News From Aspen/Snowmass For Winter 2011/2012

News From Aspen/Snowmass For Winter 2011/2012

Colorado, May 2011 – Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) will invest over $US26 million in on-mountain improvements this year including a new lift at Buttermilk, a complete remodel of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant on Aspen Highlands and the first phase of the new Elk Camp Restaurant at Snowmass.

Over the previous eight seasons, ASC has invested more than $US164 million giving guests the most seamless skiing/riding experience in the industry. Improvements over that period include 11 new lifts with two new gondolas, the new Snowmass base village, the industry-leading Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center, a complete interior remodel of The Little Nell hotel, four new restaurants, the acquisition of the Limelight Lodge, a resort-wide art exhibit, plus the opening of additional terrain.

With four mountains on one lift ticket - Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, villages with rich historical and cultural heritage, as well as the many new improvements, there are more reasons than ever for international visitors to come to Aspen/Snowmass.

International visitors accounted for more than 20 percent of winter business to Aspen/Snowmass in the 2010/2011 season, with nearly one out of every five destination visitors coming from outside the U.S.A. The top international markets were Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, Mexico and Canada.

Sun, Snow
The location and elevation of Aspen/Snowmass combine to create ideal conditions, with more than 762 cm of snow and more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Over 889 cm fell during the 2010-2011 season and coverage and surface conditions were consistent from November through April. Once again, bountiful snowfall allowed Aspen/Snowmass to experience one of the longest seasons to date with 151 days of skiing and riding. The resort closed on Sunday, April 24th with nearly 254 cm still on the ground.

What’s New for 2011/2012 Ski Season

Merry Go Round Restaurant Remodel
The Merry Go Round restaurant, situated mid-mountain at Aspen Highlands, will begin a $6 million dollar major remodel at the end of the 2010/2011 ski season, to be completed in the summer of 2011. The reopening is scheduled for opening day of Aspen Highlands on December 10.

The goals and objectives of this remodel are to: repair and reuse the existing building turning it into a highly efficient facility that will keep the foundation in service for another 15 to 20 years. The focus will be to enhance guest comfort and food quality, while maintaining the strong appeal to both locals and visitors. The interior design concept will be “duct tape chic,” keeping the atmosphere fun, local-friendly, historic, relaxed, unpretentious and welcoming.

Green materials will be used with new carpet and paint along with updated ceiling and efficient lighting will brighten the interior dining space, with a goal of cutting energy use by 30 percent. ASC aims to reach this goal by installing window retrofits, efficient wall and roof insulation, efficient kitchen equipment and the use of additional green materials.

The interior construction remodel will improve circulation by removing the sunken dining area and the dropped ceiling, relocating the fireplace and opening up the views to the ski slope. A new exit will replace the currently stored front line equipment and signage. The expansion of main level bathrooms with ADA stalls and an additional ramp to the secondary dining room will increase accessibility and circulation. A coffee bar will be located under a window wall to create comfortable seating/lounge area with a fireplace, couches and comfortable chairs, with an additional service window to the outside deck.

The Merry Go Round walls will preserve history and embrace new technology with framed photos of Highlands skiers past, present and future. Guests will be invited to submit photos for display in digital frames and digital monitors to show off real time information, streaming media and live feeds, like a Highland Bowl cam, as well as a photo booth for instant photos.

The menu will include healthy favorites featuring fresh and local ingredients, prepared from scratch in the open kitchen. Ski lodge standbys like homemade pizza, pasta, grill specialties, soups, stews and a self-serve salad bar, will provide something for any appetite.

New lift and gladed terrain at Tiehack on Buttermilk
A new Leitner Poma high speed quad at Tiehack on Buttermilk will replace both the Eagle Hill and the Upper Tiehack lifts, cutting the combined ride time from 18 minutes to just under 7 minutes. New construction will begin this Spring on this $7 million project for a complete installation in time for a December 2011 opening.

Buttermilk's summer trail crew will spend time cleaning up the gladed terrain on the Tiehack side of the mountain with the intention of breathing new life into this underutilized area. This area is wonderful, rolling, gladed and groomed terrain which is great for skiers and riders that are looking for single black trails off the beaten path. From a four mountain standpoint, this terrain is unique and further enhances our offerings as a four mountain destination.

Phase One of Elk Camp
Aspen Skiing Company will begin construction this summer on the new Elk Camp Restaurant, which will replace Café Suzanne and be located adjacent to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass in 2012/2013. The $15 million dollar project will provide a restaurant with seating for up to 300 guests and include summer and evening event space. The project is scheduled to be LEED Certified and to implement advanced heating systems with other green materials to beat local energy codes by an estimated 30 percent. Elk camp will be ASC’s fifth LEED certified building, following closely on the heels of Sam’s Restaurant (Gold) and Holiday House (Platinum.)

Hospitality
In addition to the on-mountain improvements, Aspen Skiing Company operates two hotels, two residences clubs, one golf/tennis/athletic club, 15 restaurants and 18 retail shops:

Limelight Lodge: Recently acquired by the Aspen Skiing Company in 2010, the Limelight Lodge is a contemporary Aspen ski lodge with vintage spirit. An ideal downtown Aspen location, high-style accommodations and true mountain hospitality combine for an unmatched experience. Pets are welcome. www.limelightlodge.com.

The Little Nell is a year-round destination hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain. Its unique slopeside location, unparalleled service, deluxe or luxurious guestrooms and suites, and singular amenities combine for a one-of-a-kind experience. www.thelittlenell.com.

Snowmass Club is a private, year-round club offering elevated service, facilities and amenities for members, along with their families and guests. Casual and fine-dining restaurants are open to the public. For more, visit http://www.snowmassclub.com.

Art on the Mountains
Aspen/Snowmass is proud to present a multi-site exhibition of renowned artist Walter Niedermayr, whose large-scale photographs entitled The Aspen Series, will be featured at venues and locations throughout Aspen/Snowmass. In addition Aspen/Snowmass continues to build on the theme of art in unexpected places, fostered by the partnership with Aspen Art Museum. Begun six years ago, the tradition features unique contemporary art images printed on lift tickets.

Snowmass Discoveries
In October of 2010, a bulldozer operator working in Snowmass Village uncovered the bones of a 43,500 year old Columbian mammoth. This discovery has turned out to be one of the most significant scientific discoveries in Colorado and possibly the country. To date, this single site has produced eight to 10 American mastodons; four Columbian mammoths; four Ice Age bison; two Ice Age deer; a Jefferson’s ground sloth; many tiger salamanders; evidence of beavers, insects, snails; and large quantities of well-preserved plant matter—some of which is still green after tens of thousands of years. In just 18 days of excavation, the Denver Museum of Science & Nature crews recovered approximately 600 bones and bone pieces and plan to return in Spring of 2011 to continue the excavation.

Aspen/Snowmass as Environmental Leader
Aspen Skiing Company is on track to achieve target greenhouse gas emissions goals this year as well as unveil new energy saving projects, including a ban on incandescent light bulbs (an industry first), installation of a new solar array at The Sundeck, the energy efficient remodel of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant on Aspen Highlands and proactive retrofit of boilers at The Little Nell hotel. Energy Plan: 10% CO2 reduction by 2012 and 25% by 2020. 2010 CO2 down 2.1% from 2000. Major gas reduction efforts on tap for 2011.

Meeting Carbon Goals
ASC has a goal of reducing total C02 emissions by 10 percent by 2012, on a 2000 baseline, even as the company grows. From 2000-2010, ASC was able to reduce C02 emissions from electricity use by 6.5 percent. The company is currently on target to achieve a 5 percent reduction of total C02 emissions in 2011.

Lighting Ban
ASC’s incandescent bulb ban reads as follows: “Lighting accounts for about 15 percent of energy use in ASC hotels and office buildings, and 34 percent of total electricity use in the U.S. In the last twenty years, new technology means replacing incandescent bulbs with efficient and aesthetically acceptable fluorescent or LED bulbs is possible.

New Solar Array at The Sundeck
ASC recently installed its sixth solar array at The Sundeck restaurant on the top of Aspen Mountain. The 2kW array, using super high efficiency Sunpower panels is accompanied by an educational display.

Cutting Natural Gas Use
ASC will cut company natural gas consumption by an estimated 25-30 percent by proactively retrofitting boilers at The Little Nell Hotel. This estimated savings will keep 305-365 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and will also improve the guest experience. The project is currently underway and will continue this spring.

Grass Fed Beef
By implementing 100 percent locally-raised and grass-fed ground beef in all of our restaurants, Aspen Skiing Company is helping small scale ranchers make a living from the land and strengthening a community by keeping our dollars in the valley.

2011-2012 Season Dates, World Class Events & Deals
The lifts begin running on November 24, when Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open for the 2011-2012 winter season; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk will open on December 10. Buttermilk is slated to close on April 8, and Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will close on April 15 and Aspen Highlands will stay open until April 22*.
*Subject to change.

World Class Events
Kicking off the 2011/2012 ski season with the Women's FIS World Cup Alpine Ski Races in November and carrying on with the ESPN Winter X Games 16 in January, Aspen/Snowmass is packed with world class events. In addition, the 2011/2012 events calendar includes exciting parties, free musical entertainment through the Bud Light sponsored Hi Fi concert series and athletic competitions like Aspen/Snowmass Open and Kick Aspen Big Air.

Deals
In the current world economic environment, travelers are looking for value. Aspen/Snowmass will offer one of the most attractive deals geared to the international market:

Australia/New Zealand:

• Buy 7/Get 8 and Buy 8/Get 14 are returning for Early, Value, Regular and Late Seasons for lift tickets and equipment hire (book by November 24 for Early and Value seasons and January 6 for Regular and Late season)
• Buy 12/Get 20 is also returning for Value Season for lift tickets and equipment hire (Book by November 24)
• Buy 8/Get 14 promotion is returning for Value Season (Book by November 24)

Booking Trips

There are ongoing lodging packages available through Aspen/Snowmass official tour operators. For a list of tour operators, visit: http://www.aspensnowmass.com/touroperators.cfm for the “welcome international guests” page including access to our multi language vacation planners in PDF:http://www.aspensnowmass.com/internationalguests.cfm.

ENDS

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