“We’re still eight days out from opening, and things could change between now and then, but we have made such great progress with snowmaking that we can say with confidence already that we will be able to open both the Vista Bahn out of Vail Village and the Lionshead lifts for access on opening day, and we wanted to let everyone know,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the Born Free Express Lift (#8), the Little Eagle Lift (#15), the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) and the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19). Primary trails open to the public will include Born Free and Bear Tree as well as a top-to-bottom route via Columbine, Lodgepole and Born Free from the gondola.
In addressing the progress that Vail Mountain’s snowmakers have made earlier this week, Paul Fillion, senior director of mountain operations, said that they have been “killing it,” and have made more progress quicker and earlier than any time in his more than 30 years of experience with snowmaking at the resort.
As always, Vail Mountain’s operations team will continue to evaluate additional terrain openings as weather and conditions permit. Guests can expect more information to be released as opening day approaches, especially if conditions change in the coming days.
As usual in the early season, Vail Mountain lifts will open at 9 a.m. to accommodate early-morning operations. Skiers and riders are asked to observe all posted signs and closures, especially during the early season. Closed trails may contain hazards due to early snow coverage. Crossing an on-mountain closure is a violation of the Colorado Ski Safety Act and will result in the loss of skiing privileges and could involve prosecution and a fine of up to $1,000.
For more information about Vail Mountain, including opening day, terrain updates, snow reports, events and lodging and vacation values, visit www.vail.com or contact the Mountain Information Center at (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8425).
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.