Vail Ski Resort Colorado Review
Vail Ski Resort Review
Vail Ski Resort Website: http://www.vail.com/
Rating: ★★★★ (4.5/5 Stars)
Summary: Vail Ski Resort is a legend and I am sure everyone reading this has heard of this famous mountain. Similar to Aspen in many ways, the town of Vail attracts and is home to many “out of towners” looking for that “resort experience”. Vail Ski Resort is ENORMOUS with miles and miles of terrain. Similar to Keystone, both base areas (Lionshead and Mountain Plaza) have a variety of shops and restaurants to enjoy before, during or after your day on the mountain. Vail’s strength lies in its open bowls and wide spread terrain. On a powder day, it is tough to beat what Vail has to offer. The main difference between Vail and let’s say Breckenridge, is the number of peaks. While Breck offers 5 different peaks to choose from, Vail is packed into 3-4 wider open peaks. However, don’t let the smaller number throw you off. Vail’s terrain boasts over 5,200 acres of skiable terrain (The most groomed terrain on the planet according to them, about 2,700 more than Breck.) which makes for days of unique riding or skiing if that is what you are looking for.
Strengths: Simply put, the bowls. If you take a look at Vail’s trail map essentially ¾ of the mountain is sitting on 3 or 4 massive open bowls. What does this mean? Wide open trails with a variety of terrain to choose from. On a powder day, it is very hard to beat what Vail has to offer. Although Vail gets crowded, there are many different “less crowded” areas to head off to in order to avoid some of the people and have a little more intimate experience. What are those you might ask? Well, I can’t give away all my secrets.
Weaknesses: Vail is expensive, there is no way around it. From paying for parking (which is all but mandatory) to the high cost of a lift ticket, your day at Vail will not be a cheap one. Terrain-wise, Vail does offer some variety, especially when you get into some of the side trails and back bowls. When conditions are icy or the mountain is in a warm-freeze cycle, the day can be a bit of a rough one as those same open bowls are your main routes to many of the non-exposed terrain. In general, Vail is not the most friendly mountain for beginner skiers or snowboarders to get around. If you are not familiar with your route, there is a strong chance you will get stuck on a catwalk or long straightaway.
Mick’s Tip: Looking for some cheap drinks after the day? Check out a variety of bars that have very inexpensive happy hour drink deals to quench your thirst after shredding hard on the mountain all day. If you want to avoid paying for parking, there are streets you can park on that are within walking distance of both Lion’s Head and Mountain Plaza, just be sure to check signs because a $15 parking ticket is a lot less expensive then a $50 ticket. While almost everything in Vail is expensive, if you bring your own grilling materials, take advantage of the free grills at the top of Blue Sky Basin. Talk about a meal with a view!
Parking: Paid parking is the most popular option at Vail. There are a few different options to choose from, but most park at Vail Village or Lions Head lots. You can view a live inventory of all lot spaces here. Parking prices range, but ballpark would be $15 for the day on a weekend. Free street parking might be an option if you are willing to make the walk or take a bus to the base of the resort but I generally bite the bullet and pay the $$$ to park.
Photography: For me, the best place to snap some photos at Vail are on the top of the back bowls (especially the Blue Sky Basin). I am not one to ride with my camera, but if you bring one out to Blue Sky Basin, I don’t think you will regret it.
