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Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee to Celebrate Opening Days with First Chair Events
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(STOWE/LUDLOW), Vt. – Nov. 20, 2019 – Stowe and Okemo, in Vermont, and Mount Sunapee, in New Hampshire, will each celebrate their opening day of the 2019/2020 ski and snowboard season with First Chair festivities. At each resort, skiers and riders ascending to the summit on the first chairlift of the winter season will have the honor of crashing through a commemorative banner before making first tracks on the slopes.

Opening day at Stowe is slated for November 22. A live DJ will help raise the stoke with music at the Four Runner Quad starting at 7:30 a.m. The first chair will load at 8 a.m. Stowe will have a total of 17 trails, 101 acres and 6 miles of terrain open including prominent runs like Liftline, Sunrise, Standard, Lord, North Slope and Centerline. Complimentary breakfast sandwiches will be served at 7:30am and guests will have a chance to win prizes. The celebration will continue with an après ski party in the Mansfield Den.

November 22 is also the scheduled opening day of the winter season at Okemo. Similar to Stowe, skiers and riders seated for the first chairlift ride of the season will crash through a banner on their way to the top terminal of Okemo’s South Ridge Quad A. Okemo anticipates having as many as 26 trails and six lifts running on opening day. A full slate of Ski & Ride School lessons will be available for all ages and ability levels. Complimentary coffee and breakfast sandwiches will be served at the lift in the Clock Tower base area starting at 8 a.m. The first chair will load at 9 a.m. The first 150 guests to enter the lift maze will receive a limited-run, commemorative t-shirt. EpicMix prizes will also be distributed, while supplies last, to those who download the free app. Okemo’s mascot, Calvin the Catamount will welcome skiers and riders, and a DJ will emcee the event and provide music.

At Mount Sunapee, opening day is planned for November 27. Skiers and riders will have a chance to meet Mount Sunapee’s new general manager, Tracy Bartels. The First Chair festivities will commence with skiers and riders on the season’s inaugural chair crashing through a banner while a DJ fills the chilly air with music. This event features an EpicMix launch with logo’d prizes during live social media streaming at the Sunapee Express. A complimentary family-style breakfast buffet will be served in the base lodge starting one hour prior to opening.

Important Uphill Information

At this time, with extensive snowmaking operations taking place, all uphill traffic is prohibited on Mount Mansfield.  The use of heavy equipment and active high-pressure air and water systems around the mountain create a hazardous environment for anyone other than our snowmaking professionals. Uphill access on Mansfield will begin when the designated uphill routes become available. In the interim, uphill travel is only permitted on the Sterling trail at Spruce Peak. For up to date info about skinning or hiking please call 802-253-3690.

Now is the Last Chance to Secure an Epic Pass for the 2019-20 Winter Season

Epic Passes are on sale for a limited time only and last chance for skiers and riders to secure the best multi-resort pass deal in the ski industry is through November 24. New for the 2019-20 season, Vail Resorts launched the Epic Day Pass allowing guests to ski world-class resorts for up to 50 percent off of lift ticket window prices. Starting at as little as $112 for one day of skiing at any of Vail Resorts’ North American resorts, the Epic Day Pass is perfect for those skiers and riders who may not need the unlimited skiing offered by traditional season passes. Guests can also lower their cost per day by adding more days.

For guests looking to ski more days in a season, the Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass continue to offer the best value and variety for unlimited skiing and riding. Currently priced at $989 for the 2019-20 winter season, the Epic Pass provides unlimited, unrestricted access to all of Vail Resorts’ owned and operated resorts and additional access to partner resorts around the world. For skiers and riders willing to navigate around a few peak dates, the Epic Local Pass offers incredible value with access to many of the same destinations, starting at only $739. The entire lineup of Epic Pass options is on sale now at epicpass.com. 

 About Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee

Offering three distinctively unique experiences across Vermont and southern New Hampshire, Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee offer top-rated snow surfaces, plus everything from family-friendly skiing and convenient slopeside accommodations to best-in-class amenities and world-class skiing. Stowe offers premium lodging, dining, entertainment, skiing and off-hill adventures for every season. Stowe’s refined, authentic mountain resort and town and mountain are unequaled in the Northeast, www.stowe.com. Okemo consistently receives accolades and wins awards for snow quality, grooming, terrain parks, family programs, slopeside lodging, resort dining and its friendly and helpful staff. In addition to an on-snow lineup of family fun, Okemo offers a variety of winter activities: a mountain coaster, ice skating, snowshoeing, tubing, a pool and fitness center, spa services, and family events and activities. Visit www.okemo.com. Mount Sunapee is conveniently located in southern New Hampshire, close to two major interstate highways, and easily accessible from Boston. With a summit elevation of 2,743 feet and a vertical drop of 1,510 feet, the mountain offers 66 trails and slopes that make up 233 acres of skiable terrain, www.mountsunapee.com.

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Media Contacts

Jeff Wise, jwise@vailresorts.com, 802-760-8100

Bonnie MacPherson, bjmacpherson@vailresorts.com, 802-228-1947

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 37 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development 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.

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