Colorado: Vail Resorts says mid-winter business rebounded

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Major capital investments announced for upcoming seasons

Vail Resorts is talking up the Peak 6 expansion at Breckenridge as part of its capital investment plan for the coming season.

Vail Resorts is talking up the Peak 6 expansion at Breckenridge as part of its capital investment plan for the coming season.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Vail Resorts said business bounced back after a slow start to the season, with some of the company’s resorts posting record business during the Christmas holiday period. VR’s net income climbed 30.5 percent, to $60.5 million in the second fiscal quarter compared to last season, with skier visits up 2.9 percent and mountain net revenue up by 9.5 percent.

“We are very pleased with our performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, which was notable for two distinct dynamics we experienced in the quarter,” VR CEO Rob Katz said this week during a call announcing the company’s second quarter earnings. “The first was our results through the middle of December, which were marked by unusually warm and dry weather in Colorado that limited the terrain we could open, leading to lower than expected results for our four Colorado resorts.  (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, economy, ski industry, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, Summit County Colorado, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Skiing: Vail, Beaver Creek plan lift upgrades

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
sadf

The U.S. Forest Service is taking public comments on planned infrastructure improvements at Vail and Beaver Creek.

Eagle County resorts to add some six-seater lifts

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Vail Resorts is looking to boost uphill capacity at its Eagle County resorts by replacing a few aging quad chairlifts with six-seaters, as well as making a few other on-mountain infrastructure improvements. The upgrades are consistent with previously approved master plans for Vail and Beaver Creek, but the U.S. Forest Service is taking  public input on the projects before approving them. (more…)

Filed under: Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, recreation, Colorado, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: Judge rejects Vail Resorts’ claim that avalanches are an inherent risk of inbounds, lift-served resort skiing

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Vail will have to produce avalanche safety documents for trial

kj

A jury trial may determine whether Vail Resorts has any liability for the Jan. 22 avalanche death of 13-year-old Taft Conlin on Prima Cornice.

By Bob Berwyn

* some discusssion of this story on the Telemark Tips forum.

FRISCO — Vail Resorts failed last week to convince a judge that avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing on the company’s flagship mountain. Broomfield District Court Judge Patrick Murphy declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of Taft Conlin, who was killed by a snowslide on Prima Cornice in January 2012.

The company’s argument that avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing inbounds at ski areas may surprise a great many skiers, most of whom probably assume that they won’t be exposed to avalanche danger when they’re riding resort lifts and skiing on marked trails. Read Vail’s motion to dismiss here.

Advocating on behalf of Conlin’s family and for all skiers, attorney Jim Heckbert urged the court to reject Vail Resorts’ claims.

“If one is to accept the Defendant’s arguments, a ski area operator is permitted to negligently or knowingly expose skiers to the danger of death by avalanches with impunity. Because the risk of avalanche on January 22. 2012, could have been eliminated through the use of reasonable safety measures, the risk was not an inherent danger of skiing,” Heckbert wrote in the response to the the Vail Resorts motion to dismiss. Read the entire response here. (more…)

Filed under: avalanches, Colorado, recreation, ski industry, skiing and riding, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Vail, Winter Park sued over inbounds avalanche deaths

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Lawsuits allege resorts were negligent in managing terrain

A Google Earth view shows the location of the two gates on Prima Cornice. IMAGE COURTESY GOOGLE EARTH/CAIC.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Steamboat Springs-based attorney Jim Heckbert says Vail and Winter Park ski areas were negligent last winter when they failed to close or adequately sign avalanche-prone terrain within their operational boundaries — and that their negligence resulted in the death of Taft Conlin at Vail and Christopher Norris at Winter Park.

The lawsuits may hinge on very specific legal language in the Colorado Ski Safety Act, but the outcome could have larger implications for the sport, as a verdict favoring the plaintiffs could affect the way ski resorts manage internal closures, which, in turn, could affect access to public lands.

In the Winter Park lawsuit, filed in Grand County District Court, Heckbert alleges that Intrawest Winter Park Operations Corporation, through its employees,was negligent in disregarding forecasts and warnings regarding high avalanche danger existing within the boundaries of the ski area, and negligent in not closing the area or warning skiers of the danger. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, ski industry, Ski Resorts, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Opinion: High country businesses support wilderness

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Economic benefits of quiet recreation are profound

Wilderness is good for business.

By Josh Lautenberg

Senator Mark Udall is right on target when he talks about the value of protected wilderness for our local economy.

Here in Vail, and in places like Aspen, Snowmass Village, Eagle and Breckenridge, our economy has prospered over the years in large part because of its location in the heart of the Colorado Rockies.

So how does wilderness support the economy?

Because of their famous majesty and beauty, the Rocky Mountains attract visitors from around the world. Think of all the people who can’t wait to leave behind the noise and pollution of the city to come here for their week or two in the mountains. To be able to smell the fresh air and stare at the perfect Colorado blue skies. (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, economy, Environment, Hidden Gems wilderness, public lands, real estate, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Vail opens small Nordic center atop the Eagle Bahn

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

New Nordic trails available high on Vail Mountain.

5K trail system features beginner, intermediate trails
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY —With the snow cover still thin at valley elevations along the I-70 corridor, Nordic skiers have a new high-altitude option. Vail Resorts last week announced the opening of a 5K crosscountry ski track at the top of the Eagle Bahn gondola on Vail Mountain, with views to the spectacular Holy Cross Wilderness.
“This is a great opportunity for us to introduce our guests to the basics of classic track skiing in a stunning environment that offers beautiful views and the Gore Range as a backdrop,” said Joe Schmitt, supervisor of the Vail Mountain Nordic School. “It also offers guests the opportunity to learn the art of cross-country skiing before venturing out on a wilderness tour with the Nordic School.” (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, recreation, skiing and riding | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: CME launches downtown Denver shuttle service

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Enjoy the scenic views along I-70 from the new Colorado Mountain Express shuttle service bertween the High Country and downtown Denver.

New service aims to bring Denver convention visitors up to the high country

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Colorado Mountain Express is launching a $58 round trip service between downtown Denver and the high country.

The new service officially starts June 4, with Denver stops scheduled at several downtown Denver hotels and the convention center, but several customers tried out the new service Friday, said John Dawsey, CME’s director of sales and marketing.

Summit County stops include the Keystone Lodge, the Village at Breckenridge and the Frisco transportation center, with additional destinations in Eagle County.

Scheduled downtown Denver pick up locations include the Marriott City Center, Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center and Sheraton Denver Downtown. Click here for details. (more…)

Filed under: Breckenridge, business, Colorado, Frisco, I-70, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, transportation, Travel, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Mountain scenes

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Waiting for spring …

Pass Lake, mid-summer.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Scrolling through the archives late Friday, the scene outside my window in Frisco was downright wintry — snow blowing sideways and piling up on the deck, birds hiding under branches … a seemingly endless winter. Not that I don’t like it; I do, but I was still magnetically drawn to these summery images from around Summit County. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Morning photo, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Critters

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Let’s work together to protect the Earth’s biodiversity

An ant takes shelter from the sprinkler drops under an open blossom at the Berrt Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado. Click on the image to see a story about the gardens. This was the first day that I started to discover the fine macro capabilities of my point-and-shoot Fuji Finepix compact digital camera.

SUMMIT COUNTY — A short riff through the digital archives uncovered a few decent images of wildlife, including some of the amazing creatures that make their home in Antarctica, one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet. Plus, penguins are just so darn cute! All these images are for sale at the Summit Voice online Imagekind gallery. More pics after the break … (more…)

Filed under: daily photoblog, Morning photo, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Steep shots: Web resources for deals and powder info

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Look for Emily Palm's Steep Shots column every two weeks.

By Emily Palm

Skiers have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving weekend. In addition to a sweet new high-speed lift at A-Basin, bountiful snow news persists. The Pali lift at A-Basin is already running, and this year, Keystone’s Outback opened earlier than ever before. Hopefully all the good news is a harbinger of a season to redeem last year’s paltry snow totals.

Indeed, the usual November speculation has been replaced with the excitement of watching early season snow pile up, along with a flurry of photos and powder-day gloating on Facebook, Twitter and the like. I have already experienced far too much sleeping-in remorse this season. If knowledge is power, fortify your early-season ski quiver with the following resources.

Measuring snow by Tweet.

Last week at Outpost Sunsport in Ft. Collins while my husband had his boot punched to accommodate his sixth toe (a bunionette that commonly plagues alpine skiers), we echoed skier chitchat heard across Colorado. One fellow told us about the previous powder day at Keystone, and that a tipping point for making the two-hour journey was the heads up from Keystone Resort’s Twitter feed that snow was falling. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 5,561 other followers