With a fresh blanket of snow falling on 16 Colorado ski and snowboard resorts yesterday and today, and over an inch at high elevations, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced its 25 member resorts are investing more than $140 million in on- and off-mountain improvements for the 2005-06 winter season. The new enhancements come in the form of everything from innovative guest service initiatives, extensive village renovations, new lifts, new trails and more.

“We’re the top choice for winter ski vacations and our guests have come to expect a certain standard from resorts in Colorado. We’re constantly looking to enhance our product and the overall guest experience,” explained Rob Perlman, President & CEO of CSCUSA. “With $140 million in capital improvements, enhancements and innovations, you can bet we’ll be raising the bar even higher this year.”

The following is a brief listing of the individual improvements for CSCUSA resorts:

ARAPAHOE BASIN

  • Arapahoe Basin will expand its legendary Montezuma Bowl area adding up to 400 acres of new open bowl skiing. The terrain will offer more open bowl skiing for intermediates and above average skiers and riders as well as offer steep chutes and cornices for experts and above. The terrain is expected to be 100 percent open for the 2006-07 winter season.
  • The resort is also making significant upgrades to its new rental, repair and guest services center.

ASPEN/SNOWMASS

  • Work is under way on the new Base Village at Snowmass and the related on-mountain improvements. The new Village Express six-passenger lift and the Mall Connector Cabriolet will be up and running for the 2005-06 season with the new Elk Camp Gondola and Elk Camp Meadows planned for the 2006-07 season.
  • Construction has begun on the new Base Village at Snowmass. It will include a 25,000-sq. ft. children’s center, community aquatic center, new retail, restaurant and conference space, plus 246 hotel-style units, 349 condos and 10 luxury townhomes. The new base village will include a 232-unit Westin conference hotel and a Little Nell Hotel at Snowmass along with 64,000 square feet of new shops and restaurants – all connected to the existing upper village area by a 90 second gondola ride.
  • The new Deep Temerity lift and terrain at Highlands will open for the 2005-06 season. The lift will access new advanced and expert terrain below Highland Bowl, Steeplechase and Temerity. New terrain opening next season will include the extensions of South Castle, Kessler Bowl and Soddbuster to almost double in length, plus an additional 1,000 ft. of vertical below Highland Bowl. In subsequent years, additional glading and trail work will bring the potential development of this area to 270 total acres.

BRECKENRIDGE

  • Breckenridge Ski Resort is focusing on two major projects for this season and into next summer.
  • First is the new lift that will take skiers and riders to the top of Peak 8. This new high-speed quad will take expert skiers and riders to 12,840 ft.–the highest lift-served terrain in North America-accessing Breckenridge’s famed in-bounds extreme terrain including Imperial Bowl, North Bowl, Whale’s Tail and Lake Chutes.
  • The second project Breckenridge Ski Resort is working on is the Skyway Skiway. This new way down the mountain, which will take two summer seasons to complete, will take skiers and riders from Peak 8 all way down to free parking lots in town. A direct way to Main Street, Breckenridge visitors will no longer have to bus down the mountain from Peak 8 to get to their favorite après ski bar.
  • Vail Resorts Development Company has started construction of Breckenridge’s Mountain Thunder Townhomes. Part of the Mountain Thunder Lodge and Townhome community, these new residences will be completed by July 2006.

COPPER MOUNTAIN

  • Copper is building a new Superpipe near the base of the mountain, just west of the American Eagle Lift. Copper is bringing the 500 ft. long Superpipe to the guests with little more than 200 ft. separating the bottom from the base of the Eagle. The base pipe is expected to host team training, competitions, events and more throughout the season.
  • Improved snowfencing and the addition of another 12-passenger cat will enhance the cat skiing experience. Snowcats deliver guests to Tucker Mountain, elevation 12,337 ft., where they'll meet high alpine adventure terrain better known as The Taco, The Nacho and Fremont Glades to name a few.

CRESTED BUTTE

  • Crested Butte continues with its multi-million dollar resort-wide improvements. The face-lift that began last year at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) due to the purchase by Tim and Diane Mueller is already in high gear. Totaling $57.3 million, resort improvements include:
  • Extensive landscaping at the base area
  • Extensive brush cutting on ski trails including the
  • Extreme Limits
  • Prospect, Phase II — (the finest ski-in, ski-out community in the Rockies)
  • A new base village, titled Mountaineer Square
  • New chairlift
  • A new state-of-the-art central reservation system for
  • Crested Butte Vacations
  • Upgraded and improved snowmaking
  • Additional grooming machines
  • A redesign of Kids’ World
  • A new on-mountain demo center
  • New ski and snowboard rental equipment
  • New uniforms
  • Increased and continued brush cutting
  • A smoker on the deck of Butte 66
  • A new deck at the Ice Bar & Restaurant (base of Twister Lift)

DURANGO (PURGATORY)

  • Purgatory continues developing as part of the resort’s 25 year plan. This year’s expansion includes a face-lift for the Columbine Area, including construction of the Alpenglow townhomes and the re-location of the magic carpet and SnowCoaster tubing hill. The magic carpet will move to the base area, adjacent to Chair 4 and Hoody’s Base Camp, while the SnowCoaster tubing hill will move its landing zone farther from the highway entrance.

ELDORA

  • Eldora Mountain continues its dedication to great snow quality. The resort will be adding 30 new York tower guns to its snowmaking system this year. The new snowmaking guns are more efficient and quieter than previous models. As a result, the new guns also produce a much higher quality of snow.

HOWELSEN

  • Howelson Mountain is investing $160,000 in a new K68 nordic jump.

KEYSTONE

  • This year, Keystone continues to invest in A51 Incubator its beginner area located adjacent to its super-sized A51 terrain park. This is in direct response to feedback from guests and the needs of the Keystone University (our ski/ride program) instructors for a “jumping off point” for their students and for the beginner freerider/freeskier.
  • Keystone’s new guided snowcat tours is just the ticket to give advanced to expert skiers/riders their first taste of untouched terrain without the typical 30-40 minute hike. Instead, a heated snowcat whisks skiers and riders to more than 860 acres of bowl skiing/riding in just 10-15 minutes. As part of the program, skiers and riders must participate in a an introductory avalanche awareness talk where they learn to judge slope angle, how to pick safe lines, where not to ski, how to ski, who to ski with, what equipment they’ll need and how to use the equipment.

LOVELAND

  • Loveland is taking Group Services to a whole new level. The resort will offer a new lounge for group leaders providing a private, quiet place to get organized, check e-mail, make phone calls, store skis or just relax away from the group. The room will be equipped with computers, desks, coffee and wireless internet access.

MONARCH

  • Monarch Mountain is adding 12 new runs and bowl skiing in Mirkwood Basin (Southbound, East Trees, Staircase, Mirkwood Trees, Mirkwood Bowl, Orcs, and Elation Ridge). The new runs are perfect for the double-diamond daredevils. All the new terrain will be categorized as advanced/expert terrain. In total, the new runs will an additional 130 acres of challenging skiing and riding terrain.

POWDERHORN

  • The resort is widening two trials, Maverick and Dude, making it easier for intermediate skiers and riders to navigate their way down. Also for the 2005-06 season, Powderhorn is also adding new expert run on the far east side of the mountain.

SILVERTON

  • Silverton is investing more than $250,000 on the Sick Bird Bike Park, a new snow safety projects that may also include new terrain options.
  • Fat Guy Couloir, and The Wet Spot are two additional zones that will be open starting this season. Not for the faint of heart, both runs are classified as “extreme” with over 50 degree pitches in some places and narrow chutes less than 100cm in places. These will be open as conditions allow.

SKI COOPER

  • This year Ski Cooper’s day lodge is undergoing its own version of ‘extreme makeover’. The old lodge will be getting a new look complete with and extensive exterior facelift. In addition to the day lodge, the ski school building and race buildings will getting a new look as well.

SOLVISTA

  • Village Homes will be launching 300 units in a variety of styles including ski-in ski-out cabins, townhomes and fairway cabins. Granby Ranch will launch custom home lots.

STEAMBOAT

  • Steamboat is spending $1.5 million in capital improvements for the 2005/06 season. Over the past five years, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation has invested over $9 million in the resort.
  • This year Steamboat is spending the majority of its capitol improvement funds on completing the environmental analysis of proposed projects as required by National Environmental Policy Act requirements in order to update its Master Plan. Over the next five years, this amendment to the Master Plan would allow Steamboat to undertake several projects including making improvements to chairlifts, on-mountain dining, ski trails, summer trails and snowmaking.
  • This year, the resort will add two new outdoor kiosks to the Steamboat MountainWatch system, which debuted during last year and makes Steamboat the only ski resort in the world to offer this program. The device allows guests to better locate all members of their group on the mountain and to communicate with others in their group through kiosk messaging-all with a simple swipe of the wristband locator.
  • Powered by Caterpillar, six-cylinder, 350-horsepower engines, four new 18,542 lbs Camoplast BR-350 snowcat grooming machines will be added to the resort’s fleet, which will now encompass 18 machines will be able to groom nearly twice the terrain an hour compared to the resort’s current snowcats.
  • Steamboat’s snowmaking system will undergo a pipeline extension and add a new remote high-powered electric generator and multiple H2O pumps to run a portable fan gun adding significant coverage. In addition, 40 new energy efficient tower snowguns will enhance the overall system’s output. Designed to provide maximum efficiency, ease of operation, and low maintenance, these tower guns are 6 to 10 times more efficient than conventional air/water snowguns.
  • Steamboat has invested in a High Definition Camera and Editing equipment package to compliment its current Videography facility. The resort’s videographer will now utilize a Sony HDV camera and digital editing system for all stock footage, event coverage and video news release services.

VAIL

  • Vail’s grooming initiative is in phase two this season which means after increasing the capacity to manicure 30 percent more terrain each night, nine cats will be replaced in the lineup for 2005-2006 ensuring the most modern fleet available. On average Vail grooms 1,300- 1,600 acres of terrain per night, which is more than most resorts contain.
  • Two on-mountain restaurants are in the midst of facelifts. Mid Vail Lodge will complete interior work with new carpet, lighting, paint and more. Eagle’s Nest will embark on the first of a two-year project including the remodel of Blue Moon Restaurant, Marketplace Food Court and children-specific facilities will be added.
  • Snowmaking is completing the final phase of its three-year upgrade between LionsHead and Golden Peak, which improves snowmaking capacities across the lower mountain and provides more efficient water and energy use.
  • Off the mountain, Vail’s Billion Dollar Renewal is underway which includes a significant community makeover of both lodges and streetscape. In LionsHead, The Arrabelle at Vail Square, a luxury hotel and condominium project has started with the new property slated to open in 2007. Most importantly, the on-mountain experience will feel no impact throughout this community transformation. For redevelopment news visit newvail.com.

WINTER PARK

  • For the 2005-2006 ski season Winter Park Resort has spent $9 million in capital improvements, including an extensive remodel of Mary Jane’s Club Car restaurant, enhanced tree skiing at Mary Jane and replacing the Summit Express chairlift with a high-speed detachable 6-pack newly named Super Gauge Express.
  • Part of $9 million invested in capital improvements, Winter Park Resort introduced a $300,000 Mountain Sign Program using recycled trees to create new and improved on-mountain signage for Mary Jane Mountain while providing another creative approach to retaining a healthy forest environment.
  • Fall of 2005, Winter Park Resort will introduce a Discovery Center dedicated to inform resort guests of the new village at Winter Park. The Discovery Center is slated to go in at the base of the Winter Park Resort.

WOLF CREEK

  • With approximately $2,000,000 in a variety of improvements Wolf Creek is gearing up for the 2005-06 winter season. Improvements include everything from parking lots to rental equipment.