That amount ranks as a topfive snowfall recorded in its 58year history. At vail we are always striving to improve our guest service. One of the original, and most famous trails on vail mountain, look ma is a challenging mogul run, and formerly the site of the world cup mogul tour. The attraction for vacationers from all over is the thin, aspencloaked vail valley, a narrow corridor slit by i70 and bounded by the rugged gore range to the north and east and the tabled. Dec 03, 20 this entry was posted in blog and tagged books, chair 5 vail, christmas gifts, history, powder skiing, skiing, snowboarding, steve boyd, vail back bowls on december 3, 20 by tomboyd. Riding ptarmigan ridge over to the top of rickys ridge, then taking the long, mogul filled plunge down, down, down to the gully. The resort encompasses more than 4,600 acres, but the statistics cant tell you the whole story.
The history of the beginnings, from start to finish, with wonderful photos. Vail vail mountain announced thursday that some terrain in its back bowls will open saturday, nearly a month earlier than the resort was able to open such terrain during the. Challenging terrain, with tons of vertical feet to be racked up in epicmix. I love to snowboard at vail, especially the back bowls. Vail ski resort was founded by pete seibert and earl eaton. Nearby beaver creek offers more than 100 additional trails, three terrain parks, another half pipe, some extreme terrain and two more bowls. I have a 4 day trip at the end of january planned and paid forfingers crossed for snow dump.
Upon return, they became major players in the quickly growing ski industry, founding or working at over 50 resorts in the u. My goal in vail is to ski the back bowls i am a solid intermediate skier here in the east meaning i ski on ice and steep runs. Aug 27, 2012 two men, pete seibert and earl eaton, had a dream to build the perfect ski area. The company also owns beaver creek and arrowhead, two nearby ski resorts, as well as land, lodges, restaurants, and. Armed with the newest lifts, back bowls, and excellent customer service, vail continued to set pace for investing in an excellent ski experience. Vail resort s plans for an 885acre category iii project in the vail mountain back bowls met with opposition from the townspeople and from environmental groups. Some people would add game creek bowl as an eighth, and locals whove skied vail since blue sky basin opened a decade ago regard earls and petes bowls as part of the back bowl system as well. The following books, which provide an excellent overview of vailbeaver.
My goal in vail is to ski the back bowlsi am a solid intermediate skier here in the east meaning i ski on ice and steep runs. Vail quickly grew to become one of the biggest and most popular snow sports destinations in the united states. Vail was incorporated in 1966, four years after the opening of vail ski resort. The seven back bowls are sun down bowl, sun up bowl, teacup bowl, china bowl, siberia bowl, inner mongolia bowl, and outer mongolia. These original posters are in new condition and would add to any serious collection of original skiing posters. The only groomed blue run in the back bowls, its a perfect introduction to back bowl skiing in vail. Or how much new snow is needed before the back bowls will open. Vail snotours, 970 4763239, takes experienced intermediate and expert skiers on backcountry ski trips on a snocat. Vail is a home rule municipality in eagle county, colorado, united states. Winter is why people come and summer is why they stay. In the 1870s, wildfires on the backside of future vail mountain left a wide, relatively treeless expanse stretching across five drainage valleys. With part of sun up bowl and blue sky basin now open, vails finest ski patrol and mountain ops teams are working tirelessly to get more terrain open in the back. Ive skied all over the country, have never seen anything close to this and think vail s back bowls should be declared one of the seven wonders of the world. Twentysix years later in 2008, almost to the day when seibert and eaton first gazed upon those back bowls, people called vail resorts chief katz crazy when he slashed the price of a season.
With the spirit of adventure, the dream shaped the mountain, the mountain shaped the village, and the village prospered. What an amazing book of how pete seibert put vail on the map as one of the finest ski. Its a magnificent mountain in the heart of the rockies, the biggest mountain in the united states. The bowls should be far less intimidating than they are, and are worth exploring at just about any level. Experience the famed villagetovillage ski experience from beaver creek, to bachelor gulch and arrowhead. During the summer of 1985, vail hired doppelmayr usa to install four highspeed quad chairs including the vista bahn, mountain top, northwoods, and game creek lifts. And powder stashes then youll love sun up and sun down bowl. This entry was posted in blog and tagged books, chair 5 vail, christmas gifts, history, powder skiing, skiing, snowboarding, steve boyd, vail back bowls on december 3, 20 by tomboyd.
When its hard chop, crusty or vis is bad, it can be a rough ride down. He would hike up vail mountain monthly during the winter and take snow measurements so as to prove that the south facing slopes of the back bowls would hold enough snow to ski. China bowl offers the best vail intermediate terrain, with runs down the gut of the bowl like chopstick and poppyfields. This marks the third time in the last decade that the back bowls have opened this early. Although the mountain seemed unpretentious, when pete reached the top and saw the treeless back bowls, he smiled at earl. Feb 01, 2011 officially, vails back bowls are seven in number. Nov 17, 1996 vail snotours, 970 4763239, takes experienced intermediate and expert skiers on back country ski trips on a snocat. Jan 21, 2012 with part of sun up bowl and blue sky basin now open, vail s finest ski patrol and mountain ops teams are working tirelessly to get more terrain open in the back.
Earl knew of a mountain, and they climbed noname mountain in 1957. The pass was named after charles vail, the highway engineer who routed u. Vail mountain contains three sections the frontside, blue sky basin, and the back bowls. Hiking vail for the first time with skins on the skis and seeing the bowls, what a trip. Never bowl skied before but it looks awesome and i think my skill level is finally up to the challenge it has been a number of years since i was out west and i have gradually gotten better. Vail has a good variety of terrain, mellow to a few intense steeps, and varies dramatically based on the conditions. The china bowl opened this same year with a new quad chair, making vail the largest ski area in north america. A guide to vails back bowls and beyond, from mellow to hard core if its your first time to vails infamous back bowls, you are in for an experience of a lifetime. One of the most iconic trails on vail mountain, forever was named by a vail original, pepi, of pepis face and the restaurant in vail village. Neon nights bowling transforms the back bowl into one of the vail valleys hottest spots, with dazzling lights and rockin music setting the mood for late night fun and excitement. Lots and lots of tourists want to ski them as they are fairly famous and offer relatively mellow terrain as far as bowl skiing goes.
Expert skiers gravitate to the backside of the mountain to explore the back bowls. Getting fired from his dream and then getting asked back during the 89 world championships wow what a roller coaster of emotions. The earliest the back bowls have opened this century was on nov. Vails back bowls lodge tower lodge tower in vail village. It is so big that its seven back bowls are more than six miles wide. Vail valley travel guide expert picks for your vacation. Weve got the answers youre looking for through the phone numbers and links below. From sun down to siberia, the quintessential insiders guide to skiing or riding all seven of vail mountains back bowls in a single day.
It probably would have been beaver creek if not for the back bowls. The skiing out west is completely different, muscles used different etc. Vail ski resort is a ski resort located near the town of vail in eagle county, colorado. Seibert handled business affairs and eaton played an important role in designing vails layouts. These original posters are in new condition and would add to. Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary back bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders. Getting fired from his dream and then getting asked back during the 89 world. Learn more about navigating all of vail s legendary terrain or learn more about the epic mix app to navigate on the mountain. And off the northwoods express lift, dont miss the northwoods run, which is another wideopen groomer.
Since its incorporation in 1966, the town of vail has earned the distinction as one. Now in fairness, vail got 38 inches of snow over two days, which drew huge crowds. Highway 6 through the eagle valley in 1940, which eventually became interstate 70. Sun down bowl, sun up bowl, tea cup bowl, china bowl, siberia bowl, and inner and outer mongolia bowls. As american skiing grew, it became a sport and then a lifestyle, and vail is now the largest ski resort in america. Explore the legendary back bowls and areas like northwoods and midmountain. Mike tackles sun down bowl on the back side of vail ski resort. Most of the mountain is wide open terrain, and its variety of ski runs makes it one of the most popular destinations in colorado. History of vail, co town of vail municipal government. Vail has started to groom a bit more of the back bowl terrain to allow easier access for intermediate skiers, which is a wonderful move. In the days of world war ii, it was the bowls, primarily, that hosted backcountry survival training for the armys tenth mountain division. An insiders guide to vails legendary back bowls vail.
The resort plans to open portions of sun down bowl midday on thursday. Earl eaton, a dreamer who grew up glorying in the rocky mountains of colorado as a hunter, a hiker, a prospector and a skier, then looked anew at a nameless 11,570foothigh mountain and. One of the most popular areas of vail mountain, northeast bowl offers easy. Parts of blue sky, back bowls on vail mountain open. Back bowls map key ski patrol automatic external defibrillator dining court, grill quick eats picnic area restrooms accessibility for individuals with disabilities vail resort retail back bowls map key express lift chairlift area boundaryclosure do not cross most difficult more difficult easiest road or catwalk may include flat terrain the. Once youre at the bottom, take the catwalk back to the legendary blue sky basin. The back bowls for beginners dont think that just because youre an intermediate skier that you cant fully enjoy the back bowls of vail.
Vail front side is bigger than 90% of the other ski mountains in north america and yet it is just the first chapter in most peoples ski day. Any information on expected date for back bowls to open. Vail back bowls stretching more than six miles wide over 2,966 acres and offering an unparalleled powder paradise. The company also owns beaver creek and arrowhead, two nearby ski resorts. The back bowls can be great with fresh snow, but due to their predominately southfacing aspect, they get a little sunbaked by the afternoon. Skiing down the over yonder section of the back bowls at vail, colorado, 5070s antique postcard, 4 by 6, chrome, ex. The bowls at vail are very expansivebut you really cannot go wrong, because all leads back to a lift or a cat track to a liftjust study your trail maps during your stay, and you will be fine my usual is to stay in lionshead, and go back to game creek bowl to startafter a couple of warm up runsi head back to sun down bowl and lap there for awhile, and then onto sunup bowl. Two men, pete seibert and earl eaton, had a dream to build the perfect ski area. Jan 03, 2016 mike tackles sun down bowl on the back side of vail ski resort. With 14 inches in the last seven days, vail mountain will open portions of terrain in blue sky basin and vails back bowls on. Plus, all the pictures in this book make vails history come alive. Earl eaton, a founder of the vail skiing resort, is dead. Vail vail mountain announced thursday that some terrain in its back bowls will open saturday, nearly a month earlier than the resort was able to open such terrain during the 201112 ski season. Eaton told seibert that, it was the damnedest ski mountain he had ever seen and that the only reason someone hadnt already developed it was because no one could see the top slopes or the miraculous back bowls from the valley below.
For the 198889 season, vail celebrated its 25th anniversary. The vail backstory its an absolutely worldclass winter experience, in every wayand it all starts with the bowls, which many who know consider the best in the world. The valley offered a cool summer retreat for the utes who spent harsh winters in the more arid land of western colorado. I am staying at beaver creek for 6 days and am really looking forward to that but i must say the back bowls of vail are intriguing. The ski area was founded by pete seibert and local rancher earl eaton in 1962, at the base of vail pass. Heres what it was like in that terribly long lift line at. A guide to intermediate skiing in vail ski packages. Parts of blue sky, back bowls on vail mountain open saturday. History of vail the ute tribe first inhabited what they referred to as the shining mountains due to the majestic peaks long before settlers moved west. Explore vail trail maps to help you find new trails, choose a different path, or simply rediscover an old favorite. Aa bb cc dd ee ff gg hh ii jj kk ll mm the back bowls.
Skiing down the over yonder section of the back bowls at. Locals and animal rights activists protested vehemently in march 1998, objecting to what they viewed as the project s reckless encroachment on the habitats of elk and the canada. Vails history vail ski resort vail mountain resort. Vail valley has so many good restaurants, its hard to choose 10 favorites, let alone one. And of course, the back bowls are absolute must, if only just for one run and takein vails grandeur. Optimize your ski experience while you learn of the legendary history of vail, spending the afternoon skiing fabled runs and hearing legendary stories.