This is just a quick update summary for ya on December 16th………..Vail’s ski lifts will open at 8:30am starting this Saturday, scratch that, (it is BEAVER CREEK that is opening at 8:30am per the Vail Daily newspaper)….giving you a head start for you “early bird” types. Vail and Beaver Creek received around 6 inches or so the last couple of dates and more terrain has opened. At Vail they opened Chairs 10 and 14. That is the Highline Express lift and the Sourdough Lift over on the east end of Vail mountain. We still need a bit more before we can open Vail’s Back Bowls, so keep your fingers crossed. Vail is open with 21 of 31 lifts and 1400 acres.
Beaver Creek is now open with 24 of 25 lifts and 88 trails and 1058 acres, so they are doing pretty good too!
Tag Archives: Vail’s Back Bowls
Finally some sun in Vail for the Back Bowls
After an incredible couple of months with snow and more snow, we finally have some sun. Vail’s Back Bowls are in excellent condition. Enjoying the views. And Vail mountain is extending its operating hours this coming weekend.
Beginning Friday, Feb.18, Vail Mountain will move to its full spring operating schedule at which time the majority of front side lifts will close at 4 p.m.; the Sourdough Lift (#14) will close at 3:30 p.m. Lifts and terrain in Game Creek, Sun Up, Sun Down, Tea Cup, China, Siberia, Inner and Outer Mongolia Bowls will also close at 3:30 p.m. Blue Sky Basin’s Skyline Express Lift (# 37) and Earl’s Express Lift (#38) will close at 3 p.m. and Pete’s Express Lift (#39) will close at 2:45 p.m. Lift operating hours are posted at the base of all open lifts.
View of the Back Bowls from the top of Blue Sky Basin
Cow’s Face
Vail’s Yonder
Two Elk mountain biking trail
Two Elk mountain biking trail is a LONG… ride. Figure on 4-6 hours. It starts at the Antlers at Vail hotel and conference center and ends up being a 30 mile loop. It offers around 4000+ vertical feet of climbing. Just click on the attached map for details or even to print out the route. Two Elk mountain biking trail is usually open from July 1 – until the end of September and travels through Vail’s Back Bowls (see our Vail ski map). It is a combination of double track, single track, regular road and Vail bike path. If you do ride by yourself, mention to someone where you are going, because you’ll be a LONG way from anything on this ride. And bring tools and tubes. I seem to get one flat tire each time I do this ride. Chris R.
View Two Elk Trail mountain biking trail Vail in a larger map
On the top of Benchmark overlooking the Gore Range and I-70. Great place for a snack and a drink.
Up on top of Outer Mongolia Bowl ready to take the single track along the China Wall heading West above Vail’s Back Bowls. We are at 11,600 feet at this point.
Looking up towards China Bowl from the Trail. The base of the China Bowl lift is behind me.
