kirkwood

Last Call: Purgatory Season Pass

Purgatory’s season pass sale ends this Saturday, October 17. Make sure to get yours now!

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Andrew Irwin and Rosemarie Dittfach Win TNF Masters At Kirkwood

Michelle Locke and Matt Annetts win The North Face Masters of Snowboarding overall 2009 tour titles. Thousands tuned in to watch the final and super final rounds of The North Face Masters LIVE on www.thenorthfacemasters.com

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Groms Go Wild at Kirkwood for 1st Annual Rip Curl GromSearch Slopestyle Comp

With hot action and killer conditions, groms across North America lit up Tahoe’s finest terrain this past Saturday at Kirkwood Resort for the 1st Annual Rip Curl GromSearch. When all said and done, Tre Charrette and Lexi Hooper stood on top the podium, crowned 1st annual Rip Curl GromSearch Champions.

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Kirkwood’s Environmental Initiatives Receive National Praise

Accomplishments Include a 35% Reduction in  Energy Use, Water Conservation Measures Resulting in a Savings of  2,000,000 Gallons, Successful Launch of Online Carpool Forum,  Record-breaking Purchase of RECs, and Letter of Intent to Install 20  Wind Turbines Making Kirkwood the Industry Leader in  Renewable Energy

(Kirkwood  Mountain Resort,  Kirkwood,  Calif.) –  Kirkwood has been the focus  of numerous national media stories highlighting the resort’s  impressive accomplishments over the course of the last year in  regards to environmental initiatives, sustainability measures  and ecological stewardship.  Of specific interest has  been Kirkwood’s plans to  install twenty wind turbines capable of generating more than  20% of the energy needs of the entire Kirkwood  Valley.  This goal  to become the leading sustainable energy producer in the ski  industry has been the focus of articles recently published in  Ski Area Management Magazine, Outside Magazine, Skiing,  Transworld Business and numerous other media outlets.   This project is one portion of the resort’s overall push to  pursue renewable energy resources including its solar  net-metering program, waste energy generation and adoption of  biodiesel use in company vehicle fleets. In addition to these on-site improvements, the resort’s  employees, passholders and guests were responsible for  purchasing the second most Renewable Energy Credits in  North America as part of the  Bonneville Energy Foundation’s Green Tags program for ski  areas.  New for 2008-09, Kirkwood will be encouraging  season passholders to participate in the program through the  new Ski Green program. Kirkwood has also been  recognized for its successful launch last season of the  industry’s first online carpool forum responsible for taking  more than 1,000 cars off  the road. The forum enables like-minded skiers and  snowboarders to coordinate with others in their area in order  to save gas, reduce traffic and receive incentives from  Kirkwood and its  sponsors.  This online technology was upgraded this  offseason to be even more user-friendly and has been shared  with other resorts around Lake Tahoe and Southern California. These efforts are all part of Kirkwood’s larger focus on  energy and water conservation that have resulted in measurable  success.  The resort’s energy conservation efforts have  resulted in a reduction of over 35% while its water  conservation efforts have resulted in a savings of over  2,000,000 gallons.   “Energy conservation, recycling and sustainable operations  are truly part of the daily culture at Kirkwood for both our employees and our  guests,” said Chip Seamans, General Manager at Kirkwood.  “We recently  enacted an incentive program for our employee housing and  witnessed a 50% reduction in energy use in its first month in  effect.” The resort has  also continued to make significant strides in regards to  ecological stewardship in the Kirkwood  Valley  through wetlands protection, erosion control and revegetation  projects.  The resort’s commitment to protect the valley  water quality and aquatic resources has continued to grow  through programs to control erosion and sedimentation.   Water sampling for pH, turbidity and conductivity is done at  five different locations along Kirkwood Creek to effectively  monitor water quality.  Streets are swept twice annually,  storm drain systems are vacuumed out, detention basins are  maintained, miles of fiber rolls have been installed and acres  of land have been covered with erosion control blankets and  revegetated with native plant species. “As an industry, ski resorts are inherently linked to the  beauty that surrounds them,” said Dave Likins, CEO of Kirkwood  Mountain Resort.  “Kirkwood embraces this  responsibility and places sustainable measures at the  forefront of its operating plans. Working closely with the US  Forest Service, NSAA and numerous governmental agencies,  Kirkwood has implemented  stewardship programs that address energy efficiency, waste  management, recycling, pollution control, and  revegetation.” The following is a detailed synopsis of Kirkwood’s environmental  initiatives and sustainable measures for 2007-08:

ENERGY & WATER  CONSERVATION

Energy  Efficiency Retrofits
Kirkwood has completed  retrofits in100% of its buildings including Red Cliffs,  Mountain Club, Sun Meadows, The Lodge, Timber Creek,  Kirkwood Inn, Employee Housing, Vehicle Shop and Cross  Country. The resort replaced over 200 bulbs with CFBs and  over 125 traditional light switches with motion  sensors.  These retrofits include storage closets,  outdoor signage and hallway lighting.  Along with light  bulbs and older ballasts being replaced with energy  efficient solutions, these retrofits will account for a  savings of over 6,315 kWh annually.  Kirkwood’s energy usage was  down 35% over last year from these improvements.

Weather-stripping  & Insulation
The resort has installed  weather-stripping on many of its exterior doorways and  replaced inefficient windows with higher insulation rated  versions.  Kirkwood has replaced roofs  on two buildings and reinsulated its shop locations.   The resort will also be installing a sealed exterior  entryway to one of its daylodge doorways to create an  airlock to prevent heat loss.

Heating  Efficiency
Energy-efficient heating panels have been  installed in employee housing units that will account for  1,000 kwh in annual savings per unit.  The resort also  enacted an incentive program whereby employees receive a  credit towards their housing costs based on their energy  conservation efforts that resulted in over a 50% reduction  in usage during its first month.   The resort’s  employee housing has been retrofitted with water heater  blankets that will equate to an annual savings of over 184  kwh in combination with low flow showerheads which will be  responsible for a reduction in energy need to heat water by  close to 1,104 kwh’s.

Water  Conservation
Far and away, the most compelling  statistic to demonstrate Kirkwood’s commitment to  reducing water consumption is the resort’s overall water  consumption totals.  Over the last two years, the  resort lowered its water consumption totals from 7 million  gallons in 2005 to 5 million gallons in 2007.  This  means that thanks to a concerted effort between management,  employees and guests, Kirkwood was able to reduce  its overall water consumption by over 28% percent.   Kirkwood has retrofitted  over 67% of public restroom facilities with low flow toilets  and emphasis remains on eventually converting all restroom  fixtures with low flow applications.  100% of our  on-mountain restrooms and restrooms located in temporary  structures have been retrofitted with low flow toilets and  sensor faucets.

Linen  Reuse Program

Kirkwood’s lodging  department promotes a linen reuse program encouraging guests  to maximize washcloth, towel and linen use which amounts to  a savings of 2,500 gallons of water annually.

RECYCLING &  WASTE STREAM DIVERSION

Recycling Receptacles & Post Consumer Sorting

Kirkwood  invested in numerous recycling receptacles allowing for  prominent collection of glass, plastic and aluminum  cans.  Improving upon the post-consumer recycling  process, the resort implemented a pre-sorting system whereby  all recyclables are placed into blue bags prior to collection  thus improving waste stream diversion rates.

Waste Stream Diversion

Kirkwood currently diverts more than 80% of its waste stream by volume  of tips, nearly 120 tons, up from about 70% in 2007.   This increase is due to a new company awareness campaign.  Going further, the resort has extended these best management  practices to residents in the entire Kirkwood  Valley.

RENEWABLE ENERGY  & BIODIESEL USE

Letter of Intent Signed with Synergy  Power Corporation to Install Twenty Wind Turbines

Kirkwood  Mountain Resort in conjunction with Mountain Utilities has  signed a letter of intent with Synergy Power Corporation to  install 20 wind turbines on resort property in 2009 contingent  upon forest service approval.  These turbines will be  capable of producing 6,000 kWh/day which will equate to  approximately 20% of the power consumption needs for the  entire Kirkwood Valley.

Waste Heat Generation  Technologies

Mountain Utilities has contracted with True Energy, Inc. to incorporate  on-site Waste Heat Recovery systems for the upcoming  season.  These retrofits are capable of capturing wasted  energy sources utilizing an Organic Rankine Cycle.  This  process effectively reduces the amount of fossil fuel needed  to generate every kilowatt-hour of power currently being  generated.

Microturbine Technology

The resort is also partnering with Mountain Utilities in the  development of a 1.15 megawatt microturbine (roughly 30% of  peak load) that will reduce NOx emissions by up to 92%  relative to their existing EPA tier-II certified engines.

Solar Net-Metering

Kirkwood  Mountain Resort currently has solar equipment installed to  power on-mountain ski patrol offices and overnight facilities  and it in discussions with both Sun Edison and MMA Renewables  on potential solar arrays on resort parking lots. Further, the  resort has also contracted with Mountain Utilities to acquire  100% of the energy being fed back into the local power company  via two solar installations set up by Kirkwood  Valley  residents. This net metering is now working in Kirkwood  and the ski company has agreed to purchase every KW hour  produced by the various solar installations.  The resort  expects to see a significant number of homeowners join this  program and the ski resort will purchase 100% of their output.

Use of Biodiesel in Company Vehicles

Kirkwood  converted to biodiesel use this summer with 100% of company  vehicles and on-mountain fleets now using biodiesel.   Kirkwood will continue to  evaluate and increase biodiesel usage in the winter while  addressing concerns of gelling in cold temperatures, filter  blockage issues, as well as needing new storage tanks that  heat and turn the biodiesel.

Renewable Energy  Credits

Kirkwood Mountain Resort  purchased 1,955 Green tags from the Bonneville Foundation this  season, the second most energy credits purchased by any ski  resort in the U.S.  This  program was so successful that the Bonneville Foundation had  to re-allocate credits from resorts in the surrounding region  to meet Kirkwood’s demand.  This  represents 1,955,000 kWh which is well over 100% of the  resort’s electricity consumption for lift operations of  1,663,960 kWh and more than 62% of the resort’s overall  electricity consumption of 3,146,502 kWh.  This was on  top of 600 Green Tags purchased during the 2006-07  season.

CARPOOL FORUM  & RIDESHARE PROGRAMS

Online  Carpool Forum
Kirkwood implemented a  pioneering carpool forum last season that received national  recognition as it was responsible for taking over 1,000 cars  off the road.  Users of the online forum (known as the  Kpool) were able to search for rides from surrounding areas  with similar schedules.  In conjunction with its  sponsors, Kirkwood offered incentives  around the resort to guests who carpooled on designated days  and is planning on expanding this program for the upcoming  season.  This program was so well received that it  qualified for state grant monies to overhaul its  functionality and plans are in place for other resorts  around Lake Tahoe such as Squaw  Valley, Sugarbowl and Alpine Meadows to  implement the program for the 2008-09 season.

Subsidized  Bus & Shuttle Services
Kirkwood subsidizes a daily shuttle  from South Lake  Tahoe whereby guests can take  advantage of a $5.00 round trip ticket price for using mass  transit.  Additionally, the resort partners with  numerous bus companies out of both the Sacramento and San  Francisco areas to offer reduced ticket rates to guests  using this service.  Last season, this resulted in over  80 busses with an average ridership of 40 people per bus  meaning over 3,200 guests took advantage of this  program.

Employee  Rideshare Programs and Free Shuttle Services
Kirkwood has a carpool  program in place for employees whereby individuals can  qualify for up to $20.00 per day in cash credit valid around  the resort for food, gas, retail items and other  products.  Additionally, the resort spends over  $400,000 annually in subsidizing daily bus service from both  South Lake Tahoe and the  Carson Valley area.  The  company also leases numerous high occupancy vehicles for use  by individual departments in coordinating rides for  employees in surrounding areas not served by the bus  service.

SENSATIVE HABITAT AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION

Wetlands Protection Kirkwood  has already preserved over 133 acres of wetland habitat in  conservation easements and is currently in the process of  working with several state and federal agencies to preserve  and protect in perpetuity additional acres of sensitive  wetland and mountain drainage habitats in conservation  easements.

Stewardship Programs

Kirkwood  is developed a Stewardship Plan which defines how lands under  conservation easement should be monitored and  maintained.  Sensitive plant and animal surveys are  conducted annually to insure their protection and survival.

Water Quality

Water sampling for pH, turbidity and conductivity is done at five  different locations along Kirkwood Creek to effectively  monitor water quality.  Streets are swept twice annually,  storm drain systems are vacuumed out, detention basins are  maintained, miles of fiber rolls have been installed and acres  of land have been covered with erosion control blankets and  revegetated with native plant species.

PREFERRED  PURCHASING

Office  Supplies
In 2007 Kirkwood converted 100% by  volume of its food packaging to 100% biodegradable  products.  The resort purchases 100% recycled bags and  paper products for office use and retail applications.

Food  & Beverage
Kirkwood’s three main  restaurants (including its two year-round options) use  non-disposable utensils, dishes and glasses and the two  remaining cafeteria style food service facilities use  recyclable dishware.  All restaurant locations  now run on Apex Dish Machines which will reduce water  consumption by 7,300 gallons and use 2,100 less kwh. The  resort has also converted 100% of its cleaning products to  environmentally friendly alternatives.

Computer  Services
Our Information Technology department has  replaced all CRT monitors with flat panel styles to reduce  power consumption.  Resort employees share printers  through a network to eliminate the need for personal  printers.  Kirkwood now has  centralized credit card systems to use PC point of sales  instead of stand-alone credit card machines. The IT  department has consolidated and virtualized server functions  to reduce the amount of servers necessary for daily  operations; this included the replacement of full-power  servers with low-power consumption, solid-state devices that  reduced power draw by close to 75%.  Information  Technologies also donates retired server UPS batteries to  local solar projects.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is becoming one of  the nation’s top year-round family destination lifestyle resorts.  Located only 177 miles from the Bay Area along scenic Highway 88,  its base elevation of 7,800-feet, assures skiers more annual  snowfall than any other Tahoe resort. An extensive master plan has  been finalized to ensure its famous uncrowded retreat appeal.  Kirkwood is recognized by winter  purists and national media alike for the quality of its snow and  terrain variety: it was ranked No. 12 in the country by Skiing  Magazine (November 2006), leading South  Tahoe resorts. Readers of Silicon Valley’s The Wave  Magazine selected Kirkwood as Resort of Choice for  Winter 2008. Known for its pristine beauty and action-packed  expeditions and events, winter fun includes skiing, snowboarding,  cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sled dog tours, and backcountry  expeditions.  An ideal location for weddings and corporate  meetings, the Kirkwood Village includes boutique  shopping, live music and dining. Visit www.kirkwood.com.

For slope-side  home options, visit The Palisades at http://www.kirkwoodpalisades.com/ or Expedition Lodge at http://www.expeditionlodge.com/ , the area’s first on-mountain private residence club.

Call  Kirkwood Mountain Realty 888.593.7767  for more information.

Press Release

Mountain Resorts Take Renewable Energy To The Next Level

Concerned with the effects of global warming and rising energy costs, snow sliding areas across the country are putting their money where their mouths are and building on-site renewable energy projects.

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mike lewis

Kirkwood Investing In The Future With Renewable Energy Resources

Resort Signs Letters of Intent with Synergy Power Corporation to Construct Twenty Wind Turbines and with True Energy, Inc. to Install Waste Heat Recovery Systems

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