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How are you managing access to the mountain this year?

Details and FAQs on our passes, lift tickets, reservation system, Epic Coverage and more can be found here. 

Will uphill access still be allowed at the resort?

Non-lift access to ski area facilities such as uphill snowshoeing, hiking or "skinning" is prohibited on Northstar California Property.

What are you doing to keep guests safe?

In addition to following all local regulations, we believe the core ways to keep guests safe this winter include: requiring face coverings, allowing for physical distancing, and ensuring guests and employees stay home if sick. We have designed our winter operating plan to do what we feel matters most, help keep guests safe and provide access to great skiing and snowboarding this winter.

Are face coverings required?

Yes. Face coverings will be required in every part of our operation, including while loading and riding on chairlifts and in gondolas, inside all buildings, and during all ski and snowboard lessons. No one will be permitted on the mountain without a face covering.

Do I have to wear a face covering while I’m skiing and snowboarding? 

While face coverings are not required during the physical acts of skiing and snowboarding if the guest is maintaining proper physical distance and is not in the vicinity of others, it is recommended guests do so. Otherwise, face coverings are required in every part of our operation, including while loading and riding on chairlifts and in gondolas, inside all buildings, and during all ski and snowboard lessons.

Are you allowing neck gaiters/buffs?

The type of face covering a guest may wear includes a cloth neck gaiter or other type of material that completely covers a person’s mouth and nose.

Are there any exemptions allowed? What if I can’t/won’t wear a face covering, such as if I’m ADA exempt?

Face coverings are required in every part of our operation without exception. If a guest is unable or unwilling to wear a face covering, the guest will not be allowed access in order to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure to other guests and employees.

What about my child age 2 and under – do they need a mask?

In line with local and CDC guidelines, we are asking that children aged 3 and older wear face coverings. 

What are you doing to ensure physical distancing is possible?

We will work to allow for physical distancing throughout our operations to help ensure a safe experience. First and foremost we will manage the number of people on our mountains through a reservation system. Additionally, we will only load related parties (guests skiing and riding together) on chairlifts and gondolas or: two singles on opposite sides of a four-person lift; two singles or two doubles on opposite sides of a six-person lift; or two singles on opposite sides of our larger gondola cabins. We will also manage the number of people coming in and out of our restaurants. 

What happens if there is a case of COVID-19 confirmed at your resort?

We will continue to work with local health officials to minimize the impact and spread of COVID-19 in our resort communities, prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and guests. If there is a case at our resort, or among an employee, we will follow all guidance provided by local health officials. If a guest or employee feels sick, we ask that they remain home.

How are you safely loading lifts this winter?

To allow for physical distancing on our chairlifts, we will only be seating related parties (guests skiing or riding together) or: two singles on opposite sides of a four-person lift; two singles or two doubles on opposite sides of a six-person lift; or two singles on opposite sides of our larger gondola cabins. All guests will be required to wear face coverings while in lift mazes, riding chairlifts and inside gondolas.

Why can’t we load chairlifts with other parties, since it’s outside and we’ll be wearing face coverings?

In the current environment, we do not believe it is appropriate to seat unrelated guests from different parties directly next to each other, given the dynamics during loading and unloading, during chair stoppages and due the proximity between guests as they ride the lift, speak to each other, speak on the phone and adjust their clothing. We believe a conservative approach is the best way to protect our guests.

How are you promoting physical distancing in lift lines?

In addition to the use of markers to help space guests out in lift lines, ski and snowboard equipment will help naturally distance guests while waiting to load the lifts. In addition, guests will be required to wear face coverings at all times while in lift mazes and riding chairlifts and gondolas.

How do you plan to manage lift lines given your new protocols?

First and foremost, we will manage the number of people on our mountains through a reservation system to allow for physical distancing. While our lift loading protocols may initially create longer lines at key access points, we believe these protocols are key components to providing a safe experience for our guests and we believe any initial lines will level out as guests spread out across the resort.

Will you be cleaning/disinfecting the lifts/gondola cabins between use?

Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting will take place daily in our gondola cabins. All high-touch surfaces will be frequently cleaned and disinfected with EPA-approved products that kill the COVID-19 virus.

Given you will have fewer guests on the mountain this year, will you reduce the number of lifts operating?

Our goal is to fully open with lifts and terrain, as weather and conditions permit, regardless of how many people are skiing and riding this season.

What will singles lines look like this season?

We will continue to offer singles lines. Singles may be seated together on opposite sides of four- and six-person chairlifts and on opposite sides of larger gondola cabins. All guests will be required to wear face coverings while in lift lines, riding chairlifts and inside gondolas.

What Ski School programs will be available this winter?

 Group and private lessons will be offered this season. All Ski & Ride School classes will have a maximum class size of six. The 5-and 6-year-old lessons will be a maximum class size of four. For 3- and 4-year-olds, who often spend a good portion of their lesson indoors, we will offer one-on-one, one-hour lessons. Three- and four-year old children are also welcome to join their family in a full or half day private lesson.

 What are your enhanced safety protocols? How will you maintain physical distancing?

 Class size will be limited to six or fewer people for all of group and private lessons. All participants will be required to complete a pre-arrival self-health screening on the day of their lesson. Child classes will be considered cohorts. They will ride lifts together during the day with their instructor. For all lessons, participants will meet on snow, not indoors. Face coverings will be required.

 Will health screenings be in effect, for both the guest and the instructor, prior to a lesson?

 All our employees will be required to undergo health screenings before they arrive at work, as well as complete an official health screening at the resort. Ski & Ride School participants will be required to complete a pre-arrival self-health screening within 24 hours of each lesson, prior to arrival on the mountain.

 Are face coverings required?

Yes. Face coverings will be required in every part of the experience; specifically while loading and riding on chairlifts and in gondolas, inside all buildings, and during all ski and snowboard lessons. No one will be permitted on the mountain without a face covering.

•  Do I have to wear a face covering while I’m skiing and snowboarding? While face coverings are not required during the physical acts of skiing and snowboarding if the guest is maintaining proper physical distance and is not in the vicinity of others, it is recommended guests do so. Otherwise, face coverings are required in every part of the experience, including while loading and riding on chairlifts and in gondolas, inside all buildings, and during all ski and snowboard lessons.
•  Are you allowing neck gaiters/buffs? The type of face covering a guest may wear includes a cloth neck gaiter or other type of material that completely covers a person’s mouth and nose.
•  Are there any exemptions allowed? What if I can’t/won’t wear a face covering, such as if I’m ADA exempt? Face coverings are required in every part of our operation without exception. If a guest is unable or unwilling to wear a face covering, the guest will not be allowed access in order to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure to other guests and employees.
•  What about my child age 2 and under – do they need a mask? In line with local and CDC guidelines, we are asking that children aged 3 and older wear face coverings.

 Do participants in Ski School need to separately make a reservation to access the mountain?

 All guests must have a lift ticket or pass to ski & ride. If you are not a pass holder, you must add a lift ticket to your lesson at checkout. If you are a pass holder, your mountain access reservation is confirmed when you book your lesson. 

 Will you still be able to sign up for lessons day-of, on-site?

 Lessons will need to be purchased in advance – no walk-up, day-of lessons will be available.

 Will kids Ski School still include lunch?

 We are offering half-day group lessons currently. These lessons do not include lunch. 
Private full day lessons will have a break for lunch. Please note, lunch is not included in the purchase of a private lesson.

Will childcare be available?

We will not be offering childcare for guests at our resorts this winter season.

 What will happen to season-long and specialty programs this season?

 Most season-long youth programs will be offered this year for children age 7 and up.

 Why are you not allowing children age 6 and under in your season-long programs?

 To help protect our guests, our employees and our communities amid this pandemic, we knew some changes would be required this season. This decision was made for the safety of children and employees as we have evaluated what products we can effectively offer within the lesson structure which includes managing lift safety, lunch processes and general needs of children of different ages throughout a lesson product.

 What if my child has a credit from last year’s season-long program but is under the age of 7?

 Your credit may be applied to another lesson type for your child or another member of your household.  More information to come if you are not able to use your credit.

What will the on-mountain dining experience be like this winter?

We plan to open a majority of our on-mountain restaurants this season. To allow for physical distancing, we will be managing the number of people in our restaurants in accordance with public health requirements and will monitor guests coming in and out of restaurants at the entrances. Our approach to each restaurant will be a little different, depending on the layout and flow of each facility. Our full-service, sit down restaurants will operate with reduced seating, spaced to enable physical distancing. At most of our large, quick-service restaurants (such as Two Elk in Vail, Miner’s Camp in Park City and Pioneer Crossing in Breckenridge) we intend to reconfigure our “scramble areas” to have a cafeteria-style approach, where guest come in and go through a single line, pass all the food options until they get to the cashier.

Food options in quick-service restaurants will be more limited this season, with just a handful of ready-to-go hot and cold options and no ability for any custom or special orders.

Will you be restricting capacity at your restaurants?

To allow for physical distancing, we will be managing the number of people coming in and out of our restaurants at the entrances. We will be spacing tables in seating areas as well to allow for physical distancing while eating. We will also be maintaining as much outdoor seating as we can. Given these limitations, we will recommend that guests adjust their schedules and try to dine earlier or later than normal (before noon or after 2 p.m.). We will also encourage guests to bring water, snacks and other food with them on the mountain to ensure they stay hydrated and have the energy needed for their ski day.

What restaurants will be open?

We plan to open a majority of our on-mountain restaurants this season. As the season approaches, each of our resorts will be sharing specific details on the operations of their restaurants.

Are there time limits for how long your party can use an indoor dining room table?

We will not be enacting exact time limits for dining tables, but we do ask that everyone be considerate of the time they spend at an indoor table. If the restaurant is at capacity, we would like guests to leave their table when they are finished actively dining to give waiting guests an opportunity to dine.

Will I have to wear a face covering inside while dining?

We will be requiring guests to wear face coverings at all times within our facilities, except when actively eating at their table at one of our restaurants.

Will restaurants accept cash?

All transactions in our restaurants, and elsewhere at our resorts, will be cashless (unless required by local regulations).

Do you have to make reservations for dining?

We are still reviewing potential options for access to our restaurant facilities, but do not anticipate taking reservations for dining at our quick serve, on-mountain restaurants this season, but may implement new line wait technology or approaches. However, regardless and to allow for physical distancing, we will be managing the number of people coming in and out of our restaurants and will recommend that guests adjust their schedules and try to dine before noon, or after 2 p.m.

We will continue to take lunch reservations at our full-service restaurants and will recommend that guests make a reservation in advance of dining.

Will full-service dining still be available?

Yes, we will continue to operate our full-service, on-mountain restaurants this winter with appropriate physical distancing. Restaurants will only be open for lunch and we will recommend making a reservation in advance.

Will full-service bars still be open?

Full-service bars will not be open at our resorts this winter. We will still sell packaged beer and wine at most of our locations, but we will not operate any full-service bars, on or off the mountain, as we do not believe convening in a traditional bar setting, anywhere in the resort, is safe during this pandemic. 

Can you bring your own food into the lodges and use a table?

Since stopping by one of our restaurants will not be as easy as in years’ past, we will encourage guests to bring water, snacks and other food with them on the mountain to ensure they stay hydrated and have the energy needed for their ski day. Guests will be able to bring their own food into our lodges this season, if capacity allows, but we will ask that everyone be considerate of time and only use the table when actively dining.

How are you planning to manage dining capacity on days with bad weather and guests can’t dine outdoors?

To allow for physical distancing, we will be managing the number of people coming in and out of our restaurants at the entrances. If a restaurant is at capacity, guests will be asked to visit another restaurant, or wait until another party leaves the lodge to enter. This includes weather days when outdoor dining may not be available. Given these limitations we recommend that guests adjust their schedules and try to dine earlier or later than normal, especially when outdoor dining is not available.

Will guests be able to enter on-mountain lodges during an emergency?

While we do our best to anticipate weather events to minimize impacts to our guests, it is very important to have face coverings for each member of your party easily accessible. If response to severe weather, or an environmental threat, forces a rapid response from mountain operations, we will prioritize guests’ immediate safety over standard health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please do your part to help us operate safely and keep your face covering on hand at all times.

Will guests have access to lockers / changing rooms?

We will be offering limited access to lockers and changing rooms this season. As the season approaches, each of our resorts will be sharing specific details on the availability and operations of their lockers and changing rooms.

What about non-skiing guests and family members? Can my non-skiing family come and meet me in the lodge for lunch?

Reservations are required for those looking to access our lifts and gondolas (including those using gondolas to access on-mountain restaurants). To allow for physical distancing, capacity in our lodges will be reduced and we ask that non-skiing and non-riding guests plan to limit their time in our lodges to ensure that all guests are able to utilize these facilities. 

Will your rental shops be open this season?

The vast majority of our owned and operated in-resort ski and snowboard rental locations are open this season. We will be managing the number of people inside, in accordance with local regulations, and setting them up to allow for physical distancing. As the season approaches, each of our resorts will be sharing specific details on the operations of their rental and retail shops.

There are some close interactions during the rental process, how are you keeping guests and employees safe?

We are striving to provide a safe experience throughout each part of our resort experience, and that includes at our ski and snowboard rental locations – which we plan to have open this winter. We will be managing the number of people inside, in accordance with local regulations, and setting them up to allow for physical distancing. Guests and employees will be required to wear face coverings, and for the portions of the process that require close interactions, our employees will be required to wear appropriate eye protection and gloves.

Equipment will be fully sanitized between each guest use and we intend to expand our rental delivery service to provide enhanced options for guests to rent equipment outside of the store locations.

What are you doing to ensure proper sanitation of boots and other gear?

Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting will take place daily in our rental shops. All rental equipment will be fully disinfected between each guest use.

Will I need a reservation in order to purchase rentals?

Guests will not be required to have a reservation to purchase rentals, but we may implement an optional reservation process to make it easier for guests to schedule.

Will you be offering rental delivery services this season?

Yes, in fact we intend to expand our rental delivery service to provide enhanced options for guests to rent equipment outside of the store locations.  

What are your safety protocols for your owned and operated lodging properties?

We have rolled out enhanced safety protocols designed to provide both guests and employees with a safe and enjoyable experience. Our enhanced safety guidelines include, but are not limited to, property-wide enhanced cleaning measures, limited touchpoints at check in, cashless transactions and shared space guidelines in elevators and physical distancing policies.

What is your cancellation policy?

We have relaxed our lodging booking and cancellation policy so our guests can enjoy flexibility all winter long. Click here for more details.