VAIL
Mid-Vail/Center village/Front side
The directions to Mid-Vail are easy as Sunday morning. Simply ride the Vista Bahn Express up to Mid-Vail, slide down a mini-slope to your left and you’ll see Wildwood Express (Chair 3) and Mountaintop Express (Chair 4), lifts that will transport you to the top of the mountain. Sporting a terrific variety of runs for all skill levels, the mid-region is great for everybody. An important note about Mid-Vail: it is the busiest part of the mountain on weekends. Those in the know will avoid it like the plague come weekend time. But on Monday, you should have this lovely terrain all to yourself. If you’re hungry, grab lunch at the Mid-Vail lodge, Buffalo’s at Mountaintop or find snacks at the Wildwood Lodge.
Beginner:
Take a right off of Mountaintop to the open and peaceful Ramshorn. Be careful as you near the bottom of the run when it converges with several others and stay to the right back to the Mid-Vail lifts. Alternately, turn left off of Mountaintop to the popular and sometimes crowded Swingsville. Off of Wildwood, stay under the lift to the tree-flecked Meadows or follow the Avanti (Chair 2) line to Overeasy.
Intermediate:
Our picks off Wildwood Express: Hunky Dory, Mid-Vail Express and Avanti - a MUST ride that brings you to the Avanti lift (Chair 2), off of which you should try the cruising Lodgepole or blue-blacks Pickeroon and Berries. Our picks off of Mountaintop Express: Cappucicino/Expresso or, for more of a challenge, Riva Ridge.
Advanced:
There are plenty of bumps on this side of the mountain. Take Wildwood to Kangaroo Cornice leading to the high-angle Look Ma and S. Look Ma. For some tree-dodging, hit Powerline Glade or The Skipper off of Mountaintop. For a breather try the thrilling cruiser Avanti. Best to segue into the delicious Northwoods region after this.
Front side/Golden Peak/Northwoods/Highline
Start at Golden Peak on the eastern side of Vail’s front side and take the rarely crowded Riva Bahn Express chair lift to Northwoods (Chair 11) or the newly renovated high-speed Highline Chair (10). The mountain’s largest terrain park is located under the Riva Bahn and can provide fantastic entertainment for your lift ride up.
Beginner:
You’re in luck. The Golden Peak base area is home to a lovely bunny hill – Gopher Hill. Get your bearings here, off the old-school Gopher lift before taking Riva Bahn Express. From the top of Riva, you can take the meandering roads Skid Row, Brisk Walk and Mill Creek Road back to the base area. Alternately, take Skid Row off of Riva to Highline, Chair 10 and take the popular Flapjack green cruiser to Northwoods (Chair 11) or have Sourdough, Boomer and Tin Pants runs all to yourself off the slow but loveable Sourdough Chair (14).
Intermediate:
Take Riva Bahn Express to Northwoods (Chair 11). Take a left of f the chair toward the magnificent, pine tree-laden Northwoods and Snag Park runs. For more of a challenge, try the steeper North Star. Make your way back to Golden Peak and Vail Village on Whippersnapper or Ranger Raccoon’s Escape to Ruder’s Route, where those interested in developing freestyle skills can hit a park area with smaller tables and jumps.
Advanced:
This is far and away the best advance terrain on Vail’s front side. If you’re into tricks, you’ll be hard-pressed to fly higher than off the humongous kickers in the Fly Zone park off the first stop on the Riva Bahn Express. Otherwise, take Riva to Northwoods (Chair 11) and take your pick of several north-facing and powder-packed steeps. North Rim, South Rim and Prima Cornice come with a rock band for air-catching, Gandy Dancer has good bumps and Prima is the steepest, most consistent bump run on the mountain. Escape the crowds and put your knees to the test on all the steep mogul runs off of Highline Chair (10).
Lionshead, Game Creek Bowl and Eagle’s Nest Runs
We love these portions of the mountain because they offer some really wide, sweeping runs. The runs off Eagle’s Nest are great areas to stretch your legs; long, smooth and usually groomed from top to bottom. And the Game Creek Bowl runs offer some of the most amazing views from Vail Mountain, Lost Boy in particular. From the peak of Lost Boy, you’ll be able to see breathtaking views of Mount of the Holy Cross and the snow-capped Sawatch Mountain range. For lunch, try the newly remodeled Blue Moon Restaurant and Bar located at the top of the gondola.
Game Creek Bowl, due to the variety of skill levels it offers, tends to be a more popular portion of the mountain throughout the week and on weekends in particular. Runs off of Eagle’s Nest however covers so much ground that overcrowding typically isn’t a problem, and you could literally be the only person riding a run like Simba on a weekday.
Eagle’s Nest is easily accessible from the Eagle Bahn Gondola (Vail’s only gondola; worth a ride, if only for the views) in Lionshead, or from Born Free Express (Chair 8) and Cascade Village Lift (Chair 20) followed by a ride up Pride Express (Chair 26). Game Creek Bowl is accessible from Eagle’s Nest via the Game Trail catwalk or from Avanti Express (Chair 2) and Wildwood Express (Chair 3).
Beginner:
This portion of the mountain contains our hands down favorite beginner run, a MUST ride, Lost Boy. The easiest way to reach is to take the Game Trail catwalk down to the base of Game Creek Bowl, ride up Chair 7 and break right when you get to the top. Trust us, you’ll want to experience Lost Boy more than once.
Intermediate:
Our picks for Eagle’s Nest: Simba, Bwana, and Born Free. Pride (Chair 26) is a great resource if you’re trying to get more runs in and don’t want to ride to the base of the mountain. When heading downhill, Chair 26 is accessible from Simba, Bwana, Safari and Pride. Our picks for Game Creek: Showboat and The Woods. Showboat is insanely popular, so watch out for fellow skiers and boarders from top to bottom.
Advanced:
Our picks for Game Creek: Ouzo Glade, Ouzo, Faro, Deuce’s Wild and Wildcard. All of them! Ouzo Glade, Ouzo, Faro, and Deuce’s Wild are straight, steep shots into Game Creek Bowl and terrific rides. However, these south-facing runs will get cooked on sunny days, so expect conditions to be a little slushy when the sun is shining. Wildcard is a deep and dedicated bump run, so if you’ve got the inclination, and the knees, there really is no better place.
BACK BOWLS
China, Tea Cup, Mongolia, Siberia
China Bowl is one of the few back bowls to feature intermediate runs alongside more challenging trails. To reach China Bowl, take Mountaintop Express (Chair 4). At the summit, head east and down a slight slope, bearing right at the fork onto the aptly named Sleepytime Road. Sleepytime is a long and winding road, a Catwalk really, that will provide you with great views of the back bowls without any challenging terrain and drop you off at Orient Express (Chair 21). If you’re looking for a short cut, take Sleepytime about halfway and drop down Red Zinger or Morning Thunder, both challenging black runs, to Orient Express. To reach Tea Cup Express (Chair 36), take a right before the Orient lift on Sleepytime, continue to your right across the bridge or cut through the bumpy and challenging Marmot Valley. For lunch, the famous Two Elk Lodge (rebuilt after the Eco-terrorist arson of 1998) at the top of China Bowl has a splendid array of pasta, sandwiches, salads and more.Beginner:
There is no beginner terrain in this area. Those willing to tour the terrain on blue runs can take Sleepytime Road to Orient Express. Off of Orient Express, take the Mongolia lift (make sure it’s open … it’s often closed) to Silk Road.
Intermediate:
China Bowl offers a handful of fun, oft-groomed blue runs. Wide and sprawling, take Chopstix, Poppyfields or Poppyfields West off the left side of Orient Express or Poppyfields East to the right.
Advanced:
If the sun hasn’t had time to cook the southwestern aspects, hit Jade Glade, Genghis Khan or Sweet N Sour, all of which come, if you’re into it, with a jump off the cornice. Rock bands and cliffs abound off of Dragon’s Teeth. Bolshoi Ballroom and Rasputin’s Revenge are your best bets for taking a right off of Orient Express. Siberia and Mongolia Bowl are the emptiest places on the entire mountain, full of steep, often untouched terrain, but ending in a flat run out back to the lifts on Silk Road. Keep your speed up.
Sun Up, Sun Down
Outside of Siberia Bowl and the Mongolias, Sun Down Bowl is probably the wildest, most isolated part of the mountain. Expect bumps, steep drops, wide-open expanses, tons of snow and one heck of a good time. Sun Up is a steep ride all the way around, but perhaps not as intimidating as Sun Down. These are portions of the mountain, especially Sun Down Bowl, notorious for deep powder. However, there is no beginner or intermediate here. It’s all advanced, sometimes extreme terrain.The best way to get to most of the Sun bowls is to use High Noon Lift (Chair 5) after dropping in initially from Sun Down or Sun Up. Chair 5 serves as sort of a dividing line between the two bowls and is accessible from both. Unfortunately, Chair 5 is one of the slower lifts on the mountain. But the Sun Down/Sun Up runs are some of the longer and more exciting runs on the mountain. We guarantee that if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you’ll have an amazing time in the Sun bowls.
Sun Down Bowl is accessible via Wildwood Express (Chair 3) or out of Game Creek Bowl via Game Creek Express (Chair 7). Sun Up Bowl is accessible via Mountaintop Express (Chair 11), Northwoods Express (Chair 11) and out of Sun Down Bowl via High Noon Lift (Chair 5). We recommend starting with Sun Down Bowl and making your way to Sun Up Bowl.
Advanced:
Our picks for Sun Down Bowl: Straight Shot, Ricky’s Ridge - a MUST ride, Never, and Forever. Our picks for Sun Up Bowl: The Slot, Cow’s Face, Yonder/Over Yonder - MUST rides Our hands-down favorite part of Sun Up are the Yonders (Yonder Gully, Yonder and Over Yonder). The Yonders are long, exciting runs with plenty of tree stashes and several opportunities for deep-powder play.
Blue Sky Basin
The absolute best part of the mountain. A skier and rider’s paradise and the locals’ playground. Words can’t describe how amazing Blue Sky is; you’ve got to experience it. There’s no real beginner runs back in Blue Sky but the intermediate and advanced runs are unbeatable. Honestly, every run in Blue Sky is worth riding. Belle’s Camp at the summit of Blue Sky offers outstanding views of the Sawatch Mountain range and is outfitted with grills and tables, so pack a lunch before heading up. Or if you prefer someone else do the cooking, Vail operates a grill beside Pete’s Express (Chair 36) serving hot American fare.
Steeped in powder and offering some of the most interesting trails in Vail, Blue Sky Basin provides a flawless ski experience. It’s unlike anything else. Unparalleled.
Directions to Blue Sky are almost exactly the same as directions to China Bowl. Take Mountaintop Express (Chair 4) to Buffalo’s to Sleepytime Road. At the end of Sleepytime, just before Orient Express, bear right onto Silk Road. Silk Road will take you over a couple of bridges and to Skyline Express (Chair 37).
Intermediate:
Our picks: Big Rock Park, In the Wuides, Grand Review, and The Star. Big Rock Park is probably our favorite intermediate run on the mountain. It’s expansive, varied and always entertaining. In The Wuides is like Champagne Glade Lite: same deep powder, not as challenging.
Advanced:
Our picks: Champagne Glade, Iron Mask, and Heavy Metal. Champagne Glade is the deepest powder on the mountain, the locals’ secret stash and quite possibly the best run in Vail. Iron Mask is our favorite jumping off point from Blue Sky’s famed cornice, but really Lover’s Leap, Steep & Deep and Skree Field are all provide a thrilling jump. Heavy Metal gives you a bit of everything: powder, bumps, tree stashes. It’s a great ride.
BEAVER CREEK
Ten miles west of Vail lies the valley’s other fine resort: Beaver
Creek. You’ll find that Beaver Creek Mountain is considerably easier to
navigate than Vail. Park for free in the Elk or Bear lots and take the
shuttle up to Beaver Creek Village or hit the paid lots – Village Hall
or Villa Montagne – before they fill up. Also, the brand new Riverfront
Express Gondola will open this winter, taking passengers from Avon to
high-speed quad lifts at Beaver Creek Landing. Lessons for all
abilities can be found at the Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard School and Beaver Creek Sports or Aalta Sports,
will meet your equipment rental needs. You’ll find lunch on the
mountain at Saddle Creek Lodge or Red Tail camp, or you can easily make
your way back to the village for a variety of options.
Beginner:
Take Strawberry Park Express Lift to Primrose. Work your way down
Sawbuck to the Bachelor Gulch Express lift. Head up and plan on taking
a couple of laps. Bachelor Gulch is some of the smoothest, least
populated terrain the Beav has to offer. Same goes for Arrowhead. If
you’re feeling brave, hit blue runs Gunders (Bach Gulch) or Golden Bear
(Arrowhead), before making your way back to the Upper Beaver Creek
Mountain Express lift. Take the Mountain Expressway to Red Tail camp
for lunch. Head down Dally to Centennial Express, hop on Cinch Express,
and take a few relaxing cruisers off the Drink of Water Lift.
Intermediate:
Start off on Centennial Express and do a couple laps here – Latigo and
Gold Dust are slick groomers that will launch your day off well. Now
take Centennial lift to Cinch Express and head down Centennial run and
hang a right onto C Prime and Stone Creek Meadows. It’s time for Rose
Bowl. If you want to test your bump skills, Cataract or Spider are the
runs for you. Have lunch at Spruce Saddle, head down Red Tail to
Larkspur. Spend your afternoon on the wide-open cruisers of the lift’s
namesake and Yarrow.
Advanced:
Oh, you’re in luck. While Vail is awesome and huge, you can find
steeper terrain at the Beav. Best bet is to take Centennial lift to Red
Tail. Work your way skier’s left of Red Tail to hit the lower half of
Goshawk and B-line it to Grouse Mountain Lift. Nothin’ but black and
double Bs off of this chair and you’ll never have to stand in line. Not
even on a Saturday. Warm up on Raven Ridge before moving to the bumpier
Bald Eagles or Screech Owl. Hit the trees of Royal Elk Glade at least
once before doing a couple runs off the Birds of Prey Lift and then
make your way to the Cinch Express lift. The newly opened Stone Creek
Chutes – the gate to which is off skier’s right on Red Buffalo – are
incredible, rock and cliff-lined glades that hold powder better than
any other place on the mountain.
Other options:
It’s freezing. You don’t want to ride chairlifts today. A great way to stay warm and get your heart rate up is hitting one of the local Nordic centers for snowshoeing and cross-country. Golf course by summer, skinny ski paradise by winter, hit the Vail Nordic Center. At the top of Beaver Creek lies the beautiful Mccoy Park Nordic Center.
For other downhill options, just 15 miles to the east of Vail on Interstate 70 lies Copper Mountain. A locals’ favorite, Copper’s terrain is naturally divided, with the steeps on the east side, cruisers in the middle and mellow, flatter terrain to the west.
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