In January of 1997, Vail Associates announced the purchase of Keystone and Breckenridge. With four ski areas, Vail Resorts became the largest single operator in Colorado’s ski industry. That same season, work began to replace the old gondola at Lionshead with a new 12-passenger system, the Eagle Bahn Gondola that is in operation today.
Blue Sky Basin was Vail Resort’s next major project at Vail. Vail Resorts obtained permission by the
USFS to install three new high-speed quads for the 1999-00 season. During October of 1998, fire alarms sounded at Two Elk Lodge and Patrol Headquarters. Firefighters arrived to see the wooden Two Elk Lodge engulfed in flames. The arson fires baffled investigators, who eventually learned that a radical environmental group took credit. The following summer, construction of the Blue Sky Basin expansion continued and the chairlifts were built by Poma USA out of Grand Junction, Colorado. During the same summer, Two Elk Lodge and Patrol Headquarters were rebuilt.
Vail and Beaver Creek again hosted the World Alpine Ski Racing Championships in 1999, continuing the dedication to the sport of ski racing.
In January of 2000, Blue Sky Basin opened to the public offering some of the most popular terrain at Vail today. Work began in the summer of 2000 on another high-speed quad in Pete’s Bowl, directly to the northeast of Blue Sky Basin’s Skyline Express lift. In 2004, the original Lionshead skier bridge was replaced and work began on the redevelopment of Arrabelle and Lionshead, a multi year project including new condos, an ice rink, and many new stores and restaurants.
In 2008, Chair 10 was replaced with a high speed quad, Highline Express, acessing some of the best mogul terrain at Vail. The original Chair 5 was replaced in 2010 with the High Noon Express quad. 2011 brought the new 10th Restaurant at Mid Vail, and work has begun already on the new Vail Village Gondola (to be named) to replace the Vista Bahn!