Photo: Keystone Resort / Aaron Dodds

Keystone Resort opening day set for October 31

Keystone, Colo. — Sept 18, 2014 — Keystone Resort is getting ready to roll out the white carpet, kicking off the 2014-15 ski and snowboard season with the resort’s Opening Day scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31. Keystone will make its season debut with a Halloween-themed weekend of fun for the whole family including costume contests, on and off-snow tick-or-treating, giveaways and of course, amazing early season snow conditions aided by the resort’s powerful, and recently upgraded, snowmaking system.

With less than 45 days to go before the lifts start turning, Keystone’s Mountain Operation teams have been preparing to turn on the snow guns Monday, Oct 6, utilizing upgraded snowmaking pipe, new high-efficiency snowguns and an upgraded pump station to once again provide superior early season conditions for snow enthusiasts. Keystone’s three peaks have already seen the first accumulation of natural snow, and overnight temperatures have regularly plunged into the 30s in recent weeks, signally the start of another fantastic winter season in Colorado’s high country.

Beginning Opening Day, Keystone’s Kids Ski Free offer will return for a third season with children 12 and under receiving free lift tickets with any two or more night stay in any of Keystone’s owned/operated lodging units. Keystone’s offer is as simple as childhood itself, without any red tape or restrictions; there are no blackout dates, giving families the freedom to take advantage of the special deal on weekends and throughout holiday periods, a rarity in the ski industry. In the program’s first two seasons the resort has provided more than 60,000 Kids Ski Free lift tickets and Keystone is proud to once again offer the industry’s simplest and most valuable Kids Ski Free program. Reservations may be made at Keystoneresort.com or by calling 800-328-1323.

Families will also once again enjoy added value programming via Keystone’s Kidtopia events and activities. From an indoor play area and family movie events at Kidtopia Headquarters to weekly parades and fireworks displays, there’s no shortage of exciting animation for kids of all ages to enjoy, with most Kidtopia events free for all participants. Now in its fifth season, Kidtopia provides unique ways for families to experience the adventure of Keystone’s mountain environment, whether exploring the mountaintop snowfort, dancing along to tunes at one of the resort’s two ice skating rinks, searching for Bigfoot or learning about the wonders of the night sky. Coupled with all of the resort’s on and off-snow activities including a mountaintop tubing hill, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, scenic sleigh rides, ski biking, mountaintop snow cat tours, an indoor tennis center and resort pools, families will easily fill up their days with one of a kind mountain experiences that will be shared memories for years to come.

On-mountain Keystone continues to revolutionize the family ski experience with year two of the Family Ski Trail. Rounding out family-focused offerings including Camp Keystone ski and ride school, three designated learning/teaching areas, and Family Adventure Zones, The Schoolyard will once again offer families and beginner skiers and riders a place to progress their skills and technique, aided by specially designed snow features. Before gliding over the area’s terrain based learning features, families can partake in new on-snow animation with portraits by the EpicMix Photo team, meet-and-greets with Keystone’s Patrol and avy dog teams and ski and ride-alongs with Keystone’s friendly mascot, Riperoo.

For those families well beyond cruising green groomers, Keystone Adventure Tours (KAT) in-bounds cat skiing program will celebrate 10 years of powder-filled fun during the 2014-15 season. A renovated yurt in Keystone’s Indy Bowl, a new fleet of Solomon powder ski rentals and special celebratory offers will help mark a decade of high alpine adventure. One of only a handful of in-bounds cat experiences available in Colorado, Keystone Adventure Tours give guests the opportunity to enjoy a day exploring high alpine terrain in a controlled environment.

At the conclusion of the ski day, families are encouraged to head over to the Last Lift bar at Mountain House for a classic après ski scene. New this season, Last Lift will offer a “mug club” for regular patrons—or those who just want to feel like a local. The après experience is designed for the whole family at Last Lift, with twice weekly kids après ice cream socials and craft events, and weekly movie nights featuring new and vintage ski and snowboard flicks. The perfect fuel for a ski day can be found at the Bighorn Bistro at the Keystone Lodge, with a new family brunch offering on Sunday mornings. The kids-only Littlehorn dining room will feature a specialty buffet, crafts and kids entertainment, with a PJs-encouraged dress code. While little ones enjoy the true perks of being at the kids table, parents can enjoy a classic Sunday brunch, complete with bottomless mimosas in the Bighorn dining room.

Lock in Best Rates on Lodging Now—Book by Opening Day
Gather the whole family in one of Keystone’s convenient multi-bedroom condo properties or escape for a romantic weekend for two at the Ski Tip B&B. With nearly 800 units to choose from, Keystone offers accommodations for every size group and budget. Don’t forget, with any two or more night stay, kids 12 and under ski free every day at Keystone. Lock in best available rates today—Book by Oct 31st and save up to 40%.

Make the World Your Mountain with the Epic Pass
The Epic Pass continues to be the best value and most popular season pass in the industry offering guests a savings of up to 30 percent as compared to single-day lift ticket pricing.  The Epic Pass provides skiers and riders with unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah; and Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe. Vail Resorts is also pleased to announce a new partnership with one of the snowiest and most celebrated powder skiing resorts in the world – Niseko, Japan – as well as continued partnerships with Verbier, Switzerland and Les 3 Vallées, France. The Epic Pass now includes five free consecutive days at Niseko, Japan, as well as up to five free consecutive days at both Les 3 Vallées, France and Verbier, Switzerland. The Epic pass is on sale now for $749. EpicPass.com

The Best Deal in Skiing Returns— Keystone/A-Basin Pass
Back for a second season, the Keystone A-Basin Pass™  offers easy access for skiers and riders, who will enjoy unlimited skiing and riding with holiday restrictions, with the added advantage of two of the longest ski and ride seasons in the state. Enjoy more than 4,000 acres of skiable terrain for just $299 for adults and $219 for children (5-12 years old).The best value in the ski industry, the Keystone A-Basin Pass™ pays for itself in less than three days on the mountain.
Keystone 4-Packs
For skiers and riders not yet ready to make the commitment to a season pass, the diverse terrain offerings of two favorite Colorado mountains may also be accessed via the Keystone-A-Basin 4-Pack product. For just $179, guests can enjoy four days of their choice, with limited blackout dates, between the two resorts. Now available online atepicpass.com, guests can lock in four perfect days at up to 60% off daily lift ticket window rates.
For more information about Keystone Resort, visit keystoneresort.com or call (877) 204-7889. Follow the resort at @keystonemtn on Twitter or atwww.Facebook.com/Keystone.