Heavenly opens new lodge

The opening of Heavenly Mountain Resort's Tamarack Lodge mark's a "new era" for the ski resort, said Vail Resorts' Mountain Division Blaise Carrig during a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

The 14,980-square-foot lodge located near the base of the Tamarack Express chairlift is scheduled to open to the public Saturday, but high winds associated with weekend storms are likely to keep the resort's gondola on wind hold and push the opening of the lodge back until the weather calms.

Even if the lodge doesn't open to the public until next week, it will still be more than a month ahead of schedule.

An appeal challenging the U.S. Forest Service's approval of the lodge delayed the project by a month this summer. Resort managers also considered delaying construction of the lodge for a year because of the appeal, Carrig said. The Forest Service denied the appeal in July.

Original estimates had the lodge opening Feb. 1, but extra effort by contractors SMC Construction and a string of great construction weather allowed the lodge to open ahead of what is likely to be a busy holiday season, Carrig said.

The pre-Christmas opening will not only benefit the resort's bottom line, but will also create an entirely new guest experience for visitors, Carrig said.

The lodge includes seating for 500 people indoors and 250 outdoors, a variety of food options and a full bar. Another one of the lodge's claims to fame: "the best bathrooms in Tahoe," Carrig said.