Vail, Colorado: When Ski Season Ends, Construction Begins

In Vail, like many other mountain ski resort towns, the bustling ski season brings a host of out-of-towners, and tends to boost the economy for the rest of the year.

But, when the sun heats up and those lifts start shutting down, the clock starts ticking on the limited construction months to come.  This year, and for the next few, improvements are being planned for Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek, and those sunny months go by quicker than expected.

With a number of construction projects planned for 2013, 2014, and 2015, developers and construction crews are ramping up for the long days of hard work in May. Some projects, like Beaver Creek's Red Tail Camp are already underway.

Some of the biggest projects planned are preparations for the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships and Vail Resorts' Epic Discovery Project.  Here’s a rundown of the approved summer projects set to begin in Vail and Beaver Creek:

• A four-line 1,200-foot long zipline located west of the current tubing hill lift at Adventure Ridge.
• Three lanes of summer tubing at Vail utilizing the existing tubing hill and covering it with a material surface designed for the activity. Guests will have the opportunity to glide down the hill in summer, much like they do in winter.
• Two aerial challenge courses and a large climbing wall. The aerial courses will each feature three levels of elements for guests to maneuver including ladders, rope bridges, swinging logs, cargo nets and more, all within the safety of a cable-attached harness.
• At Beaver Creek, a new 500-seat restaurant of approximately 18,000 square feet will replace Red Tail Camp.

The Vail Forest services have also given approval to the list of projects underway, stating that the goal is to allow people to see the beauty of the National Forests and this will allow that. They also show appreciation to the ski resorts as they allow the public to experience the National Forests and provide economic stability to the local communities.

How do you feel about this planned construction for Vail and Beaver Creek?  Do you think the construction will deter tourism during and affect local business?  Are you excited to see this construction project's final product? Please let us know how you feel in the comment section below.