Vail Mountain to Begin Construction on Adventure Ridge Upgrades Following the Close of the 2012-2013 Winter Season
- New activities include zip lines and aerial challenge courses.
VAIL, Colo. – March 29, 2013 – Vail Mountain, the largest ski resortin the United States, announced today the status of new and enhanced activities at Adventure Ridge, which were approved by the U.S. Forest Service in late-August 2012. The resort will begin construction on several new activities this spring in conjunction with the close of the mountain for winter operations. The activities are anticipated to open to the public by mid-summer.
“Even with plenty of great spring skiing and snowboarding left to enjoy at Vail, we’re simultaneously looking ahead to summer and the new activities we’ll be able to offer guests at Adventure Ridge,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “This is a significant first step in elevating the summer experience and making the National Forest more accessible to our guests.”
One of the first new activities at Adventure Ridge, located at Eagle’s Nest, will include a four-line 1,200-foot long zip line located west of the current tubing hill lift, the Adventure Skyway (#28). Guests riding the zip line will access the activity by riding both the Adventure Skyway and the Little Eagle Lift (#15).
For more of a challenge, guests will have the opportunity to try their hand on one of two aerial challenge courses which will also be added to the Adventure Ridge activity lineup this summer. The aerial courses will each feature three levels of elements for guests to maneuver including ladders, rope bridges, swinging logs, cargo nets and more, all within the safety of a cable-attached harness. A beginner aerial course will feature four distinct, more stable elements for guests to climb and conquer while an intermediate to advanced aerial course will feature more than a dozen different elements that require more balance and upper body strength to successfully complete.
In addition to constructing the new activities, the resort is also in the process of removing existing modular buildings, and has plans for re-vegetation work and the consolidation of trails and roads in the Adventure Ridge area to eliminate redundancies and enhance the aesthetics and ease-of-use for guests.
After the close of the 2012-2013 winter ski and snowboard season, Vail Mountain’s Gondola One and Eagle Bahn Gondola will be open according to the following schedules:
Gondola One*
- Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursday, June 13 – Monday, Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
**Activities and dining for summer 2013 will be based out of Eagle’s Nest.
Eagle Bahn Gondola*
- Thursday, June 20 – Monday, Sept. 2
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday
- 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
- Weekend-Only Operation, Sept. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday through Sunday
The resort will offer scenic rides and bike hauls on the Eagle Bahn Gondola as well as signature summer activities at Adventure Ridge including guided hiking and mountain biking tours, horseback tours, Top of the Mountain tours, disc golf, and slacklines. Expanded activities at Adventure Ridge are anticipated to be open for guests by mid-summer.
The Adventure Ridge enhancement proposal was submitted in April 2012 and includes upgrades and enhancements that were anticipated in the resort’s 2007 Master Development Plan. While the plans for Adventure Ridge are consistent with the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act, they are separate from the proposed Epic Discovery, a Summer Mountain Adventure, which is a broader summer expansion plan for Vail Mountain.
For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, or stop by the Mountain Information Center, open daily from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
###
About Vail Mountain
Celebrating its 50thanniversary throughout the 2012-2013 season and coveted as the largest ski resort in the United States with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain and seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, Vail is an extraordinary winter vacation destination. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year and with more groomed terrain than anywhere on the planet, families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is world class, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to the events, activities and festivals, the shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. 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 can still credibly lay claim to being a resort like nothing on earth www.vail.com.
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 resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. 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.
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 resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. 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.