Vermont Ski Areas Association: 2006-2007 WHAT’S NEW

MONTPELIER, Vt.  – This season, Vermont resorts have expanded terrain offerings, made upgrades and renovations, built new lodging and increased snowmaking coverage. Along with Vermont’s unique charm and hospitality, guests will continue to enjoy up-to-date facilities, conveniences, services and amenities. In ski and ride language that means great skiing and riding.

 SUGARBUSH

• New Ski Resort Opening in Central Vermont this December: Officials from the FOS planning commission announced today that a brand new resort will open in the mountain hamlet of Warren, VT this December. The new resort will feature the most diverse and challenging skiing and riding terrain east of the Mississippi as well as a $60 million state-of-the-art base village. Officials for the new resort say….
So everything above is true, except that bit about the terrain. (Sugarbush has always had the most diverse and challenging runs in the East.) But when guests roll into the base of Sugarbush’s LincolnPeak this December, they will think they are at new resort.
The new LincolnPeakVillage, the most ambitious project in Sugarbush’s almost 50-year history, features three new facilities and is the perfect example of what happens when a resort listens to its guests. Want a tour? Give JJ a call.


Lincoln Peak Village from above

BOLTON VALLEY RESORT

• Burton Learn to RideCenter: A year after Bolton Valley Resort completed the first major on-mountain upgrades in more than 20 years – including a brand new quad chair with direct access to the summit – the improvements continue for winter 2006-07. Bolton Valley Resort is now a Burton Learn to RideCenter, and one of only a handful of Women’s Learn to Ride Centers in North America. A brand-new fleet of Burton snowboards will be available that are specifically designed to help beginners master the basics quickly and get riding.
• ProgressionPark: BoltonValley also added a brand new progression terrain park this winter for skiers and riders who want to learn and hone their freeride park skills.

Bromley Mountain BROMLEY MOUNTAIN

Bromley continues its family friendly mission providing great learning programs, central base lodge with easy access and a variety of terrain. Last year, their new lower rates were a huge success and the deal remains the same this year with $25 midweek/non-holiday lift ticket and weekend and holiday rates lower than most other major resorts.

 STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

• Transfer Lift: This winter, Stowe debuts a lift that skiers and riders have been anticipating for several decades, an inter-mountain transfer lift. The new lift, which is scheduled to open in December 2006, will provide ultra convenient transportation to and from the slopes at the bases of Mount Mansfield and SprucePeak. Now, two of the East’s most legendary ski mountains are finally connected, forever changing the way skiers and snowboarders experience Stowe. The new transfer lift is a Poma ten-person standing gondola that will span across Vermont’s Route 108. The length of the ride between the two mountains is approximately 1,500’ feet, with a minimum travel time of one and a half minutes. The lift is capable of moving 3,400 people per hour.

The Inside Line - Vol 15, Num 35

BURKEMOUNTAIN SKI AREA

• Fresh Tracks Program: New this season, Burke season pass holders will enjoy complimentary access to the Willoughby Summit and Sherburne Express chairlifts starting at 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Day trippers can also join in on the early bird turns for only a $10 upgrade on a regular full day ticket.
• Snow Sports Learning Center: For the 2006-07 season, BurkeMountain introduces a number of new programs and clinics for children and adults. Skiers and snowboarders just learning will benefit from smaller groups, and receive a complimentary lift ticket after completing four levels of lessons. Women-specific skiing and snowboarding clinics for all levels will also be available. Daily freestyle and freeride lessons with a focus on park safety and etiquette will also be offered to children and teens who want to improve their skills in our four terrain parks. Guided first tracks tours will also be an option either on freshly groomed trails or in the glades on powder days.
• Connected: Burke offers complimentary high speed internet access in both lodges, and a new Internet Café in the Sherburne Base Lodge. A significant investment was also made to enhance cell phone coverage in all areas of the resort.
• Ski Green: All departments are involved in the Ski Green effort at Burke from mountain operations & maintenance, to food & beverage and to office administration. Besides an employee recycling program, Burke uses energy efficient snowmaking guns, bio-diesel in certain vehicles, and works closely with Efficiency Vermont to reduce its carbon footprint.

 JAY PEAK RESORT

• West Bowl: Work on the back 9 of the Jay Peak Golf Course allows easier access to the West Bowl – 250 acres adjacent to Tramside – that will be developed into intermediate skiing/riding terrain. Current plans are to have entry and exit hiking trails cleared for the 2006-07 winter season.
• Tramside: Other on-mountain improvements include the development of a new Tramside hotel complete with updated skier/rider service facilities. While still in the planning phase, the Resort expects to initiate Act 250 permitting this fall and hopefully begin construction as soon as spring 2007. The new hotel and other facilities will be funded primarily by EB5 investors.

 KILLINGTON

• For the 2006-07 season Killington Resort – the largest ski and snowboard resort in the eastern United States, featuring the most diverse terrain, an expansive lift network, the largest snowmaking system in the world and numerous off-mountain activities, including après, dining, shopping and lodging options – will debut a number of vacation experience enhancements.
In addition, more than $1.5 million in resort improvements have taken place throughout the summer, including the opening of the Killington Grand Resort Hotel Spa and continued snowmaking upgrades.
The new Spa leads the list of vacation experience enhancements, featuring a Vichy Shower wet room and a complete menu of massage, facials and pedicure treatments. Guests will see an increase in snowmaking efficiency for the world’s largest snowmaking system, an upgraded grooming fleet of 21 snowcats and new gondola ski racks to accommodate twin-tip and fat skis and snowboards.
Other new enhancements guests will notice for the upcoming season includes:
o Designated family ski/snowboard zones
o Family Adventure Center at the Snowshed Lodge, including night tubing
o New look Pico Mountain base area, including restroom remodeling
o Fresh look for all lifts and lift terminals throughout the resort
o Low energy snowmaking guns

 MAD RIVER GLEN

Over the past ten years of co-op ownership, Mad River Glen has invested more than $2 million in capital improvements. Unlike other ski areas, MadRiver’s goal is to maintain and preserve the experience rather than overhaul or upgrade it. Mad River Glen’s long-term capital plan calls for spending about $120,000 for the 2006-07 season. This amount is a bit less than in a typical year as the Co-op husbands its resources for the $1.54 million Single Chair renovation, slated for completion in the summer of 2007.

MAGIC MOUNTAIN

The completely renovated Inn on MagicMountain puts guests in the heart of the action. Ski and Stay packages are available with fantastic deals offered throughout the winter. After a long day on the snow, relax in front of a roaring fire at Diamonds Lounge. Enjoy lighter fare from the bar menu or sit down to fine dining prepared by Chef Giezendanner in the all new Christies Restaurant. The Inn on MagicMountain’s rooms features modern amenities without losing Magic’s special Vermont charm.
Snow making improvements are under way and plans for the updated HokusPokusTerrainPark are nearing completion.

Middlebury College MIDDLEBURYCOLLEGE SNOW BOWL

The Middlebury College Snow Bowl will be doing its first major trail work in almost 20 years this summer on the Bowl’s two most popular front side trails, the Allen and the Ross. Both trails will be expanded (1 ¼ acres on Allen and two acres on Ross) and recontouring will be done to selected areas on both trails. Snowmaking pipes will be moved to the west side of the Ross where a series of tower snowguns will be installed to greatly enhance the snowmaking capabilities on the trail.
These improvements will bring both of these trails up to USSA and FIS standards. The upgrades will also benefit recreational skiers, riders and telemarkers by adding snowmaking and grooming efficiencies. The additional area will reduce skier density. The nearly $400,000 project, which is being done by Royal Trail Works of Royalton, should be completed by September.

MOUNTSNOW

• Longest TerrainPark (to be named later): At 4940 feet, MountSnow’s new terrain park has earned the distinction of being the longest park in the East. That’s nearly a mile of rails, jibs and hits with something for everyone. The new park is serviced by the Nitro Express high-speed quad, which whisks riders to the top of the park in less than five minutes. The name of the terrain park will be chosen with an interactive season-long contest involving guests and season passholders.
• Nickelodeon® Children’s Weeks: Kids (and their parents) will enjoy days and nights filled âwith activities, special surprises, bands featured on Jack’s Big Music Show  during specialâ and Dora the Explorerâplus visits from SpongeBob SquarePants family weeks. Nickelodeon® and Mount Snow’s Kid’s Snow Fest, offered December 22-25, includes three nights lodging (third night is free at participating properties), three days of skiing (with a free lift ticket on December 25) and all activities starting at $564 for a family of four (two adults, two children ages 12 and under). Kids Rule Adventure Week presented by Nickelodeon® and offered March 11-16, 2007, includes lodging, lift tickets (kids get a free lift ticket and clinic when their parent purchases a lift ticket) and all activities. Packages start at $381 for three nights for a family of four; a five-night package starts at $635. For reservations, go to www.mountsnow.com or call 1-800-245-SNOW (7669).
©2006 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Created by Stephen Hillenburg.
• Wi-Fi: For those who can’t totally disconnect, MountSnow now offers wi-fi access in the main base area including the Main Base Lodge. That’s in addition to the wi-fi service already available at the resort’s 200-room Grand Summit Resort Hotel and ConferenceCenter.

Okemo Logo OKEMO MOUNTAIN RESORT

Okemo Mountain Resort’s continued improvement, otherwise known as OKEMO-mentum, means something new for skiers and snowboarders visiting the popular resort this winter. Big Bang and Eclipse, are being reintroduced this winter with one major difference – snowmaking. Although both trails officially opened last winter, the lack of natural snowfall drastically limited accessibility to Okemo’s newest runs. This year, 50 new HKD tower guns will ensure ample snow coverage. The most exciting quality of Big Bang is its designation as a double-black diamond – the only non-gladed trail to receive that distinction at Okemo. Other improvements for this winter include four new Camoplast BR350 grooming machines, including one rigged with a Sherpa direct pull winch; an expanded 155 million gallon water reservoir for snowmaking; on-mountain dining enhancements; additional recreational amenities at Jackson Gore. In addition to 39 new fractional ownership residences in the Adams House at Jackson Gore, a new ice skating rink and a new fitness and aquatic center have been constructed at the area’s ever-improving base facility.

PICOMOUNTAIN

Along with Killington Resort, PicoMountain will debut a number of vacation experience enhancements for the 2006-07 ski and snowboard season. For starters, the Pico Base Lodge, administration building and all lifts and lift terminals have received a fresh new look. In addition the women’s restroom at the Pico Mountain Base Lodge has been renovated and new menu items will debut for the upcoming winter season. More than $1.5 million in resort improvements have taken place throughout the summer, including the opening of the Killington Grand Resort Hotel Spa and continued snowmaking upgrades.

Smugglers’ Notch Vermont SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH RESORT –

• 50 Years Old: Smugglers’ is celebrating its 50th Birthday by engaging guests in its history, stories and programs through special weekly presentations and events: a trail map for kiddies, Welcome Party with cake, fireworks and bonfire, Showtime Theatre’s 50th Birthday Revue, a Snow Ball and special vacation packages.
• Blue Square Trail: The popular Rum Runners’ Trail on Sterling Mountain gets widened and contoured at its scariest spots to make this blue square run the best ever for intermediates, especially those on their maiden trip down the first big mountain of their lives.
• Terrain Parks: The Morse Highlands Terrain Park shifts to the Log Jam trail for a longer, wider, and more hit-filled beginner run. Kids and adults loved the park so much in its initial 2006 season that the same fun potential is being magnified for 2007.

 STRATTON MOUNTAIN RESORT

• We-xplore: For the 2006-07 season, StrattonMountain will be offering a children’s environmental program, called We-xplore. Designed from a global perspective, We-xplore will get kids out and about in the local environment and learning how our surroundings tie in with the greater picture.