Vail Mountain Now Open for Daily Summer Operations With Scenic Gondola Rides, Mountain-Top Dining & Live Music, Horseback Tours, Hiking and Mountain Biking
· Weekday operations extended to 6 p.m. this summer
· Additions to hiking/biking trails
· Game Creek Restaurant and Bistro Fourteen open for summer dining service
· Friday Afternoon Club kicks off with Andrew McConathy & Friends on June 24 at Eagle’s Nest
VAIL, Colo. – June 23, 2011 – Summer has officially arrived and with it, daily operations on Vail Mountain. New this summer, weekday operating hours for the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) have been extended to 6 p.m., providing additional time for guests to enjoy the sights and sounds of summer at its finest high atop Vail Mountain with the new Top of the Mountain Tours and returning favorites such as horseback tours, Friday Afternoon Club and mountaintop dining options to suit any taste.
From Lionshead, guests can ride the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) to Eagle’s Nest where activities abound at Adventure Ridge from the Top of the Mountain and horseback tours to pony rides, bungee trampoline and climbing wall. Guests and locals alike can kick off the summer weekends with Vail's original Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) at Adventure Ridge beginning June 24 with live music ranging from acoustic and folk to country and Irish heritage from singer-songwriter Andrew McConathy & Friends. FAC festivities begin on Fridays at 5 p.m. on Talon’s Deck and feature spectacular sunsets with free live music and activities, food and drink specials, and more.
The complete 2011 Vail Mountain summer FAC band lineup includes:
· June 24 – Andrew McConathy & Friends
· July 1 – Hard Scrabble
· July 8 – Boneless
· July 15 – Bluzilla
· July 22 – Sloppy Mountain String Band
· July 29 – Bob Masters and Friends
· Aug. 5 – The Sessh
· Aug. 12 – Andrews McConathy & Friends
· Aug. 19 – Sloppy Mountain String Band
· Aug. 26 – Boulder Acoustic Society
· Sept. 2 – Frogs Gone Fishin’
Bike hauls are available on the Eagle Bahn Gondola (Lift #19) and portions of the following beginner, intermediate and advanced biking and hiking trails will be offered for the summer season:
Hiking Trails:
· Berrypicker – from Lionshead to Vail Village and open uphill to Cub’s Way
Cross-Country, Single Track and Downhill Biking Trails:
· Village Trail
· Gitalong Road
· Hank’s Hideaway
· Lion Down – lower portion only
· Onza Alley
· South 6 Escape
· Old Nine Line – lower portion only
Additional hiking and biking trails will be available as conditions permit and posted in the Vail Village and Lionshead base areas as well as at Eagle’s Nest. Guests are reminded to obey all posted signs and closures.
Mountaintop Dining
After a scenic gondola ride, hike or mountain bike ride, visit any of Vail’s three mountaintop venues for incomparable summertime dining. Complete a day on the mountain with lunch or dinner at Bistro Fourteen at Eagle’s Nest, offering an eclectic food and bar menu for adults or a $10 multi-course menu for kids. Bistro Fourteen is now open for lunch 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Friday through Sunday, and dinner 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
For those looking to take their mountaintop dining experience to the next level in cuisine, service and scenery, look no further than Game Creek Restaurant, tucked away in Vail’s Game Creek Bowl. Game Creek Restaurant is now open for dinner or sunset appetizers on the deck and bar Thursdays through Saturday from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. and for Sunday brunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Horseback tours to Game Creek Restaurant are available. Call (970) 754-4275 for details and reservations.
Talon’s Deck at Eagle’s Nest will continue to offer barbeque and other lunch favorites on Talon’s Deck from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily.
Summer 2011 Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) Hours & Dates
June 3 – 19
Weekends only: Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
June 23 – Sept. 5
Sunday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.*
Sept. 9 – 25
Weekends only: Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
*Bikes are not allowed up the gondola after 6 p.m.
For more information about Vail Mountain, Adventure Ridge and mountaintop dining, visit www.vail.com, stop by the Mountain Information Center, open daily from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
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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-at-Tahoe 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 property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and in 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.