Base Village

The renaissance of Snowmass.

Already voted by the readers of SKI Magazine as the Number 3 ski resort in the United States, Snowmass is undergoing a major transformation. With more than $23 million in improvements slated, exciting changes are in store.

The town of Snowmass just opened a brand-new recreation center, which provides indoor classes and recreational activities for all ages.

In addition, development is underway on the new base village at Snowmass. Here, visitors will soon be able to enjoy a 25,000-square-foot children’s center, 15,000 square feet of conference space, and 64,000 square feet of new shops, pubs and restaurants — all connected to the upper village by the new Sky Cab.

Already completed:

• Village Express Lift — The Village Express six-passenger lift replaced the Fanny Hill chairlift to transport you in only 9.5 minutes from the bottom of Fanny Hill to the top of Sam's Knob, with a midway unloading station for those wishing to access beginner terrain. Village Express accommodates 2,800 people per hour, is 10,057 feet long and has 2,174 vertical feet of rise.
• Sky Cab Gondola — Like an elevator on cables between two retail centers, this fast and fun, six-passenger gondola transports riders between the Snowmass Village Mall and the new Base Village in only two minutes.

New for the 2006-2007 winter season:

• Elk Camp Gondola — A new 8-passenger, high-speed gondola is replacing the Funnel chairlift. Traveling from Base Village to Elk Camp Meadows in 7.5 minutes, the gondola provides access to the Elk Camp, Alpine Springs and Burnt Mountain areas of Snowmass. Comfortable cabins transport 2,800 people per hour over 8,560 feet, with 1,360 vertical feet of rise.
• Coney Terrain Park — Planned improvements for the superpipe and terrain park on Coney Glade include a new and improved terrain park and halfpipe area, with new hit features and additional snowmaking.
• Assay Hill Realignment — The Assay Hill chair on Snowmass will be realigned to give easy access to the angle station on the Elk Camp Gondola at the base of Funnel. It will be upgraded from a fixed-grip double to a fixed-grip quad, allowing beginners easier unloading.

In addition, the Wood Road Bridge over the ski back trail and the new Funnel trail skier bridge over Wood Road will be completed and usable this winter.

Coming in the future:

• Elk Camp Meadows — This major on-mountain activity center at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola will include a beginner's ski park with a six-acre protected learning area on gentle terrain. Pending approvals, Elk Camp Meadows could include a wide variety of winter and summer activities, such as a skating pond, Tube Town, snowshoeing, mountain biking, snow biking, sleigh rides, horseback riding, fishing, camping, nature centers, climbing walls, trampoline bungies, paintball, mountain boarding and more.