November 20, 2021 — Ski & Snowboard Club Vail received the window it needed this week to get its athletes on Golden Peak in time for this weekend. Thanks to a great midweek weather window, snowmaking ramped up to allow for excellent conditions to get the training courses ready.

Snowcat operators on the Golden Peak Expansion have been trading off 12+ hour shifts, with 24-hour coverage and some overlap, to ensure resources were best utilized. On Wednesday night, the intricate work began to build out the upper T-bar line. Those efforts continued through the day on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday morning. Vail Mountain Operations assessed the venue on Friday afternoon, allowing SSCV time to commence venue set-up this morning.

SSCV Chief Operating Officer Bryan Rooney said, “Through strong joint efforts between SSCV and Vail Mountain Operations, many teams and entities have banded together to provide our athletes with access to the Fall Line trail, beginning today.”

Although the opening of Golden Peak is a significant step forward, it is just the beginning of what is in store for Golden Peak.  There are many more piles of snow to be made to expand the venue to the full capacity enjoyed during the remainder of the season.

“We are making snow at every opportunity, and as temperatures continue to drop we will be able to open more terrain for guests and athlete training.  The weather continues to improve and we’re excited to be skiing and snowboarding at Vail Mountain,” said Brian Suhadolc, Vice President of Mountain Operations at Vail Mountain.

SSCV Executive Director John Hale said, “We would like to thank the Vail Mountain snowmaking team, snowcat operators, and mountain operations personnel that have worked tirelessly to get us to this point. A large number of alpine staff was out early this morning, working alongside some of our visiting teams that also have been awaiting early season training, carrying the lion’s share of work that is involved in getting our b-net protection systems in place which will allow for local and visiting athletes to begin training in Vail today.”

“We are thankful for the connections that our young athletes are able to make with teammates and coaches in a safe outdoor environment which is what SSCV is all about — to be there FOR THE KIDS,” stated Hale.