2019 – 2020 Resort Updates

Ah, summer. Maybe you’ve been spending time at the beach, on a worldly vacation, or getting after it through outdoor recreation like hiking, biking, and fishing. While you catch some rays and wait for the upcoming ski season, some of your favorite resorts are hard at work making crucial upgrades that will have a big impact on the 2020 season. Below, we will list some of the biggest changes you may notice at Ski Butlers serviced resorts when you hit the slopes next winter.


California:

  • Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is replacing its Hot Wheels lift with a high-speed quad, which will feature an extended second leg to the ridge, leading skiers to the Alpine and Sherwood areas more quickly. In addition, they will install new surface lifts at High Camp at Squaw Valley.

Colorado:

  • Steamboat Resort will be replacing its gondola and installing a new one that will run the same path, from the base area to Thunderhead Lodge. It is believed this will reduce transit time by 2:00 minutes and increase Steamboat’s overall uphill capacity by a whopping 38%.
  • Even after an amazing snowfall year, Vail Resorts will make efforts to improve its snowmaking at Vail, Beaver Creek, and Keystone, with the goal to allow Keystone to open earlier than competitors like A‑Basin and Loveland.
  • New for Breckenridge will be a new 22,000 square foot slopeside guest-service facility. The new facility will house a ski and snowboard school, childcare facility, and a ticket office. It will be located at the Peak 8 base, nearby the Colorado SuperChair and Rocky Mountain SuperChair.
  • To the delight of many parents, Vail Resorts has announced that Beaver Creek Children’s Ski School will undergo a complete renovation in summer 2019.
  • Debuting for the 2019 – 2020 season is the Epic Day Pass for guests of any of Vail Resorts’s mountains, including Park City Mountain in Utah. This new pass will allow guests to ski for up to 50% of window prices for a regular day pass. The catch? You will need to pay for multiple days upfront in order to fully reap a discount here.

Image Credit: The Steamboat Pilot
Utah:

  • Park City Mountain will install a new fixed-grip quad, ​“Over and Out,” in order to more quickly transport guests from the bottom of the Tombstone Express Lift and will unload towards the top of the Sunrise Lift. As you may know, this means skiers and riders will be able to get to Canyons Village from the center of the resort much more quickly. For all of you BBQ lovers, Park City Mountain will also be building a permanent version of famed Tombstone BBQ. On top of a full-service kitchen, the new Tombstone will seat up to 50 guests, have restrooms, and a beer bar.
  • Deer Valley Resort, to some skiers’ delight, will install RFID technology at its lifts and gondola. Alterra will also be removing the ticket window requirement for Ikon Pass holders, which means you will be able to use your pass to get directly to the lift next season. Deer Valley hopes this will speed up lift lines during busy holiday weekends.

Wyoming:

  • Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is replacing its old Eagle’s Rest lift path with a new fixed-grip quad of the same name that will provide access to advanced-beginner trails. The original Eagle’s Rest was a legendary 2‑seater, which operated for over 50 years before it was removed in 2016. The resort auctioned off the old two-person chairs and donated proceeds to the Pepi Stiegler Fund.
With all of these updates taking place at a number of the resorts we serve, be sure to factor them in when looking to book a trip (or two!) next season.

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