Northstar-at-Tahoe Now Part of Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts has expanded its family of ski resorts once again. After acquiring Northstar-at-Tahoe on Oct. 25, Vail Resorts now owns two resorts in the Lake Tahoe region. In recent years, Northstar-at-Tahoe has expanded to include more diverse terrain and a new base village. Kelly Ladyga, director of corporate communications at Vail Resorts, believes this was a key factor in their decision to purchase Northstar-at-Tahoe. “[Northstar-at-Tahoe] is a perfect complement to our collection of world-class resorts,” Ladyga said. “We believe our company can leverage its marketing strengths, particularly our season pass and customer loyalty programs,” This means twice as many opportunities to ski and ride in the region for previous Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe passholders with Heavenly in the mix. The Double Whammy Unlimited Pass still offers unlimited skiing and riding to Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at Tahoe as it had in past seasons at a price of $799 for adults, $449 for teens, and $119 for children. Sierra-at-Tahoe remains under the ownership of Booth Creek Resorts, but will continue to be included in the Double Whammy pass with Northstar-at-Tahoe. The resort is excited to be back to a single-resort operation as it was in 1964, said marketing and communications manager of Booth Creek Resorts, Kirstin Cattell. Passholders expressed concern about changes in the pass affecting their ability to ski and ride. However, Vail Resorts is offering a better deal. Double Whammy pass holders can now exchange their passes for the Epic Pass up until Nov. 7 and receive a refund for the price difference. The 2010-11 Epic Pass will expand to include unlimited access to Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe, giving passholders access to eight resorts at a price of $629 for adults and $329 for children. New to the 2010-2011 season is the “Epic 7-Pack,” a pass featuring seven days of unrestricted skiing and riding at any of the Vail Resorts.