<\/p>\n
August 27, 2020<\/p>\n
Dear Guests,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There\u00a0is nothing I am looking forward to more than being back on the mountain, back\u00a0on snow, back on skis\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0I\u00a0know I\u00a0am not alone.\u00a0Each summer, we all\u00a0wait patiently for the return of winter,\u00a0and this year more than ever, we\u00a0need it. We need to reconnect with the outdoors, we need to feel normal and\u00a0energized\u00a0as we carve\u00a0down the mountain\u00a0with\u00a0crisp alpine\u00a0air\u00a0in\u00a0our faces.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u00a0has\u00a0always\u00a0been\u00a0our mission\u00a0as a company: to provide guests with an\u00a0Experience of a Lifetime<\/i>\u00a0at our resorts.\u00a0And we have always known that safety needs to be the underpinning of how\u00a0we\u00a0provide\u00a0that experience.\u00a0<\/i>This year,\u00a0our\u00a0commitment to safety\u00a0takes on more importance than ever.<\/b>\u00a0We are fortunate\u00a0that our core experience\u00a0of skiing and riding\u00a0takes place\u00a0outdoors, across huge mountains,\u00a0offering fresh air and wide-open spaces\u00a0for our guests.\u00a0However,\u00a0to\u00a0help\u00a0protect our guests, our employees and our communities\u00a0amid this pandemic, some changes will be required\u00a0this\u00a0season.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today I want\u00a0to share with\u00a0you as much\u00a0detail\u00a0available\u00a0on our approach to prioritizing your safety this winter. But first,\u00a0I want\u00a0to\u00a0give you a sense of the principles\u00a0guiding our decisions.\u00a0It goes without\u00a0saying that\u00a0operations\u00a0at our 34 North American resorts\u00a0will abide by all local regulations,\u00a0but for us, that\u2019s just where safety begins.\u00a0Since the beginning of this crisis, we have made a commitment to all of our stakeholders that we will operate in a way that puts safety first\u00a0and\u00a0uses\u00a0the insights\u00a0we have gleaned from operating so many resorts around the world.\u00a0This often means\u00a0choosing to\u00a0go above and beyond\u00a0what\u00a0is\u00a0required\u00a0in order\u00a0to\u00a0do our very best\u00a0to provide\u00a0you peace of mind.\u00a0Given how\u00a0fluid\u00a0and ever-changing\u00a0the situation with COVID-19 is,\u00a0it has\u00a0also\u00a0been our goal\u00a0to\u00a0design an approach that\u00a0can\u00a0remain in place for all of\u00a0this\u00a0season. We do not want to\u00a0be caught off guard or\u00a0find ourselves needing\u00a0to make reactive changes.\u00a0Striving for consistency will provide our guests, employees and communities with as much predictability as possible\u00a0this\u00a0season, which\u00a0we believe is worth the extra effort.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0realize not everyone will agree with our approach\u00a0\u2013\u00a0some feeling\u00a0we are being\u00a0too conservative or aggressive.\u00a0And\u00a0I\u00a0recognize the changes we are implementing will be an inconvenience.\u00a0But\u00a0I\u00a0ask for your understanding\u00a0and\u00a0patience.\u00a0In return,\u00a0you can count on us to\u00a0try and\u00a0do\u00a0everything\u00a0we can\u00a0to\u00a0help\u00a0keep you safe and\u00a0make skiing and riding a reality\u00a0this\u00a0entire\u00a0winter.\u00a0While it\u00a0will be a\u00a0little different than we are used to, we are very optimistic it will be a great season and\u00a0the welcome respite we all need right now. We hope you will join us on this journey.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, on to the details\u00a0of our 2020-21\u00a0winter\u00a0operating\u00a0plan, as it currently stands.\u00a0For your safety, we will be\u00a0requiring face coverings,\u00a0promoting\u00a0physical\u00a0distancing,\u00a0and\u00a0enforcing\u00a0health screenings when\u00a0physical distancing\u00a0may\u00a0not\u00a0be\u00a0possible, such as in ski and ride school.\u00a0The following outlines further details:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Face Coverings<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As we have all summer, we will be requiring guests to wear face coverings in every part of our operations,\u00a0which\u00a0includes\u00a0loading and riding\u00a0in chairlifts and gondolas;\u00a0when\u00a0inside all buildings;\u00a0and during all\u00a0ski and snowboard\u00a0lessons.\u00a0No one will be permitted on the mountain without a face covering.\u00a0<\/b>We will also\u00a0strongly\u00a0recommend that guests wear face coverings in all\u00a0indoor and outdoor\u00a0public spaces\u00a0throughout our\u00a0resort towns\u00a0and will\u00a0continue to\u00a0encourage\u00a0our communities to make this a requirement. Being safe and successful\u00a0this\u00a0season will require everyone\u2019s cooperation and\u00a0we believe\u00a0face coverings are\u00a0foundational\u00a0to make that possible.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physical\u00a0Distancing\u00a0on Our Mountains\u00a0<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As\u00a0outlined\u00a0below, we will be\u00a0promoting\u00a0physical\u00a0distancing throughout our operations, including on\u00a0our\u00a0chairlifts and gondolas, to\u00a0help\u00a0ensure a safe experience.\u00a0In order\u00a0to\u00a0make this a reality and\u00a0also\u00a0make it an\u00a0enjoyable experience, we must\u00a0manage the number of people on our mountains. The good news is that we operate many of the largest mountain resorts in North America,\u00a0and for\u00a0the vast majority of days\u00a0during the season,\u00a0we believe\u00a0everyone who wants to get on our mountains\u00a0will be able to.\u00a0However, we are not planning for the majority of days,\u00a0we are planning for\u00a0every\u00a0day<\/u>\u00a0of the season<\/b>. We\u00a0want\u00a0to\u00a0provide assurance to our guests that we will do our very best to\u00a0minimize\u00a0crowds\u00a0at all times\u00a0\u2013 be it a holiday weekend or the unpredictable powder day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As such,\u00a0this\u00a0season we will be implementing a reservation system\u00a0across\u00a0each of our mountains.\u00a0<\/b>It is possible that at some point in the season, as we\u00a0evaluate\u00a0the dynamics of our operations, we may\u00a0decide that we\u00a0no longer need the reservation\u00a0system\u00a0at certain resorts. However, with so many uncertainties, we believe\u00a0it is only prudent to have this system in place now.\u00a0Full details\u00a0and FAQs\u00a0on how the reservation system will work can be found\u00a0here<\/a>, but this\u00a0overview\u00a0should answer some of your questions:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We believe this approach will\u00a0help\u00a0ensure a safe experience for everyone, while\u00a0prioritizing access for our pass holders.\u00a0To make\u00a0the\u00a0reservation\u00a0system\u00a0as easy\u00a0to use as\u00a0possible,\u00a0pass holders will be able to book reservations\u00a0to any of\u00a0our resorts, and for all dates,\u00a0on\u00a0EpicPass.com.<\/b>\u00a0Booking a reservation will turn\u00a0on\u00a0pass\u00a0access\u00a0for that day, so there will\u00a0be\u00a0no need for pass holders to bring anything\u00a0but their pass\u00a0and access\u00a0the mountain\u00a0as usual.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To provide additional peace of mind, we\u00a0have also updated our Epic Coverage program. Epic Coverage is new and free for all pass holders. It\u00a0will provide refunds:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We know this reservation system is a change to our normal approach\u00a0and\u00a0we want\u00a0to give\u00a0you\u00a0time to review and understand it.\u00a0As such,\u00a0we are extending our Labor Day deadline\u00a0to Sept.\u00a017\u00a0for\u00a0our Buddy\/SWAF benefits and utilization of\u00a0all\u00a0pass credits.<\/b>\u00a0If you purchased a 2020-21 pass product prior to\u00a0Aug. 27\u00a0and no longer want to move forward with your\u00a0pass,\u00a0we will provide\u00a0you\u00a0a\u00a0refund\u00a0of the\u00a0amount\u00a0paid\u00a0if your request is made by Sept. 17\u00a0through\u00a0our call center or an\u00a0online form that will be available by Sept. 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Again, we recognize that\u00a0most\u00a0days\u00a0of the season\u00a0it\u00a0will\u00a0not\u00a0be\u00a0necessary to\u00a0manage\u00a0the number of people on our mountains,\u00a0and\u00a0that our\u00a0pass holders may view the reservation system as a hassle.\u00a0However,\u00a0with this program,\u00a0we are planning\u00a0for\u00a0as many\u00a0contingencies\u00a0as possible\u00a0to\u00a0strive to\u00a0give you\u00a0peace of mind\u00a0knowing\u00a0you will have the space you need to physically distance and enjoy your time on the slopes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are planning\u00a0to\u00a0kick off the season with\u00a0Keystone\u00a0opening\u00a0on Nov.\u00a06, weather permitting.<\/b>\u00a0You can find our\u00a0targeted\u00a0opening and closing dates for all of our resorts\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0Regardless of how many people are\u00a0skiing and riding this season, we\u00a0will\u00a0follow\u00a0our historical practice\u00a0to open\u00a0as many\u00a0lifts and\u00a0as much\u00a0terrain as soon as possible\u00a0to allow for\u00a0the\u00a0amazing mountain experience our guests\u00a0have come to\u00a0expect.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physical\u00a0Distancing\u00a0on\u00a0Chairlifts\u00a0and\u00a0Gondolas<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To maintain physical distancing on our chairlifts and gondolas, we will only be seating related parties (guests skiing or riding together) or: two singles on opposite sides of a four-person lift; two singles or two doubles on opposite sides of a six-person lift; or two singles on opposite sides of our larger gondola cabins.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Riding a chairlift is an outdoor experience, while moving quickly\u00a0and taking a relatively short amount of time, and many of you have inquired why we need distancing at all, given the requirement for\u00a0guests to wear\u00a0face coverings.\u00a0While all of this is true,\u00a0in the current environment,\u00a0we do not believe it is appropriate to seat guests\u00a0from different parties\u00a0directly next to each other, given the dynamics during loading and unloading, during chair stoppages and due the proximity between guests as they ride the lift, speak to each other,\u00a0speak on the phone, eat\u00a0and adjust their\u00a0clothing.\u00a0\u00a0We believe a conservative approach is the best way to protect our guests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physical\u00a0Distancing\u00a0in\u00a0On-Mountain\u00a0Restaurants<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are committed to\u00a0opening\u00a0all of our on-mountain\u00a0restaurants\u00a0this\u00a0season.\u00a0To\u00a0allow for\u00a0physical distancing, we will be managing\u00a0the number of people\u00a0in our restaurants in accordance with public health requirements\u00a0and will monitor guests\u00a0coming in and out of\u00a0restaurants\u00a0at the entrances. Our approach to each restaurant will be a little different, depending on the layout and flow of each facility.\u00a0Our full-service, sit down restaurants will operate with\u00a0reduced\u00a0seating,\u00a0spaced to enable physical distancing. At\u00a0most of our large,\u00a0quick-service restaurants, such as\u00a0Two Elk\u00a0in Vail, Miner\u2019s Camp\u00a0in Park City and\u00a0Pioneer Crossing\u00a0in Breckenridge,\u00a0we intend to\u00a0reconfigure our \u201cscramble areas\u201d to\u00a0have a cafeteria-style approach, where guest come\u00a0in,\u00a0go through a single line,\u00a0and\u00a0pass all the food options until they get to the\u00a0cashier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Food options\u00a0in quick-service restaurants\u00a0will be more limited this season, with just a handful of\u00a0ready-to-go\u00a0hot and cold\u00a0options and no ability for any custom or special orders.\u00a0We will be\u00a0spacing tables\u00a0in\u00a0seating areas\u00a0as well\u00a0to allow for physical distancing\u00a0while eating.\u00a0We will also be maintaining as much outdoor seating as we can.\u00a0Given these limitations, we\u00a0will recommend\u00a0that\u00a0guests adjust their schedules\u00a0and\u00a0try\u00a0to dine\u00a0earlier or later\u00a0to avoid the peak lunch rush. Since stopping by one of our restaurants will not be as easy as in years\u2019 past,\u00a0we will also encourage guests to bring\u00a0water, snacks and other\u00a0food with them on the mountain to ensure they\u00a0stay hydrated and have the energy\u00a0needed\u00a0for their ski day.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We will still\u00a0sell\u00a0packaged\u00a0beer and wine\u00a0at\u00a0most\u00a0of our\u00a0locations, but\u00a0we\u00a0will not operate\u00a0any full-service bars,\u00a0on or off the mountain, as we do not believe\u00a0convening in a\u00a0traditional bar\u00a0setting, anywhere in resort\u00a0or throughout our communities,\u00a0is safe\u00a0amid COVID-19.\u00a0 Finally, all transactions\u00a0in our\u00a0restaurants, and\u00a0elsewhere at our resorts,\u00a0will be cashless\u00a0(unless\u00a0required by local regulations).\u00a0As the season approaches, each of our resorts will be sharing specific details on the operations of each of their restaurants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physical Distancing in Ski & Snowboard Rental Locations<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are striving to provide a safe experience throughout each part of our resorts, and that includes at our\u00a0owned and operated\u00a0ski and snowboard rental locations \u2013 which we plan to have open this winter.\u00a0We will be managing the number of people inside\u00a0each location, in accordance with local regulations, and setting them up to allow for physical distancing\u00a0and appropriate guest flow.\u00a0Guests and employees will be required to wear face coverings,\u00a0and for the portions of the process that require close interactions\u00a0with our\u00a0technicians, our employees will take additional precautions, including wearing\u00a0eye\u00a0protection\u00a0and gloves.<\/b>\u00a0Equipment will be fully sanitized between each guest use and we intend to expand our rental delivery service to provide enhanced options for guests to rent equipment outside of the store locations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Health Screenings within\u00a0Ski and Ride School<\/u><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All of our employees will be required to undergo health screenings before they arrive at work, given their interaction with guests and other employees at\u00a0our\u00a0resorts.\u00a0We are taking\u00a0this\u00a0same precaution\u00a0with our\u00a0ski and ride school participants,\u00a0given that physical distancing\u00a0may\u00a0not always be possible\u00a0during\u00a0a\u00a0lesson\u00a0such as when the group rides lifts and gondolas or eats lunch together.\u00a0With this in mind, all participants will be required\u00a0to\u00a0undergo\u00a0and confirm\u00a0an online\u00a0self-health screening\u00a0prior to\u00a0arriving at the mountain\u00a0for their lesson.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We will also be limiting the class size of all of group and private lessons to\u00a0a maximum\u00a0six\u00a0people.\u00a0Specific\u00a0details and\u00a0procedures\u00a0for certain\u00a0class types\u00a0for children\u00a0are still being\u00a0determined\u00a0and will be announced as they are finalized,\u00a0taking into account safety considerations.\u00a0While we\u00a0plan to\u00a0continue\u00a0many\u00a0of\u00a0our\u00a0season-long\u00a0youth\u00a0programs\u00a0offered at many of our resorts,\u00a0we\u00a0will be\u00a0suspending\u00a0most\u00a0other\u00a0smaller\u00a0specialty programs\u00a0this winter.\u00a0As the season approaches,\u00a0each of our resorts will announce additional details\u00a0on\u00a0their programs and any changes that will be required.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Lessons will need to be purchased in advance \u2013 no walk-up, day-of lessons will be available.\u00a0A mountain access reservation\u00a0will be\u00a0included with the purchase of a ski school lesson. A lift ticket or eligible pass product will be required if the student will be riding a lift.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Next Steps<\/u><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Each of our resorts will continue to work closely with all\u00a0of\u00a0our local community stakeholders to review the details of our\u00a0winter\u00a0plans\u00a0and to ensure we\u00a0remain aligned in our collective approach to the season.\u00a0Success for\u00a0this\u00a0season can only happen with close collaboration and partnership in each community.<\/b>\u00a0While we\u00a0have\u00a0designed\u00a0our\u00a0winter\u00a0operating\u00a0plan\u00a0to\u00a0comply with\u00a0and\u00a0at times\u00a0exceed\u00a0all\u00a0known\u00a0applicable laws, our\u00a0operations\u00a0will\u00a0remain\u00a0subject to the local regulations\u00a0in\u00a0each of our resort\u00a0locations.\u00a0Please\u00a0understand that these may change at any time, either ahead of or during the ski season. We will endeavor to communicate any changes\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and how\u00a0they\u00a0might impact our operations\u00a0\u2013\u00a0as soon as we are\u00a0made\u00a0aware of them.\u00a0Our\u00a0resorts will have a dedicated page on\u00a0each of\u00a0their websites that will\u00a0provide the\u00a0most up-to-date information on COVID-19\u00a0impacts.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While it\u2019s not possible to know every detail yet,\u00a0I hope this\u00a0update\u00a0gives you a better sense of what you can expect when you visit our resorts\u00a0this winter.\u00a0We highly recommend purchasing one of our pass\u00a0products\u00a0ahead of the season\u00a0to ensure you\u00a0get\u00a0the best value and the best access to our resorts\u00a0this season.\u00a0Even if you just plan to\u00a0ski or ride\u00a0just\u00a0a few\u00a0days, you should\u00a0consider\u00a0our Epic Day Pass products which offer up to a 50% discount off lift tickets.\u00a0You\u00a0can find\u00a0more details on\u00a0our various\u00a0pass products,\u00a0our\u00a0reservation system, Epic Coverage and our new Epic Mountain Rewards\u00a0program\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0 As a reminder,\u00a0we will not begin selling daily lift tickets until Dec.\u00a08\u00a0and\u00a0we\u00a0have\u00a0extended\u00a0our Labor Day pass deadline, including the deadline to use credits from last season, to Sept. 17.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is no doubt this season will be different, but we are committed to\u00a0what matters most:\u00a0working to\u00a0protect your safety and wellbeing\u00a0and providing you with\u00a0great\u00a0skiing and riding this winter.\u00a0I hope to see you on the mountain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thank you,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rob Katz LETTER FROM VAIL RESORTS CEO ON 2020\/21 WINTER OPERATING PLAN August 27, 2020 Dear Guests,\u00a0\u00a0 There\u00a0is nothing I am looking forward to more than being back on the mountain, back\u00a0on snow, back on skis\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0I\u00a0know I\u00a0am not alone.\u00a0Each summer, we all\u00a0wait patiently for the return of winter,\u00a0and this year more than ever, we\u00a0need it. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":248546753,"featured_media":2698,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1369],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tahoe-real-estate-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfNAru-6C","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Untitled-design-3-copy.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248546753"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nChief Executive Officer
\nVail Resorts<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"