What do ski resorts do during the summer? Get ready for the winter, and like other kinds of real estate, upgrades are essential to stay competitive. (So you can't go there and sneak onto the ski lift and ride it all day?)

Colorado Ski Country USA’s Jennifer Rudolph tells us that guests expect high standards from Colorado ski destinations (her org, based in Denver, is the trade association for the regional industry, repping 21 ski areas in the state). So resorts regularly invest in improved facilities both on- and off-mountain, aiming to meet and exceed the expectations of guests, she says, including new amenities and customized guest programs and activities. “It’s what keeps them coming back.”

Some examples of upgrades for the 2014-15 ski season include a new 7,000 SF kids center at Arapahoe Basin, and The Hideout, also for kids, at the base of Buttermilk at Aspen/Snowmass. Also, Loveland Ski Area's new Ginny Lee Cabin will provide skiers and riders a convenient place to warm up without a trip to the base area, while Winter Park Resort's new Lunch Rock Restaurant (seen under construction late last month) will sport a 150-seat heated deck, a 250-seat indoor restaurant, bar, and hydration station all focusing on Colorado themes. For those who can’t wait till they get to a restaurant, Ski Cooper will start offering an on-mountain mobile food service with its new "Cat Trax" snow-cat.