Keystone Bergman Bowl
PHOTOS APPROVED FOR MEDIA USE: Bergman Bowl - Lift Access Coming Winter 2023-24
Get ready to adventure further to new heights at Keystone with the new Bergman Express lift set to debut in winter 2023/24! Rise high above the trees where snow-much-fun awaits and the views are just the icing on the cake. Hoot and holler as you zig-zag through glades or make wide-open bowl turns that are oh-so-sweet. Make your mark on our mountain playground, and for the first time ever at Keystone, get a lift to more than 550 acres of fun above the trees in Bergman and Erickson Bowls.
By The Numbers
- 1 new, high-speed 6-passenger chair – Bergman Express
- 555 new acres of lift-served terrain across Bergman and Erickson Bowls
- 16 new trails
Bergman Bowl Gets A Lift: Adventure Further to New Heights this Winter
Construction is underway to bring lift-served access to more than 550 acres of terrain in Bergman and Erickson Bowls for the 2023/24 winter season. As a part of this project, the resort is building a new high-speed 6-passenger chairlift in Bergman Bowl, as well as new trails and snowmaking. While Bergman and Erickson Bowls have previously been open for hike-to skiing and riding access at the resort, much of Keystone’s hike-to bowl terrain has largely gone under-utilized. For the first time ever this winter, both Bergman and Erickson Bowls will be accessible by lift to a variety of skiers and riders at the resort, with mellow and welcoming high alpine terrain. The new lift will allow guests to easily lap terrain in Bergman Bowl, as well as access more advanced terrain in Erickson Bowl that will connect back to the Outback Express and Wayback lifts. For those guests still looking to earn their turns and reach more untouched areas of the resort, 1,300+ acres of hike-to terrain will still be available in The Windows, North Bowl, South Bowl and Independence Bowl for expert skiers and riders.
New Trails, New Trail Names
In total, 16 trails will officially grace the slopes of Keystone’s high alpine terrain as a part of the Bergman Bowl project, with 13 of those trails sitting in Bergman Bowl and 3 of them in Erickson Bowl. While one familiar trail and trail name, Jane’s Journey, will remain a staple of the area in honor of Keystone’s founder, Jane Bergman, the remaining 15 new trails will debut with new trail names to match. Living up to the adventurous spirit of Keystone’s high alpine terrain, the new trail names were chosen based on surrounding iconic peaks that can be seen from the top of Bergman and Erickson Bowls. These names include mountains from the Front Range, Ten Mile range, and more, providing not only a lesson in geography but inspiration to continue to reach new heights.
Bergman Bowl Trail Names: Jane’s Journey, Miners, Quandary, Ten Mile, Thorne, Ute, Buffalo, Ptarmigan, Red, Torreys, Grays, Wichita, Uneva
Erikson Bowl Trail Names: Tenderfoot, Nuchu, Silverheels
The Legendary Jame Niehaus Passes the Brush to Rad Smith
Trail maps are much more than a piece of ink and parchment. They’re our trusty companion. They’re our one-way ticket to a choose-your-own adventure. Trail maps shape our journey, keep us safe, and help us chart our course through areas previously unexplored. As Keystone gets ready to adventure further to new heights in Bergman Bowl, the time has come to paint a new vision for the future. But, painting a mountain as diverse as Keystone is easier said than done. Five high alpine bowls, three mountain peaks, over 130 trails...how do you paint a mountain that has, well, everything?
In this two-part video series, legendary map illustrators James Niehues and Rad Smith share the hard work and emotional backstory behind Keystone’s newest trail map.
Off-the-Grid: New Sustainable Patrol Hut
In the spirit of Bergman Bowl’s remote and rugged terrain, Keystone has built a fully off-the-grid and sustainable patrol hut designed to operate in the secluded high-alpine. The Bergman Bowl patrol hut is located just off the top of the new Bergman Express lift and is made from 100% Beetle Kill Pine Wood. The hut will be heated with an interior pellet stove and run fully off of solar power. This off-the-grid patrol hut is just one of Keystone’s many sustainability efforts to help achieve Vail Resort’s Commitment to Zero – a goal to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030.
Refuel at Timber Ridge Lodge with New Indoor and Outdoor Seating
Rest and refuel at the newly expanded Timber Ridge Lodge on North Peak in between laps on the brand-new Bergman Express Lift this winter season! In preparation for the new lift and new lift-accessed terrain, Keystone’s largest on-mountain restaurant and lodge underwent a 6,000 square-foot expansion last year, including additional indoor seating and outdoor deck seating. Skiers and riders can enjoy beautiful, 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks on the wrap-around deck and warm up with a hearty bite to eat before hitting another lap in Bergman Bowl and beyond. New this winter, Timber Ridge will feature a Taqueria Station and signature Pork Green Chile Tacos, plus additional options including chicken, beef and mushroom tacos, loaded nachos, and chips and queso. Pro Tip: Don’t forget to flash your pass and take advantage of Epic Mountain Rewards, which includes 20% off all on-mountain dining.