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CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT IMPROVEMENTS
FOR THE 2006-2007 SKI SEASON
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NEW HIGH SPEED QUAD TOPS THE LIST
MT. CRESTED BUTTE, CO--Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), is a family-operated business whose owners are serious about skiing, the environment and the community. Improvements for the 2006-2007 ski season are already underway as the 2005-2006 season comes to an end. The "to-do" list includes a new high speed quad chair lift, upgraded snowmaking, a new winch cat, increased safety patrols, mascot "rehab", real estate acquisitions, upgraded software systems, project completions and new project plans.
The most visible change next winter will be the replacement of the East River Lift with a high-speed quad. "East River has great intermediate skiing. The addition of this high-speed quad will enhance the guest experience as we continue to improve our existing product," said Randy Barrett, CBMR's Vice President and General Manager. "We will also be working with the Forest Service to approve more glading, brush cutting and an additional rail park for kids in the East River Pod. The high-speed quad will cut the time in half for guests riding the East River chair."
As soon as the snow melts, CBMR crews will begin on-mountain work. Snowmaking pipeline will be replaced and upgraded to help secure CBMR's commitment to great early-season conditions. Beginner terrain, starting with the Peachtree area, will be evaluated and realigned to better suit the needs of our first-time skiers and snowboarders.
Snowcat drivers will morph into earth movers for the summer, finishing Prospect Phase II's infrastructure jobs, CBMR's luxury ski-in/ski-out community. Phase II summer activities include installing two bridges, roads, sewer, water, cable, phone lines and beginning Prospect Phase IV.
As winter sets in again, the crews will transform back into night-time snowcat operators. The additional new Winch Cat will enable them to meet early season opening demands and continue laying out "Colorado's Best Corduroy™".
Mountain safety for CBMR guests continues to be in the forefront. With that in mind, daily skier safety awareness teams, complete with radios, have been added to the staff.
CBMR's Ski and Snowboard Rental and Repair Shop will see new rental inventory for beginner through advanced skiers and riders.
Bubba and Betty Bear, CBMR's longtime mascots, will hibernate at a spa in L.A. this summer for a complete makeover. "Since we work all winter, summer is our only time to get away! Betty and I can't wait to show off our new looks next winter! Look for us buffed and fluffed on the slopes! Everyone thought Betty was such a catch before, but just wait!" growled Bubba as he and Betty headed west.
Real Estate and lodging continue to be the focus of CBMR's plans for the future. The acquisitions of the slopeside Treasury Center, in November 2005, and the Grand Lodge Hotel management and commercial space, in the fall of 2006, are key to the success of the new base area Village titled, Mountaineer Square. The redevelopment of the base area and town center will continue for the next several years.
The completion of the first phase of the $200 million Mountaineer Square will be visible in the spring of 2007. Plans are now underway for the next phases of the new town center, to be located north of the Grand Lodge Hotel. The ski area central Gothic Building will be leveled and reconstructed in the spring of 2007. Renamed Cimarron, the new building will house the ticket office, ski/snowboard rental, retail, food and beverage outlets and premier resort residences.
Ground will be broken next spring at the top of the Red Lady Express Lift for the Red Lady Lodge. The new 15,000 square foot ski area facility will include a full service restaurant and skier services. The new on-mountain amenity will be designed by Sunlit Architects, a Crested Butte firm.
To complement the pending purchase of the Grand Lodge Hotel management and commercial space, CBMR property management will see an upgrade in technology with new Property Management Systems (PMS), software. The software has a two-way interface with the resorts central reservations call-center, Crested Butte Vacations. On-line booking capabilities and cross selling will be two of the most notable improvements. "We are upgrading systems with cutting-edge, web based technology. We will see increased efficiency across the board," said Lynn Kiklevich, CBMR's Director of Lodging Operations.
"As we continue to move forward, we are creating the 'Crested Butte Difference,' '' said Barrett.
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Real Estate in the Crested Butte Valley
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