Vail Resorts Adam Aron Resigns

Vail Resorts chairman and CEO Adam Aron announced Monday that he’ll be stepping down from the top job at the company. Vail Resorts owns both the Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas.

Aron will resign effective June 28, according to a company press release. The date coincides with Aron’s 10th anniversary working for Vail Resorts.

“I think I’m so proud of what we’ve done, I’m going to go out a winner,” Aron said in an interview Monday. The 51-year-old Aron stopped short of calling the step a “retirement,” adding, “I’m sure that there are some very exciting things in my future left to do.”

Over his 10-year stint at Vail Resorts, the company grew to four times its original size. In the release announcing his resignation, Aron said, “I am enormously proud of the progress that has been made. In its simplest terms, I have had a great run.”

Aron’s self-described great run is ending just as a number of high- profile, high-yield projects by Vail Resorts are either under way or nearing completion. The company’s Arrabelle at Vail Square project is the jeweled centerpiece of the current expansion. When finished in 2007, the Arrabelle will contain 67 condos and a 36-room luxury hotel. The project is valued at more than $110 million. Vail Resorts is also finishing the Gore Creek Place townhome project — a $50 million endeavor with 16 four- and five-bedroom condos, as well as the expansive “Front Door” redevelopment project and a total redesign of the ski area’s Lionshead gondola area.

Aron, though, also reflected fondly on the progress made at the two Summit County ski resorts the company operates — Breckenridge and Keystone. He particularly noted a decade of progress making Breckenridge “the world class ski resort that the town deserves.”

Team Breckenridge Wins Gold in Snow Sculpting Championships

Team Breckenridge took home the gold in the 2006 Budweiser Select International Snow Sculpture Championships Saturday. Their sculpture titled "Discovery" depicted a puppy discovering its reflection in a large mirror.

This is the first time in the event's history Team Breckenridge has taken the Gold Medal.

Team Switzerland won the silver medal with their sculpture "Somersault" a graceful round shape balancing on a pedistal.

Team Germany's "Coming Home" won the bronze with one of the more thought-provoking sculptures of two lovers enveloped by the world.

Team Canada's "Touchdown in Two" received an honorable mention.

Thousands of spectators watched this week as 13 teams from nine countries participated in the event, now in its 16th year.

The finished pieces are achieved without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants - just the ingenuity of man and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of chisels, saws, chicken wire and even carrot scrapers.

With more snow and cool temperatures in the forecast, the sculptures should remain in display at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge until February 5 - weather permitting.

Snow Sculpting Championships Have Long History in Breckenridge

Long before it was an international competition, Breckenridge residents used piles snow and water to make their works of art. It began as an event at Ullr Fest with sculptures lining Main Street.

Local businesses created all sorts of sculptures up and down Main Street during the annual winter festival.

Team Breck captain Rob Neyland, who first entered the contest in 1979 with the staff at his real estate office, described the sculptures then as "spontaneous grassroots street art."

Neyland, Ron Shelton, Randy Amys and Bill Hazell won that year and Team Breck continued winning the local event. Soon enough they were exposed to the greater aspect of the sport - national and international competitions.

"When we found out people did this elsewhere, we knew that we had to make this happen for Breckenridge," Neyland said. "Breckenridge is a great big world of snow and it's the perfect blend of art and sport."

Neyland petitioned for state certification and in 1986 participated in (and won) the Colorado State Snow Sculpture Championships hosted by Breckenridge.


In 1991, with the help of the ski resort's specially made snow, the town hosted their first International Snow Sculpture Championships.

International Snow Sculpture Championships Return to Breckenridge

The Budweiser Select International Snow Sculpture Championships return to Breckenridge for the 16th year, January 24-29, 2006. This year, 13 teams from nine countries, including, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States will participate in the competition. The event takes place at the Riverwalk Center, located in the heart of Breckenridge between Main Street and Park Avenue. This event is attended annually by over 30,000 people from across the U.S. and the world and has been named by USA Today as one of the top 10 ways to celebrate winter. The event begins at 11 a.m. on Tuesday with the Starbucks Shotgun Start. The complete Schedule is attached.

The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships have long been known for bringing together diverse cultures. “Each year, the competition steps up to create even more amazing works of art than the previous year,” notes Sally Croker, Breckenridge Resort Chamber Event Director. “I believe the camaraderie between the teams during the competition contributes to that excellence.”

Each year, four-person teams are assigned 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made snow. These teams work within a five-day period to create sensational sculptures. From these blocks of snow, the teams often create enormous pieces of whimsy, although some deliver powerful political or social commentary. Some sculptures are even interactive and allow spectators to experience the tactile as well as visual grace of the fleeting exhibit.

The finished pieces are achieved after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants – just the ingenuity of man and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of chisels, saws, chicken wire and even carrot scrapers.

When the sculptures are finished on Saturday, January 28, a panel of well-known artists and patrons of the arts serve as judges and present awards to the first, second and third place sculptures. Awards are also given for People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice and Artists’ Choice. There are no cash prizes; the artists instead revel in the reward of hard work, forged friendships, freedom of artistic expression and the satisfaction of long hours of preparation that lead to the event.

For a more information, visit www.gobreck.com or call 877-864-0868.

American Freeski Tour Comes to Breckenridge

American Freeski Tour

DATE / TIME: Friday Feb 3 - Sunday Feb 5, 2006

LOCATION: Peak 8, Freeway Terrain Park, Breckenridge, CO.

RESORT CONTACT: Heather Nordquist

GENERAL INFO: Toll-Free: 1.800.789.SNOW
Direct: 970.453.5000

Web: http://www.breckenridge.com/ www.americanfeeski.com

EVENT OVERVIEW: The Paul Mitchell American Freeski Tour provides skiers with an opportunity to compete in nationally televised Superpipe and Slopestyle competitions. Currently one of the top freeski tours in the nation, this event promises to attract some big names and even bigger prizes. Witness the best of new-school skiing at the American Freeski Tour!

TV COVERAGE: One-hour show broadcast nationally on OLN with six airings of the show in February and March. International Distribution reaching 100 countries and 300 million subscribers.

REGISTRATION: Register online at americanfreeski.com before the competition. Credentials pick up at Gray Media trailer next to the Bergenhof Friday Feb 3-5..

Schedule of events:


2/3/2006 (Fri)
8am-5pm
Registration
Media Trailer Pk 8

10am-2pm
HP/SS Training
Freeway

5pm
Athlete Meeting
TBA
2/4/2006 (Sat.)
8am – 9am
Registration
Media Trailer Pk 8

8:30am – 9:45am
Slopestyle Practice
Freeway

10am
Slopestyle Starts
Freeway

1:30pm
SS Finals
Freeway

4:30pm
Athlete Meeting
TBA
2/5/2006 (Sun.)
8am – 9am
Registration
Media Trailer Pk 8

8:30am – 9:45am
Halfpipe Practice
Freeway

10am
Halfpipe Starts
Freeway

1:00pm
HP Finals
Freeway


OPEN TO PUBLIC: Spectators are welcome to view the Super pipe competition from the pipe decks and from the base of the pipe. You can access the pipe by walking up from the base of Peak 8. The Slopestyle event is best viewed from the top of the freeway terrain park, just off of Four O’Clock Run.

More Affordable Housing for Breckenridge

Development of a second phase of affordable housing in the Wellington Neighborhood remains on track for an April 1 groundbreaking, as applicant David O'Neil and the town council worked out the last remaining details of an annexation agreement last week.

The deal outlines who will pay for sidewalks in and around the neighborhood, addressing critical pedestrian safety and access issues in the entire French Gulch residential corridor.

Along with the town, O'Neil committed additional financial resources toward the improvements, and also agreed to deed several acres to the town for a potential daycare facility. The exact daycare location is still up in the air, pending final development plans and discussions with neighborhood residents.

The town will provide cash up-front to enable the work to be done this summer, in conjunction with work on the new Wellington units. Nearby residents lobbied hard for the mitigation of existing traffic impacts as part of the approval, and town officials listened. O'Neil will repay his share as the first two filings for his project are approved.

Mayor Ernie Blake said he will take on the task of convincing county officials that they also need to be part of the equation.

Realtors Meet in Keystone

Real estate brokers from around the Rocky Mountain Region gathered at Keystone Friday to compare notes on real estate trends around the region.

All agreed that certain unique attributes characterize mountain resort markets, setting them apart from other types of real estate markets.

The conference was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Resort Alliance (RMRA), comprised of more than 3,000 real estate agents from nine real estate boards in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and British Columbia, Canada.

Nearly all the speakers from the various resort areas agreed that inventory is tight, with the law of supply and demand keeping prices high.

186 Inches of Snow Reported on the Mountain

Snow, snow and more snow!

Since October 1 the Breckenridge Ski area has received 186 inches of snow (as of yesterday).

In town it's the first time since the 1995-1996 winter with four straight months of above-average precipitation, said Breckenridge weather watcher Rick Bly, referring to the current string of wetter-than-average months dating back to September.

Bly, who measures snow and rain totals for the National Weather Service, said he tallied 41.9 inches of snow for the month at his backyard gauge, a far cry from the record 149 inches in Dec. 1893, but 52 percent more than the long-term average of 21.9 inches.

December didn't bring anywhere near record snows, but if you take the 111 inches that fell in October, November and December, it adds up to the fourth-snowiest early winter ever, he said.

Bly said the snow-water equivalent (melted snow) at his station was also well above average for December at 3.16 inches, compared to 1.48 inches. This total bodes well for water storage and runoff in the Colorado mountains, where all the northern river basins have above-average snowpack.

MTV to Film Concerts in Breckenridge

MHD, the new HDTV music television network launching on January 16, today announced an original series of live concert specials shooting January 11 and 12 in Breckenridge, Colorado. Entitled “Music With Altitude,” the concert specials featuring Dashboard Confessional, country superstar Gary Allan, Goo Goo Dolls and up-and-coming recording artist and reality television star Cheyenne Kimball will be shot during Ullr Fest, an annual week-long Winter festival in Breckenridge.

The concerts will be staged at the Riverwalk Center and tickets are free to the public. A limit of four tickets per person will be available beginning Friday, January 6th at the Breckenridge Activity Center at 137 S. Main Street beginning at 9:00AM or by calling 877-864-0868. Tickets can also be obtained through Breckenridge’s and MHD’s local and Denver-area promotional partners.

The “Music With Altitude” concerts will be directed by Alex Coletti and produced by Jen Jones. Coletti, producer of the Grammy-nominated “Unplugged: Alicia Keys,” has been at the helm of several MTV music franchises and recently entered into an expanded development deal with MTV Networks Music Group. Jeff Jacobs and Morgan Hertzan will serve as Executive Producers and Peter Baron is Executive in Charge.

“With the party atmosphere of Ullr Fest buzzing around Breckenridge and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains providing a spectacular background, these concerts truly embrace what MHD is all about – combining great music, great visuals and high def in a way that only MTV Networks can do,” said Peter Baron, Executive in Charge of “Music With Altitude” and Vice President, Label Relations, MTV/MTV2. “The mix of artists on stage gives Ullr Fest visitors and MHD viewers a great blend of country, rock and pop, truly reflecting the MTV, VH1 and CMT heritage of our exciting new HDTV channel.”

Snow Keeps Pilling Up

Without any obvious large-scale patterns influencing the weather, Colorado seems to have returned to a normal winter storm pattern, with wave after wave of Pacific moisture rolling onshore and delivering a steady series of snowstorms across the Northern Rockies.

“The westerlies across the Pacific are strong now and are driving repeated storms into the western mountains. It has not, however, been far enough south to produce snow and rain for the southwest USA, including southwest Colorado,” said state climatologist Dr. Roger Pielke.

Thursday’s storm snarled holiday traffic but also delivered a fresh blast of new snow at all local areas, with 6 inches at Copper Mountain, five at A-Basin, 3 at Breckenridge and 2 inches at Keystone, as of the 2 p.m.

Just across the Divide, Loveland picked up 9 inches for the highest storm total of the day.

Breckenridge weather watcher Rick Bly hasn’t compiled the month-end totals for Breckenridge but December is sure to wind up as the third month in a row with above-average precipitation, the first time that’s happened in quite some time.

As of Thursday morning, snowfall for the month was about 40 percent above average, Bly said. And there’s more snow on the way, with the forecast calling for waves of moisture to roll in every few days, at least through early next week.

“It’s a very progressive, active Pacific Ocean,” said Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecaster Scott Toepfer, indicating that another storm is due Saturday night, with another system ringing in the New Year with fresh powder Monday night into Tuesday. Toepfer said it looks like the jet stream could drop a little further south with that system, bringing heavier snows to the Northern Mountains along with a good blast for the San Juans, where precipitation has been lagging a little bit.

The snowpack at Red Mountain Pass is at about 84 percent of normal, Toepfer said.In general, the southern mountains have been drier than average this season, especially compared with the past few years.

“It’s just the luck of the draw where the storm track decided to stroll this year,” Toepfer said, explaining that the jet stream has just stayed that tad to the north, which means the San Juans haven’t seen the southwest flows coming in from Southern California. The recent series of storms has been originating in the central Pacific rather than the Gulf of Alaska, which means the temperatures have been slightly warmer than average for this time of year.

Looking at large-scale satellite images, Toepfer said there’s a zonal flow beginning in China and Russia and extending all the way across the Pacific before ridging and troughing as it hits the West Coast.

“In that kind of flow, the storms move in fast and move out fast, and there’s not a lot of time for dry slots to form in between,” he said.

The current weather pattern comes close, but doesn’t quite meet the definition of a Pineapple Express, when copious subtropical moisture from near Hawaii hooks up with the Polar jet stream for what can be exceptionally heavy snows. But should the present pattern shift just a little, with storms coming in slightly colder, conditions could resemble the winter of 1983, “when we were tunneling down Main Street (in Breckenridge) to get our mail,” Toepfer said.

Keystone Wins Enviornmental Award

Keystone Resort’s ongoing environmental accomplishments have earned it a reputation as a leader in the ski industry for green efforts, according to Rick Cables, regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, which covers Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas.

Over the past year, the Keystone Lodge signed a one-year contract to buy enough wind energy to offset the electricity used by 40-percent of its room nights, the Outpost restaurant began composting vegetable scraps at 11,440 feet and the resort partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the Keystone Science School to create a mountain naturalist tour for its guests.

That’s on top of already using wind energy to power its night-skiing operation, composting at the Keystone Ranch and the conference center and employing a successful recycling program that consistently recycles 1,200 tons of materials every year.

“The whole ethic at Keystone is about sustainability and a very light environmental footprint. We just thought that was neat stuff and they should get acknowledged for it,” Cables said.

Cables and his two deputy foresters recently selected Keystone out of numerous nominees for its prestigious Caring for the Land Stewardship Award, marking the first time a ski area has ever won the honors.

Kids NextSnow Search 2006

The 2006 Sports Illustrated For Kids Next Snow Search is a series of ski and snowboard competitions in the U.S. and Canada. Boys and girls age 9-13, both skiers and snowboarders all compete in the one class.

Members of the Breckenridge Freeride team will judge the performance of each participant. Events include moguls, carving, big mountain, riding, half pipe, slopestyle, rails, racing, and big air jumps. Athletes must compete in all events. Style attitude and sportsmanship are also considered in addition to athletic skill. The goal is to discover the best kids on snow.

On January 8, 2006 the series comes to Breckenridge.

The winner of the qualifying event will be sent (expenses paid) to represent Breckenridge at the Next Snow Search Finals at Killington, VT, on March 3-5, 2006

For more information to to www.nextsnow.com or contact Heather Nordquist at 970-453-5000.

Skyway Skiway to Open One Year Early

This Friday, Breckenridge Ski Resort will celebrate the opening of the Skyway Skiway with a ribbon cutting on the skier bridge that serves as a link for Breckenridge skiers and riders from Peak 8 to the Main Street Breckenridge and free skier parking lots. The Skyway Skiway also will provide ski-in access to the Mountain Thunder Lodge and Townhomes.

The Skyway Skiway opening was originally planned for the 2006-2007 season, but crews worked into the fall to complete the project early. While the resort still needs to put in snowmaking on the Skyway Skiway next summer, plentiful snowfall has allowed Breckenridge Ski Resort to open the skiway more than a year ahead of schedule.

The Skyway Skiway is an example of the ski resort and the town working together to better meet the needs of our guests including easier access from the mountain to the parking lots and Main Street, said Roger McCarthy, chief operating officer for Breckenridge and Keystone. And, thanks to all the snow that has fallen, we are able to open this new ski run into town a year early to all our skiers and riders.

In May 2002, the Town of Breckenridge and Breckenridge Ski Resort signed a landmark agreement outlining a development plan for Peaks 7 and 8 designed to uphold both the resort town's world-class stature and quality of life. The construction and completion of the Skyway Skiway is an integral part of implementing the agreement.

With its completion, we are one step closer to making the Peak 7 and Peak 8 villages a reality, said Alex Iskenderian, vice-president of development for Vail Resorts Development Company.

The Skyway Skiway ribbon-cutting will take place at the head of the new skier bridge at 10 a.m. this Friday, Dec. 23. To get there via Peak 8, take 4 O'Clock ski run down to the Skyway Skiway.

'98 Vail Fires had Summit County Effect

You have probably read about the recent arrests of two persons suspected of being involved with the 1998 arson on Vail Mountain.

The 1998 arson on Vail Mountain that destroyed Two Elk lodge and destroyed or heavily damaged several other buildings and lifts at the Eagle County ski area was accompanied by a veiled warning that hinted at future strikes against other ski resorts in the region.

Taking credit for the fires, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) warned skiers to stay away from Vail Resorts-owned ski areas, suggesting that more attacks could be in the cards if the resort company didn't back away from its path of what ELF characterized as unwarranted destruction of wildlife habitat.

As a result, the fires had repercussions in Summit County, as Vail Resorts boosted security measures at Keystone and Breckenridge. At the start of the 1998 season, for example, security vehicles were more visible than usual at the Keystone base area. Patrols were stepped up around the ski resorts, and some on-mountain facilities were staffed day and night.

While a similar attack is not near the top of the list of present concerns, at least some of those security measures are still in place, including increased use of video surveillance at all four of the company's resorts, said VR spokesperson Kelly Ladyga.

"The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority," Ladyga said, adding that she couldn't discuss any additional security measures.

The Vail arson also had a direct impact on Summit County's law enforcement resources, said former Sheriff Joe Morales, now director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The top concern at the time was securing the access routes to Vail's Category 3 expansion area, now known as Blue Sky Basin. Since the main route to the area started on the Summit side of Vail Pass, the sheriff's office was involved in that effort, Morales said.

The threat of additional attacks against Vail Resorts meant local deputies had to step up patrols around Summit County resorts. Morales said a new lift on Peak 7 at Breckenridge was under consideration at the time, raising security concerns in that area.

"We were concerned enough that those people would go to that level that people could potentially get killed," Morales said, emphasizing that it was lucky no one died at the mountaintop fires at Vail.

Morales said there were several other incidents of eco-sabotage, or vandalism, that were investigated while he was sheriff, including some tree-spiking, as well as damage to heavy equipment around construction areas at Keystone, as well as some equipment under contract to the Forest Service for work on public lands around Montezuma.

Any imminent threat of a ski area attack has faded to the background, but it's still on the radar screen, as is the potential for other types of eco-sabotage, according to Summit County Sheriff John Minor.

"Domestic or international terrorism is never off the radar screen," Minor said. In the context of environmentally motivated attacks, Minor said local law enforcement officials take heed when there are activities in other parts of the state, or even in adjacent states. For example, after a series of arsons targeting SUVs at car dealers in California, the Silverthorne Police Department stepped up patrols around local dealers. Similarly, arson attacks against trophy home construction sites elsewhere spurred local authorities to try and better secure local construction sites. But a bigger concern is a more general threat to all sorts of facilities in the county after Sept. 11, Minor said, referring to increased efforts to protect important infrastructure like Dillon Dam and the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Silverthorne Nordic Center Open for the Season

Silverthorn's cross-country, snowshoe and ski skating center opened for its fifth season Thursday.

The Silverthorne Nordic Center is located at the Raven at Three Peaks Golf Course, 2929 Golden Eagle Road, off Highway 9.

The center offers beginner through advanced trails. The trails will be groomed approximately three times per week, as weather permits. No rental equipment is available.

The Silverthorne Parks, Open Space, Recreation and Trails committee established the center in 2001.

The 5th annual Swift Skedaddle Snowshoe Race, a qualifier for the National Snowshoe Championships, will once again be held at the Center on January 14, 2006. For more information contact Danelle Ballengee at danelle@colorado.net.

Santa to Visit RE/MAX in Breckenridge

Santa's making a special visit to RE/MAX Properties of the Summit before his big trip on Christmas Eve.

Santa will be at the Breckenridge office, located at 220 S. Main St., for the third annual Santa Claus is Coming to Town celebration from 4-6:30 p.m. Friday to visit with children and pose for pictures.

Light refreshments and a variety of free gifts provided by RE/MAX for boys and girls will be available at the event until they run out.

Black Timber Property Maintenance, Majestic Mountain Mortgage, Goode Construction and Development, Summit Daily News and KSMT are sponsoring the event.

Also, RE/MAX in Breckenridge has a mailbox for letters to Santa Claus outside its office. Kids can drop off their wish lists and greetings to the North Pole until the day before Christmas.

For more information about the event, call RE/MAX Properties of the Summit at (970) 453-7000.

Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix Visits Breckenridge

The world's finest athletes have arrived in Breckenridge for the first stop of this USSA sanctioned snowboard series.

From December 13 - 17, Breckenridge hosts scores of well-known and unknown riders, hoping to make their mark in the field. Kicking off the snowboard season, the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix promises high energy and excitement for both athletes and spectators.

This year, the top finishers in the Grand Prix series will heat to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.

This year's competition includes two half-pipe contests, as well as a nighttime exhibition, in town, under the lights.

For more information contact Heather Nordquist at 970-453-5000.

Peak 7 Base Area Development Gets Green Light

The schedule for a new base area development at Peak 7 stayed right on track as planning commissioners unanimously approved a master plan amendment and density transfer for the project last week.

The approval means construction of roads, bridges and utility installations at Peak 7 is set to begin next May, barring any unforeseen snags, said Alex Iskenderian, vice president of Vail Resorts Development Company (VRDC).

"It's a three-step approval process for us," Iskenderian said, explaining that VRDC will seek the go-ahead for site-specific infrastructure plans in early January.

"We'll see how that goes. We're hoping we can get it approved in one meeting," Iskenderian said.

The company intends to subsequently submit site plans for specific buildings at Peak 7, he said.

The planning commission approval was for the overall Peak 7 and Peak 8 master plan, including a density transfer of 48 units from the Mountain Thunder complex along Park Avenue. The initial focus will be on the Peak 7 area, with construction of residential condo-hotel units and some skier service facilities expected in the next couple of years. Overall, the entire Peak 7 and Peak 8 development has been described as a phased eight- to 10-year project.

Plan for Widening Highway 9

The latest version of the plan for widening Highway 9 between Farmer's Korner and Breckenridge shows some significant improvements, especially for most residents in the Lakeview Meadows area, assistant county manager Thad Noll said after an open house Tuesday evening.

Noll said the latest plan includes a traffic signal at Jarelle Drive and Dickey Drive, providing better and safer access to the highway from the main residential areas at Farmer's Korner. Additionally, the highway has been pushed east, away from the Farmer's Grove subdivision.

"It looks like they really listened to the residents and homeowners association," Noll said."

What the attempt is ... is to reduce the impacts as much as possible with context-sensitive design," said Wes Goff, project manager for consultant PBS&J.

"We're making a very strong effort to reduce right-of-way and environmental impacts in the corridor."

The funding picture for the five mile, $27 million highway project is unclear following the defeat of Referendum D, passage of which would have helped pay for the Highway 9 project. The Colorado Department of Transportation is still tentatively scheduling the start of construction for spring of 2007.

Keystone to add 278 acres of terrain

With snowcat skiing operations at Keystone’s Erickson and Bergman bowls deemed a success by the resort and U.S. Forest Service, the resort is looking to open an additional 278 acres for cat skiing and hike-to access, possibly as soon as this winter.

“Everybody we’ve talked to says they want a little steeper and north-facing terrain,” said Chuck Tolton, Keystone’s director of mountain operations, describing public demand for the new terrain, which the resort for now is calling Independence Bowl.

As described in a Forest Service scoping notice, the new terrain would be on the upper reaches of the north aspect of Keystone Mountain (south of Erickson Bowl), as well as on the west and southwest aspects of Bear and Independence mountains, encompassing the head of the Jones Gulch drainage.

The proposed skiing and snowcat activities would be within Keystone’s permitted area, mostly in alpine terrain above tree line at about 11,000 feet. Snowcats would pick up guests at the Summit House or the Outpost and use established over-snow routes to access the new terrain.