Northstar California completes $30 million in upgrades

By Sam Bauman
Northstar California did up things well Tuesday (name change, used to be "at-Tahoe") by officially opening its new multimillion dollar Zephyr lodge at the top of Zephyr lift and a new chairlift, the Promised Land Express. The new quad chair services two new trails. This completes a spending program of $30 million on upgrades, trails and support activities at the Lake Tahoe resort.
Northstar Chief Operating Officer Bill Rock spoke at the ribbon cutting for the new lodge but turned over ribbon cutting ceremonies to Kelly Rodriguez, food and beverage director. The new lodge is her responsibility. Earlier, media representatives enjoyed "first rides" on the new lift.

More than 100 visitors turned out for the opening, which included free breakfast and lunch. Many officials from Vail Resorts, owner of Northstar and Heavenly mountain resorts, were on hand, including Peter Sontag from Heavenly.
The new lodge is highly similar to the lodge which opened last year at Heavenly — floor to ceiling windows, 17,000 square feet of enclosed space and seating for 700. Chief difference between the two lodges is that Northstar's includes large gables and offers more outdoor seating. The view from the Zephyr is panoramic of the Sierra Mountain Crests.
“We’re excited to open the Zephyr Lodge and Promised Land Express to our guests for the first time, and in advance of the holidays,” said Bill Rock. “The views from the lodge are spectacular, and our guests are going to love the new on-mountain food options it provides. The lift changes the way our guests navigate the mountain, and offers access to some really fun terrain on the Backside of the mountain.”
Despite little natural snow, ski trails at Northstar that were open were in excellent condition as snow making continued all day. Crowds were about the same as when nature cloaked the runs.
The Promised Land Express, a new detachable express quad chairlift with a vertical rise of 1,440 feet, doubles the lift capacity on The Backside. The new lift also provides access to an all new ski pod in one of the resort’s most popular areas, featuring expanded gladed terrain and two new intermediate ski trails, The Islands and Castle Peak.
The most economical way for skiers and riders to enjoy Northstar this season is to take advantage of the Lowest Price Guarantee on lift tickets, said Rock. When purchased seven days in advance on line at www.snow.com/lifttickets or through Vail Resorts Central Reservations, guests are guaranteed the price will be the lowest available for that day – and significantly lower over the holiday period – compared to the window rate. Daily lift tickets range from $85 to $91, depending on the time frame.
For more information about Northstar, including current conditions, lodging and lift packages and more, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com or call 1-800-GO-NORTH (466-6784).