NEWS
School’s IN for Winter
Just because the kids are on vacation doesn’t mean they can’t learn—and if there’s one type of classroom they are guaranteed to enjoy, it’s the kind found on the mountain. This season, Beaver Creek is introducing The Ranch, an on-mountain ski and snowboard school located at the top of the Buckaroo Express Gondola, surrounded by beginner learning terrain. And for parents who just can’t let go, picture windows allow you to watch your kids’ progress from the outside without them knowing. www.beavercreek.snow.com
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BASES LOADED Breckenridge, CO’s first new base area since the development of Peak 9 in 1971, Peak 7 will be home to high-end lodging, ski services like rentals and ticket sales, and restaurants. And opening in December, Stowe, VT’s Spruce Base Camp will be the source for rental and retail shops, tickets, public lounge areas, restaurants and bars.
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REIGN OF THE TERRAIN Th is winter, Killington Resort (www.killington.com)—94 miles from Burlington—is debuting The Stash, Burton’s all-natural terrain park with 34 features, so you can jump, slide and flip to your heart’s content. It’s one of only four in the world.
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Keystone boasts the longest ski day in Colorado—8:30am to 8:30pm. It also offers the most night skiing.
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A REAL DEAL Through Nov. 15 only, Colorado’s Vail Resorts is off ering the Epic Season Pass (www.epicpass.com), a completely unlimited and unrestricted pass to ski/snowboard at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly for $579 ($279 for kids).
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Keystone’s Alpenglow Stube is the highest AAA Four-Diamond restaurant in North America.
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UP, UP AND AWAY!
Brand-new chair lifts and gondolas abound this season.
SNOWMASS, CO The Sheer Bliss detachable quad chairlift transports skiers 155 feet higher than its predecessor, serving 700 acres of both challenging black diamonds and wide-open blue runs.
BRECKENRIDGE, CO The BreckConnect gondola will now stop at the new Peak 7 base area, providing easy access to both intermediate and expert runs as well as the vibrant downtown area.
KEYSTONE, CO The River Run Gondola now holds eight passengers (instead of six), and the bottom terminal has been moved into River Run Village, making it more accessible to day visitors. Other improvements include a new mid-station halfway up the Dercum Mountain, and walk-in, heated load and unload stations.
STOWE, VT Driving from Mt. Mansfield to Spruce Peak is no longer necessary, thanks to the Over Easy transfer gondola, which transports you from one mountain to the other in less than two minutes. (Two new high-speed quads and a beginner lift are also being added.)
EVENTS
Friday Night Lights Concert Series
Nov. 21 to Dec. 5 KEYSTONE, CO
Cap off a day on the slopes with a free concert next to the new River Run Gondola.
Aspen Winternational FIS Alpine World Cup
Nov. 28-29 ASPEN MTN, CO
Check out some of the fastest skiers in the world as they race down the mountain.
What I Learned This Summer Rail Jam
Nov. 29 OKEMO MOUNTAIN RESORT, VT
Show off the tricks you learned in the off-season. (All ages, $15 entry fee)
Vail Snow Daze
Dec. 8-14 VAIL, CO
Kick off the ski season at this weeklong event with parties, on-mountain activities and concerts.
Night of Lights
Dec. 20 MAMMOTH, CA
Celebrate the winter season with a free lights show, fireworks and a torchlight parade with the mountain as the backdrop.
Winter X Games 13
Jan. 22-25 BUTTERMILK, CO
Catch the jumps, flips and turns at this premier action sports event.
9th Annual Stowe Winter Carnival NICA Ice Carving Competition
Jan. 24 STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT, VT
Watch in awe as artists transform ice into works of art.
Mammoth Meals
California’s Mammoth Mountain (www.mammothmountain.com; 260 miles from San Francisco), which opens Nov. 13, has entered a new partnership with The Patina Restaurant Group. With this budding relationship comes a facelift—including new names—to on- and off-slope dining options.
| INTRODUCING | FORMERLY | WHAT TO EXPECT |
| Aalto | Mountainside Grill |
the mountain’s premiere restaurant |
| Bacaro | Dry Creek Bar | après ski and bar destination |
| Pizzeria Cervinia | The Yodler | trattoria-style eatery with a new heated outdoor après-ski and dining area |
| The Mill | The Mill | trattoria-style eatery with a new heated outdoor après-ski and dining area |
X MARKS THE SPOT
Colorado’s Buttermilk (www.aspensnow.mass.com; 200 miles from Denver), home to the ESPN Winter X Games, has installed a new Olympic-size, 22-foot half-pipe, adding four additional feet to each wall.
The Latest Lodges
SNOWMASS, CO
(206 MILES FROM DENVER)
The first luxury condos to be built in Snowmass in 20 years, Hayden Lodge and Capitol Peak Lodge offer the convenience of nearly 80 ski-in/skiout accommodations.
www.aspensnowmass.com
BRECKENRIDGE, CO
(103 MILES FROM DENVER)
The brand-new Crystal Peak Lodge is the first lodge to open in the new base area. It offers 46 wholly owned, one- to four-bedroom residences.
www.breckenridge.snow.com
STOWE, VT
(33 MILES FROM BURLINGTON)
After 15 years of planning, Stowe Mountain Lodge—the centerpiece of the new Spruce Peak at Stowe slopeside village—finally opened last summer. Take advantage of the Alpine Concierge program, spa, wellness center and—of course—easy access to Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak.
www.stowe.com
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