Early season Lake Tahoe snow prompts Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood to open early

Powerful early-season storms combined with the area’s largest and most advanced snowmaking operations have allowed Vail Resorts’ Lake Tahoe mountains – Heavenly Mountain Resort, Northstar California Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort – to open early with 111 acres. Heavenly and Northstar will open on Wednesday, Nov. 14 with a combined seven lifts and eight trails, totaling 51 acres.
On Friday, November 16, Kirkwood will open one lift and five trails, accessing another 40 acres and Heavenly will open Dipper Express, giving access to mile-long Orion’s, adding another 20 acres, weather and conditions permitting. All told, by Friday, the three resorts plan to be open with nine lifts, 14 trails and 111 acres, by far the most accessed by one pass at Lake Tahoe. Heavenly and Northstar had originally planned to open on November 16 with Kirkwood following on November 21.

“No need to bring your ‘rock skis’ to our resorts,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “Our resorts have a reputation for opening with quality in addition to quantity. The guest experience is always first and foremost at our mountains and providing the best skiing surfaces possible plays a huge part in that.”

High-Energy Heavenly
Heavenly will operate Tamarack Express Chairlift on Wednesday, accessing upper California Trail and Tamarack Return. By the weekend, the resort plans to add Dipper Express and Orion’s run, one of Heavenly’s famous mile-long groomed cruisers. All told, the resort will offer over 30 acres of skiable terrain. Everything will be accessed via the Heavenly Gondola. The resort will also kick off season two of Unbuckle, the ski industry’s highest-elevation and highest-energy on-mountain party, starting at 3:30pm.

“When you come to Heavenly, be ready to go all in from Day One, with ripping skiing followed by the industry’s wildest après-ski party,” said Sonntag.

The Way It Should Be at Northstar
Northstar will open four lifts on Wednesday, including the Big Springs Express Gondola, Big Easy, Arrow Express and Vista Express chairs, giving access to Pinball, Main Street, Upper Main Street, Lumberjack, Woodcutter and Easy Street trails. One of the beginner carpet lifts will open as well, opening up some terrain specifically for new skiers and riders. Ski school will also open early, as well as on-mountain dining. The Village at Northstar will also be open, featuring shopping, dining and access to the resort’s 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink.

“This last storm brought phenomenal snowfall and our snowmaking team has been hard at work to make ensure we have the extra coverage needed to provide a high quality experience,” said Northstar COO Bill Rock. “Our guests expect the best and we’re ready to provide that, so why wait?”

Adventure at Kirkwood
Kirkwood will open Chair 5 (Solitude) accessing about 40 acres of terrain including Race Course, Mokelumne, Lower Monte Wolfe, Lower Zachary and lower Olympic.

“We’ve got two-and-a-half feet of Mother Nature’s finest augmented by some machine-made snow,” said Casey Blann, Kirkwood’s general manager. “If the amount of people hiking our terrain over the weekend is any indication, we’ve definitely got the goods at Kirkwood.”

Tickets and Info
Lift tickets will be available at early-season pricing and can be applied toward the purchase of a season pass. The Tahoe Local Pass remains unmatched in value, price and experience with access to more than 263 trails, 14 terrain parks and 10,270 acres of some of the best terrain in the world at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in California and Nevada. For just $459, the Tahoe Local Pass pays for itself after just four days and then passholders are skiing or riding for free the rest of the season.

About Heavenly Mountain Resort
Heavenly Mountain Resort is a world-class destination offering guests a one-of-a-kind combination of scenic beauty and exhilarating on-snow experience. Heavenly is a subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc., the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. One of the largest resorts in North America, Heavenly spans 4,800 acres, climbs to Lake Tahoe’s highest elevation at 10,067 feet and features more than 97 trails for every level of skier or snowboader. For more information on Heavenly Mountain Resort, please visit www.skiheavenly.com or call 800-HEAVENLY.

About Northstar California Resort
One of the finest year-round mountain resorts in North America, Northstar is host to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, movie theaters, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar offers 97 ski trails spread across 3,170 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, fly-fishing and more.

Northstar is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit
www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.

About Kirkwood
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is one of the nation's top destination resorts. Located just 177 miles from the Bay Area along scenic Highway 88, its base elevation of 7,800-feet, assures skiers more annual snowfall than any other resort in North America. Kirkwood is recognized by winter purists and national media alike for the quality of its snow and terrain variety and is a true skier’s destination. Known for its pristine beauty and action-packed expeditions and events, winter fun includes skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sled dog tours, and backcountry expeditions. An ideal location for weddings and corporate meetings, the Kirkwood Village includes boutique shopping, live music and dining. For more information about Kirkwood Mountain Resort, visit www.kirkwood.com or call 209.258.6000.

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 resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort, Northstar California Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and in the Caribbean. 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.