SKI WITH A RANGER Discover a new reason to love your favorite run when you join a Forest Service volunteer on the slopes. Learn about the National Forest and local ecology during an afternoon of skiing on Beaver Creek Mountain. The new Ski with a Ranger environmental education program addresses a different theme each week. Starting in December, one-hour tours meet at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays at the Environmental Learning Center located at the top of the Cinch Express Lift (#8). Participants must purchase a lift ticket.
CHILDREN'S GONDOLA AND LEARNING AREA
The world’s premier children’s ski and snowboard school experience gets better with the new eight-passenger Buckaroo Express Gondola, a short gondola ride designed with the resort’s smallest customers in mind. The Buckaroo provides a warm and comfortable 3.75-minute ride to a new beginner learning area for kids—and grownups, too. The learning area is located at the top of the gondola on the existing Haymeadow run. Skiers will find two magic carpets and customized learning slopes that facilitate the correct movements. A third magic carpet serves a slightly steeper pitch designed specifically for snowboarders. The Buckaroo replaces the Haymeadow Lift (#1) and can carry 1,665 people per hour. The lift is 1,671 feet in length with 10 towers and 26 cabins.
GONDOLA FROM AVON TO BEAVER CREEK MOUNTAIN
The new Riverfront Express Gondola will provide the fastest and most convenient route to Beaver Creek Mountain for families staying in the Town of Avon. A three-minute gondola ride delivers guests from Avon to Beaver Creek Landing, where two existing high-speed quad chairlifts deliver skiers and snowboarders to the main mountain in 16 minutes. The gondola is anticipated to open during the winter season and is part of the $500 million Riverfront Village mixed-use development, with the centerpiece Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa anticipated to open Summer 2008.
PACKAGES
FAMILY FUN PACKAGE
Kids and teens love Beaver Creek’s nightly family activities. Families can take advantage of the Family Fun package starting at $3,000 per family. Package includes a five-night stay in a two-bedroom condominium at St. James Place in Beaver Creek with four days of skiing and ski rentals for two adults and two children. Taxes not included. Offer is based on availability and is valid from Nov. 21-April 13.
EVENTS
New Year’s Eve Fireworks and Torchlight Ski-down, Dec. 31- Ride the new Buckaroo Express children’s gondola and participate in a special glowstick ski-down followed by the Ski Instructors Torchlight Parade and fireworks.
Talons Challenge, Jan. 26- Conquer 13 black and double-black diamond runs and 23,722 vertical feet in one day during this “marathon on skis”. Celebrate at a post-event party featuring a prize drawing for a trip for two—including airfare, lodging and skiing— to Lech, Austria. Participants must buy a lift ticket.
Beaver Creek and Bon Appetit Culinary and Wine Focus, Jan. 31-Feb. 2- Join 30 top local and celebrity chefs on the slopes and enjoy cooking classes, wine workshops, the MasterChef Challenge and the popular Grand Tasting. For tickets, call (888) 920-2787.
The New Yorker Presents Humor on the Slopes, Feb. 28-March 2- Enjoy intimate dialogues with top cartoonists from The New Yorker Magazine. Also enjoy a performance from a nationally-renowned comedian, a caption contest, kid-tooning events and more. Visit www.humorontheslopes.com.
Snowshoe Shuffle, March 2-The Snowshoe Shuffle is one of the largest snowshoe races in North America and offers 10K, 5K and one-mile events atop Beaver Creek Mountain. Proceeds go to cancer prevention, education and early detection. Visit www.bcsnowshoe.com or call Vail Valley Medical Center at (970) 569-7511.
NEW! Cookie Kids Fest, March 13-15-Grammy award-winning artist Dan Zanes will delight small fans with a headliner concert. The ultimate kids’ extravaganza from Beaver Creek Resort and Cookie Magazine will also feature a sneak peak movie screening, a performance by the Chicago Children’s Choir and special ski-break activities throughout Beaver Creek Village.
Ski with the Pros at Beaver Creek, March 28-30- Test out the latest ski equipment as SKI Magazine and Beaver Creek offer exclusive 90-minute ski workshops with top Beaver Creek Ski School instructors and world-class skiers. Ski with a Pro workshops are available free of charge to guests who book lodging in Beaver Creek. Don’t miss après-ski parties, product giveaways, free ice skating and an outdoor movie screening. Space is limited to the first 200 people to register. Registration is required.
Beaver Creek Wine & Spirits Series-Beaver Creek has partnered with Anthony Dias Blue of Blue Lifestyle and the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa to bring world-class wines and spirits to Beaver Creek for a series of weekends filled with seminars, tastings, special dinners and a guest chef selected by Bon Appétit magazine. The dates are Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Jan. 10-12, March 6-8, July 10-12.
Snowshoe Adventure Series- Non-competitive and competitive 10k, 5k and one-mile snowshoe events. Dates are Dec. 16, Jan. 13, Feb. 10 and March 2. Visit www.bcsnowshoe.com or call (970) 476-6797.
Telemark Workshop Series- Workshops provide a fun and relaxed learning environment for first-time and expert telemark skiers. Dates are Dec. 22, Jan. 12, Jan. 13 (kids only), Feb. 3 (women only), Feb. 23, Feb. 24 (kids only), March 8. Call Saunders Travel at 501-744-6353 for reservations.
