Blue Mountain Opens The Orchard

Blue Mountain Resort is pleased to announce the opening of The Orchard on December 24, 2013.  Beginning at 9:00am, skiers and boarders will have access to three of the six new trails spread out over 64 acres of terrain, all of which are serviced by Blue’s fifth, high-speed, six person chair lift, The Orchard Express. 

“Since we announced The Orchard expansion, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of interest from our guests regarding the new trails and their expected launch date,” stated Dan Skelton, President, Blue Mountain Resort.  “Having The Orchard online today further demonstrates Blue Mountain’s commitment to early season opens while also providing the best possible alpine experience in Ontario.”

The Orchard represents a $7.5M investment and is the largest, on-hill development undertaken by Blue Mountain in the last 30 years.  While The Orchard trails have been cut since 1987, they remained undeveloped for skiing and snowboarding until recently.  A major part of the terrain expansion included chairlift construction, the addition of night lighting to all six runs and snowmaking infrastructure added to three of the six trails.

To celebrate the open, Blue Mountain also plans to make one lucky skier or boarder’s dreams come true with a money can’t buy experience in The Orchard.  “The Ultimate Orchard Experience” turns Blue’s newest terrain into one contest winner’s personal winter wonderland with 60 minutes of private access to the trails prior to Resort open for the winner and four friends.  The group will also receive their choice of skis or snowboards, as well as respective boots and bindings, overnight accommodations at Blue Mountain, and exclusive access to The Orchard’s snowmaking and grooming operations. 

“We wanted to amplify The Orchard experience for one lucky winner and their friends in a way that not only reflects the excitement we’ve seen from our guests, but also pays tribute to Blue Mountain’s terrain expansion in a similarly unique and celebratory way,” stated Paul Pinchbeck, Director, Marketing.

Running from December 20^th to January 10^th, weekly videos will be released at BlueMountain.ca/Orchard.  To win, entrants must correctly answer trivia questions embedded in each video.  If entrants answer each question correctly, their name will be submitted into a random draw for the Grand Prize.  The contest culminates in a Grand Opening Ceremony forecasted to take place at the base of The Orchard on January 17, 2014.

Blue Mountain Winter Event Schedule

Blue Mountain Resort is proud to announce a full line up of Winter Season Events taking place during the 2013/2014 ski and snowboard season. This year’s calendar features over 15 events taking place on and off hill in Blue Mountain Village. New this year is Snowcrown, one of the largest freestyle ski and snowboard events of the year during which Olympic level athletes compete in the Halfpipe, Slope Style and Big Air Competition to win over $40,000 in prize money. Returning favourites include the Volcom Stone Peanut Butter & Rail Jam and the Snow Media Showcase. With an action packed winter season, there’s something for every interest, taste and age group.

Blue Mountain Resort and Blue Mountain Village Event Schedule:

November 30 – December 31     Frost Frenzy   
December 22                              World Snowboard Day Park Party
December 31                              New Year’s Eve Party & Fireworks
January 6 – 10                            Coors Light Ski Spree
January 18                                  Salomon’s Don’t Get Lost Snowshoe Raid
January 18                                  Women’s Snowboard Federation Park Day
January 19                                  World Snow Day
February 5, 12, 19, 26               Badlands Park Series
February 8                                 Volcom Stone Peanut Butter & Rail Jam
February 16 – 18                       Family Day Weekend Activities & Fireworks
February 18 – 21                      Coors Light College and University Week
February 24 – 28                      Molson Canadian 67 Women’s Week
March 4 – 8                              Molson Canadian Men’s Week
March 9                                    Lifted Golden Ticket
March 8 – 15                            March Break Madness
March 13                                  Keep Winter Cool
March 14                                 SNOW Media Showcase
March 12 – 16                         Snowcrown

Blue Mountain Set to Open on November 30th

Get your gear ready!  The 2013/14 season is just days away as Blue Mountain sets to open on Saturday November 30, 2013.  To celebrate, Blue Mountain is offering lift tickets for the weekend priced at $19 plus HST for all ages. 

“Opening Day is one of the most highly anticipated days of the year for Blue Mountain and many of our guests,” said Paul Pinchbeck, Director, Marketing at Blue Mountain Resort. “With the weather on our side, and our snowmakers working diligently to get our trails ready, a November open reaffirms our commitment to what will be a long and successful winter season.”

Last year, Blue Mountain’s winter season stretched into late April and with this year’s forecasted open on November 30^th, Blue Mountain continues to emphasize the importance of early season starts and late season finishes for skiers and snowboarders alike.  Provided that the current weather conditions remain steady throughout the coming days, the Resort will be on track to open the Silver Bullet Chair with access to two runs, for day operations between 9:00am and 4:30pm.  Of special note: Blue Mountain will close following weekend operations from December 2^nd to December 4^th for regularly scheduled maintenance with a return to full seasonal operations on December 5^th, 2013. 

The Orchard, Blue Mountain’s expanded terrain, is forecasted to open in December with limited runs.  However, with snowmaking infrastructure set for three of the six new trails, Blue Mountain predicts a Grand Opening of the Orchard sooner rather than later.  “The Orchard is the biggest on-hill development Blue has seen in the last thirty years,” stated Paul.  “With an additional 64 acres, The Orchard represents a 20% increase in skiable terrain.  We’re trying to usher in the new terrain as soon as possible so we can continue to provide our guests with Ontario’s best alpine experience.”

Updated daily, snow and condition reports can be found at www.bluemountain.ca, or in real time on Blue Mountain’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/BlueMountain) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/BlueMtnResort).  

Blue Mountain Village is in full swing throughout the month of December with activities including Family Fireworks every Saturday night as well as premiere shopping, dining and nightlife.

With a winter full of events, Opening Day is only the beginning of great things to come this season at Blue Mountain Resort.

Still Time to Save

Hey you...sitting on the snow fence! Hop off and save until December 19. It's a proven fact that winter is 100% more fun* on our side of the fence where we have 42 trails (that's 6 more than last year for those keeping track), 5 high-speed six-person lifts including the newly installed Orchard Express, which all amounts to maximum time on the slopes! We want to keep the savings in your pocket and are offering discounted Season Passes until December 19, 2013. With snow in the near forecast, you could be skiing and snowboarding in as little as a month from now. Save $30 on The Night Value Pass before December 19.  Save $70 with the Popular 5x7® Pass before December 19. Save up to $90 on your all-access Super Pass before December 19.       Want to know when opening day is? Looking for exclusive offers? Stay in touch all season long by subscribing to our winter insider's list. If you already subscribe to our email publications, you can sign up by clicking the Update Profile icon at the bottom of this email. *Fun, as described by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as something amusing or enjoyable. Blue Mountain does not take liability for the excessive use of fun. You are solely responsible to use your fun in a safe and responsible manner. For maximum results, combine fun with other emotions such as thrill, joy and excitement whenever possible. Despite our best efforts, you may have already purchased your 2013/14 Season Pass and are receiving this message in error. If so, please disregard this message and thank you for your purchase.

Blue Expands for 2013 - 2014 Season

SHRI FEST - NOV 1 -3 rd

Featured Event    Gather at Blue Mountain November 1-3 for 3 days of Yoga, music, celebration, life coaching, food, dance, art and live music. The festival features a variety of teachers who will inspire your yoga practice, talented musicians who will inspire you to take your practice to the next level and local artists who will showcase their work. Register for all or part of the event here.

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