Vail Mountain Opens Legendary Back Bowls and Debuts High-Speed Sun Up Express (#9)
VAIL, Colo. – Dec. 3, 2016 – Vail Mountain has opened its legendary Back Bowls, providing access to portions of Sun Up Bowl via High Noon Express (#5) and the new, high-speed Sun Up Express (#9). Vail is now offering 1,285 acres of skiable terrain.The Bwana Terrain Park will also open with four features.
“We are thrilled to open a portion of the Back Bowls this early in the season and especially to allow guests to ride the new lift,” said Chris Jarnot, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “A big thanks goes to our mountain ops crews who have been working around the clock to open up terrain for our guests.”
Vail Mountain continues its wave of tremendous investments with the replacement of the Sun Up Lift (#17) with a four-passenger, high-speed lift debuting today, Dec. 3, as chair #9. Sun Up Express (#9) is a primary lift on the Back Bowls of Vail Mountain, serving intermediate and advanced terrain and dispersing skiers and snowboarders into the legendary Back Bowls. The new lift will increase capacity by 65 percent and reduce the average ride time from 8.2 minutes to 3.9 minutes. The new lift is the ninth chair replacement in the last 10 years at Vail and will make all major lifts at Vail high-speed.
Skiers and snowboarders currently have access to the following lifts and 1,285 skiable acres in these areas on Vail Mountain:
Snow Daze – Dec. 9-11, 2016
Vail is continuing its celebration of the start of winter with snow, après, and free concerts at Vail Snow Daze from Dec. 9-11. After a day spent exploring the mountain, visit the sponsor expo village and demo the latest gear, après at parties throughout the village, and wrap up the night with free live concerts by Michael Franti Trio, Turntable Review, Lettuce and Marvel Years. For a complete event lineup, visit www.vail.com/snowdaze.
Last Chance to Purchase a 2016-2017 Epic Pass
Ski as much as you want, whenever you want. With more than 32,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain, the Epic Pass is the best in the industry and the deadline to purchase is Sunday, Dec. 4. It features unlimited and unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, Park City in Utah, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe, Perisher in Australia for the 2017 season, Wilmot Mountain just outside of Chicago, Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. The Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass now provide five free days at Whistler Blackcomb in 2016-2017 with holiday restrictions. The Epic Pass also grants limited access to Arlberg in Austria, Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France, Skirama Dolomiti in Italy and 4 Vallées in Switzerland. See all of the season pass options at www.epicpass.com before Dec. 4.
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 in preparation for the debut of Epic Discovery in 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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Media Note
More info and photos of Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek are also available at https://news.vail.vailresorts.com. Please credit the photographer listed and Vail Resorts. B-roll and photos are available at: https://vailresorts.box.com/v/VRColoradoSnowContent
Media Contact
Sally Gunter, (970) 754-3001, sgunter@vailresorts.com
Maggie Meisinger, (970) 754-4528, mmeisinger@vailresorts.com
“We are thrilled to open a portion of the Back Bowls this early in the season and especially to allow guests to ride the new lift,” said Chris Jarnot, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “A big thanks goes to our mountain ops crews who have been working around the clock to open up terrain for our guests.”
Vail Mountain continues its wave of tremendous investments with the replacement of the Sun Up Lift (#17) with a four-passenger, high-speed lift debuting today, Dec. 3, as chair #9. Sun Up Express (#9) is a primary lift on the Back Bowls of Vail Mountain, serving intermediate and advanced terrain and dispersing skiers and snowboarders into the legendary Back Bowls. The new lift will increase capacity by 65 percent and reduce the average ride time from 8.2 minutes to 3.9 minutes. The new lift is the ninth chair replacement in the last 10 years at Vail and will make all major lifts at Vail high-speed.
Skiers and snowboarders currently have access to the following lifts and 1,285 skiable acres in these areas on Vail Mountain:
- Gondola One
- Eagle Bahn Gondola
- Avanti Express (#2)
- Wildwood Express (#3)
- Mountaintop Express (#4)
- High Noon Express (#5)
- Game Creek Express (#7)
- Born Free Express (#8)
- Sun Up Express (#9)
- Northwoods Express (#11)
- Little Eagle (#15)
Snow Daze – Dec. 9-11, 2016
Vail is continuing its celebration of the start of winter with snow, après, and free concerts at Vail Snow Daze from Dec. 9-11. After a day spent exploring the mountain, visit the sponsor expo village and demo the latest gear, après at parties throughout the village, and wrap up the night with free live concerts by Michael Franti Trio, Turntable Review, Lettuce and Marvel Years. For a complete event lineup, visit www.vail.com/snowdaze.
Last Chance to Purchase a 2016-2017 Epic Pass
Ski as much as you want, whenever you want. With more than 32,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain, the Epic Pass is the best in the industry and the deadline to purchase is Sunday, Dec. 4. It features unlimited and unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, Park City in Utah, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe, Perisher in Australia for the 2017 season, Wilmot Mountain just outside of Chicago, Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. The Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass now provide five free days at Whistler Blackcomb in 2016-2017 with holiday restrictions. The Epic Pass also grants limited access to Arlberg in Austria, Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France, Skirama Dolomiti in Italy and 4 Vallées in Switzerland. See all of the season pass options at www.epicpass.com before Dec. 4.
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 in preparation for the debut of Epic Discovery in 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.
###
Media Note
More info and photos of Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek are also available at https://news.vail.vailresorts.com. Please credit the photographer listed and Vail Resorts. B-roll and photos are available at: https://vailresorts.box.com/v/VRColoradoSnowContent
Media Contact
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. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate ten 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; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. 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.
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate ten 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; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. 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.