Liz Copan / [email protected]
DILLON – After months of anticipation over the upcoming ski season, Vail Resorts announced its business plan on Thursday, including a reservation system and opening days.
It looks like there won’t be the usual race to open this year between Keystone Resort and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, as Vail Resorts has already set Keystone’s opening date for November 6 – if the weather permits. Breckenridge Ski Resort is expected to open Nov. 13. In nearby Eagle County, Vail is scheduled to open Nov. 20 and Beaver Creek is scheduled for Nov. 25.
Reservations will be required to gain access to Vail-owned mountains, and the company said in a news release that it intends to limit lift passes and prioritize passers-by. According to the website for the Epic Pass, The pass system of Vail Resorts, the company expects to include anyone who wants to ski or ride the “vast majority of days”. The site also notes that the reservation system is designed to make people feel safe.
Passholders can make reservations at EpicPass.com, on the website of each ski resort or by phone. Additional information on the reservation system is expected in early November. Beginning Nov. 6, holders of online reservations can begin booking December 8 through April 4. Passholders will be offered seven priority reservation days during that period.
Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz stated in a letter published Thursday, August 27th, that passholders can reserve as many weeks as they pass and allow availability throughout the season.
Those who want to ski 100 days should get into the habit of reserving a new day every day, but those with goals to have a great ski holiday should be able to do so, resort officials said.
“It is possible that at some point in the season, when we evaluate the dynamics of our operations, we may decide that we no longer need the reservation system at certain resorts,” Katz wrote. “With so many uncertainties, however, we believe it is only wise to have this system in place now.”
One-day lift tickets will go on sale on December 8, leaving the early season to passers-by, according to the release. Walk-up tickets will no longer be on sale at the window, but day guests can purchase tickets from their mobile devices and pick up at the window.
At a Breckenridge Town Council meeting on Tuesday, August 25, Breckenridge Mayor Eric Mamula shared details of a meeting he shared with Vail Resorts leaders, including Katz. Mamula noted that the company seemed concerned that the state would place capacity limits on all resorts without taking their differences into account. Mamula drew a comparison with when entering restaurant spaces were capped at 50 people, which felt too limited for larger restaurants. The state later changed its capacity limits for restaurants with more than 7,200 square feet.
The state has not issued public guidance for ski resorts.
Asked if the plan was developed with state guidance, Breckenridge Ski Resort spokeswoman Sara Lococo said in an email that the plan was designed to comply with, and in some areas, “all known applicable laws.”
This includes requiring face coverage and implementing physical distance protocols.
Face coverings will be required to access the mountain and must be maintained in “all parts of resort operations”, including when loading and riding chairlifts and gondolas, as well as in buildings and during ski and snowboard lessons, according to the release. On chairlifts and gondolas, related groups can ride together as people from different groups can ride together while maintaining the required distance. This means that two single skiers can ride as riders on opposite sides of a 4-person or larger chairlift or in large gondola rides. On an elevator of six people, two doubles can ride on opposite sides of the seat.
Lessons and food on the mountain will also be available with some modifications. Full-service, sit-down restaurants will operate with reduced seating according to existing state guidelines. Fast food restaurants will have a cafeteria-style approach, with guests moving through a line with one file and selecting ready-made options for hot and cold food before heading to the checkout.
For ski and snowboard lessons, instructors will undergo health care, and participants are required to schedule an online self-health screening prior to their lesson. Class size will be limited to six people, and lessons must be purchased in advance, according to the release.
In preparation for the season, Lococo said the resorts are actively hiring for positions throughout the season and throughout the year. The federal suspension of visas for foreign workers until the end of the year prevents the resorts from hiring international employees with J-1 or H-2B visas, but Lococo said the resorts have a seasonal staff base and have “additional strategies in place” place to help staff at our resorts fit for winter. ”Lococo added that staff homes are provided with safety protocols in place.
The deadline of the traditional Labor Day Epic Pass deadline, including the deadline for using credits from last season, has been extended to Sept. 17.
The Vail Daily’s John LaConte contributed to this report.
