 Vail,
Colorado - The largest single ski area in the USA
with over 4000 acres of skiable terrain, and the most high-speed
detachable quads on one mountain in the world, Vail markets
itself as 'America's favorite resort.' It is certainly regarded
by many as one of the world's top five all-around ski resorts.
Vail's ski area is legendary. Stretching
for 7 miles (11km) and served by 25 lifts, eight of them
express quads, it has over 120 named trails. Expert skiers
and powder fanatics have plenty of challenging terrain on
Vail's Frontside as well as the seven legendary 'Back Bowls.'
For intermediates there's a huge variety of groomed cruising
runs. There are numerous beginners slow skiing areas around
the mountains and special family skiing areas. The longest
run is from Flap Jack to Riva Ridge, a total of 4.5 miles
(7.3km). The Frontside terrain is unusualy well balanced
with almost a third of the skiing for each category of skier.
The resort receives an average of 27 feet of light powder
snow each year.
The Vail Valley has some 32,000
guest beds in all categories, putting it among the biggest
resorts in the world off-slope as well as on. With over
120 restaurants to choose from and more than 225 shops,
visitors may be forgiven for not making time to try out
the 884 metre long bobsleigh run, where recreational users
can record speeds of up to 90 kph. Also to be found around
Vail are several art galleries, museums and the opportunity
to try ballooning, dog sledding, ice skating and hockey,
parascending, snowmobiling, snowcat tours, snowshoeing and
telemark skiing.
Statistics:
Vertical Drop: 3,450'
Top Elevation: 11,570'
Base Elevation: 8,120'
Lifts: 33 (including 1 gondola)
Terrain:  32%
 36%  32%
Trails: 193
Skiable Acres: 5,289 (2,600 acres in Back Bowls)
Longest Run: 3 miles - Riva
Annual Snowfall: 346 inches
Snowmaking: 380 acres
Cross Country: Vail Cross Country Ski
Center
Snowboards: Yes
Season: Early November - Early May
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM daily
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