Vail to open with 566 acres, new 6-passenger Avanti Express

After yet another fall snowstorm deposited several inches of new snow on Monday, Vail will open Friday with skiing out of both Lionshead and Vail Village, 566 acres of skiable terrain and its new six-passenger Avanti Express chairlift (#2).

Opensnow.com is predicting more snow throughout the rest of the week, and, after a dry weekend, yet another storm Thanksgiving week, when Beaver Creek opens on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Here’s the full press release on Vail’s opening day:

Vail Mountain, one of the largest and leading ski resorts in the world, announced today that the resort will open for the 2015-2016 season on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 with more than 500 acres of terrain and access from Vail Village and Lionshead. Breakfast burritos from Vail Mountain and hot cocoa, will be provided at both base areas for early risers, as supplies last.

“These last cycles of storms have set us up nicely for opening day and to be able to open more terrain than anticipated. With snow in the forecast for the remainder of the week, we will continue to evaluate terrain and open additional terrain as we are able,” said Chris Jarnot, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “We are pleased to be able to debut the new six-passenger Avanti Express Lift on opening day, which we expect to reduce wait times and improve skier and snowboarder circulation, increasing capacity by up to 30 percent.”

 Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the following lifts and 566 acres of skiable terrain in these areas on Vail Mountain:

• Gondola One
• The new, six-passenger Avanti Express (#2)
• Wildwood Express (#3)
• Mountain Top Express (#4)
• Born Free Express (#8)
• Little Eagle (#15)
• Eagle Bahn Gondola

 

Beginner terrain will be offered at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola via the Little Eagle Lift (#15).

 

Vail Mountain lifts will open at 9:00 a.m. throughout the early season to accommodate early-morning operations. Skiers and snowboarders are reminded to observe all posted signs and closures, especially during the early season. The Golden Peak base area and Chair 6 are a designated race training area only and will open to the public at a later date.

 

On-Mountain Dining

The Marketplace at Eagle’s Nest, Express Lift at Mountain Plaza in Vail Village, and the Look Ma level at Mid-Vail will open for the season for daily operations on Friday. The 10^th, Vail’s elevated on-mountain sit-down dining experience, will open for the season for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Reservations can be made by calling (970) 754-1010 or online at www.the10thvail.com.

Vail Ski & Snowboard School

Beginning Friday, the Lionshead and Vail Village Ski & Snowboard School offices will be open. The Small World Nursery at the Golden Peak Children’s Center will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted. For the best price guaranteed, guests are encouraged to book in advance online at www.vail.com.

Vail Mountain Nordic School

The Vail Mountain Nordic School, located in Golden Peak, opens Friday with guided backcountry, snowshoe and cross-country ski tours near Vail Mountain. For more information or to book a lesson, visit the “Things to do” tab at www.vail.com or call (970) 754-3200.

The Ticket and Season Pass Offices located in Lionshead and Vail Village will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, stop by the Mountain Information Center, or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).

Last Chance! EpicPass Available Through Sunday, Nov. 22

The Epic Pass™, the best season pass deal in the ski industry offering unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, Park City in Utah, and Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe, is available only through Sunday, Nov. 22. For details, visit www.epicpass.com.