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Yes, another Vail TR from me. Go ahead, complain about $100+ lift tickets, cold-hearted big-corporation, hoity toity people, massive lift lines....heard it all. My brother and I usually don't go during a holiday weekend, but a friend (with his family) set the date for other reasons, and we fell in line.

16 Feb (Arrive)
The forecast was looking bleak...30s/40s every day, with small chances for snow/rain. WTF....in Feb. Ugh!


Never drink the first day....


17 Feb (Ski day #1)
The warm days and cold nights made for off-piste concrete so I couldn't venture much. Worked out okay because for many in the group it was their first time at Vail and some the first time skiing in years. So I obliged to chaperone. Stayed on the front side. Our group


18 Feb (Ski day #2)
The night didn't get quit as cold and stayed partly cloudy in the morning. That and the expected holiday crowds had us out at early and directly to back bowls. We caught the 3rd chair into Blue Sky Basin and first trax on Into the Wuudes


Then found some north facing tree lines in Resolution that had good snow remaining.


Spent afternoon on Blue Ox then Game Creek Bowl


19 Feb (Ski day #3)
Got out early again and decided to check out the big terrain park at Golden Peak


and sample some more glades (near chair 4)


Some talk of snow overnight.

20 Feb (Ski day #4)
YESSSSSSS, at least 6" fell overnight so it was a pow day. A local friend of mine was coming to join us so we lapped early pow runs off chair 26 waiting for him.






Being a local, he knew the stashes so we went off and played in Game Creek and few other places. My fav was the old chair 17 lift line...near chair 2. Reminded me of a long version of the Grabhammer lift line at Snowshoe. Pic blurred to maintain secrecy (not really, just a fogged lens)


Top of final run of trip...


EpicMix recorded >103,000 ft vert over the 4 days. I don't get caught up in vert #s, but it seems not bad for a holiday weekend.

Ha!! Love you're opening, I'm glad I would never be like that... wait, nevermind.

But seriously all vert is good vert but it could be argued that 3500 is better, even if scattered with a bunch of Texans ..wait, nevermind

Spydee, I like the last picture-- you and brother right? Nothing better, serious about that.

I'm going to get my brother out again one of these days, and he's in Texas and works for southwest, no excuse for him.

Nice TR Spydee. Photos make it look like you had the mountain to yourself - 100K vert in 4 days is impressive for a normal weekend let alone Presidents weekend!

davidski wrote:Ha!! Love you're opening, I'm glad I would never be like that... wait, nevermind.

But seriously all vert is good vert but it could be argued that 3500 is better, even if scattered with a bunch of Texans ..wait, nevermind

Spydee, I like the last picture-- you and brother right? Nothing better, serious about that.

I'm going to get my brother out again one of these days, and he's in Texas and works for southwest, no excuse for him.

I expected you to enjoy the opening

I wasn't striving to make any specific vert goal, especially having groups to tote around. I'd much prefer having only 20k because of powder tree runs every day.

Yes, me & brother....and he didn't have a phone glued to his ear!

winter wrote:Nice TR Spydee. Photos make it look like you had the mountain to yourself

I've gone enough times that I know the mountain well enough to avoid crowds. Besides that, I learned Vail had Sat & Sun blacked out for the local epic pass holders so I'm sure that helped. There were crowds at the usual spots like chairs 4 & 11. Btw, chair 11 is getting upgraded to 6pack for next season.

awesome stuff. can't disagree - for as commercialized as it's become, Vail never disappoints.

Glad one of us got to ski. Sorry we did not get to meet up.

Kelly K wrote:Glad one of us got to ski. Sorry we did not get to meet up.

No need to apologize...you were literally fighting for your life. Consider we have a rain-check!

It was warm enough to rain! I did get to see some snow from my room my first day out of ICU.

Sadly it does not look like I will get to ski next year even with a full recovery, which we are hopeful for. Next Feb is a long in the planning 15 night, really more like 17 with the plane ride, trip to Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia.