Aspen 2008/9 Improvements

Thu 26 June 08

$20million will be spent on improvements ready for the new season, including a new quad lift at Snowmass, a bigger pipe at Buttermilk and more terrain at Highlands

Coming off of a record-setting winter, Aspen Skiing Company announces over $20 million in on-mountain improvements for the 2008/2009 winter season.

The lifts will begin running on November 27, when Snowmass and Aspen Mountain open, with all four open for the season on December 13. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk will close on April 5, while Snowmass and Aspen Mountain will close on April 12.

World-class events will continue with Women’s World Cup starting the season off immediately on November 28-30, 2008 on Aspen Mountain. ESPN Winter X Games return to Aspen/Snowmass on Buttermilk for the seventh consecutive year, January 22-25, 2009.

In fact, Buttermilk will have a new Olympic-size, 22-foot halfpipe next season, which adds four additional feet to each wall of the pipe, sending skiers and riders higher than ever.

Aspen Highlands will add 18 additional acres of skiing and riding in the Deep Temerity area of the mountain called Canopy Cruiser.

The 2007/2008 season saw record snowfall with 1,142 cm/11.4 meters/ falling over the six month winter. The following months saw impressive snow totals -- December = 300 cm/118 inches/nearly 10 ft., January = 241 cm/95 inches/8 ft., February = 220 cm/7.25 ft., March = 223 cm/88 inches/7.33 ft., and April = 130 cm/4.25 ft.

THE RENAISSANCE OF SNOWMASS

Snowmass will experience several on-mountain improvements, including a new lift and on-mountain restaurant that will greet skiers and riders this December.

A new lift will replace the Sheer Bliss lift at Snowmass. The new lift will be a high-speed quad with a nine minute ride, carrying 2,000 people per hour. It will be realigned to provide easy access to the entire Big Burn and Sheer Bliss areas. This region of Snowmass encompasses nearly 285 hectares of spectacular terrain that is the most popular on the mountain.

Also, a new full-service restaurant will open on the top of Sam’s Knob lift with fantastic views and food. It will be an ideal destination for skiers and snowboarders on the Snowmass Village side of the mountain.

“The overall renewal of Snowmass has now seen on-mountain investment of more than $50 US million over just the past three years since the approval of the new base village project. The lift infrastructure of Snowmass has been dramatically overhauled, with two new gondolas and four new lifts to whisk skiers and riders to points all over the mountain,” said David Perry, Senior VP, Mountain Division, Aspen Skiing Company.

Visitors to Snowmass will have an all new Base Village experience this coming winter with more venues to stay and play, with nearly 100 new condominiums, five new restaurants and a dozen new shops. New restaurants include Junk, Liquid sky, the Sweet Life and more. Condominium rentals will be available in Hayden Lodge and Capitol Peak Lodge during the 2008/2009 ski season. Upon completion, the Snowmass Base Village will contain more than one million square feet of residential, hotel, restaurant, retail and conference space. Working in conjunction with Aspen Skiing Company, developer Related WestPac has invested more than a billion dollars in the transformation of the new Base Village.

In addition, Aspen Skiing Company will open a new restaurant, Sneaky’s Tavern, in the base village at Snowmass. Perfect for families and a youthful crowd, Sneaky’s Tavern’s atmosphere will focus on Snowmass’ ranching heritage with a fun, hip and casual atmosphere. The restaurant will feature both indoor and outdoor bars, with a lively après scene. Sneaky’s will be open for lunch and dinner year-round, serving traditional American Bistro fare.

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