Construction at Breckenridge Ski Resort has been underway to bring us all a new Alpine Coaster! Known as the Gold Runner, the coaster is located at the Peak 8 base area and will operate year round, winter and summer! The Gold Runner features around 2500 feet of track with plenty of twists, turns and dips and will run between the two ski runs. What’s nice about this coaster is that the two passenger cars have speed controls so adults and children can go down the coaster at a safe and fun velocity!

Construction is almost complete and is slated to be opened no later than November 12, or Breckenridge Ski Resort’s opening day! Other improvements include revamped snow making materials and multiple renovations in local restaurants and other hospitality operations included bowling alleys and a new apres ski bar that is slope side! While you’re in Keystone, consider taking a trip over to Breckenridge and checking out the Gold Runner and the new bars and restaurants, after all, your ski passes are usually good in this neck of the woods.

Colorado Ski & Golf’s annual Ski Rex mega sale event is to go down starting September 3rd. The event kicks off the super discounts Colorado Ski & Golf offers! Up to 75% off the best known brands such as Salomon, Burton, K2, Ride, Spyder, Descente, Obermeyer and many different other brands at deeply discounted rates. The September 3rd event is for VIP members and allow these customers first pick of the merchandise. Starting the 4th, the sale is open to the general public till September 19th!

The real reason for this post is because of the Colorado Pass (ski season pass). The Colorado Pass can only be acquired and certain retailers and special events (or if you had one last year and are renewing). The Colorado Pass gives skiers and boarders unlimited access to Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge ski resorts, but also gives them 10 days to use at either Vail or Beaver Creek for only $449! The Colorado Pass Sale only happens on Labor Day weekend and this is one of the only places to grab a Colorado Pass for the 2010/2011 ski season!

Buy your pass and maybe upgrade your gear. Ski Rex is a limited event, but has tons of great equipment and specials to get you ready for the ski season!

Frisco is a delightful little town that is right in the middle of Summit County and is surrounded by three ski areas (Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin). In order to draw a larger presence and to keep tourist dollars in the area, Frisco has developed what they are calling the Frisco Peninsula Project.

The Peninsula Recreation Center already features a Disc Golf Course, trails, camp grounds and more amenities, but Frisco is trying to make it a year round destination. Frisco is adding a huge lodge, upgrading their skate park, develop a terrain park (for BMX) and more. In the winter, the park will be transformed into a terrain park, a massive tubing hill and a Nordic Skiing center. The construction has a long way to go, but the developers are hoping the tubing hill will be ready by the Thanksgiving holiday and in full swing once the Holiday Season comes around. Currently, the tubing hill needs some work at the top gradient and then will be ready to go. The next step in their process is to refine the interior of the Lodge and get it ready for the winter season. So far, everything is on schedule.

Despite the construction, the recreation area is still open to the public, with the exception of the skate park.

More to come as news develops and we’ll try to get some photos.

The last great festival of the summer occurs in River Run Village in Keystone and is known as Festa Italia (12PM – 6PM, Sept. 11). As you could have guessed, it is a festival that celebrates Italian culture and cuisine. This is the 2nd annual Festa Italia and the day will be full of entertainment, Italian cuisines and wines, and an authentic Keystone Marketplace. Kids are always welcome in Keystone with the Kidzone activity center and arts and crafts for children. Admission to the event is free, but food, wine and goods come for a small fee.

New this year is “Mario the Peddler” a world renowned author, speaker and entertainer. “Mario the Peddler” message of peace, love and justice has been presented to numerous political and religious leaders around the world including Pope John Paul II. The festival kicks off at 12 PM (noon) on Saturday with the cuisine and wine bar vendors in full swing until 5PM.  The first showing of “Mario the Peddler” is from 12-1 PM and admission for children is free and for adults is $5. Throughout the day check out the numerous shops, food vendors and more. There is also live music throughout the day and interactive events. There is a second showing of “Mario the Peddler” at 5-6PM and once again it is free for children and $5 for adults.

Festa Italia promises to be a fun, cultural and educational event for the whole family and, if nothing else, will provide excellent food, wine and music.

Fairly soon, vacationers and visitors of Keystone will be greeted by a newly improved sign. Which is a glimpse and a gateway into the breathtaking views and exhilarating experiences patrons will share during they stay in Keystone.

Vail Resorts is offering an awesome excursion that includes breathtaking views of Adventure Ridge. Vail Resorts has outfitted custom-built Ford F350 Trucks with elevated seats that are reminiscent of an outback safari vehicle. The excursion takes people across the Adventure Ridge and offers amazing stunning views of the China Bowl, Blue Sky Basin Overlook, and Eagle’s Nest. The tour guide offers education regarding the history of the area and about the flora and fauna!

Expect Views Like This!

The tours have been described as having “breathtakingly gorgeous panoramic views” and that the tour guides are so full of education knowledge and insight. Trying out these tours will give you access to a side of the mountains you may not have ever seen! Next time you’re in Summit County or Vail, take a day trip and check out one of these amazing tours!

The Optimist Club supports a wide variety of extracurricular activities in the Summit School District, including volleyball, basketball, chess tournaments, oratorical and essay contests. The Optimist Club also recognizes outstanding students in local elementary schools and rewards them for their hard work and dedication to the community. All proceeds from the raffle will go to support the Optimist Club’s support of children and young adults and also the students’ interest in athletics, academics and other fields.

The drawing is Sept. 15 and tickets are available at any Alpine Bank, First Bank or the Edward Jones office of mark Nunn in Frisco. Call (970) 668-3811 for more info.

Here is a portion of an email we received from a recent guest who stayed in River Run Village

My girls love going to Keystone, especially to the Springs pool/hot tubs and fire pit.  Their new favorite thing to do this Summer/July was to ride the gondola up and go tubing in shorts and crocs.  They loved it!!  They also like to play putt putt over by the park.  We also found out when you buy your first round of putt putt, you can play as long as you want and your price is good for all day and you can come back to play again and again (Same day only).  Always fun to stop by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory and satisfy your sweet tooth.  Lauren, our 6 year old, had fun watching a theater production of Rapunzel at the ampitheatre.   They also like going to Lakeside Village, riding the paddle boats and getting the ducks and geese to follow for food.  We have ridden our bikes from River Run Village out to Lake Dillon as well.  Not too tough of a ride for kids to do and a paved path.  Keystone is always a fun family place to be. I wanted to say thank you again for such an amazing experience for our family in Keystone, it is always nice to work with SummitCove.

Grab the kids and head up to Keystone for a weekend trip, now that the kids are in school it won’t be long until Fall kicks in and we are unable to enjoy some of the summer clasics in Keystone Colorado.

Hello Summer Summit Covers!  Summer is sadly coming to an end, but there are still a few wonderful weeks of warmth ahead of us!  Shorts are still wearable  and the mountain bikes and golf clubs are still in use.  Along with all of the great activities in Keystone we still have a few festivals that should not be missed.  For starters, The annual Taste of Keystone festival is coming up on Labor Day Weekend. This is an exciting festival where all the Keystone operated restaurants pull out all the stops and have various dishes served a la carte in the Lakeside Village.   Get hungry, because with menu items such as grilled beef tenderloin skewers, braised short ribs, and New Zealand lamb chops; a healthy appetite is a must!

The following weekend is Festa Italiana.  September 11th in River Run Village will hold the 2nd annual Italian food and wine festival.  Live family friendly entertainment and tent vendors add to the festive atmosphere where families will be strolling and enjoying Italian influenced cuisine.  We even have a gondola!  No, the Snake River is not deep enough for a singing gondolier to romantically paddle you and your loved one through the village, but hey we’re in The Rockies.  Beautiful scenery on the way to the top of Dercum Mountain is a pretty fair trade I think.

In October, Wine in the Pines is one of the most anticipated events of the year.  People book for this event months in advance.  Every year there is a theme for this event, and this year will feature Francis Ford Coppola’s Vino in a Godfather atmosphere.   If this sounds like something you might be interested in call as soon as you can so we can “make you an offer you can’t refuse!”  Some events are “black tie” and some events are casual.  Whether you are the cutoff jeans type or the Armani Tux type, you can’t afford to miss out on The Wine in the Pines event on October 22nd and 23rd.

Now that we know Keystone ski resort is opening November 5, it is time to look for season passes! Vail Resorts offers many different levels of season passes depending on where you want to ski. Season passes are nice for multiple reasons, even if you are only staying for a short time period! First of all, they can be cheaper than buying lift tickets. Yes, a Colorado Pass is $449 for adults and a 6-day lift ticket pass for the high season is $498! Basically, if you plan to ski more than 5 days in Summit County, buy a Season Pass, you could save money and it may entice you to take another trip up the mountains. Not to mention all the members=only benefits, discounts, freebies and more for Season Pass Club members. You also receive discounts at Heavenly resort at Lake Tahoe! Overall, a season pass is the way to go if you are planning to ski for 6 days or more, or divide up your ski time over different weekends. You also receive buddy passes with your season pass and those passes get you discounted lift tickets (rates depend on seasonality), and combining season passes with buddy passes can be an inexpensive way to ski! The most basic is the Keystone & Arapahoe Basin Pass. Visit www.snow.com for more information!

Remember Season Passes are nontransferable and nonrefundable.

Keystone & Arapahoe Basin Pass

The Keystone & Arapahoe Basin pass offers just as its name implies, unrestricted access to Keystone & A-Basin. Complete with 6 ski-with-a-friend passes, this is the most affordable and cut down package, but if you love Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, there’s no need to go elsewhere. The prices for adults (Ages 19+) are $359, Teens (12-18 years old) costs $299, and Kids (Ages 5-12) run at $199. So plan accordingly and enjoy the mountains!

Summit Pass

The Summit Pass includes unlimited access to Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge! The Summit Pass is one of the most popular in Summit county and includes the same access to resorts that a lift ticket would. This pass also includes 6 ski-with-a-friend passes and other benefits! The cost for these season passes are: $409 for adults, $319 for teens, and $209 for children. A small price above the  Keystone & A-Basin pass, this is a great package for skiers looking to ski a few different mountains that are pretty close to each other. If you stay in Keystone, Breckenridge is only 30 minutes away and Arapahoe Basin is 15-20 minutes away!

Colorado Pass

The Colorado Pass is perhaps the most popular Season Pass for Vail Resorts. The Colorado Pass includes unlimited access to Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin, as well as 10 ski days (with blackout dates usually around holiday times) to Beaver Creek and Vail! The Colorado Pass is a bit more difficult to obtain, as you have to purchase it at special events or find a brick-and-mortar retailer like Colorado Ski and Golf or Boulder Ski Deals. However, the price for these passes are great: $449 for adults, $339 for teens, and $219 for children. This pass is perfect for extended season goers and can save you a bundle if you like to hop between the different resorts.

Epic Pass

The Epic Pass is the premier pass of Summit County and encompasses unlimited access to Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Beaver Creek and Vail resorts! There are no blackout dates for Epic Pass holders and the season pass holder even has unlimited access to Heavenly resort in Lake Tahoe. As with the other passes, you receive the six buddy passes good for discounts. The Epic Pass is priced as follows: $599 for adults (ages 13+) and $299 for children (5-12). There is also the Epic 7 pack, which gives you seven unrestricted days of skiing at any of the resorts! You will also receive the buddy passes for your friends and this is a great purchase for vacationers to Keystone! The Epic 7-Pack ranges from: $449 for adults and $219 for kids!

There are many other ski resorts in the area and season tickets are available through their respective sites (although they haven’t posted prices yet). So get out there and ski the many different areas of Summit county!