Vail Mountain to Expand Terrain to 900 Skiable Acres

Nov. 20, 2018

Photo By: Ric Moreno Contro

November 15, 2018
Following an early opening for the 2018-2019 ski and snowboard season, Vail Mountain will expand its open terrain to more than 900 skiable acres on Saturday, Nov. 17. The resort will begin operating Northwoods Express (#11) and Sourdough Express (#14), with more than 300 acres of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain accessible via those chairlifts. Two Elk restaurant will also open for the season with limited service.

“Vail has received 52” of natural snow so far this season. By comparison, it was early January of last season before we had this much. It has been an incredible start and is setting the tone for what’s to come,” said Doug Lovell, Vail chief operating officer. “Our mountain operations teams continue to work hard to open as much terrain as possible, and we anticipate opening even more in the coming week.”

Beginning on Saturday, Nov. 17, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the following lifts and more than 900 acres of skiable terrain accessible via the following lifts on Vail Mountain:

Gondola One
Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19)
Born Free Express Lift (#8)
Avanti Express (#2)
Wildwood Express Lift (#3)
Mountain Top Express Lift (#4)
Northwoods Express (#11)
Sourdough Express (#14)
Little Eagle Lift (#15)

Located just down the road, Beaver Creek Resort will open for the season on Saturday. The mountain will open all the way to the top with intermediate terrain on Gold Dust accessed via Centennial Express (#6), plus beginner terrain in Red Buffalo Park accessible via the Cinch Express (#8) and last year’s new Red Buffalo Express (#5), and Haymeadow Park and the Haymeadow Express Gondola (#1). Opening day festivities will include a special Cookie Time in the morning.

All guests are reminded that they must observe all posted signs, closures and slow zones, especially during the early-season. Closed trails may contain hazards due to early snow coverage. Accessing closed terrain is a violation of the Colorado Ski Safety Act and will result in the loss of skiing privileges and could involve prosecution and a fine.

Epic Pass: Secure the Greatest Season Pass Value in the Ski Industry before Sunday, Nov. 18

The last chance to purchase the 2018-19 Epic Pass Epic Pass and the entire lineup of Epic Season Pass options – including the Epic Local, Epic 7-Day, Epic 4-Day, and Epic Military Pass – is Sunday, Nov. 18. The Epic Pass provides skiers and riders with the greatest multi-resort pass value in the ski industry, offering access to more than 65 resorts in eight countries for $949. New for the 2018-19 winter season, the Epic Pass will now feature unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at 19 mountain resorts including Crested Butte, plus seven days at Telluride, in addition to unlimited access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. The entire lineup of passes is available for purchase at www.epicpass.com.

Scans for Cans: Make turns for good this Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, Epic Pass holders can give back to the community while they ski or snowboard. For each Epic Pass scanned at either Vail Mountain or Beaver Creek Resort this Thanksgiving, Vail, Beaver Creek, and EpicPromise will donate one canned food item on the pass holder’s behalf to the Vail Valley Salvation Army.

Vail Mountain Early Season:

10 Days of Epic
To celebrate 10 years of the Epic Pass, Vail Mountain will offer 10 days of specials on Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 16 through Dec. 16. Some specials include complimentary fries with the purchase of an Epic Burger; 50 percent off ski school group lessons; après at Express Lift Bar featuring $3 drink specials; and 20 percent off Epic Mountain Express rides to and from Vail. Additional details are available at www.vail.com/readysetsnow

Snow Days
From Dec. 13 to 16, Vail Snow Days features an expanded four-day lineup of events and activities from free concerts, a Pray for Snow Bonfire, pub crawls, and more. Visit www.vail.com/snowdays for a list of all activities.

About Vail Mountain & Beaver Creek Resort: Located 15 minutes apart, Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek Resort exemplify premier mountain resort destinations. From Vail’s expansive 5,200 skiable acres, seven legendary Back Bowls, robust village, and new summer activities, to Beaver Creek’s legendary attention to detail, World-Cup mountain pedigree, intimate alpine village, and reputation as the world’s best luxury family resort, guests to the Vail Valley will be impressed by the incomparable elegance and variety of options offered by both resorts. For more info, visit www.vail.com or www.beavercreek.com.