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SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2014—Vail Resorts (VR) is making it easier for skiers and snowboarders to plan their time on the mountain. A new slice of the EpicMix pie, called EpicMix Guide, generates a customized, step-by-step navigational guide to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone in Colorado, Canyons in Park City, Utah, or Heavenly, Northstar or Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2014—Vail Resorts (VR) is making it easier for skiers and snowboarders to plan their time on the mountain. A new slice of the EpicMix pie, called EpicMix Guide, generates a customized, step-by-step navigational guide to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone in Colorado, Canyons in Park City, Utah, or Heavenly, Northstar or Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe.

The new feature breaks new ground, “making the transition from passive tracking to active recommendations,” said Robert Urwiler, VR's executive vice president and chief information officer.

“EpicMix Guide will enhance the way many of our destination guests experience our resorts,” added Kirsten Lynch, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Guests log into any one of the various EpicMix channels (app, mobile web, desktop) and answer a variety of questions (ability level, terrain preferences, time available, etc.). EpicMix Guide then pours over 350 possible itineraries to generate the optimal route for that guest on that day.

The EpicMix development team tapped the insider knowledge of each resort's most experienced Ski and Ride School instructors to build itineraries that would help guests explore each mountain in a way that is appropriate for their corresponding skill level.

“EpicMix Guide is like handing you 20 years of experience at that resort on your first visit there,” said Lynch. “We're putting this power at the fingertips of every one of our guests.”

Of course, EpicMix Guide doesn't stop there. Skiers and riders can share their journey, along with photos and other stats about their day, on Facebook and Twitter. “We'll give you all the assets you need to share the story about your epic day,” said Lynch.

EpicMix debuted in 2010 as a means to allow skiers and riders to track their days on the slopes and easily share their adventures via social media. In subsequent years VR added EpicMix Photo, EpicMix Racing and EpicMix Academy, a ski-school app. Guests said they wanted the app to provide recommendations, too, and EpicMix Guide is Vail's response. The new feature will be available in early December 2014.