South Lake Tahoe, CA – Staffers at Heavenly Mountain Resort today officially announced the California ski resort’s improvements for the 2010-11 ski and snowboard season, highlighted by a new 14,980-square-foot on-mountain restaurant called Tamarack Lodge, a new terrain park, upgrades to its grooming operation, and the acquisition of a South Lake Tahoe property management company by Heavenly parent Vail Resorts.n“While many resorts are pulling back, with the backing of Vail Resorts Heavenly is able to push forward and continue investing in the mountain experience, solidifying our position as Lake Tahoe’s premier destination resort,” said Pete Sonntag, vice-president and general manager of Heavenly. “Tamarack Lodge is going to be truly transformational for Heavenly’s overall resort experience, allowing us to ramp up the quality and variety of our food while increasing comfort for our guests.”

Set for completion in February, Tamarack Lodge will offer close to 500 indoor seats in an open dining area designed to overlook the ski runs serviced by the Tamarack Express chairlift through a wall of 40 foot tall, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Located in the middle of the mountain, skiers, snowboarders and sightseers will find an expansive, comfortable dining area featuring large timber framing and high ceilings throughout. On sunny days during both winter and summer, guests will use the lodge’s 4,320-square-foot patio, which can accommodate another 250 seats. The lodge exterior will complement the surrounding environment by featuring natural colors of the local Tahoe landscape. Aligning with Vail’s company-wide commitment to the environment, Heavenly will submit the project for LEED certification.

Tamarack Lodge also represents a critical component that completes Heavenly’s Adventure Peak family recreation area. Already home to snowshoeing, ski biking, sledding and Heavenly’s Super Tubing Hill, the restaurant will provide a home base for a full day of on-snow activity.

Heavenly’s revitalization over the past eight years includes new and upgraded lifts, increased snowmaking and grooming, and additional on-mountain amenities, and the new mid-mountain lodge is the latest component of this effort. “Tamarack Lodge is situated in the absolute ideal location at the top of our Gondola, accessible to skiers and snowboarders, as well as sightseers, both summer and winter,” Sonntag said. “This is the first lodge we’ve built at Heavenly in 31 years and we’re back in a big way. Tamarack Lodge is the crowning achievement of Phase One of Heavenly’s re-development.”

Heavenly officials are also touting Vail Resort’s new EpicMix technology, an online and mobile application which will allow them to capture their ski and ride experience and digitally share it with friends and family. An RF-enabled chip embedded in Vail Resorts’ season passes and PEAKS lift tickets will automatically track guests’ lift rides, calculating vertical feet skied and days on the mountain and will recognize special achievements and accomplishments by granting guests hundreds of commemorative, collectible digital pins. Guests can then log in to view and share results on social networks as well as post private messages and locate friends on the mountain, including a real-time locator for parents with children.

The basic functionality of EpicMix does not require Vail Resorts’ guests to do anything but ski and ride as they always have. There is nothing to buy, nothing new to wear and no required check-ins with their mobile devices. EpicMix can be used by any guest at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone in Colorado, as well as at Heavenly, whether they purchase a season pass or a PEAKS single-day lift ticket. EpicMix will launch on opening day at Keystone Mountain on Nov. 5.

Striking at critics who have expressed privacy concerns about the new system, Heavenly officials stress that no information collected through EpicMix will be shared unless a guest “opts in” and specifically chooses to share their information. Guests can choose to disable the RF chip in their pass to prevent any scanning. Children under 14 participating in EpicMix will have limited features and a connection only to their parents’ account.

Heavenly is adding a new terrain park under the Tamarack Express Chairlift called “Ante Up.” This slopestyle park will be comprised entirely of Heavenly’s recycled urban-based features made from tractor tires, water tanks, corrugated and snowmaking pipes, and more. Ante Up will also be in full view of the new Tamarack Lodge.

Heavenly has purchased two new Prinoth Bison X grooming machines and two of Prinoth’s new Beast groomers, bringing the resort’s fleet of snow cats to 20. The Beast is equipped with the most state-of-the-art technology to date, allowing it to groom 30 percent more acreage per hour than traditional grooming machines. Heavenly is also continuing its upgrades to enhance snowmaking efficiency, this year adding a new Variable Frequency Drive Pump at the East Peak snowmaking dam that will allow for the automatic adjustment of water pressure, ensuring that the right amount of water is being used at the right time, improving overall energy consumption and efficiency.

In conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, Heavenly continues this season to make advances in selective trail enhancement projects. These projects annually identify key trails for treatment by widening pinch points and lowering the height of obstacles on trails. This year, upper Ridge Run and upper California Trail were widened to relieve congestion. Heavenly also cut a new access trail from the top of North Bowl chairlift to East Peak Lodge to facilitate a more direct route to this popular gathering spot.

With airline baggage fees now the norm, many skiers and snowboarders are opting to leave their equipment at home and rent at the resort. As part of Vail Resorts’ consistent goal to vertically integrate all aspects of ski vacations, Heavenly Sports and RentSkis.com have teamed up to bring the rental shop to the hotel room, condo or chalet. Vail Resorts also recently acquired Accommodation Station, the third largest property management company in the South Lake Tahoe market. Founded 34 years ago, Accommodation Station is Vail Resorts’ first foray into the South Lake Tahoe lodging market.