Vail - 2.24.11

[gmcunni]

Date(s) Skied: Vail

Resort or Ski Area: 2.24.11

Conditions: pow, packed pow, snow shower then sun then snow, windy, 30s

Conditions: Strange weather day. Awoke to flurries, maybe an inch or so on the car. Packed up and drove over (40 minutes) to Vail. It was sunny and i was warm as we loaded the quad at the Lionsgate base. By the time we reached the top of the lift it was snowing again. The weather changed all day. at times it was snowing and white out conditions and then the sun would break through for a few minutes.

i was skiing with the kids so we were looking for trails we could all enjoy. I started to get the "killington feeling". Not knowing the mountain i felt like we were just traversing looking for SOMETHING. After an early lunch decided to head over to the Game Creek Bowl and ski there. They had a bunch of trails so i figured we could all enjoy it, and WE DID! Megan really loved skiing there they had some fun glades along most of the trails so she and i would pop in and out. We skied there for a couple of hours. Jake dropped into some trees off the WOODS trail and we met back up with him at the lift. He declared the trees the best run of the week, tight and untracked. He was exhausted but had a great time.

about 2:30 Amy met us at the top of the gondola (they open it up for non-skiers @ 2) and the kids had had enough. i took that as my pass to go for some solo skiing and i attempted to make a B Line for the back bowls. I made a wrong turn and got a little lost but eventually made it. It was getting late so i had to "settle" for the Sun Up Bowl as it was too late to make it out to China before the lifts closed.

My early impressions of Vail weren't good. i don't like the village setup and the place was pretty crowded considering it was mid-week. Plus, everything there seems to cost a small fortune. As the day wore on i really started to appreciate the mountain itself. I didn't (probably couldn't) ski it but some of the terrain i saw was incredible!

some pics -
looking up Game Creek Bowl -

Prima, where i got lost trying to find the back bowls -

hard to see here but this is wall to wall bumps and steep! kicked my ass good.

Sun Up Bowl-

strange site as we got off the first lift - i heard a siren and then this caravan of groomers appeared.

anyone who's ever skied with a kid knows the importance of chair numbers, we scored a good one!

Vail is known as a stylish place -

 

[deadheadskier]

Hilarious

Your day at Vail sounds exactly like my only time there with my high school and college girlfriend.

We looked around for stuff we could both enjoy. Spent most of the day in Gamecreek only when I went out to the back bowls, I took her with me instead of sending her down on the Gondola.

We broke up a week after that vacation.

:lol:

 

[meff]

It takes awhile to figure out Vail, it can be very overwhelming. Game creek is a great place to start - another good place with the kids would have been the trails off Avanti, always good for a few runs. We ended up lapping Pride Express one day when the winds were too much everywhere else we went. Not a ton of vert per run, but enough variety if you need to avoid wind and 5 degrees.

If you get back there, I'd suggest heading back to Blue Sky Basin with the kids, they would love some of the trails back there. Its a hike but worth it.

We've skied Vail about 20 days now and have had the luck to ski it with long time Vail skiers and still get a bit overwhelmed with the size.

 

[RISkier]

Curious where you parked? Last year we were able to trade our time share for a week in Vail. There's an amazing amount of skiing but it does take a while to figure out how to get around efficiently. IMO, the town itself lacks charm. It's a big, purpose built, ski "city" with an interstate running right down the middle. The skiing is great. We especially liked the Blue Sky Basin area. Our favorite place was the Minturn Saloon, which was a bit of a drive. The village just wasn't our style.

 

[marcski]

Prima and highline were two really fun, long bump Runs. For me the back bowls at were fun. But IMHO, I prefer other hills in CO. than Vail.

 

[dmc]

We may do a day in Vail next week.. A freind is working a concert there - he's skied there a bunch.. Maybe get out with some locals..

But I'd almost prefer to head over to ABasin..

 

[o3jeff]

Looks like a good time. I think I really need to try harder on getting out west skiing.

 

[gmcunni]

Curious where you parked?

we drove over from Breck and wife's plan was to shop. I wish we'd prepared better but opted for convenience and parked in the Lions Head day lot ($25). I had read there were less $$ or free lots available but not being familiar with the area we went with the simple approach. Wife took the local bus back and forth between the two base areas while shopping and said it was very efficient. If you can find a lot on a bus route i'm sure it would be easy.

 

[gmcunni]

Looks like a good time. I think I really need to try harder on getting out west skiing.

DO IT! amazing here.

 

[2knees]

nice gary.

how did everyone do with the altitude?

 

[gmcunni]

how did everyone do with the altitude?

altitude has been a factor. everyone felt sick early in the week, now it is just a constant headache for me and the kids have been feeling run down.

lots of gasping for breath on the harder runs too.

 

[dmc]

You got me so stoked for next week now..

 

[4aprice]

altitude has been a factor. everyone felt sick early in the week, now it is just a constant headache for me and the kids have been feeling run down.

lots of gasping for breath on the harder runs too.

That's tough. I have never experienced altitude sickness but it can't be fun. Unfortunately a day in Denver before heading up to the mountains might be a good idea the next time you go out. I know that's hard with the front range stareing you in the face and limited time but it might make you more comforatable. The gasping for breath is par for the course. BTW beautiful pic of Game Creek Bowl.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[dmc]

I don't get altitude sickness either...

I also don't really follow the guidelines... i tend to get hammered the first night... Eat a big meal..

What I do is - try to stay hydrated... Take it slow on climbs.. Eat good meals... have fun!

 

[RISkier]

First trip to CO I had a huge headache the first day or two and had some trouble sleeping. We even spent the first night in Denver. Before our next trip I asked my Doc for a Diamox (SP?) script. You need to really stay hydrated (with or without the diamox) because it increases urination. It also makes carbonated beverages taste funny. You take it a couple of days before you go and a couple of days after you arrive. Had no altitude problems at all even though we were staying in Frisco at around 9.1k. I'd use it again if staying at 8k or higher. Haven't had any real trouble on UT trips.

 

[dmc]

I hear ginseng is good for altitude...

 

[meff]

If you are staying somewhere in the area that is on the bus route, thats your better option for getting to and from the mountain. If you have to park there are free parking options, but locals tend to get them real early. The cheapest pay lot is the new development at Vail, Solaris I think had $20 per day.

The villages are a lot like the mountain itself, you have to find your way around - there are some decent places to drink and some snobby places to drink. I personally like the villages, but it takes a bit of getting used to coming from the east.

 

[mrksn]

I parked at Solaris two days.. non holiday mid-March $20 on a Tuesday, $22 on a Friday as the free lots were full by 8am. The walk is abt the same as from the decks, bout 10 min through the village to the Vista Bahn Express chair. Was way less crowded and easier to leave than the decks