, there`s a selection of hamburgers, choripans, and steaks. Yet it`s the gigantic host of fresh and creative ingredients at the salad bar that always surprise and impress. Today, I ate more vegetables in one sitting than I`ve had in months. This was followed by a cold beer. Too good.

The Ski... Box

By three o`clock it was time to call it quits. My next move was classic Portillo: a dip in the hot tub. Sore muscles needed relaxing, and there`s nothing better than some pool time after a hard day of skiing. I floated, waded, and watched the sky. The views never stop here. After the soak, it was off to the showers and the reception desk, where I´ve been since five. One of evening`s first queries was, "How are the ski conditions?"... Finally, I thought, I can answer truthfully. "Increible," I replied. "We skied all day and the snow was great."