2009.10 Mountain Improvement Plan

Northstar® Resort continues to make improvements and add amenities throughout the resort that cater to guests looking for the very best in winter mountain destinations. This season, guests will enjoy two new lifts, new snowmaking and grooming capabilities, new beginner teaching area, new teaching programs, 170 room ski-in/ski-out Ritz-Carlton Hotel (scheduled to open December 9, 2009).

• Situated at mid-mountain at Northstar-at-Tahoe™ Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe will open December 9, 2009 featuring ski-in, ski-out access, mountain valet services, Manzanita, the resort’s signature restaurant created by renowned San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins, and a 17,000 square foot spa and fitness center. The year-round destination includes 170 guest rooms, 23 private Ritz-Carlton Residences and 25 Ritz-Carlton Club fractional ownership units.
  
  
• The Highlands Gondola, a new fixed grip pulse gondola featuring 8 passenger cabins will provide a direct connection between the Village at Northstar™ and The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe (hotel scheduled to open December 2009), located at mid-mountain at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort.
  
  
• The Bear Paw double lift accessing the resort’s beginner teaching area has been replaced and realigned. The new fixed grip quad chairlift now provides ski-in, ski-out access to and from The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe from the mid-mountain area of Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort and greatly improves access to Northstar Resort’s beginner teaching terrain.
  
  
• Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort’s beginner teaching area has been expanded and redesigned to include more of the sculpted terrain that the resort has successfully demonstrated helps improve the learning curve for beginning skiers and snowboarders.
  
  
• New snowmaking has been added to the beginner teaching area of the mountain, allowing for ski-in/ski-out access from The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, as well as improved early season conditions for those learning to ski and snowboard. This adds to Northstar Resort’s already extensive snowmaking system.
  
  
• The resort has invested in three new grooming machines including a “Beast,” that is designed to reduce the time and fuel needed to maintain the snow surface.
  
  
• New this year, the Burton Snowboard Academy will feature instruction for children under the age of 13. In addition, the Academy will introduce the Northstar Training Lab, a season-long development program that will follow a structured process that supports the foundations, skills and tactics that all riders need to be come creative and push the limits of their riding and the sport.
  
  
• Northstar Resort will also introduce a new Development Race Team Program that will feature almost 300 hours of ski training. The development race team program is suited for ages 5-18 and trains weekends and school holidays, all day, all season for just $1,199 ($4 per hour).