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Vail Mountain Begins Replacement of Sun Up Express lift
For Immediate Release
 
Vail Mountain Begins Replacement of Sun Up Express lift
New Chair Marks Ninth New Chairlift on Vail Mountain in Last Decade
 
VAIL, Colo. – July 12, 2016 – While summer is in full force and Epic Discovery, Vail’s new on-mountain summer experience, is fully operational, Vail Mountain is looking toward winter and the approaching 2016-2017 ski and snowboard season. With the end of the annual elk-calving closure on portions of Vail Mountain on July 1, the resort has begun construction to replace the Sun Up Lift (#17) with a new high-speed quad chairlift. The new Sun Up Express, which will be designated lift #9 in its new incarnation, will reduce wait times, improve skier and snowboarder circulation, and marks the ninth chair replacement in the last 10 years at Vail, a period that also saw the addition of The 10th restaurant and major summer guest improvements. It also makes all of the major lifts at Vail high-speed.
 
“The new Sun Up Express will dramatically improve how our guests are able to move across Vail’s legendary Back Bowls, especially on powder mornings as they head toward the terrain of the China Bowl complex and Blue Sky Basin,” said Chris Jarnot, Vail’s chief operating officer and executive vice president. “The 65% increase in capacity will also take pressure off of the High Noon Express (#5) with more guests using the new lift rather than cycling back to the bottom of the bowls.” 
 
The new Sun Up Express (#9) provides access to advanced terrain in Sun Up Bowl and disperses skiers and snowboarders to other terrain in Vail’s legendary Back Bowls. 
 
Vail Mountain is scheduled to open for the 2016-2017 ski and snowboard season on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016.
 
For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, stop by the Mountain Information Center, or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
 
About Vail Mountain
Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, Vail is an extraordinary mountain resort destination. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the awe-inspiring terrain and natural beauty of the surrounding Gore and Sawatch Ranges to world-class events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, and the abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations that line the pedestrian-friendly streets of Vail Village and Lionshead. Vail is where outdoor pursuits meet village sophistication. Offering more than 5,200 acres of developed ski and snowboard terrain including seven legendary Back Bowls in winter, and flourishing with new summer activities with the recent debut of Epic Discovery in June 2016, the options for year-round adventure are endless. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth.
 
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Vail Media Contacts
Sally Gunter, (970) 754-3001, sgunter@vailresorts.com
Maggie Meisinger, (970) 754-4528, mmeisinger@vailresorts.com
 
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. The Company’s subsidiaries operate nine world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Perisher in Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin. The Company 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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