Vail Back Bowls
Photo: China Bowl
China Bowl
This is one of the most popular bowls on the back side of Vail. The Two Elk Lodge is located at the top of this bowl and there is a wide variety of terrain available to skiers and snowboarders here. The China Bowl can be easily accessed by 4 different ski lifts.
You will find almost every type of ski terrain here; cliffs, tree skiing, cornices, and intermediate skiing. The Dragon’s Teeth cliff band is located at the top/center of the China Bowl. These cliffs can be as tall as 15-20 feet.
Next to the Dragon’s Teeth there is an open/flat area for intermediate-level skiers and snowboarders. You will sometimes find a groomed path that descends through this area of the bowl.
On the skier’s right side of the bowl, there is a wind-blown cornice that follows a path that is directly below the Teacup Express Chairlift. The cornice can vary in size, but will usually measure less than 10 feet in height. This can be a fun place to test your jumping skills, or just watch the carnage that is created by other people as you ride up the chairlift for another run.
Sun Up and Sun Down Bowls
Photo: Sun Bowl
These two bowls can be easily accessed from several different chairlifts. The bowls are open and wide with scattered patches of trees throughout. This bowl will usually open about 1 hour after the front-side of the mountain opens, providing a second opportunity to score first-tracks on a powder day.
Siberia Bowl and Mongolia Bowls
Photo: Mongolia Bowls
The terrain in these 3 bowls is tame compared to the rest of the back bowls. On a powder day you might find that the slope in these bowls is too shallow to make very many real turns. This can be a mellow and quiet place to find fresh powder late in the afternoon on a powder day. The Siberia Bowl does have a few cliffs that can be accessed with a brief traverse. These cliffs are located near the Orient Express ski trail.
As you move towards the Outer Mongolia Bowl, the terrain becomes more and more benign. The Mongolia surface lift helps skiers access the terrain in these bowls.
Vail Front Side
The ski trails that are cut on the front of Vail Mountain are extremely wide in some places. This accommodates more skiers and helps to preserve the fresh snow on powder days. Beginner and intermediate skiers will have a blast on the front of the mountain when lots of snow falls. Most of the tree-covered areas between the trails are fair game here. You can venture in and out of the trees while looking for interesting terrain and pushing your limits.
Even the best skiers will find challenging terrain on the front-side of Vail. There are cliffs, cornices, moguls, and varied terrain features scattered all over. These features tend to come in smaller doses here than they will in Vail’s back bowls.
One of the best places for advanced skiers to ski powder on the front side of Vail Mountain is located near Chair #4. This area consists of the North Rim and the Prima Cornice. The ridgeline that creates this extreme terrain only provides a short vertical slope, but this can be a thrilling place for advanced skiers to ski deep powder before the back bowls open.
Blue Sky Basin
Photo: Blue Sky Basin
Blue Sky Basin is the newest part of this ski resort to open. The area was left mostly in its natural state and very few trails were cut here. As a result of the hands-off process that was used to create this area; there is an abundance of challenging, unique, and extreme terrain features here.
You don’t need to be a seasoned veteran on skis in order to safely access Blue Sky Basin. Areas like Pete’s Bowls and Earl’s Bowl are relatively easy to ski down while avoiding the large boulders and cliffs along the way.
The most popular and well known area of Blue Sky Basin is called Lover’s Leap. This trail typically has a large cornice that is located directly underneath of the Skyline Express chairlift. A timid advanced skier can usually survive a slow drop off of this cornice.
However, a dare devil that decides to carry some speed off of the cornice can drop 30+ feet… usually crashing to a roar of cheers from the chairlift above.
Vail Powder Day Skiing Tips
#1 Beware of long traverses. Vail is a large ski resort – one of the largest in the world. What looks like a short traverse on the trail map can be a long skate that costs you great turns on a powder day. Plan your routes accordingly.
#2 Vail does not open the entire ski resort at the same time. The front side opens first. Next; the back bowls will open. Blue Sky Basin will open last. This means that if you have great timing, you can ski fresh tracks well beyond your first one or two runs.
#3 Always remember; there are no friends on powder days. Go for first tracks, the world is yours, take no prisoners. I suggest using the ski school line on powder days because the small children are easier to toss aside when they are holding you up.
Photos: Mark A. Warner from the Colorado Ski Authority website.
You can find more information about Vail at: Vail Ski Lodging or you can see the full Vail Vacation Guide.