Vail
Saturday 19 April 1997

Weather

Warm and sunny, quite windy at high altitudes.

Conditions

Typical spring skiing conditions. There was a hard freeze overnight which meant that the slopes started off very crisp, and gradually as the sun got round, it softened up beautifully.

Overall

This was a weekend skiing, with Allen Brown, between two weeks of business. Meetings took us as close as Chicago and the off season air tickets from their to Denver were less than $150 each and the ski lift ticket was $10 for two days!

We headed straight up the mountain on the Eagle Bahn Gondola (new this season) and immediately discovered that the effects of the overnight freeze were very much still apparent. We kept mostly to groomed trails and gradually moved across the mountain in search of sun, but without a great deal of success, until we ventured into China Bowl and the groomed West Poppyfields.

After a mid-morning break, conditions seemed softer and we headed into the all black Sun Down Bowl. Traversing round the rim of the bowl, we eventually found an area that looked skiable. The snow was soft but not easy to ski. For Allen in particular this was very challenging. Gradually, as we lost height we were funnelled into a narrowing valley and a well worn, but narrow trail between trees. Over the top of a small ridge, we found a narrow mogul field which finally led down to Sun Down Catwalk the trail to the lift. Even then, the difficulties were not over .. As it neared the bottom of High Noon lift, the trail opened out into a short field of moguls.

We survived and in fact enjoyed the run, so from the top of the life we headed back down into the bowl along The Slot. This was probably the best run of the day. Snow conditions were good and there were clear and comfortably skiable lines through and around the soft bumps.

From the top of Sun Up lift, we were tempted to take a run straight down into China Bowl. Unfortunately, there were warning signs at the top and we couldn't see the run, so discretion proved the better part of valour and we took a very long and tiring traverse around the rim of the bowl to an area where we could see what we were getting into. This was probably a mistake, the original run looked fine and by the time we had finished our legs were like lead.

A long top-to-bottom cruise and Vista Bahn Express took us back to Mid Vail for lunch, but even after the rest, it was clear that there was no skiing left in our legs and the run back down to Lionshead was a bit of an endurance test.

We were so tired that we could hardly face dinner. As we tucked into 4 starters in the bar, we were agreed this this had been a superb day.

Vertical (feet)

16973

Runs

Lift Vertical Easy Runs Intermediate Runs Advanced Runs
Eagle Bahn 2230 Game Trail, Cub's Way
Avanti 1100 Mid Vail Express
Wildwood 831 The Meadows Hunky Dory
Mountaintop 1100 Northwoods
Northwoods 1200 Timberline Catwalk
Sourdough 350 Poppyfields, West
Orient 1380 Flap Jack, Tin Pants
Northwoods 1200 Ramshorn
Coffee Break
Wildwood 831 Ptarmigan Ridge, Ricky's Ridge, Sun Down Catwalk
High Noon 1850 The Slot
Sun Up 700 Poppyfields Dragon's Teeth
Orient 1380 Silk Road
Wapiti 40 Flap Jack, Northface Catwalk, Boomer Riva Ridge, Northface Catwalk
Vista Bahn 1950
Lunch
Wildwood 831 Eagle's Nest Ridge, Loop Born Free, Bwana
Total vertical 16973

Last updated: 16/12/98