Keystone Opens 555 Acre Expansion
Colorado’s Keystone Resort will open the 555 acres of newly-lift-accessible high alpine terrain in Bergman and Erickson Bowls today.
The new high-speed 6-passenger Bergman Express chairlift installed over the summer will start turning and offers a variety of skiing and riding from mellow and welcoming bowl terrain to adventure glades to the steep and rocky terrain in Erickson Bowl. The added terrain is Keystone Resort’s first lift access expansion since the Outback Express debuted in 1991, more than 30 years ago.
“Bergman Express will be a gamechanger for skiers and riders at Keystone. This new lift makes the high alpine more accessible to a wide range of ability levels, including experienced beginners which is really unique for this type of terrain. Now, the majority of our guests will have the opportunity to experience the amazing feeling of being on top of the world and adventuring into the high alpine,” said Chris Sorensen, Vice President and General Manager of Keystone Resort. “This project has taken a tremendous amount of work and would not have been possible without our incredible employees, the partnership of the U.S. Forest Service and the visionary leadership of Bill and Jane Bergman. We can’t wait for skiers and riders to experience it!”
The new terrain opening comes against a background of some of the worst early season conditions in memory across the US, Keystoine currently has less than 30% of its terrain open and a 12-20” base reported.
For the grand opening on Saturday, a ribbon cutting will take place at the bottom terminal of the Bergman Express lift at 9 AM prior to opening to the public. Starting on Saturday, the lift will provide access to all terrain and trails in Bergman Bowl. Terrain in Erickson Bowl, as well as hike-to access to Independence Bowl, will open as soon as conditions permit.
Terrain in Bergman Bowl is recommended for experienced beginners and above, and skiers and riders should be able to confidently ski or ride the resort’s Schoolmarm trail prior to skiing or riding the beginner terrain in Bergman Bowl, the resort says.
In total, 16 trails officially grace the slopes of Keystone’s high alpine terrain as a part of the Bergman Bowl project, with 13 of those trails sitting in Bergman Bowl and 3 of them in Erickson Bowl. While one familiar trail and trail name, Jane’s Journey, remains a staple of the area in honour of Keystone’s founder, Jane Bergman, the remaining 15 new trails debut with new trail names to match. Living up to the adventurous spirit of Keystone’s high alpine terrain, the new trail names were chosen based on surrounding iconic peaks that can be seen from the top of Bergman and Erickson Bowls. These names include mountains from the Front Range, TenMile range, and more.
“While Bergman and Erickson Bowls have previously been open for hike-to skiing and riding access at the resort, much of Keystone’s hike-to bowl terrain has largely gone under-utilized. For the first time ever now, both Bergman and Erickson Bowls will be accessible by lift to a variety of skiers and riders at the resort. The new lift will allow guests to easily lap the mellow and welcoming terrain in Bergman Bowl, as well as access more advanced terrain in Erickson Bowl that will connect back to the Outback Express and Wayback lifts,” a Vail Resorts statement explains.
For skiers and riders still looking to earn their turns and reach more untouched areas of the resort, 1,300+ acres of hike-to terrain will still be available in The Windows, North Bowl, South Bowl and Independence Bowl for expert skiers and riders.
In addition to the new lift, the project also includes a new sustainable patrol hut, new snowmaking infrastructure in the lower parts of Bergman Bowl, and a brand-new trail map to reflect the reimagined ski experience in Keystone’s high alpine.
