Vail set to open Friday with both gondolas

After a small shot of snow on Wednesday (but with a dry spell looming through the middle of the month), Vail is set to open for the 2023-24 snow-riding season on Friday, Nov. 10, with both gondolas operating. Here’s the press release from Vail Resorts on available terrain for opening day:

Breckenridge Ski Resort and Vail Mountain will open on November 10, 2023, for skiers and snowboarders. With these two resort openings, Epic Pass holders now have access to three early season resorts for skiing and riding starting on Friday, including more than 170 acres of terrain. 

Breckenridge Ski Resort Kicks Off Winter with Grand Opening of NEW Five SuperChair 

Breck will celebrate the kickoff to winter on Friday, Nov. 10, with the grand opening of the new Five SuperChair, free waffles and the Rockstar DJ Cat in the Peak 8 base area. Skiing and riding will take place on Peak 8 on the 4 O’clock and Springmeier trails, with access to approximately 50 acres of terrain via the new Five SuperChair and Colorado SuperChair. 

“This is one of my favorite times of year, preparing to open the resort and welcoming back our employees and our community to winter at Breck,” said Jon Copeland, vice president and chief operating officer at Breckenridge Ski Resort. “Our teams have been working towards this day pretty much since we closed last May, and I think we are all just really excited to see all the hard work pay off and get back on snow again as we get the resort and our new Five chair open for the season.” 

In honor of the new lift, the official first chair banner break will take place at the new Five SuperChair with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 8:50 am. In addition, resort representatives will present a check for $50,000 to the Family Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC), a donation raised this fall through the 5-Chair chairlift auction that will help support local workers and families in Summit County. 

Starting Friday, the resort will be open daily with the BreckConnect Gondola opening at 8:30 am, and resort lifts opening at 9 a.m. The resort will continue to make snow at every opportunity to expand terrain as weather and conditions permit, working towards Peak 9 next. 

For more information on what’s new and exciting at Breck this winter, check out the resort’s tip sheet. 

Vail Mountain Ushers in 61^st Season with More Than 55 acres of Terrain 

Gondola One and Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) will start spinning at 9 a.m. for skiers and snowboarders, ushering in Vail Mountain’s 61^st season. Vail Mountain will celebrate Opening Day with complimentary strudel and warm beverages, a live DJ, 10^th Mountain Whiskey tastings, and a ceremonial banner break. Thanks to the resort’s industry-leading snowmaking system, guests will be skiing and riding Vail Mountain’s signature runs Swingsville and Ramshorn, with beginner terrain available at the top of Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19).  

For more information on Vail Mountain’s 2023-24 season, read the resort tip sheet, here. 

“We are excited to start the ski and snowboard season with beginner and intermediate trails, and two gondolas spinning,” said Beth Howard, vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “Our snowmaking and grooming teams have prepared more than 55 acres for guests to enjoy, and they’ll be leveraging our state-of-the-art snowmaking system to open more terrain as quickly as possible.” 

Your Pass, now on your phone with the new My Epic app 

New this season, the My Epic app with Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets is now available to download, allowing guests to use their phone as their ticket to the slopes.  

Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets is a hands-free option for skiers and riders to use at all 36 of Vail Resorts’ owned and operated U.S. resorts for the 2023-24 season, with availability at Whistler Blackcomb to follow in future seasons. It allows guests to buy their pass or lift ticket online, activate it in the new My Epic app, put their phone in their pocket, and get scanned hands-free in the lift line using Bluetooth® technology designed for low energy usage to minimize the impact on a phone’s battery life. This season, to ensure a smooth transition, the company will continue to provide physical cards for passes and lift tickets to all guests. For guests choosing to use Mobile Pass this season, watch this video for some tips. 

The My Epic app also offers a range of guest-favorite features, including interactive trail maps with GPS location tracking, and mountain and resort alerts, including operational information like grooming updates, terrain status, snow reports and conditions. 

Epic Pass Prices Go Up on Nov. 19!

2023-24 Epic Pass products, including regional passes and day passes, are still on sale and available to purchase this early season for a limited time! Don’t miss your chance to lock in the best value in skiing and riding by purchasing in advance, with a variety of options for every type of skier and rider from Epic 1-7 day passes, the Epic Local Pass and the full Epic Pass. All Epic Pass products come with Epic Mountain Rewards, offering 20% off lodging, rentals, dining and more. In addition, the Pass Holder Exclusive Cyber Sale is from November 21-27, offering Pass Holders up to an additional 20% off this winter. Visit EpicPass.com for more information and to purchase.