SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Dec. 4, 2020 – Kirkwood Mountain Resort kicked off a successful start to the 2020-21 ski and ride season today. With a winter operating plan focused on comprehensive safety protocols, Kirkwood opened with more than 180 acres of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain.
Runs that opened today in Nevada include California Trail, Tamarack Return, Big Dipper, Orion and Big Easy. Access to the Nevada and California sides of the resort is available from either the Heavenly Gondola or California Lodge base area, with Sky Express chairlift providing access via the Skyline Trail to link the two sides. Additional chairlifts now open are Tamarack Express, Dipper Express, Big Easy, Baby Bear Carpet. Sky Express is open only for skiing access to Nevada.
For the remainder of the season, Heavenly’s sightseeing will remain open with limited availability and reduced hours of operation in order to prioritize the skiing and riding experience. There will be no online purchase option for sightseeing and guests can purchase at the Gondola Ticket Windows starting at 10:30 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
This season, safety takes on more importance than ever at Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and across all Vail Resorts mountains. A few of the key ways the resort is prioritizing safety this winter include:
- Face Coverings: Guests are required to wear a face covering in all aspects of the operation, including in line, while riding lifts and gondolas and in all facilities.
- Reservations: Reservations are required for all guests so that the resort can manage access and allow for physical distance.
- Sick? Stay Home: Anyone who is sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home. Please cancel any reservation to give other skiers and riders a chance to ski and ride.
- Re-Imagined Mountain Experience: New operating procedures are in place across the resort, including lift and gondola loading, in Ski School, F&B and rental locations.
- Cashless Transactions: For the best experience, book and pay online in advance.
- Follow State Guidelines: Know, follow and adhere to California’s COVID-19 measures https://covid19.ca.gov/
With limited early season terrain, skiers and riders can expect certain days to book up and as resorts expand terrain, they will be able to accommodate more guests. 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.
Dec. 6 is the Last Chance to Purchase the Epic Pass and Entire Suite of Products for the 2020/21 Season
The Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Epic Day Pass and entire suite of pass products, each providing unbeatable value, go off sale Sunday, Dec. 6. For the greatest value and access, guests should lock in their pass sooner than later. Additionally, there are now only a few days left of the exclusive booking window for pass holders to lock in up to seven Priority Reservation Days for the core season before lift tickets go on sale Dec. 8.
Additional Resources:
A letter from CEO Rob Katz on our approach to winter
Pass holder reservation details
Latest updates on about the upcoming winter season at Heavenly
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Media Note: Photos available for media use, please click links for Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood images. For opening day photos and b-roll of Kirkwood, please click here.
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.