Images: Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts has announced that thanks to new snowmaking improvements the resort can guarantee a November 15th opening for the 2019/20 season.

According to a press release from the company, Vail’s snowmaking upgrades and expansion will ensure a pre-Thanksgiving Opening Day every year from here on out.

“Vail’s extensive snowmaking upgrades and expansion taking place this summer will ensure a pre-Thanksgiving opening day each year. Nearly 200 acres of new and enhanced snowmaking terrain will provide guests with earlier access to higher elevation terrain, top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding, access from two base areas, and improved early season ski school terrain. Vail will be open November 15, 2019 to April 19, 2020.”

The new snowmaking will cover nearly 200 acres of terrain that will provide guests with earlier access to higher-elevation terrain, top-to-bottom skiing/ snowboarding, as well as access from two base areas.

Also announced in Vail Resorts release was the announcement that Keystone will open for the 2019-20 winter season in October.

“Keystone’s energy-efficient, automated snowmaking system improvements, it expects to open for the 2019-20 winter season in October, as early as conditions allow. By its traditional opening day in November, Keystone will offer top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding, doubling the terrain access than has typically been open at that time. Keystone plans to be open from October to April 12, 2020.”

You can read the full press release below:

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY AT VAIL, BEAVER CREEK, BRECKENRIDGE, KEYSTONE AND CRESTED BUTTE, LEADING TO EARLIER OPENINGS, LONGER SEASON, AND ENHANCED GUEST EXPERIENCE FOR THE 2019-2020 WINTER SEASON

03 June 2019
  • Breck open this Saturday-Sunday, June 8-9, for final weekend of 2018-2019 ski and snowboard season

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – June 3, 2019 – Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort will soon be abuzz with summer visitors. While guests mountain bike, hike, golf, and explore Epic Discovery’s on-mountain experiences, each resort’s mountain operations teams will be hard at work preparing for the 2019-20 ski and snowboard season. Vail Resorts’ significant capital investments at each resort will lead to resorts opening earlier and with more terrain, providing Epic Pass holders and all skiers and snowboarders in Colorado with one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in the country.

With Keystone’s energy-efficient, automated snowmaking system improvements, it expects to open for the 2019-20 winter season in October, as early as conditions allow. By its traditional opening day in November, Keystone will offer top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding, doubling the terrain access than has typically been open at that time. Keystone plans to be open from October to April 12, 2020.

This season, Breckenridge announced its plans to regularly extend winter seasons through Memorial Day. Thanks to an excellent spring, Breck’s Spring Finale was able to extend past Memorial Day for two additional weekends into June. The resort’s final weekend of skiing and snowboarding for the 2018-19 season will take place this weekend, June 8-9. Breckenridge will open for the 2019-20 winter season on November 8 and will be open through May 25, 2020, conditions permitting. At Breckenridge’s Peak 8 base, the resort will add completely new slopeside guest-service facilities just steps away from the Colorado SuperChair and Rocky Mountain SuperChair. The new 22,000 square foot space will include a Children’s Ski & Snowboard School and childcare facilities, ticket and pass office, and a new ski and snowboard rental concept.

Vail’s extensive snowmaking upgrades and expansion taking place this summer will ensure a pre-Thanksgiving opening day each year. Nearly 200 acres of new and enhanced snowmaking terrain will provide guests with earlier access to higher elevation terrain, top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding, access from two base areas, and improved early season ski school terrain. Vail will be open November 15, 2019 to April 19, 2020.

Beaver Creek will expand snowmaking capabilities at Red Buffalo Park, providing more reliable early season terrain in a key beginner area of the upper mountain. The resort will aim to offer more than 3,300 vertical feet of top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding on opening day each year. Beaver Creek will be open November 27, 2019 to April 12, 2020.

This summer, Crested Butte Mountain Resort will be replacing the Teocalli Lift, improving the on-mountain guest experience with increased uphill capacity, a secondary egress to the base area and quick access to beginner and intermediate terrain. The fixed-grip quad chairlift will increase uphill capacity by 50 percent. Crested Butte will be open November 27, 2019 to April 12, 2020.

With Keystone opening earlier and Breckenridge extending its winter seasons, Epic Pass holders can enjoy skiing and snowboarding in Colorado from October through May.

Epic for Everyone: New Epic Day Pass Provides Unprecedented Flexibility and Season Pass Discounts to Guests Skiing as Little as One Day

New for the 2019-20 season, Vail Resorts launched the Epic Day Pass, allowing guests to ski world-class resorts for up to 50 percent off of lift ticket window prices. Starting at as little as $106 for one day of skiing at any of Vail Resorts’ North American resorts, the Epic Day Pass is perfect for those skiers and riders who may not need the unlimited skiing offered by traditional season passes. Guests can also lower their cost per day by adding more days and can lock in the lowest prices by purchasing this spring.

For guests looking to ski more days in a season, the Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass continue to offer the best value and variety for unlimited skiing and riding. Launching at $939 for the 2019-20 winter season, the Epic Pass provides unlimited, unrestricted access to all of Vail Resorts’ owned and operated resorts and additional access to partner resorts around the world. For skiers and riders willing to navigate around a few peak dates, the Epic Local Pass offers incredible value with access to many of the same destinations, starting at only $699. The entire lineup of Epic Pass options is on sale now at epicpass.com.

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 15 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Hotham and Falls Creek in Australia; Stowe and Okemo in Vermont; Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development 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.