Vail

The bulk of the Vail’s front face is intermediate level with plenty of easy cruising trails—and that means it is well suited to most skiers. Intermediates wanting something more challenging can check out the easier black diamond trails on the front face, before moving on to the Back Bowls. There you can find easy, groomed blue trails as well as ungroomed slopes which—snow conditions permitting—offer good opportunities to learn to ski powder.

In Vail, intermediates can ski much of the same terrain as advanced skiers. It’s a matter of choosing different trails in the same areas, like the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin, and selecting trails with gradients that suit your ability and confidence level. The longest trail, Riva, is four miles (6.4 km) long and is also the most challenging for a number of reasons: it has an interesting fall line in places and tends to have steeper sections as well as bumps.

An ideal day at Vail
Get to know the more than 5,200 acres (2,106 ha) of skiing with a free “Meet the Mountain” tour, starting at 9:15 am from the Eagle Bahn Gondola. A guide takes intermediate skiers and snowboarders to the best spots on the mountain. Stop for lunch at the best restaurant on the mountain, Two Elk. Featuring gourmet pizza, pasta and wraps, Two Elk provides one of the best views of the Gore Range. In the afternoon, ski the legendary Back Bowls until 3:00 pm and then finish the day on the front of the mountain. Ski down Pepsi’s face, the old World Cup downhill course, into Vail Village.