TRUCKEE, Calif. – Dec. 20, 2011 – With $30 million in capital projects now complete, today Northstar hosted the official grand opening of its new on-mountain restaurant, the Zephyr Lodge, as well as the Promised Land Express, a new express quad chairlift providing access to two new trails and a new ski pod in the resort’s most popular terrain area.
“We’re excited to open the Zephyr Lodge and Promised Land Express to our guests for the first time, and in advance of the holidays,” said Bill Rock, chief operating officer at Northstar. “The views from the lodge are spectacular, and our guests are going to love the new on-mountain food options it provides. The lift changes the way our guests navigate the mountain, and offers access to some really fun terrain on the Backside of the mountain.”
Completed in just 20 weeks, the 17,000 square foot Zephyr Lodge features 700 seats, a fast casual dining experience, and unmatched views of the Sierra Crest. Resort guests can now enjoy new menu options including an Asian bowl station, a Napa salad bar, and signature items like the Gourmet Brisket Grilled Cheese sandwich. The Zephyr Lodge provides 50 percent more on-mountain seating, and access to 26 additional on-mountain restrooms.
The Promised Land Express, a new detachable express quad chairlift with a vertical rise of 1,440’ doubles the lift capacity on The Backside. The new lift also provides access to an all new ski pod in one of the resort’s most popular areas, featuring expanded gladed terrain and two new intermediate ski trails, The Islands and Castle Peak.
Currently offering the most open skiable terrain – more than 15 miles – and the highest quality snow surface in North Lake Tahoe, Northstar is open top-to bottom, front-to-back, with access to terrain on every area of the mountain. Thanks to continued investments in snowmaking and a commitment to providing a quality ski experience, skiers and riders are enjoying 2,280 vertical feet of terrain, snow depths ranging from 18-24 inches on 25 open trails, and more than 30 freestyle features in the terrain park on Pinball. Additional lifts and terrain are scheduled to open soon, including the new 22’ Shaun White signature Superpipe, which is on track to be open for guests to enjoy over the holidays. For the latest conditions updates, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.
The most economical way for skiers and riders to enjoy Northstar this season is to take advantage of the Lowest Price Guarantee on lift tickets. When purchased seven days in advance online at www.snow.com/lifttickets or through Vail Resorts Central Reservations, guests are guaranteed the price will be the lowest available for that day – and significantly lower over the holiday period – compared to the window rate.
For more information about Northstar, including current conditions, lodging and lift packages and more, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com or call 1-800-GO-NORTH (466-6784).
About Northstar California Resort
One of the finest year-round mountain resorts in North America, Northstar is host to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, movie theaters, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar offers 97 ski trails spread across 3,170 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, horseback riding, fly-fishing and more.
Northstar is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort and Northstar California in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
Contact(s)
Media Contacts:
Jess VanPernis
(530) 562-3866
jvanpernis@vailresorts.com
Taryn Holstrom
(530) 562-8036
tholstrom@vailresorts.com