With the early season price of $649 for adults, the Epic Pass is already a pretty smoking deal (Vail likes to make note of the pass being equal to paying $0.03 per accessible acre), but this offer sweetens the pot a bit more.

Better hurry, the offer is only good for another 9 days. To purchase your pass and enter to win visit www.epicpass.com

Check the full press release for more details.

Broomfield, Colo. — Nov. 16, 2009 — Another fall storm hit Colorado this past weekend, much to the delight of skiers and snowboarders at Breckenridge and Keystone. The new snow will help Breckenridge and Keystone open more terrain by this weekend and is setting a wintry stage for Vail’s opening day on Friday, Nov. 20 and Beaver Creek’s Nov. 25 opening day.

The new snow is also serving as a reminder for skiers and snowboarders to buy their Vail Resorts season pass. “We’ve been getting phone calls and e-mails from eager Colorado skiers and snowboarders who didn’t buy their Colorado Pass before our Nov. 15 deadline,” said Heidi Kercher-Pratt, chief marketing officer for Vail Resorts. “With the new snow and the kickoff of the season at Breckenridge and Keystone and with Vail and Beaver Creek opening soon, we’re giving our loyal guests one more week to buy a Colorado Pass … or an Epic or Summit pass.”

Vail Resorts is extending the deadline on Colorado Pass sales through Sunday, Nov. 22. Now, all three passes – The Colorado, Summit and Epic passes – will be on sale through Sunday, Nov. 22 at the current pricing:

Colorado Pass: $459 Adult / $339 Teen / $219 Child: Offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin all season with an additional 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek.
Summit Pass: $399 Adult / $309 Teen / $199 Child: Offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin all season.
Epic Pass: $599 Adult / $299 Child: Offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing on 18,000 acres at six resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Arapahoe Basin all season.

Visit www.coloradopass.com or www.epicpass.com for more information or sales locations in Colorado. The Summit and Epic passes are available for purchase online. Online renewals are available for all three passes. To purchase a new Colorado Pass, please visit www.coloradopass.com for sales locations in Colorado.

The following products have also been extended for sale through Sunday, Nov. 22:

$139 Four Pack: Offering four days of skiing and riding at Keystone and Arapahoe Basin for only $139.
$225 Keystone Family Freedom Pack: Once you buy your Vail Resorts season pass, upgrade to the $225 Family Freedom pack and get four days of full-day lessons, free slopeside parking and lodging discounts. While supplies last. (www.coloradopass.com)
$225 Breckenridge Unlimited Lesson Pack: Once you buy your Vail Resorts season pass, add on with a $225 adult Unlimited Lesson pack for unlimited adult lessons at Breckenridge this season. Children’s unlimited lesson packs are available, as well. While supplies last. (www.coloradopass.com)

Visit www.snow.com for snow reports, lodging deals, event information and more all season long.

Other Best Bet for Early Season Deals
FREE LODGING with Three for Free Starting Nov. 1 when you book lodging at a RockResort property in Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone receive “three for free”; a value that includes a free night of lodging, $50 resort gift card plus a free helmet cam to capture your experience on the slopes. Visit www.rockresorts.com.

FREE Ski Rentals with Lodging: The Free Skis & Boards package features lift tickets and a free ski and snowboard sports rental package per person for up to seven days at specific retail locations within Vail Resorts. For information and reservations, visit www.snow.com or call 800-404-3535.

50% OFF Holiday Lodging at Keystone: Book by Friday, Nov. 20 for a stay over the holidays (Dec. 19-26). Rooms from $101 a night at valid properties including hotels, as well as 1 and 2 bedroom condos. www.keystoneresort.com

FREE Skiing for 5th and 6th graders in Colorado through School of Shred: Vail Resorts is again offering free skiing to all Colorado 5th and 6th grade students with four unrestricted days of skiing (or snowboarding) at each of its Colorado resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone – through The “School of Shred” program. The “School of Shred” pass can also be used for four free days at Arapahoe Basin this season. www.coloradopass.com for more information.

VAIL, Colo. – Nov. 4, 2009 – This winter marks the 20th anniversary of commercial air service to Eagle Airport (EGE), and with it, the continuation of the ever-popular Kids Fly Free program. For each paid adult fare (age 18 and above) for direct commercial flights into Eagle Airport, American Airlines is offering one free child’s ticket for ages 2-12. Upon arrival, children also receive free transportation to and from Vail or Beaver Creek via Colorado Mountain Express (CME) with a paying adult; free skiing or riding at Vail and Beaver Creek with a paying adult; and free lodging with a paying adult at select properties in Vail and Beaver Creek.

* Kids fly free on American Airlines flights to and from Eagle Airport
* Kids receive free shuttle transportation from Eagle Airport to Vail or Beaver Creek via Colorado Mountain Express
* Kids ski and stay free with a paid adult at Vail and Beaver Creek
* Any guest can ski free on the day of arrival into Eagle Airport through the Fly In Ski Free program

The entire family can get in on the deal with two specials unique to Vail and Beaver Creek; Fly In Ski Free at Vail, and Ski Free Stay Free – the value-oriented “buy three, get one free” lodging and lift ticket offer.

Guests flying into Eagle Airport on a direct commercial flight from Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Denver, Miami and Newark between Nov. 20, 2009 and Apr. 11, 2010 can ski or ride for free at Vail and Beaver Creek on their day of arrival. To participate, skiers and riders simply show their same-day boarding pass and Vail Valley lodging confirmation at any Vail or Beaver Creek ticket window to redeem their free lift ticket valid the day of arrival only.

Guests save even more on lodging and lift tickets with the Ski Free Stay Free offer. Purchase three nights of lodging and three days of lift tickets and receive the fourth night of lodging and day of skiing or riding free. For current Ski Free Stay Free rates and details, visit www.snow.com.

New this year, Eagle Airport will provide a non-stop Detroit route on Saturdays for a total of 13 non-stop domestic routes including Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, New York/Kennedy and New York/LaGuardia. Fifteen daily flights are offered in and out of EGE with an additional eight flights on weekends. The majority of service begins December 17 and continues through April 5, 2010.

EGE is located just 35 miles from Vail, making it a convenient alternative to driving from Denver or beyond, especially with growing non-stop service to major markets and quick connections to and from Denver International Airport.

Airline tickets for the Kids Fly Free promotion cannot be purchased without lodging. Families must travel to Vail or Beaver Creek between Sunday and Wednesday and from the resorts between Tuesday and Friday. The American Airlines offer is valid for travel Dec. 1-17, 2009 and Jan. 3 – Feb. 10, 2010 with no blackout dates; travel must be booked by Feb. 10, 2010. Guests may stay a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 30 days.Additional restrictions may apply. For information or to book contact Vail Beaver Creek Reservations at 866-668-8245 or visit www.FlyVail.com.

Epic Season Pass
There’s still time to take advantage of one of the best deals in the ski industry – the $599 unlimited, unrestricted Epic Season Pass for skiing at six resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Arapahoe Basin – all season long. The Epic Season Pass is on sale through Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. Visit www.epicpass.comfor more information.

For more information about the Kids Fly Free, Fly in Ski Free or Ski Free Stay Free programs, visit www.snow.com, or call 866-668-8245 to book.

For more information about Vail and Beaver Creek Resorts, visit www.vail.com or www.beavercreek.com.

Members of Reverb, Yukon Kornelius’ concert in Vail is a part of the non-profit’s IZSTYLE Winter Tour, an environmental music tour spearheaded by Stefan Lessard that features the Reverb Eco Village, all natural and organic food sampling, free ski and snowboard demos and the Bud Light concert series. Founded by Adam Gardner of Guster and his wife environmentalist Lauren Sullivan, Reverb works to educate and engage musicians and their fans to promote environmental sustainability. Lessard developed the IZSTYLE Winter Tour in 2007 as a way to bring Reverb’s message to ski resorts across the country. Tickets for Vail’s awareness concert will be distributed through various music fan clubs, Bud Light and Vail Resorts’ media outlets. Tickets will not be available for sale.

The inclusion of Yukon Kornelius and the Reverb Eco Village at Vail Snow Daze 2009 comes on the heels of the Vail Resorts ECHO announcement in September. Vail Resorts ECHO encompasses three core efforts: charitable giving, volunteerism and environmental stewardship and extends Vail Resorts’ commitment to continuing its leadership role in environmental stewardship. In addition to the Company’s partnership with the US Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation on the Hayman Restoration Partnership – the state’s largest forest restoration project, and one of the largest public-private partnerships of its kind in the country – Vail Resorts is also significantly reducing its energy consumption with a stated goal of a 10 percent reduction by the end of 2010. In the first year of the project, Vail Resorts achieved a 6 percent reduction and Vail Mountain alone achieved a 9.2 percent reduction. Bringing together a comprehensive environmental program, Vail Resorts ECHO is also continuing several other initiatives such as on-mountain recycling, – Vail Mountain recycles nearly 70 percent of on-mountain waste, – a company-wide goal to create a paperless office environment by 2011 and the use of solar panels on the roof of Vail’s Bailey’s restaurant at Adventure Ridge, which provide enough solar energy to power the entire building and to light other facilities at Eagle’s Nest.

“At Vail we are committed to not only providing a premier mountain resort experience for our guests, but also giving back to causes that support our spectacular natural surroundings. The partnership with Yukon Kornelius and Reverb is an appropriate tie-in to Vail Resorts ECHO and speaks to the responsibility we all have to give back to our communities and the environment. It’s directly in line with the way we want to always behave as a company, ” said Adam Sutner, director of marketing for Vail Mountain.

Yukon Kornelius was developed in 2007 as a result of each band member’s affiliation with Reverb as well as each member’s passion for skiing and riding together. The start of the band was captured on film and can be seen in the Warren Miller movie “Children of Winter.” To date, the rock band has only performed twice publicly. Their appearance at Vail Snow Daze, part of the Bud Light concert series, will kick-off the fourth annual IZSTYLE Winter Tour.

“We started as friends who are independently professional musicians that love to ski and ride together and became a band of our own as an aftermath,” said Adam Gardner of Guster and Yukon Kornelius. “We only have the opportunity to see each other a few times a year so we’re all really looking forward to our Vail tour in December.”

Due to the band’s close relationships with other Reverb musicians, special guest appearances are a quintessential element of each Yukon Kornelius concert. Past special guests have included Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, stage and screen actor Jason Biggs (cow bell) and Brett Scallions from FUEL. Special guests for the Vail concert are expected to be announced soon.

“Ed Robertson always likes to say that we are ‘making music mystery’ with this project,” said Stefan Lessard of Dave Matthews Band and Yukon Kornelius. “Special guests are an important part of that mystery and we expect to raise the bar with the performance in Vail.”

It’s all part of Vail Snow Daze, Dec. 7-13, 2009. Each year, Vail Snow Daze kicks-off the winter snow-riding season with a week of non-stop on-snow events, headliner concerts, nightly parties and the ever-popular Dummy Demolition Derby. For more information, visit www.vailsnowdaze.com.

Enjoy Vail Snow Daze with Stay Free, Ski Free packages as low as $336 per person. Purchase three nights of lodging and three days of skiing or snowboarding at Vail and get the fourth night and day free.

Snow Daze 2009 is presented by Vail Resorts, Bud Light, Town of Vail, Skiing, Zacapa and Sobe Lifewater and brought to you in part by Neve Designs, Reverb, US Army, The Vail Daily and KZYR The Zephyr. The Reverb Eco Village is brought to you by IZSTYLE, Reverb, Stonyfield Farms, Bear Naked, Clif Bar, Honest Tea, Nordica and Burton. For more information about Vail Mountain or Vail Snow Daze, visit www.vail.com.

Kevin Pearce. Photo: Aaron Dodds

For the 08/09 season, the Session had been accredited as a 6Star level event on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour for the first time since its foundation in 2003 because of its high standards, innovativeness, media coverage and popularity among the top level riders on the circuit. “Six years ago, we worked in partnership with the Foundation to create a pro snowboarding event that would help position Vail in the snowboarding world,” says Chris Jarnot, chief operating officer for Vail Resorts. “The Session has done a great job of this and we are proud to have been the host mountain for what is considered one of the best snowboard events in the world”. However, according to the Vail Valley Foundation, costs for the production of the event have increased to a level that could not be fully recovered without running a high risk of a financial loss. “While, we regret having to take these steps, Vail Resorts and the Vail Valley Foundation remain committed to the sport of snowboarding and we are actively working to identify a new winter event that will most likely include snowboarding”, explains John Dakin from Vail Valley Foundation.

The cancellation of the Honda Session at Vail yet means another loss of a 6Star event on the top level of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, after the recent cancellation of the Air&Style in Munich and the cancellation of the Slopestyle format at the Arctic Challenge in Oslo. “The cancellation of another 6Star event is a setback for the Tour this season but we have already taken all steps necessary to provide the high-level competition environment for riders going after the Tour Champion title that the TTR is known for”, says Reto Lamm, President of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour.

The news from Vail have resulted in another change on the Swatch TTR event calendar with the Burton Canadian Open being rescheduled from December 3–8, 2008 to February 2-8, 2009. “With the Session no longer happening, it frees up a window in the calendar that we have looked at in the past as strategically beneficial to the event,” said Burton Events Director, Liam Griffin.

ABOUT THE SWATCH TTR WORLD SNOWBOARD TOUR:
Founded by Terje Haakonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the SWATCH TTR World Snowboard Tour is a non-profit, rider-driven organization with the mission to create the highest quality competitive snowboard environment in the world, using authenticity, accessibility, innovation as guiding principles. Since its foundation, the Swatch TTR Tour has been developing into the most popular snowboard tour worldwide featuring global grass root and key independent freestyle snowboarding events over a ten-month period from Southern to Northern Hemisphere locations. Events are rated via a 1-through-6Star system, with points allocated accordingly, a 6Star event holds the highest (1000 Swatch TTR points). Any rider participating in these events, from up-and-coming to professional talent, earns ranking points and a position on the SWATCH TTR World Ranking List. The top male and female rider based on an average of their best seven results of the season is crowned SWATCH TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion.

As co-presidents of the Company’s Mountain Division, Garnsey and Carrig together will be responsible for oversight of the entire division. Garnsey remains chief operating officer of Beaver Creek Resort and has direct oversight of Vail Mountain. Carrig remains chief operating officer of Heavenly and has direct oversight for both Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort. Stan Brown becomes president of the Company’s Lodging Division with direct oversight of the luxury RockResorts hotel collection; Vail Resorts Hospitality, which includes all other owned and managed hotels and condominium properties; Grand Teton Lodge Company; and the Company’s golf operations.

“John, Blaise and Stan have been integral to the success that we have had in both the Mountain and Lodging Divisions, and have been critical leaders for our Company as a whole and key partners in driving the financial performance we have delivered,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “I am confident they will continue to identify innovative ways to provide exceptional experiences for our guests, operate their divisions with great efficiency and drive strong financial results for the Company in the years to come,” he added.

Garnsey was appointed executive vice president for the Mountain Division in January 2008 and was appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer of Beaver Creek in May 1999. Prior to Vail Resorts, Garnsey served as president of the Vail Valley Foundation from 1991-1999. He served as the executive vice president for the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek and as president of the organizing committee for the 1999 World Championships. Garnsey first came to the Vail Valley in 1974, working his way up through various mountain operations positions at Vail Mountain before moving over to the foundation. Garnsey currently serves on the board of the National Ski Areas Association and is president of the Beaver Creek Resort Company and the Bachelor Gulch Village Association. He serves on numerous local boards, including the Vail Valley Foundation and The Vilar Center Foundation.

Carrig was appointed executive vice president for the Mountain Division in January 2008 and was appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort in September 2002. From 1997-2002, Carrig was the president and managing director of The Canyons in Park City, Utah. Prior to July 1997, he served as the managing director of Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt. Carrig had held a variety of positions at Sugarbush since 1976, from ski patrol to vice president and general manager. Carrig was recently appointed to the Nevada Commission on Tourism and serves on the executive boards of the California Ski Industry Association, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, and the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the boards of the National Ski Areas Association and the Tahoe Baikal Institute, an international environmental organization.

Brown was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality in June 2007. Brown has more than 26 years of hospitality experience in locations throughout the world. His hospitality leadership career began in 1989 when he was appointed resident manager for Maui Marriott Resort in Lahaina, Maui. In 1994, he became general manager for Jeddah Marriott in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and general manager for Saigon Marriott in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 1996. Further expanding his international scope, he was selected as general manager for the Renaissance Sydney Hotel in 1998. From 2000 to 2005 he was vice president of Pacific Islands and Japan for Marriott International, Inc. in Hawaii. In 2006, Brown was appointed vice president of Marriott International’s Asia operations, based in Hong Kong where he managed 50 hotels and resorts.

For more info, visit snow.com.

“Vail Resorts’ new Epic Season Pass is a groundbreaking initiative that will completely change how our guests experience their ski and snowboard vacations,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “The word “epic” is defined in the Webster’s dictionary as “extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope. The Epic Season Pass does exactly that. It offers an epic amount of skiing and riding across five world-class mountain resorts with 17,400 acres of terrain, 128 chairlifts and 722 trails, for each moment of our season from the day we open in November until we close in April, including every holiday in between. No one will be able to out-ski this pass. And at a price of $579, we have made this experience a reality for our guests.

“We designed the new Epic Season Pass program to reward our most loyal guests and to bring greater excitement to the sports of skiing and snowboarding,” Katz added. “Vail Resorts’ new Epic Season Pass gives our guests the opportunity to ski or ride when they want, how they want. They can visit for a week-long vacation during the holidays and then decide later in the season to return for an extended weekend getaway or even to book a last-minute trip after hearing about one of Colorado’s or Tahoe’s epic snowfalls. They can ski all day or just for an hour. In essence, we’re taking the thought out and putting more fun into a ski vacation.”

According to Katz, Vail Resorts modeled the Epic Season Pass on the very successful Colorado and Summit pass programs offered on-site in the Colorado market and the Heavenly Pass program offered on-site in the Tahoe and San Francisco markets. “These programs have been a real “win-win,” offering our guests a terrific value and our Company incredible guest loyalty,” he said. “In designing the Epic Season Pass, we removed the key limitations and restrictions and are offering it for sale online, better tailoring it for all of our guests from around the world. At Vail Resorts our mission is Extraordinary Resorts, Exceptional Experiences. The Epic Season Pass is designed to provide our guests with exceptional experiences, all season long.”

In addition to the incredible ski and ride benefits, purchasers of the Epic Season Pass will be part of a special group that will receive exclusive offers and promotions for lodging, dining, ski rental and ski school. When guests see the Epic Season Pass they will quickly identify its unique, one-of-a-kind design, a distinctive sign of belonging to a very special group.

The Epic Season Pass is priced initially at $579 for adults and $279 for children ages 5-12. The Epic Season Pass will be valid for the 2008-2009 ski season and will only be available for purchase through Nov. 15, 2008. The Epic Season Pass will earn points in the Company’s PEAKS loyalty programs and is non-transferable and non-refundable.

For more information or to purchase a $579 Epic Season Pass online, visit www.epicpass.com.

Photos: TTR World Tour / Honda Session

The competition varies greatly from most events on the Tour that usually give a set number of runs for riders to stomp a sick line of epic tricks. Instead, the FIVE(5)STAR event opts for a more relaxed and rider friendly atmosphere that consists of “riders sessions” allowing each competitor in the main slopestyle event 1 ½ hours to complete as many runs as they see fit. This gives riders the best opportunity to showcase their most formidable tricks.

Although both men and women are competing in Vail, only the men will be competing for TTR Ranking points, with the Vail Session acting as a crucial catch up before the upcoming legendary SIX(6)STAR Arctic Challenge next week. At the Honda Session however, a three-way battle for Swatch TTR World No. 5 will arise between current No. 5 Chas Guldemond, current World No. 6 Torstein Horgmo and Scotty Lago (USA), who sits back at No. 12, but can boost his position by adding his sixth TTR result in Vail. The battle will be close, as Guldemond needs to place just one spot ahead of Horgmo to keep his current position. Lago will have to win the session and hope Guldemond and Horgmo place 8th or lower so he can move into the TTR Top 5.

At the 2006 Honda Session, the first ever in-competition 1260 was stomped. Recently at the SIX(6)STAR Burton European Open, Chas Guldemond finished second busting out a huge 1260, so be sure to watch out for Chas in Vail as he pulls out all the stops. Scotty Lago however, will be looking to carry his momentum from his second place finish at this past weekend’s FIVE(5)STAR Billabong Air & Style. With such explosive riding ready to hit Colorado, the 2008 Honda Session is set to be one of the biggest FIVE(5)STAR stops on the TTR World Snowboard Tour.

Further down in the rankings, American riders Tim Humphreys and Louie Vito will both be looking for a place in the Top 10 as Jeremy Thompson (USA) and Wyatt Caldwell (USA) fight for a spot in the TTR Top 15. European riders however still have a strong presence in a heavily North American field of riders with Austrian rider Werner Stock able to move into the Top 30 with a podium finish and German rider Alessandro Boyens who could also move into the TTR Top 30 with a Top 2 finish.

Stay tuned to ttrworldtour.com for updated news, blogs, and in-your-face action from the world’s best snowboard events, only on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour.

Mens Rider List:
Alessandro Boyens
Andrew Steward
Andreas Wiig
Brandon Reis
Brent Meyers
Bryan Daino
Chad Otterstrom
Charles Reid
Chas Guldemond
Dan Brisse
Daniel Ek
Dustin Craven
Eero Niemela
Eiríkur Helgason
Heikki Sorsa
Iikka Backstrom
Jeremy Thompson
Jin Saito
JJ Thomas
Jonas Michilot
Jonas Carlson
Josh Sherman
Juuso Laivisto
Keegan Valaika
Kiichiro Kazumi
Lonnie Kauck
Louie Vito
Lucas Magoon
Mark Sollors
Marko Grilc
Mason Aguirre
Mike Casanova
Pat Milbery
Sam Hulbert
Sani Alababic
Scot Brown
Scotty Arnold
Scotty Lago
Silas Stannard
Stephen Laterre
Tim Humphreys
TJ Schneider
Torstein Horgmo
Werni Stock
Wyatt Caldwell

“We are very confident that with the big drop in temperatures, and indications of a strong shift in the weather pattern that we will open with a very good snow surface next week,” said Bill Jensen, chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “It appears that the first major winter storm of the season is headed our way next week as well, which is very good news for our Thanksgiving holiday guests who may even experience a powder day.”

Snowmaking operations continue and will accelerate as colder temperatures prevail. Weather forecasters also indicate that a major change is in store for the Central Rockies in the next several days including a traditional Thanksgiving snowstorm.

The town of Vail will now implement paid parking to coincide with the mountain opening. Paid parking will begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

For more information about Vail Mountain, call the Resort Information and Activities Center at 970-476-9090 or visit www.vail.com.

Snowmaking operations are also set to kick off this evening at Keystone Resort with Breckenridge Ski Resort firing up their guns at the end of the week. Opening day at Breckenridge and Keystone is just 26 days away with the lifts turning on Friday, Nov. 9. At Vail, the season gets underway Friday, Nov. 16 and Beaver Creek opens Wednesday, Nov. 21

Book Now for the Best Deals on Winter Escapes
So, now is the time to book your winter vacation. With an elevation of 9600 feet, Breckenridge is legendary for its early season conditions. And, this years skiers and snowboarders can ski for 3 days and stay for 3 nights and get the 4th night of lodging and day of skiing for free. Packages start as low as $301 per person, based on double occupancy in a hotel room. This works out to $75.25 per day, per person. Other rates and lodging types available. For more information or to book Breck’s Ski Free, Stay Free package, go to Breckenridge.com.

Or, book your ski and snowboard vacation at Keystone and get free activities like snowshoe ecology treks, snowbiking clinics and yoga classes. Packages start at $324 per person for four nights of lodging with four days of skiing plus Adventure Passports that provide hundreds of dollars of free activities and discounts. This rate is based on quad occupancy in a 2-bedroom Forest condominium and is valid Nov. 21-Dec. 21, Jan. 6-Feb. 13 and March 23-April 5. Other dates and rates are available. For more information or to book the Ski Free, Stay Free Keystone package, visit keystoneresort.com.

Kick off Vail’s 45th ski season at Vail Snow Daze, a week-long festival including headliner concerts with Ludacris and The Roots, on-snow contests (snowball eating) and the Dummy Gelunde Championships. Check out the schedule at vailsnowdaze.com. Take advantage of lodging packages during Snow Daze and buy three nights of lodging and three days of skiing and get the fourth lodging night and day of skiing for free. Offer features quad occupancy in a two-bedroom condo for as low as $374 per person (a 25 percent savings) and is valid Nov. 24- Dec. 12, 2007. Additional restrictions may apply. Visit vail.com to book or call 800-404-3535.

Buy three nights of lodging and three days of skiing in Beaver Creek and get a fourth night and ski day free. Price starts at $393 per person based on quad occupancy in a two-bedroom condominium with a four-night minimum stay. Offer is valid Nov. 17–Dec. 14, 2007. Buy four nights of lodging and four days of skiing in Beaver Creek and get a fifth night and ski day free. Price starts at $533 per person based upon quad occupancy in a two-bedroom condominium with a five-night minimum stay. Offer is valid Jan. 6–Feb. 15, 2008. Beaver Creek opens for skiing and snowboarding on Nov. 21, 2007. Taxes, surcharge and gratuity not included. Offer based upon availability. Other restrictions may apply. Other dates, rates and properties available. Call (800) 404-3535 or visit www.beavercreek.com for reservations and more information

What’s New at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone:

• Keystone’s spa is getting an extreme makeover with 2,000 additional square feet, five new treatment rooms and a complete renovation. The Keystone Lodge & Spa is set to open in November for the start of the ski and snowboard season. With more than 10,000 square feet, Keystone’s spa will be the largest and most elegant in Summit County featuring an aromatherapy infinity tub, a Vichy shower room, a couples room and a new relaxation room. To learn more or to make an appointment, visit keystoneresort.com or call 800.468.5004.
• Building on the momentum of the last season’s Breck Connect Gondola, 150 acres of new terrain and the Imperial Express, Breckenridge is turning its attention to the development of a new terrain park progression system on Peak 8. Breckenridge is designing a multi-level park pod that will feature a beginner park and pipe, an intermediate park as well as the famed expert superpark and pipe on Freeway. The resort has committed to adding a snowmaking system on Peak 8’s Park Lane and to turning the entire 3,500 ft. run into a mid sized, intermediate park.
• For Vail’s 45th season skiers and snowboarders can take advantage of two new high speeds quads replacing Chairs 10 and 14, expediting the trip to Two Elk Restaurant, China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin. The new Arrabelle at Vail Square, a new 36-room hotel debuts in January 2008, featuring a luxurious hotel experience that combines Old World charm and the timeless elegance of Europe’s grand resorts with the romance and world-class style of Vail’s alpine heritage.
• At Beaver Creek, the world’s premier children’s ski and snowboard school experience just got better. Beaver Creek introduces the new eight-passenger Buckaroo Express Gondola, a short gondola ride designed with the resort’s smallest customers in mind. With a ride time of just 3.75 minutes, the Buckaroo gives kids (and grownups) a warm and comfortable ride to beginner learning terrain. The Buckaroo replaces the Haymeadow Lift (#1) and can carry 1,665 people per hour. The lift is 1,671 feet in length with 10 towers and 26 cabins. The gondola will open for the 2007-2008 winter season.
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