Heavenly Announces Resort Improvements for 2009-10
We’ve announced our resort improvements for the upcoming ski and snowboard season at Lake Tahoe’s premier destination resort and we couldn’t be more excited! Headlining the changes are some key trail enhancements and a new tubing lift, but we’ve also improved overall food quality and variety, our already superior snow surfaces, our ski and snowboard school programs, and the ease of planning/booking a vacation. Here’s the skinny:
Continued Trail Enhancement Projects
In conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, we’re enhancing select trails by widening pinch-points and lowering the height of obstacles on trails. This year, we picked The Pinnacles, installing temporary, removable snow fences and removing some rocks in key areas allowing earlier opening of these trails this winter. The quality of the skiing will be enhanced now that the trails can be groomed more consistently.
Meteor, Jackpot and Canyon, Sky Chute, and Otto’s Chute (the transition from the top of Tamarack Express Chairlift to Orion’s Run) were also widened. The entrances to Nova, Big Dipper from lower Skyline, and Milky Way Bowl from upper Skyline were all enhanced to provide more convenient access. Obstacles were removed from California Trail, reducing the amount of snow needed to open and maintain this popular trail.
Commitment to Lake Tahoe’s Finest Snow Surfaces
We all know that Heavenly makes more snow and grooms it better than anyone at Lake Tahoe. But we’re not resting on our laurels. We’ve purchased three new Prinoth Bison X grooming machines to add to the world’s largest fleet of the most technologically-advanced snow cats. Already home to the West Coast’s largest snowmaking system, we continue to improve overall snowmaking efficiency. We’re also adding snowmaking to the new tubing area to provide early-season access for that new attraction. Our combination of grooming expertise and snowmaking capacity ensure that our guests are always skiing or snowboarding on the finest snow surface conditions Lake Tahoe has to offer.
On-Mountain, Non-Ski, Family Fun
Now this is going to be cool: We’re installing a new, four-lane tubing hill that will be accessed by a state-of-the-art covered magic carpet lift. It totally looks like something out of the future – like the Jetsons. Stretching 450 feet up East Peak, with a 65-foot vertical drop, the new tubing hill will be a fantastic addition to our Adventure Peak family recreation area. The fully-enclosed, elevated magic carpet lift will also be used by beginning snowboarders to access new teaching terrain.
Satisfying Guests’ Appetite for Life
For the 2009-10 season, Heavenly will serve a high-quality, gourmet burger that has been completely reworked from the bottom up and will set the quality standard for a mountain resort burger. The Epic Mountain Burger will have two fresh quarter-pound patties of specially-seasoned Angus beef, and will be surrounded by fresh lettuce, tomato and a specialty bun. It will be better than the burger at your favorite burger joint.
And talk about value – also new is the Lunch for Less value meal that will vary daily and include an entree, side dish and non-alcoholic beverage for just $9.95. You can also now pre-purchase a mountain dining card on-line and in select locations for cost savings and convenience. The dining card comes with additional value added when pre-purchased.
We’ve pretty much re-built our menus across the board. Look for new themes at many of the restaurants, with a variety of menu options and prices to fit every budget.
Make the Most of Your Ski Day
The Ski and Ride Schools of Heavenly are offering a new mountain guide program called The Adventure Sessions that bridges the gap between a private and group lesson. This is basically like hiring a guide for an Alaskan fishing trip – you and your buddies get the inside scoop on all the secret spots across the mountain. You also get “preferrential lift line access” and if you’re not careful, you just might pick up a technical tip or two. And it’s all just $119 – if ski school had a recess, this would be it.
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle…And Go Big
In 2008-09, Heavenly’s terrain parks won an award from Ski Area Management Magazine for the best use of recycled features. This season, the Terrain Park Crew has gone back to the lab to create the most creative, urban-based jibs at Lake Tahoe. Most features will be 100 percent recycled, including highway barriers, water drums and corrugated pipes.
An Online Experience to Match the On-Mountain Experience
You’re currently looking at the new version of skiheavenly.com featuring dynamic, immersive functionality that will give guests the feeling of being at the resort while sitting in the comfort of their own homes. Utilizing the latest, best-in-class technology, skiheavenly.com will be the leading, most user-friendly web site in the ski industry. Upgrades include: Resort maps using Google mapping technology that will give users in-depth knowledge of all the attractions and amenities in the immediate vicinity; an immersive, 360-degree virtual tour gallery that puts you right in the middle of the action; and a trip folder that allows you to plan your trip over time, with the ability to save, retrieve and share particular aspects of certain trips or whole itineraries. Along with the blog, the live, streaming web cam, ski and snowboard instructor profiles, and the industry’s most entertaining video library, skiheavenly.com has everything to make booking a trip fun and easy.
Early-Season Vacation Values
Heavenly is scheduled to open for skiing and snowboarding on November 20, 2009, weather and conditions permitting. Guests who book a two-day, two-night early-season (Nov. 29 – Dec. 15, 2009) vacation by October 30, 2009, get the third and fourth nights free. That works out to $49 per person per day for lodging and lift tickets. Some restrictions apply. Visit our deals page or call 1-800-HEAVENLY (432.8365) to get more information or to book your trip.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:54 am
You guys just keep getting better!
Way to go Heavenly!!
Shep
“The heavenly dogcatcher”
Pray for snow y’all
September 30th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Some links are broken: Resort maps using Google mapping technology goes to dining???
September 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
David – the link was intended to go the the dining page. Go down to the “map” tab under dining and it will create a Google map of all of our dining establishments. We’ve incorporated the Google maps to show you where attractions, etc. are. It’s not a traditional trail map. Sorry for the confusion – it’s not the most intuitive link, I know.
September 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Thanks Russ.
Now I get it. Are you expecting the link to the new trail map in .pdf to be up soon? Also, while I have your ear(s) is there a link as to pricing for someone who just wants to go up and go tubing (On-Mountain, Non-Ski, Family Fun). ie., rates, ages, info, etc.?
Saw it snowed on the peaks in Park City today and waiting for the first at Heavenly!! Keep the updates coming for us that are ready to ride.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:02 am
The new trail map is currently in production and we expect a link prior to the ski and snowboard season, which will begin Nov. 20, weather and conditions permitting. We don’t have Adventure Peak info loaded on the new site as of yet, but you can expect that in the near future as well. We got a dusting up top as well yesterday, and over the last few days we’ve been testing the snowmaking system so it’s ready when it gets cold!
October 1st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Are you going to have a half pipe this year? I haven’t bought my pass yet because thats something that I’m really looking forward to and you didn’t have it last year.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Gee…pretty soon you won’t even have to know how to ski to access the entire mountain.
Are you saving ANYthing for the real skier/rider? You know, those who actually know how to ski a black diamond, not those who think they are expert skiers because you made it possible for them to get there.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Josie – thanks for your comments. I’m sure you’re familiar with our Canyons, the Face, Nevada Woods, Dipper Knob, Maggie’s Canyon and a host of other gladed areas. Not to mention Firebreak and our other backcountry gates. We’ve actually got thousands of acres of glade skiing that should be plenty in terms of keeping even the most experienced skiers and snowboarders satisfied – there are plenty of stashes to go around.
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Is the November 20th date hard and fast with the USFS or if the dustings turn into droppings turn into dumpings,is there a chance of an earlier opening?
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Hi, Russ,
thanks for answering customers’ posts.
One question is the Skier’s bridge from Top of Gondola to Tamarack Express. This was first presented in 2007. When do you plan to actually build it?
Thanks in advance, Russ!
-Edward
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
How about some lodging deals for those of us who already have season passes? Most of them include nights + lifts, an add on that’s not useful. Thanks
October 4th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Chris – appreciate your optimism. November 20 is the date weather and conditions permitting. Let’s see what happens with the weather before we get too excited.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Edward – you sound like a die-hard Heavenly skier or snowboarder. Let me check on that one for you.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Debbie – we definitely provide lots of perks for our loyal pass holders, including ski school, F&B and lodging. Make sure you’ve signed up for the Heavenly Passholder Club by giving us a valid e-mail. This is how we communicate with pass holders.
October 6th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Heavenly is one of the only resorts that does NOT have a half pipe. I don’t see one planned for this coming season (2010) in your “improvements” but I was told prior to renewing my two season passes for next year that you would have a good half pipe this season. Is that the case? I love Heavenly but if there is no half pipe this year, it will be the last time I buy season passes or recommend any friend buy them either. I just thought you should know (there may be a lot of other boarders who feel the same way).
October 6th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Thanks very much for checking on the Skier’s Bridge, Russ!
Eagerly waiting for that, as it is a pain having to walk up to the Tamarack chair area.
-Edward
October 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Russ: Is there any word on an opening day? This storm is supposed to leave behind a base of at least 16 – 18″. What is required before the lifts start spinning?
October 12th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Bob – They are predicting a big storm. There are two issues at play here: 1) Staffing – do we have the people on board to provide exceptional experiences for our guests? 2) What’s the condition of the snow surface – we don’t do “rock skis” at Heavenly. We pride ourselves on opening with a reliable, consistent snow surface that you can have confidence in as a skier or snowboarder.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Donald – thanks for your passion about the half pipe. Unfortunately, unless we get snowmaking dedicated to the areas where the pipes would be built, and until we can put our half pipe in the ground, we won’t be building a half pipe. If we were to build a half pipe, we’d have to eliminate the jump line – we just can’t make enough snow in that area to do them both.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Russ: Thanks for reading the blog entries and responding to all. It shows the Heavenly class!!
I noticed the Von Schmidt chair connecting the Ski Deck to the TOG. Since there wasn’t any announcement about this, I am assuming that it is a future plan. This would be an incredible welcome addition to the resort. Just a food-for-thought on the lower base location of the Von Schmidt chair… Maybe if this was located at the old Ridge Chair base as an up/down load chair (like Gunbarrel Chair), it can be a great link for beginners to go back and forth safely and painlessly between NV and CA side beginner runs. Safely since they do not have to deal with the lower CA Trail to get to CA side and be on Skyline Trail at the end of the day (plus a bunch of blue runs) to get back to the TOG. Painlessly – from the old Ridge Chair base, Maggie’s and Mombo are right there – i.e., no hiking through the Front Road to get to Maggie’s. In the future, this location will give a pretty good access to the Powder Bowl Lodge (when it is built). Any way, it’s just a thought and a comment. Perhaps, you can pass this on to Mr. B, C, or G.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Pat – thanks for the comments. Consider yours passed. – Russ
October 18th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Russ – it’s great you’re answering posts.
Very sad to hear that Heavenly won’t be doing a half-pipe again. In “4800″ acres … there’s nowhere to get a halfpipe properly fitted in? Nearby resorts with under 400 acres are able to do it – what’s the real holdup?
October 19th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Hey, Vic. It’s not a question of space, rather of resources. I’d refer you to my post back on 10/12 – Unless we get snowmaking dedicated to the areas where the pipes would be built, and until we can put our half pipe in the ground, we won’t be building a half pipe. If we were to build a half pipe, we’d have to eliminate the jump line – we just can’t make enough snow in that area to do them both.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Russ-
I am following your thread about the halfpipe, say mother nature blesses Heavenly with a blanked of bottomless snow, and you do not need snowmaking to create a halfpipe, because there is so much snow, when and where would it be located?
Thanks Russ, I think you can see the halfpipe is a major feature that one of the major resorts in Tahoe should have.
Heavenly Fan
Jen
October 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Jen, thanks for being a fan. We appreciate your passion, and all the sentiments about the halfpipe being expressed here are being noted. But, like I’ve said, until we can put the pipe in the ground, the likelihood of us building one is slim.