- Colorado-based rock band The Fray to headline Snow Daze early season mountain bash
Vail, Colo. – Nov. 19, 2008 – Vail Mountain is scheduled to open for its 46th season on Friday, Nov. 21 at 9 a.m. The resort will offer skiing and snowboarding on the Born Free trail, accessible by the Born Free Express Lift (Chair 8) in Vail Square/ Lionshead. The Eagle Bahn Gondola will offer access to beginner terrain in the Little Eagle Lift (Chair 15) area as well as Eagle’s Nest for on-mountain dining at The Marketplace restaurant. Lift tickets on opening day are $65 for adults, $55 for seniors and $45 for children 12 and under. Parking in the Town of Vail’s Lionshead and Vail Village parking structures will remain free this weekend.
Vail’s snowmaking and cat crews have been combining efforts with Mother Nature’s natural snowfall and cold temperatures over the past few weeks to provide skiers and snowboarders with a plentiful early season snow surface in the Lionshead area. On top of the growing base, temperatures are expected to drop this weekend and a series of snow showers are forecasted through the end of the month. Mountain operations crews anticipate opening the Aviator terrain park on the Bwana trail and additional front-side terrain soon after Friday’s opening.
“The beginning of Vail Mountain’s 46th season is not just an opening of lifts and runs, as much as it is a commitment to delivering the value and service our guests have come to know and expect,” said Chris Jarnot, chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “As a leader in the industry, we’re working hard to open additional terrain in the coming days and to continue offering a premier skiing and snowboarding resort destination that is both safe and fun.”
Keeping in line with its ongoing commitment to quality and service, Vail will be also be opening the doors of the newly remodeled Lionshead Ticket Office and Adult Snowsports School, located at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola and the Born Free Express Lift (Chair 8). The upgraded space will better accommodate guests with ticket and pass sales as well as group and private ski and snowboard lessons. The Children’s Snowsports School will also be open for lessons and the Small World Nursery at Golden Peak will provide child care.
In addition to skiing and snowboarding, early season visitors to Vail can enjoy countless dining, spa and shopping options, as well as a calendar full of events and entertainment. Kicking off the season, Vail Snow Daze returns Dec. 8-14 with newly announced headliner, The Fray, appearing in Vail on Saturday night at Ford Park. The Grammy Award-nominated, Colorado-based rock band will debut songs from its self-titled second album. Other Colorado favorites, Big Head Todd & The Monsters and Leftover Salmon will also take the stage on Dec. 11 and 12 respectively. For tickets and more information, visit www.vailsnowdaze.com.
Vail is making it even easier to partake in early season perks with Ski Free Stay Free lodging and lift packages starting at $353 per person. With two nights of lodging and skiing, the third night and lift ticket are free. For availability and restrictions, call 800-825-9689 or visit www.vail.com. For those who plan on visiting beyond the early season, sales of the popular five-resort, unrestricted Epic Season Pass have been extended through Dec. 1. Visit www.epicpass.com for details.
For more information about Vail Mountain, call the Resort Information and Activities Center at 970-476-9090 or visit www.vail.com.
About Vail
Coveted as North America’s top ski resort, Vail is an extraordinary winter vacation destination. Spanning seven miles are seven legendary Back Bowls, blanketed last year with thirty-eight feet of powder snow. Under blue sky three hundred days a year and with more groomed terrain than anywhere on the planet, families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is world class, from the Vail Snow Sports School to the activities and festivals, the shops and spas, dining, nightlife and accommodations – with many new and luxuriously renovated to discover. Vail – Like Nothing on Earth.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc. is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties at the Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort 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 hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. 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.