Vail Ski Resort

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Vail Ski Resort
Part of the ski area at Vail
Location:
Colorado, USA
Nearest city: Vail, Colorado
Coordinates: 39°38′21″N 106°22′26″W / 39.63917, -106.37389 (Vail Ski Resort)Coordinates: 39°38′21″N 106°22′26″W / 39.63917, -106.37389 (Vail Ski Resort)
Top elevation: 11,570 feet (3,530 m)
Base elevation: 8,120 feet (2,470 m)
Skiable area: 5289 acres (21.40 km²)
Runs: 193 total
18% beginner
29% intermediate
53% advanced/expert
Longest run: "Riva Ridge" - 4 miles (6.4 km)
Lift system: 34 total (1 Gondola (12 person), 14 High-speed quad chairs, 1 quad chairs, 3 triple chairs, 5 double chairs, 10 Surface)
Terrain parks: 2
Snowfall: 346 in/year (8.8 m/year)
Web site: http://vail.snow.com

The Vail Ski Resort is located in Eagle County, Colorado next to the town of Vail. Vail Mountain, at 5,289 acres (21.40 km²), is the largest single mountain ski resort in The United States, featuring seven bowls and intermediate gladed terrain in Blue Sky Basin. It opened in 1962 and is currently owned and operated by Vail Resorts, which also operates three other ski resorts in the state, Breckenridge, Keystone, and the nearby Beaver Creek.

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[edit] Ski area information

Vail Mountain is comprised of three sections: The Front-Side, Blue Sky Basin, and the Back Bowls. The Back Bowls has the most amount of expert/difficult terrain on the mountain. Blue Sky Basin, on the other hand, is perfect for most skiers, as 47% of the terrain is classified as intermediate/more difficult. For those newer to the sport the Front-Side is the place to learn as 28% of the terrain is considered beginner/easiest. The Vail Village is modeled after a Bavarian Village with pedestrian streets and rugged mountain backdrops.

Unlike other ski towns such as Aspen or Breckenridge, the town of Vail was created by the Vail ski resort.

[edit] History

Vail was founded by Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton in 1962, between the town of Eagle, Colorado and Vail Pass, which was named after Charles Vail, designer of the highway that passed through the valley. Seibert joined the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division during World War II, which trained at Camp Hale, just southeast of Vail. During Seiberts' and Eatons' time with the 10th, they trained at several resorts around the Vail area, such as Loveland, Keystone and Aspen. While roaming the area mountains, Seibert and Eaton discovered a peak that had the perfect location and base area for a resort, they named this peak "No-name Mountain", but it would eventually become Vail. Construction of the Vail resort began in 1962 in a valley devoid of civilization. It opened just 6 months later on December 15th. There were 3 lifts upon opening, one gondola that ran from the frontside base to the peak, a lift from mid-mountain to the peak, and a lift that brought skiers back up from the back bowls. In just 7 years, Vail had grown to become the most popular ski resort in Colorado, and a village had started forming at the base, near the gondola, which had been replaced since its opening. Also at that time, the construction of the infamous I-70 highway had begun. During the 1970s, Vail had blossomed into a Super-resort, and skiers and vacationers had started paying Euro-trip prices for a Colorado vacation. Subsequently, Vail's Euro-esque village began construction and expansion. In 1972, Vail and Beaver Creek were slated to host the Skiing portions of the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. However, the voters of Colorado shot down the idea, and the 1976 Winter Games went to Innsbruck, Austria.

On March 26th, 1976, Vail’s success was tainted by a gondola accident at Lionshead. A carrying cable snagged on a support tower and caused two cabins to snag and derail off the high towers, killing four and injuring eight. The gondola closed the remainder of the season until the Von Roll Lift Company installed a state-of-the-art monitoring system, preventing any further accidents.

In 1982, Vail had another chance to be the center of attention of the international skiing community when it hosted, to incredible hype and success, the Alpine Skiing World Cup. The Cup was held in Vail again a decade later, to even bigger fanfare.

In 1985, Vail opened 5 high-speed detachable quad lifts on the mountain, the second mountain in the country to use them, after Breckenridge. 1996 marked a huge change for the Vail Valley area ski resorts, as Vail Associates bought Vail Breckenridge Ski Resort and Heavenly Ski Resort. The parent company allowed skiers to buy an all-mountain pass that granted admission to all of their resorts. In 1998, the Earth Liberation Front set fire to the resorts' Two Elk Lodge, Camp one, Ski Patrol HQ, and 2 lifts, causing US$12,000,000 in damage. A new Two Elk Lodge was built in place of the old one, as well as a new Camp one and ski patrol HQ, Poma Ski Lifts Co. was brought in to replace the 2 destroyed lifts with high speed quads. In 2000, Vail unleashed Pete Seiberts ideal skiing vision, the Blue Sky Basin, an intermediate-expert backcountry area which offers mogul, gladed and tree skiing, and glorious cliffs and ridges. It has been heralded as one of the best skiing experiences in the world[citation needed] .

Vail has recently been declared the #1 Ski resort in the US.[1] It has been awarded this honor 14 times over the last 17 years.

According to a press release on August 1, 2006, Vail began offsetting all of its power usage by purchasing wind power. They were the 2nd largest corporation in the United States to do so as well. [2]

In summer 2007, Vail plans to replace the Highline double chair with a high-speed quad.

On September 10, 2007, SKI Magazine in its annual "Top 50 Resort Guide" named Deer Valley, Utah, the top ski resort of North America; it also got other honors in the categories of service, grooming and dining. Utah resorts which were No. 1 in various categories included Snowbird, voted "Best Skier's Mountain," and Alta, top "Weekend Escape." Colorado had 6 resorts in the top 10, while Vail was No. 2, followed by Whistler Blackcomb, in British Columbia, Canada, 3rd; Aspen and Snowmass, both in Colorado; Park City, Utah; Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Steamboat, Colorado, and Sun Valley, Idaho. 10th. Smuggler's Notch was top resort in the "Family Ski Trip" category.[3]

The ski lift passes for Vail are amongst the most expensive in the world.

[edit] Resort statistics

[edit] 2007 / 2008 Season Dates

November 16th, 2007 - April 13, 2008 (Weather Permitting)

[edit] Elevation

  • Base: 8,120 ft (2,475 m)
  • Summit: 11,570 ft (3,527 m)
  • Vertical Rise: 3,450 ft (1,052 m)

[edit] Trails

  • Skiable area: 5,289 acres (21 km²)
  • Trails: 193 total (18% beginner, 29% intermediate, 53% advanced/expert)
  • Longest run: Riva Ridge - 4 miles (6.4 km)
  • Average annual snowfall: 346 inches (8.8 m)
  • Terrain Parks: 4
  • Bowls: 10 (7 official)
    • Sun Down Bowl
    • Sun Up Bowl
    • China Bowl
    • Siberia Bowl
    • Tea Cup Bowl
    • Inner Mongolia Bowl
    • Outer Mongolia Bowl

_________________________________________

    • Pete's Bowl
    • Earl's Bowl
    • Game Creek Bowl

[edit] Lifts

  • 34 total
    • 1 Gondola (12 person)
    • 16 High-Speed Quads
    • 1 Fixed Grip Quad
    • 2 Triple Chairs
    • 5 Double Chairs
    • 10 Surface Lifts

[edit] References

  1. ^ SKINET :: 06/07 Top 10 Resorts
  2. ^ Vail Resorts Media Center
  3. ^ Yahoo.com, Deer Valley, Utah, tops Best Ski Resorts

[edit] External links