I returned Sunday from 6 days of skiing in Vail, Colorado.
Wonderful snow, cold, some blue sky, incredible terrain, superlative, superlative....albeit a bit pricey...how does an $81 walk-up mid-week lift ticket price sound?!!
You can get a multi-day ticket, but it only reduces the price by about $15/per day for a 6 out of 11 day pass, and you have to order it two weeks in advance of the first day skiing.
I had not been to Vail for about 15 years and it has really grown, both the skiable terrain and the base areas along I70.
My favorite peak was the relatively new Blue Sky Basin, on the other side of the famous Back Bowls. The best run there...the Big Rock Park, a glade of about 1500 vertical that was groomed every night, probably over 150 yeards wide with lots of trees and clusters of trees.
I'll write more later. Would easily recommend the Holiday Inn, nearly the cheapest lodging reasonably close to the slopes...you do have to take a free and frequent shuttle bus.
It snowed nearly every day I was there, from 2 to 5 inches...so the freshees were great. Vail also grooms a lot of their slopes.
Here are the pictures, captions are at the bottom. Let me know if the link does not work.
Enjoy,
The Colonel
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?a...security=XOxcKN

Hey, I think we were at Vail at the same time -- I got back on Friday night. I'll probably write a formal trip report when I get a chance, but in the meantime, here are some photos I took during the trip:

Vail photos

(Click the photo to see full album.)

The conditions could not have been better -- fresh snow (lots of it) every day. Check out the picture of the perfectly-formed snow crystals.

Colonel: what was your favorite area of the mountain? I always have a fondness for the trees in China Bowl.

- Scott

Colonel,

Your picture page has just been slash-dot'ed; too many requests. I guess there are a lot of Mid-Atlantic skiers desparate for pix of new snow. Sounds like we'll be seeing it in person real soon...

It is incredible how big Vail is. Have you ever done the Minturn Mile?

Scott,
Yes we were there at the same time, I arrived on Monday, 16 Jan and left late on the 21st. My favorite run, hands down, was the Big Rock Park in Blue Sky Basin. I have never encountered groomed glades before. Must take an army of snowcats to groom this area, so many trees, so wide, so much vertical.
With all the snow I found the trails to be a bit "bumpy" and chopped up, even the groomed ones when we had freshies.
And my 65 year old legs and body had difficulty adjusting to the altitude and hard skiing effort.
But what a week!
I think you picture entitled "Back Bowl" shows Blue Sky Basin in the background, and the groomed gladed trail was to the left of the Basin.
I got ready to send a general note out before I left asking if any DCSkiers were going to Vail last week. But I did not and thus missed a great chance to meet and ski a few runs with you.
BUT ALL DCSKIERS SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT WE BROUGHT BACK THE SNOW AND COLD...ALBEIT A FEW DAYS AWAY.Your pictures are great!
And on another subject, do you know where we (DCSki) could get some sort of streamers that might attach to our ski poles? I love my pins and have them on full time when on the slopes, but they are hard to spot.
THE COLONEL

John L,
I think the pictures are running now, at least I had no trouble openning the site.
Vail is incredible, but my heart still belongs to Utah, Alta is the mecca of skiers.
The Colonel

Colonel,
Well, I was in Colorado all last week (1/13 - 1/22). I was at Vail for 2 days (1/18 and 1/20). Like you said, cold and lots of snow. I mainly played in the back bowls (Sun Up Bowl and China Bowl). I generally try to stay away from the groomers so I played on the natural conditions Black-Diamond Hill-Sides

-Warren-

Nice photos one and all, but... an 81 dollar lift ticket? Are you kidding me???

Must take up telemarking... must take up telemarking...

Roger,
I bought the Colorado Peak Pass or something like that. It gives me 5 days out of 8 with 2 allowed in Vail or Beaver Creek. The other days can be used in A-Basin, Breckenridge, or Keystone. The ticket cost $345.00 at one of the local ski shops vs $375.00 at the window. I have a Snowshoe season pass so I got 1/2 off of the Copper lift tixs (only $37.00 ) and I had an internet coupon for A-Basin for only $39.00

-Warren-

Very nice deals. It's true that resorts have gotten much more sophisticated at pricing so you can look around and get some great discounts. It's still a bit of sticker shock to hear that a *midweek* lift ticket is priced above $80. Though, it is Vail. There are, fortunately, plenty of other resorts out west that are much, much cheaper for brown baggers like me. But still... must take up telemarking... must take up telemarking...

I'll be there the 14th through the 20th. Hope the snow holds up! Will be staying at the Vail racket club and skiing Vail/Beaver Creek. Anyone else planning on a trip out there next month?

Hey Reisen,

I live out in Denver now and make the drive up to Vail (or the Summit County resorts) on a daily basis. I tried to hit up The Colonel to offer some insight but to no avail. Sounds like he found his own niche. Blue Sky Basin is amazing but I have to agree with the others, the back bowls are most definitly my fav.

If you want, I'll ski wit ya! Let me know beforehand so I can prepare my schedule. I travel a lot and attending grad school out here (the reason why I moved to Denver from DC in the first place).

Nakedskier has just demonstrated he is much smarter than me. He left Washington for grad school in Colorado. I left it for... Blacksburg.

Actually, it's not bad down here apart from the skiing- a great place, to be honest- but no one seems to want to take one week trips to ski at Winterplace. I could show you around, honestly! Just come down and I'll rearrange my schedule!

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