So, you've got a 5 mtn pass. You are taking 70, traffic sucks, its bluebird and you just wanna be shredding already. Do you take the easy way out and hop off before the tunnel for some a-basin? Not today. Slither off in silverthorne for a park day at keystone? Nope. Breck? Naw. Today, your going the extra mile (or 20) to hit the mecca. Vail it is. Vail is my resort of choice for sure. You can find powder stashes here for a week after a storm. Even longer if it actually stays cold which it has not done this winter. Its awesome here because you can stick your beginner friends on the front side, and get yourself into any type of mountaineering adventure you want. You can stick to the resort all day, or you can hop out of the gates for the 'out of bounds' terrain that is accessible. You can also do some slackcountry/sidecountry for a few laps or get serious and do some east vail. You should have avy gear to do the latter, but you can do anything here is what i'm getting at. Then, take yourself back to lionshead or vail village for some great apres action. Sit down at los margs and watch people wipe out over a drink on the patio, or hit up moe's in lionshead for some amazing bbq and cheap 24 oz pbr's. So many options in all you do here. Thats why I drive the extra 30 minutes. Oh yeah, pissed that you aren't a passholder and they are asking $97 at the window? Ask around for people with season passes. They all get a certain number of buddy passes, which equate to saving anywhere from $10 to $40 off lift tix when they use em. Almost none of my friends use all of theirs so its worth a shot. You might even get real lucky and find someone with an epic pass that hasn't used their free lift ticket yet. Ya never know. One more piece of info: for doing any of the more intensive sessions of vail, you should be a skier. There is a lot of cat tracking and traversing involved so it can be a pain for boarders to try and keep up. read more

I have dreamed of skiing Vail for 8 years, I was able to finally go this year. As expensive as it is, you definitely get your money's worth. (Keep in mind, I went in January, skied 4 days, 0 inches of snow!) People: The first thing I noticed was how friendly the staff is toward all the tourists. Everyone from the bus drivers, ticket staff, ski patrol, bartenders and lift operators were just passionate about being in the mountains and making sure you had a good time at their mountain. Terrain: Obviously the pictures, posters, videos etc speak for themselves. In fact most cannot do it justice once you see the shear size of this mountain in person. Seeing the back bowls for the first time is a true breathtaking experience. I skied everything from Lovers Leap, Prima, Champagne Glades to the terrain parks and had the time of my life, and we didn't even get any fresh snow! It just shows that yes great skiing happens on pow days. But Vail's vast terrain can provide any skier with a lifetime experience regardless of fresh snow. Truly a special place. Lift lines were very short especially as you move toward the back bowls and BSB. There is truly terrain for every level of skier regardless of skill and age. Nightlife: First of all, Vail's free bus service is phenomenal. Buses every 15-30mins to anywhere in the city! For all of those who may avoid Vail for its reputation for being pricey, don't. I am a college kid, and my buddies and I were able to find bars that had $2 happy hour drafts and $3 mixed drinks. There are plenty of places to get cheap drinks and reasonable meals. My favorite place to drink was Whiskey Jacks, right at the base of the 1 gondola. Staying Connected: Lastly, Vail does a great job of keeping you updated on latest snow conditions, trail openings, and events through their website,Twitter, Facebook etc. They also do a good job interacting with their customers through these various online sources which makes you feel important to them. It was nice to know what was going on at the mountain before we got there and after we left. It definitely helps you connect with the mountain and the people there. Overall, one of the best experiences of my life. Don't ever let poor skiing conditions get you down. It was a dream come true and more! Check out my video that I made while I was there to get a sneak peak of how fun skiing can be at Vail even with no fresh snow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-5epGNU7Vs read more

So I was skiing in the trees the other day and came out of them onto the main trail (one of their 100+ in some area). I came out below the yellow sign that says "slow down," which is when they ask you to literally slow to make it safe for others. A "yellow jacket" employee flagged me down and started to talk to me. Tom stared off asking me questions like I was a criminal getting pulled over by the police. I had stated I knew what the sign meant, but didn't even see that I was below it until I turned around and saw it 200 yards behind me. He asked for my ID so he could write me up. I gave it to him and then he said "next time you get this, your pass will be pulled for two weeks." I didn't even realize I was below the sign and then he goes, your attitude should be nice, as I give this to my manager. A verbal warning the first time wouldn't have had the same effect, without making me now loath the yellow jackets. 1) I'm not going to ask this guy out for coffee after giving me a ticket. 2) He was a grown man telling me that my attitude should be nice. 3) It's called "politeness to police call," Vail. Teach your employees how to interact with others in a service industry. Tom and I aren't going to be friends. read more

The trails here are nuts, in between blue intermediate run, there's a black diamond. I mean, seriously, are u kidding me??? The map totally doesn't provide any help, it seems the run are not the same as pictured in the map nor the same name, it's driving me crazy. For a big mountain like Vail, there's no gondola connecting the mountains, very BAD! Plus another hefty lift tix almost $100, geezeee, total rip off!!! Snowboarders, never go to VAIL, the 80degrees drop on the blue run is just way too steep. Skiers definitely love this run, I think the percentage is like 80% skiers - 20% snowboarders. Funny view though, looking down is the 70FWY :), I've been to Mammoth and the views are all mountains, but hey, not in Vail :) you can see freeways and lots of cars passing by, not pretty! If you haven't come here, no worries, there are plenty of better resorts to visit in Colorado, so snowboarders, avoid this one please! read more

Oh Vail I have fallen out of love with you. I am in state of borderline disdain. Vail has a couple of great areas and it's never super packed but it is geared toward the tourist, skiers & lets be honest... the wealthy. $30 for breakfast and that's before booze! You must be smoking something out back!!! The town is cute, the mountain has some great runs, just be prepared to spend money if you don't bring everything with you... LOTS of money! Including parking which is 9 times out of 10 not free and not cheap. read more

It truly does not get much cooler than Vail. It is the total package. Cool Town, Great Mountain, Beautiful Peeps, and great night life. For years Vail was my favorite ski Resort In North America.... Until I discovered Utah. Colorado skiing is great but Imagine Getting off the airplane and having 11 ski resorts within a 35 minute drive!!!?? That's Utah..... I digress... Lodging is great at Vail.. Yes you are going to drop some duckets in vail but.... It's Vail! Highly Recommend especially if you have never been. read more

Vail is AWESOME. Our group mostly stayed in the back bowls for the two days that we were there. Loved the fresh powder, hit up the terrain parks and enjoyed the breath taking scenery. This mountain is huge, really. We did get caught in a few long flat spots that are skier friendly not so much for snowboarders. We found that Vail was filled with a lot of skiers and Europeans; definitely a destination! Vail is expensive but really, what ski resort isn't? read more

I love winter in Vail. It's not particularly the most challenging mountain for snowboarders, and I don't really recall seeing much of a park last time I was there, for those that are inclined, but the ambiance of Vail is definitely distinct from, say, Mammoth Mountain, in a good way. There are little shops and restaurants sprinkled around the base of the mountain that don't require a lot of walking to get to from the lifts, and there's a memorable little covered wooden bridge that crosses over a stream. As for the mountain itself, it's pretty large. Some of the trails are quite long, and overall, the slopes just seemed geared for relaxed cruising. read more

I'm writing this review from the perspective of a snowboarder who rides hard. This is factually the largest mountain resort in the u.s. (second to whistler-blackcomb in north america). I've never seen another place with trails so large and expansive. It even dwarfs all the resorts in Tahoe. To give you an idea of how much of a good time I had here, I went during the week it didn't snow so there was no powder, and I had a sprained ankle. I still had the most amazing time. It is expensive as hell, but then again, you are paying to spend a day at a world class resort, so for less than $100, definitely worth it. I promise that it's better than Disney World or an NBA game. I wouldn't recommend boarding here if you're a beginner. you'd be stuck on the front side of the mountain with typical trails and heavy people traffic. When riding on the front side, you get a taste of how big this place is, but you're not getting your money's worth unless you go the the back bowls and the blue sky basin. First thing first (when riding). There are a lot of stuck-up middle-aged skiers who don't like snowboarders. They are very dangerous to ride along with, so ride around them swiftly (for the sake of them not catching up to you) and with caution. They will literally try to make you fall, as well as give you death threats (i got a couple) when they are within verbal range. Trust me, you'll at least get the evil eye, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of those jackasses write a response to this. I usually get satisfaction knowing that their kind will become extinct in the coming years. I recommend packing your lunch as the food there is extremely expensive. Vail has a great park, but c'mon, that's not the reason why you paid so much to come here. If you're a superpipe rider, definitely worth hitting up a couple runs on it. Other than that, unless you're a local season pass holder, save the park for your local resort. Personally, I go to Bear Mountain, and their park is second to none (literally the whole mountain is a park). Again, the bowls here are sick!!! There are so many to choose from. Try to find hidden spots where people don't typically ride. The place is so huge, that you'll find no problem in doing so. I feel that this is much easier to do so in the blue sky basin as there is good tree riding there. The reason that this place is amazing is that it's so large, you can do whatever you want. The scenery is insane. I promise you, Vail will meet and exceed your expectations (unless you're a pro who rides all over the world for free and has seen everything). read more

New Chair 5 this summer means more back bowl runs, which would be the only reason to hit Vail in the first place... and Blue Sky Basin of course. This also means you wanna get going early on a powder day, as everything but the remote/secret stuff will get tracked out all the earlier. Vail is a double-edged sword, and the key difference between the sickest day ever and a day of Texas Roadblock is knowing where to go. The mountain is wide, and littered with mile-long cats, so beware; plan your runs and forget about the Front Side.. Or better yet, get a local to show you around. At Vail it is quite possible, assuming new snow, to go all day, never hit the same run twice, and get freshies on every run. Its a big-ass mountain (over 5k acres) and attracts a lot of folks, but even on the busiest days, its still like 5 skiers per acre-- if you get off the beaten bath. People that whinge about the crowds/lift lines at this resort are probably just following the crowds around. The terrain is always out there, you have to go get it is all. Vail Village is sexiest around Xmas, otherwise expect a your basic post WWII village atmosphere from the base areas. Après is everywhere; its hard to specify a must-see après venue, as there is enough variety to satisfy most guests. I usually head for the deck @ Garfinkel's (in Lionshead), but don't expect top-flight cuisine or a good deal there-- just a damn good view. Questions? Look for the jackets with the "i" for info, they are ubiquitous and helpful. PROTIP: No new snow in 2 days? Are you a conditions freak? Skip Vail and go a touch further east to the Beav... excepting the craziest of weekends, its much quieter over there and the snow will typically be more forgiving. read more

I'm from the east and our mountains are a small fraction of the size of Vail, I was amazed at the size of this place. If you're into the gradual slopes they have that, if you're into difficult slopes they have that and if you're into terrain parks they have that. The jumps are beautifully manicured just like everything else on the mountain. This was by far the greatest mountain I have ever skied on. read more

Vail Mountain Club - Country Clubs Near Me - Vail, Colorado

You just can't get better skiing anywhere. There is so much terrain for all levels. I loved all the tree skiing, especially in China Bowl. Prices are high unfortunately, and make it a playground for the rich. read more

Hello everyone! I lived up in Vail for 3 seasons, worked in the village and had a ski pass. I normally ski, but i picked up boarding and had a blast. i would have to disagree that this mountain in not for beginners. it is such a big mountain, 3 actually. and there is just anykind of terrain you might want to ski or ride in. It isn't Aspen, so you don't get the Hollywood crowd. But hwo wants those gappers skiing in sunglasses and jeans anyways! It is definately more of a skier mountain, but still snowboarder friendly. If you ride more than ski, just go 20 minutes east on i70 to Breckenridge. that is the premier resort for Snowboarders. And if you want something a little bit faster and steeper, Beever Creek is 15 minutes west on i70 The bottom line is that this is the biggest mountain with the widest variety of terrain outside of going back-country to Whistler. Great for all skill levels and great for a family or a bunch of friends. More proder days than anywhere else beacuse of the unique area. Fluffy powsery snow that stays for days and does not get too icy til about march. And then just go up after noon so the sun softens it up a bit. read more

There is nothing else to say...this mtn is epic! So much terrain that you really can't go wrong. There are days where the crowds can get a little crazy but that just means you head elsewhere. Of course everything is expensive here but you should know that before booking a ski vacation. read more

Vail's back bowls and the new Blue Sky area is some of the greatest skiing anyone can have, especially on powder days. It gets knocked down 1 star because of its $92 lift ticket (bullshit), $18 parking (bullshit) and it's cheesy village (lame asses that should go to Aspen). Although found one good bar (Red Lion) with cool people and live music. Vail is a place I'd go back to over and over for its back bowls... read more

Let's just say....Vail is the absolute best you could possibly hope to run into in Colorado (except for maybe Steamboat [but Steamboat is way to far away.)] Vail is a variable paradise of the ice. Downhill, uphill, park, back country, fanc mountain lodges. I love Vail. Get lost in Blue Sky Basin. Seriously, you can not underestimate Vail, it is one of the most VAST ski resorts in the US. Yes there are snobs...but once you get back to blue sky Basin, you can do this hike (gorgeous!) and then you are in the....you'll just have to wait and see....if you have the ballz. read more

Varied and challenging terrain, but you will be won over by the back bowls. The Mountain: HUGE Mountain offering a variety of terrain. I was there two days and only got to see a portion of the mountain. Favorite part was Blue Sky Basin and back bowls (China Bowl). Once we discovered those areas it was hard to go anywhere else. Trees, Steeps, and Bowls... what more could you ask for? The Town: Probably the cutest and largest little ski town I have been to yet. Has that cozy, cute, village feel but with lots of dining and shopping options. I really liked this aspect of Vail. The entrance into the village through the covered bridge is beyond picturesque. Makes me smile just thinking about it. If you venture down the way to the area with the ice skating rink there are even more shopping and dining options. Didn't spend much time down there, but would recommend Bol (boutique bowling and dining ) if you do make it down that way. Be prepared for the cost though... it is Vail after all. Found it to be a bit more pricey than Summit County so you have to weigh that when you are thinking about value for the money. If you are looking for fancy, higher end ski town and ski apres then this will be a good fit. If you are more interested in the mountain and value for your dollars I would suggest Steamboat or Winter Park. read more

Vail Mtn. has some of the best ski lifts in Colorado, without a doubt. The mountain staff is always in a good mood, I never found a lift out-of-service while skiing, snowshoeing, or eating atop the mountain. I am absolutely in love with the Vail town, resort, people, you name it. Despite Vail being Vail, the locals are not pretentious, anything deemed "expensive" is because it's made of actual quality (food, jewelry, whatever), and Vail is home to some of the most beautiful and luxurious mountain homes. If you're a ski buff, Vail should be on your radar! The shopping village at the mountain base is simply divine. Pure heaven for a woman needing a vacation! read more

Not a bad mountain to ski. There is plenty of terrain, you just need to deal with the cat/log trials to get around the mountain. For each tree run or black diamond there is a cat track to get you back to lift. I enjoy the Bowls if you get them when they have snow on them. Most of them face west or south so they get a lot of ice. One tip, pack your lunch up to the grills. I will not say where they are but if you find them your at the party. read more

If your idea of a perfect ski vacation is 100 foot wide groomed slopes that angle gently down to a long cat-track that will take you to a high speed lift, well, have I got a place for you! I'd heard much about Vail, but had never been there until this trip. We were lucky and timed it with a slate of early April snowstorms that kept us bundled up in winter gear and in full powder skiing mode. Since we're not the groomed blue run types, we found some steeper terrain on the front side as well as in Blue Sky Basin. The back bowls, which had been raved about by so many folks, were ok, but less interesting. Overall it is a large mountain, and if you don't follow the signs (or read the 8 zillion maps posted all over the resort) you could easily find yourself in Avon. Or Denver. And while the single day lift ticket prices is INsane, any normal person can find lower rates either by booking in advance, buying a season pass, buying a multiple day ticket or doing the lodging package thing. Finally, I just have to express my surprise at the level of cognitive dissidence that so many vacation skiers must have in order to not notice or see the enormous interstate that's at the base of Vail. I couldn't get past the hum of cars and trucks each time I descended. But then again, that's probably because I live in a place where we have a lake in lieu of a major highway. read more

I agree that $25 for parking (in a garage) is a lot. Also, the spaces are so tight it's hard to boot up comfortably without looking like a flamingo (one leg balancing act). My husband and his buddy parked in the free parking area to save some money and decided it wasn't worth it after it took them more than an hour to get back to the car via the shuttle. So, why the five stars? The back bowls. The varied terrain. Good all day lesson (Tom Skeados). The snow. Yeh, the village is a little "disney" (to quote my husband). It's clear there are a lot of fancy pants people walking around to show off their high-end gear. However, the staff at the resort are top notch and very pleasant. The first day, I skied the Sun Up Bowl and the China Bowl. Loved Poppyfields East and Shangri-La. I am just starting to do glade areas and black diamonds and these runs were so much fun. We made it through parts of Blue Sky Basin and my favorite was Big Rock Park. There was a lot of fresh snow and no people (weekday). The second day I had an all-day group lesson ($140) with no more than about 5 other people. We learned moguls, which I wasn't too excited about at first but I learned so much in that lesson. Tom Skeados explained it was important to learn bumps when starting to work deep, ungroomed terrain. He was totally right. By the afternoon we were in the Sun Down Bowl skiing Ricky's Ridge. It was difficult but so awesome! The one time I fell during the lesson was in a fluffy cloud of snow. There are a lot of catwalks so it's important to look ahead and stay as uphill as possible before heading to the lifts. Visibility can be tough in the bowls when it's snowing (flat light and nothing to stand out against the snow). Overall, I loved that there are so many kinds of trails/terrain, it takes at least a few days to taste everything. This was my favorite mountain of the week! read more

The best all around ski resort in the US. The only people I might not recommend Vail to might be a group of beginners. There are plenty of beginner slopes but there are a lot of smaller mountains with lots of beginner slopes. The back bowls are great as is Blue Ski Basin. The mountain does a very good job handling giant crowds with the possible exception of the bottom of the mountain especially by the gondola in Lionshead which can get very crowded at the end of the day. The resort just added a high speed quad where the old High Noon lift was on the back side which will really help moving people around the back side of the mountain. The old lift there was very slow (and I heard was the third lift ever built in Vail) and it was a very good improvement. I also love the Game Creek bowl which is an especially good place to ski with skiers of various levels because green skiers can take Lost Boy around will there of a number of good blue runs and also some good mogul tracts. read more

THE standard for ski resorts in the United States. I took a trip here with two of my good friends from high school 3 years ago and can't even begin to describe the craziness that ensued! First of all, the skiiable terrain is ENORMOUS. I'm a frequent visitor to Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe and though I don't consider it to be large by any means it's still a lot of terrain. Vail is on a whole other level than Heavenly. The lift lines are quick, the staff is generally courteous and smiling and the views are gorgeous. If you enjoy skiing bowls/trees this place is amazing. I remember going to Blue Sky Basin, dropping down randomly off the trail and finding myself and my friends in an amazing natural terrain park. Although this place is pricey I think every penny is worth it. We stayed there for 3 days and didn't even hit everything on the mountain because the bowls were just too much fun! read more

If you have to pick just one resort to go to in Colorado (note: this is not for beginners), go to Vail. It is hands down twice as good as the other main ones on the I-70 corridor. Fantastic. If you are an intermediate-advanced skiier, skip the whole front side and go directly to the back bowls and Blue Sky basin. My favorite Vail moment: going down the back bowls in fresh powder during a snowstorm. It started snowing so hard that all I could see was my friend in front of me. The powder was knee deep, and I was just floating along. Suddenly I realized I didn't know which way was down; I didn't know how steep the slope was, where we were relative to the bottom or the sides or anything. I had visions of building a snow cave and surviving on my remaining Power bars for a few days. I was kinda freaked out. Thankfully, the snow cleared and I was able to enjoy the rest of an amazing day. read more

My favorite mountain in the country. I've got 3 words for you: Blue Sky Basin. On a day of powder you can hit the cliffs to the left (skiers right) of the lift, then take a chance through the dense tree runs.The back bowls are incredible as well. The lines can get packed because lets face it, this is Vail. Usually if you get to the back side its not too bad. TICKET TIP: Purchase from the kids ski school, no long lines!! Downsides are price and long lines, but this years trip had powder so it was well worth it. read more

Ahh Vail, how I love thee let me count the ways.... 1. You have the most rockin' snowfall around. (Even 2007 was above average while the rest of the country suffered like dry hot pigs) 2. Your high speed quads and Eagle Bahn put everyone else to shame 3. Your massive size and varied runs never bore me 4. Your beauty never ceases to amaze me Yes, you will cause me to pay through the nose but you know what? You are so worth it. read more

Now THIS is snowboarding. I've spent most my snowboarding life at Tahoe. Well actually, ALL my snowboarding life in Tahoe. Up until I made the journey to experience Vail. And was it amazing? I think so! The mountain is definitely the biggest thing I've ever been on! Super wide, not too crowded and the runs were bitchin'. Would I come back? Hell yes. However, it is quite expensive. But who can think of money when the mountain is just too beautiful and AMAZING read more

Champagne powder, four feet of snow in three days, seven massive backside bowls filled with delicious powder and spectacular views for MILES. I highly recommend the trip out to Blue Sky Basin, unless of course you don't like huge bowls and tree runs loaded with powder and short lift lines. Need some killer groomers to get your groove on? Try Chair 11. Need someplace to get some food in the middle of your day? Try the Two Elk Lodge, reminiscent of lodge from The Shining (where's the little kid on the Big Wheel repeating "Redrum, Redrum"?). Yes, Vail is expensive, but no other resort offers the amount of terrain, the varied terrain and just flat out amazing champagne powder. read more

Another thrilling visit to Vail. It's expensive, but worth every dollar. You can see that money on the mountain and in the staff that's everywhere you could want or need them. Discounts are available, but you must buy from Vail at least a week in advance. The Vail Co. is definitely keeping pricing high and complicated for the day-trippers. (The Epic pass program for pre-season buying is reasonable; I did advance discount buying, and I am now in the Peaks loyalty program; my initial look suggests that you get 10% back, which will be sweet if it works.) read more

I guess I haven't reviewed any of the resorts I frequent with my snowboard, so here goes... Vail back bowls are some of the best skiing/riding in the country IMO. When you can get there on a powder day, life can't be greater. Sure there are long lift lines sometimes, but find where the lines aren't long and life is good again! Blue Sky Basin is incredible. Front side of Vail kinda sucks on a board. It's not terrible, but you usually have to hit some cat tracks and knowing where they are is good so you know when to keep your speed. It gets really icey in the well-traveled runs on the way down the front at the end of the day, although there are some really nice double blacks on the front that are quite fun. Yes, it's expensive. It costs $25 to park. Lift tickets are in the $100 range now, and dining and drinking around town can cost a bit as well. But, if you're a skier or rider, all of these are worthwhile for a good powder day in the back. Finally, I attended a funeral service for a close friend this weekend at Vail. All of the staff seemed to know the details, was extremely helpful as well as expressing their condolances, and Vail offered free lift tickets to go up the gondola for the service or ski/ride for the day. In this age of making a profit, I thought it very refreshing and generous for Vail Resorts to provide this to the grieving family and friends. As much as I loved Vail prior to this, I love them a bit more now. read more

We've been going to Vail every year for years. Probably my #2 favourite ski place in North America (behind Whistler-Blackcomb). -- big mountain, even on a really busy day you will be able to find lifts and runs that are not crowded -- a good variety of runs, both the front side and in the bowls -- quantity, quality, and a diverse mixture of restaurants and shops near the mountain -- if you get bored with skiing or snowboarding (as if this were a possibility), there is also tubing for you read more

Vail is expensive but it is an awesome mountain for intermediate and advanced snowboarders. The back bowls, with fresh pow alone are worth the price of admission. Everyone complains about prices for lift tickets and parking. For a discount, make sure to buy lift tickets online 7 days in advance. My grievance is on the front side. To get from one side to another requires riding down a catwalk, which is basically a flat green. It's so bad I have to unstrap and walk. When it becomes a pattern, it's outright frustrating and I wonder if it was worth coming out west for it. Overrated but it's something to check off the bucket list. I'm a bigger fan of Keystone. IFHTP 1 read more

Vail has a vibe all its own- or maybe more of a unique mix of a world full of different vibes. But any vibe feels great steeped in the unbelievable and diverse nature that has been framed, or maybe foiled, perfectly by the Disney-esque Vail Village. I have spent time here each Summer and Winter for a couple of years now and each time I struggle to hash out which is my favorite season to fully appreciate Vail Mountain. I am still truly up in the air. The Summer offers so much diversity. Each and every aspect of the valley provides an opportunity for exploration and adventure. Seriously- the creek has some of the best fly fishing around, the mountain has challenging hiking and biking, the roads around town are ripe for cruising with the top down. I have woke up expecting a lounge by my hotels pool, and ended up bombing down the mountain on full suspension mountain bikes, then pounding some beers with my new mountain friends. In the Winter Vail provides a pure hard dose of snow control and gravity gawking. I lose myself for entire days traveling up and down the mountain- exploring a monotone, high contrast wonderland. Other than PEAK days the Mountain handles the crowd well. The people are usually awesome- be super polite and happy, be surprised if you see one cross face all day. The Ski Patrol are the best, so as long as you stay in-bounds- have fun and push yourself a little bit. I know I was a little light on details, but this Mountain is about the broad strokes that really make you smile. You only live once- really- don't let another year go by without a story about your relationship with a mountain like Vail. read more

Vail: Cream of the crop, Top Dog, A1, The Best. etc. etc. etc. Yeah, it's huge. Yeah, there are a lot of cat tracks/ski roads. That's what you get when you have acres upon acres of skiable terrain. Even with the traversing, it is just laid out so much better than my least favorite mountain (Breckenridge, they can eat a bag of dicks). At least the traversing at Vail gets you to something worthwhile and exciting to ski. Game Creek Bowl, Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, China Bowl, Siberia Bowl, Inner & Outer Mongolia Bowl, Pete's Bowl, Earl's Bowl: That's a lot of f'ing bowls! Northwoods is outstanding for steep and challenging terrain or long, wide open cruisers. Front side is good for getting back to your car (I'd say more, but I spend about 1% of my time at Vail on the front side, only when I am returning to my car). Need a good leg workout? Get over to Prima. Their lift capacity is great, too. Sure, there are often long lines. But if you ski by yourself like I do, the singles line always moves. Even if you aren't by yourself, the lines move pretty well even when the line is out of the maze. I say this everytime, too: I've been skiing at Vail for 15 years now and I can still always find somewhere I haven't skied before. If you come to Colorado to ski and you don't do at least one day at Vail, you might as well have just stayed home. It's that good. read more

Massive amounts of terrain. Great tree skiing. Not park oriented. Don't be like the rest of the crowds and immediately gravitate towards blue sky. Everyone goes there thinking the conditions will be the best. Too bad if everyone goes there, they're just defeating their own goals. Actually on the second thought, keep doing that and I'll go ride the rest of the resort! read more

Great people, great mountain, lots of great runs I don't need to tell you about the skiing, Its top notch. The villages and shear number of things to do is what makes Vail a great place to ski. My only complaint is the service. I've personally not had any issues at the ticket office. But at 2:00pm after dropping $550 for a epic local pass they wouldn't give my friend (the purchaser) a complimentary afternoon ticket. So she had to use one of her preloaded vail days to do less than 2500' of vertical. Then we were held up at the lift for 15mins-20mins because the pass she just bought wasn't active yet. Otherwise we saw a free concert last night with Guster and that was LOTS of fun! The area is generally kept clean and food choices aren't bad. Generally overpriced and lacking value, but its a major resort. read more

Well, after spending a bunch more days at Vail, I took off a star for how many cat tracks criss cross this mountain. I did make it to Belle's Camp at the top of Blue Sky Basin to BBQ and that is an experience worth checking out. Good runs on the back side. But everywhere I went on the front side, I ran into cat tracks...such a bummer on a snowboard. Trying to avoid them and the other green/flat runs, I went down many runs with moguls...also not too fun on a board. I wish there was more middle ground for someone at a mid skill level, especially with all the acreage. But I give back a star for the $10 lunch specials. A little bit more affordable. read more

Spent a 4 days here for some Spring skiing. Blue Sky Basin is a must see. It is worth the effort of traversing the mountain to get there. Not many amentities (eating facilities or places to rest/warm up). The other back bowls are massive with excellent terrain. Minimizes the crowds. The only complaint I have with this resort is the front side--so crowded, runs are really short and always a long liftline. I have been here multiple trips and it seems even in "off peak" dates, the lift lines are a headache. The shuttle service is SUPERB for navigating the entire village. read more

I've been snowboarding for 10+ years now, and I can honestly say Vail really does live up to its reputation as being one of the top ski destinatiosn in the country. So far, it's the only resort that I've gone to multiple times but have not yet covered the entire mountain. It really is THAT BIG. The people who go to the resort are all very interesting. I noticed that most of them were from out of the country. I was able to pick up bits and pieces of German and French being thrown around definitely. And it's only natural that a lot of Europeans come here - after all, this place does remind me of being in the Alps, especially with the style of the buildings in the village area. If you want to learn how to ski/snowboard, I suggest learning at a resort that isn't so well-reknowned because here at Vail, everything's obviously much more expensive. I mean... ...LIFT TICKETS ARE $108!!! With that said, be sure to get your money's worth and be on the mountain the entire day. It's well worth it. If you're a bit more advanced, try the Back Bowls, and even better yet - if it's open - try out Blue Sky Basin. The mountain is just phenomenal. Customer service here is AMAZING. The workers aren't snobby like others would think (especially when coming to a resort like this). A Vail ski instructor actually gave me a free mini-lesson for skiing (I chose to ski on one day, just to try it out). I thought it was nice of her to stop, tell me that she wasn't teaching anyone for the moment, and help give me some pointers on skiing). After 2pm, non-skiiers and non-snowboarders can take the Eagle Bahn Gondola up for free. At the top, you can do less strenuous activities, like tubing, snowmobiling, and ski biking. And if you still don't want to do that, there are a couple of different ice skating rinks in the village. This place is definitely a lot of fun for everyone in your group! There is definitely no shortage of activities here! read more

Its hard for me to give a ski resort less than 4-stars because I LOVE to ski. In addition, its hard to blame a resort for poor snow conditions ... damn you mother nature. However, Vail just didn't cut it for me... Yes, it is a large mountain. Yes, it has something for everyone in terms of difficulty. It even has things to do for non-skiers with two villages and a tubing area. Yes, the back bowls provide difficulty and Blue Sky Basin is extreme in spots. However, I found the mountain very difficult to get around...why do you have to number chairs, I'll remember names, but not whether I want to head towards Chair 11 or Chair 6. In addition, there is just toooo much poling, my airs hurt more than my legs. I often abandoned where I was planning to go in order to get some downhill skiing in. Vail is classic with beautiful views. I certainly found trails to challenge me and were fun, but I ultimately was kicking myself for not head to Beaver Creek for a few days (which I've been to so many times I've lost count), and many of locals were agreeing. read more