Goin’ Big Time

Wilmot Mountain under the lights this winter (Photo by Earlene Frederick).
Wilmot Mountain under the lights last winter (Photo by Earlene Frederick).

Vail Resorts launches $13 million in upgrades at Wilmot Mountain

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

When Colorado-based Vail Resorts bought Wilmot Mountain in January, there were two questions raised by some people along the Rocky Mountains, where snow skiing thrives.

Where is Wilmot? And why?

But, according to General Manager Taylor Ogilvie, who took over the role after the January purchase from Stopa LLC, Vail has done it before.

“Out west, people ask, where is Wilmot? And why would you buy a place in the Midwest?” said Ogilvie. “We have done it twice before, we have one in Minneapolis and one in Detroit.”

The two Midwest outlets, unveiled in 2013, along with Wilmot Mountain, 11931 Fox River Rd., Wilmot, are part of Vail Resorts’ mission to deliver the same quality of service to local customers.

Danny Smeckenn applies a coat of paint to the new Kids Ski School building at Wilmot Mountain (Jason Arndt/The Report).
Danny Smeckenn applies a coat of paint to the new Kids Ski School building at Wilmot Mountain (Jason Arndt/The Report).

Quality service includes the use of the Epic Local Pass, priced at $649 annually, which also grants access to 11 other Vail Resort properties that include Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Park City.

“The strategy is about being able to ski at home,” Ogilvie said. “It allows people to have a great guest experience at the service that they would expect at our western resorts.”

The guest experience, and service, includes $13 million in upgrades at the 79-year-old property.

Upgrades consist of three new ski lifts, more efficient snowmaking equipment, a fully renovated base lodge, a children’s ski school and an improved terrain.

Ogilvie, formerly of Lincolnshire, Ill., states the improvements are dramatic compared to when he was a child visiting the ski hill.

Ogilvie returns home
Before Vail Resorts took over Wilmot Mountain, Ogilvie held the same position at the Detroit property in Mount Brighton, and the new venture brings him closer to his hometown roots.

“It’s been over 20 years since I have been this close,” said Ogilvie, who lives near Crystal Lake, Ill., with daughters Meghan and Sarah and wife, Susan. “My kids get to see my mom more. It is neat, this is a place where I skied when I was a kid.”

Taylor Ogilvie
Taylor Ogilvie

The transformation, he said, will take past customers by surprise when Wilmot Mountain holds its tentatively scheduled grand re-opening reception in January, 2017.

More child-friendly
New to Wilmot Mountain is a Kids’ Ski and Snowboard School, housed in a previously unused building, which has a lunch and break room.

“The way that it was before, there really was nowhere for kids to take a break,” Ogilvie said. “The ski school was a building that was used for something totally different, it wasn’t a public building.”

Near the newly restructured 4,000-square foot open space building lies a learning terrain at the base of the hill for children still learning to ski.

While children have their own building, families have two options – the base lodge and Iron Kettle with a structural improvements.

Base lodge transformation
Citing structural barriers, contractors tore down unneeded walls, creating open space to hold more customers.

“The main lodge sat just under 300 people, and a very old style cafeteria. Any time it was busy, it could not handle the volume,” Ogilvie said.

“We are putting in more of a food court feel with close to 800 seats in the lodge, opening it up, making the bar more integrated with the rest of the lodge.”

Along with increased accommodations, WiFi capabilities and enhanced menu options are expected.

The transformation is not limited to the base lodge, however, with an upgraded Iron Kettle geared towards parents.

“It was a table service restaurant in the ’70s, and since then, it was commonly used when a big group comes, they just put them in there.” said Ogilvie. “That is being revived as a tavern with a really big, beautiful bar and table service.”

Plans call for the Iron Kettle to have a new lounge, where parents can supervise their children at the ski and snowboard school, therefore, creating a well-rounded family atmosphere.

Exploring the terrain
With improved amenities comes faster service on the slopes, where Vail replaced outdated equipment with four miles of new snowmaking pipe, more than 50 snowmaking guns, 30 low-energy fan tower guns, six portable fan guns and 20 air water guns.

The original snowmaking equipment came in the 1950s, when it was state-of-art, but it slowly degraded after decades of use.

The plan, Ogilvie explained, is to open Wilmot Mountain earlier in the season and improve ski surfaces.

“The goal is to make more snow, faster,” Ogilvie said, noting the new equipment can fill the terrain in 2-3 days, compared to a week. “It is much more efficient from an energy consumption perspective.”

Ogilvie reports work on the snowmaking equipment has been completed.

Efficient snowmaking equipment is not the only upgrade. The resort has three new chairlifts replacing three existing lifts, and is refurbishing the rest.

The three new lifts, combined with a new high-speed towrope and two new surface conveyer lifts in the ski school area will increase uphill capacity by 45 percent and give skiers more time to enjoy the terrain.

The high-speed towrope, as well as an expanded terrain park, were inspired by staff at Colorado-area resorts.

Another upgrade is the addition of LED lighting, offering “more consistency throughout the park and less dark spots,” Ogilvie said.

A new ski-lift terminal and snowmaking fan sits at the terrain base of Wilmot Mountain (Photo Courtesy of Wilmot Mountain).
A new ski-lift terminal and snowmaking fan sits at the terrain base of Wilmot Mountain (Photo Courtesy of Wilmot Mountain).

Influx of customers expected
Noting upgrades, Ogilvie expects more customers from Chicago and Milwaukee, and result in a personnel increase at the park.

“I think we are going to see more people coming to Wilmot during the ski season,” Ogilvie said. “There is also the impact of we are definitely adding to the workforce with more jobs in the area.”

In early October, Wilmot Mountain held a job fair, which drew positive reviews.

“We had a great response and it was very busy with lots of people,” Ogilvie said.

Membership at a Glance
Wilmot Mountain offers three base membership options, depending on a customer’s plans – Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass and Wilmot Pass, along with short-term alternatives.

Some memberships include access to Vail Resort’s other facilities: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado along with Park City, Utah.

Additionally, there are three in Lake Tahoe ¬– Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood.

For the Midwest, Vail has Mt. Brighton in Michigan and Afton Alps in Minnesota.
Internationally, they have Perisher in Australia.

Here’s a closer look at the membership options:
• Epic Pass (Unlimited Local and Western Resort access): Membership starts at $809, and includes access to Wilmot Mountain and 12 other resorts extending 32,000 acres. For children 5-12, cost is $419.
• Epic Local Pass (Unlimited Local with some Western restrictions): Membership starts at $649, and includes unlimited access to all but six resorts, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and a 10-day restrictions at Vail and Beaver Creek. For children, cost is $339.
• Wilmot Pass: The Wilmot Pass, solely for local use, costs $319 annually and a discounted family rate of $809 for three members.
For more information, visit EpicPass.com.


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