Opening Day Photos and B-Roll from Heavenly, pre-opening day photos from Northstar and Kirkwood: https://vailresorts-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/hgrandon/EryDWv3iUfxEjhIiHphC73sB9T4U7iTUWpfAvxao5FLu-A?e=u5UYd1
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Nov. 27, 2019 – Today, Heavenly Mountain Resort welcomed the 2019-20 winter season with 11-inches of fresh snow, setting the stage for a festive opening day celebration. Throughout the day, skiers and riders were treated to live music, complimentary donuts, hot chocolate, coffee, après samples, swag giveaways, tunes from the DJ Cat and first turns of the season. The resort opened with beginner terrain on Bear Cave Carpet, and intermediate skiing and snowboarding terrain on Upper California Trail and Tamarack Return via the Tamarack Express chairlift. Heavenly will open additional blue and green trails prior to the weekend, including Orion via Dipper Express in Nevada and the Big Easy trail and chairlift in California.
“This is what it is all about. Skiing with friends, family, and our community,” said Tom Fortune, general manager and vice president of Heavenly. “We hope everyone had a great time and look forward to an amazing season ahead.”
With Heavenly’s season underway, Northstar and Kirkwood are set to complete the Tahoe Trifecta with opening dates of Friday, Nov. 29. Northstar received 18-inches of snow and Kirkwood received 10-inches of snow. For the most current conditions and terrain updates, guests should visit SkiHeavenly.com, NorthstarCalifornia.com and Kirkwood.com.
A winter wonderland of elevated family fun will greet guests at Northstar, featuring many opening day activities. Skiers and riders will have access to beginner trails Lumberjack and Lower Main Street via the Arrow Express chairlift. The Big Easy chairlift will also be open, and Northstar’s Ski and Ride School will be open for beginner lessons. Northstar expects to open additional terrain off the Vista Express chairlift prior to the weekend, including an early-season terrain park on Upper Main Street with several features and a small jump.
Northstar’s opening day will include live music from 2-8 p.m. at the Rink Stage to kick-off an afternoon of family-friendly fun in the Village at Northstar. At 4 p.m., guests can enjoy complimentary s’mores featuring the winning recipe of Northstar’s S’more Fun Opening Day contest. Hot chocolate will also be served around the Village Ice Rink, followed by the tree lighting ceremony and the start of Noel Nights from 5-8 p.m. Details at NorthstarCalifornia.com.
Kirkwood will also open on Friday, offering skiers and riders access to beginner machine groomed trails on Hayflat via Chair 1, all terrain coast –to-coast via Chair 5 (including machine groomed terrain on Outlaw), and intermediate terrain on Buckboard via Chair 11. Additional trails may be announced soon with more storms in the forecast. Kirkwood’s Ski and Ride School will be offering lessons for all levels 5 and up. Opening Day celebrations will give pass holders a chance to score burritos, swag and drop into their winter flow. The Wall Bar will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering upscale pub classics. The General Store, Kirkwood’s one-stop shop for groceries, deli sandwiches, craft beer, and more will be open daily starting Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to check conditions, terrain offerings and book lessons in advance at Kirkwood.com.
Early Season Conditions
Guests are reminded that limited terrain and early season conditions exist. Early season snowfall is not always indicative of new terrain openings. Mountain operations teams need time to safely conduct their jobs, and each resort will continue to open terrain once it’s safe to do so. Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood require all skiers and riders to observe all posted signs and warnings. Closed trails may contain hazards due to limited natural snow coverage and snowmaking operations. For the safety of all guests, please keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
Vail Resorts Extends Pass Deadline to Dec. 2
With Tahoe resort openings just around the corner, Vail Resorts is extending the pass purchase deadline to Dec. 2 to give pass holders more time to lock in their Epic Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, Tahoe Value Pass, new Epic Day Pass, or any products in the Epic Pass.
New for the 2019-20 season, Vail Resorts launched the Epic Day Pass allowing guests to ski world-class resorts for up to 50 percent off of lift ticket window prices. For as little as $95 per day of skiing at any of Vail Resorts’ North American resorts, the Epic Day Pass is perfect for those skiers and riders who may not need the unlimited skiing offered by traditional season passes but want the same flexibility. Guests can also lower their cost per day by adding more days. Guests can purchase season passes and start planning their next winter vacation today at www.epicpass.com.
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Media Contacts:
Russell Carlton, Rcarlton@vailresorts.com, (775)-586-4451
Joanna McWilliams, Jlmcwilliams@vailresorts.com, (775) 586-4461
Kayla Elias, Kelias@vailresorts.com, (530) 562-3866
About the #TahoeTrifecta: Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood
The #TahoeTrifecta offers skiers and riders three world-class resorts with more than 10,000 acres of terrain to explore and endless possibilities for on-mountain fun and incomparable après and dining options. All three resorts are located throughout the Lake Tahoe region, making multi-mountain ski trips accessible for travelers. Heavenly is the social Lake Tahoe mountain playground with truly inspiring beauty that spans two states (California and Nevada); Northstar is California’s relaxed luxury destination offering attentive focus on creating timeless moments and peace of mind for every guest, in a pristine setting with top-tier amenities; and Kirkwood is the California resort that provides a pure mountain escape with an authentic community of like-minded skiers and riders that make it their winter escape.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 37 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte 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, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. 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.