Who Knows Vail?
 

Scenario: Four families, 8 adults, 11 kids, headed to Vail for Spring Break. Looking for condos, ideally all in the same building or very close proximity. Something close to lifts and action (like the Antlers), but maybe a bit more reasonable price-wise. What do you think?

My --- how your group has grown since the earlier postings. Answer my earlier questions, and, maybe, I can help you. How familar are you with the Antlers??? It is in Vail but not that close to the action. And, right now, that whole area is ungoing massive reconstruction.

Hi chc!

I'm sure there are many posters on this site that know Vail, but you need to help them out.

First, try to keep your questions on one thread. You can click on your name to find your previous post and add to it.

Second, terms like reasonable or breaking the bank mean different things to different people. What is your nightly budget? Is is $300/night, $600/night or $1000+/night? I've been looking at lodging in Vail for January and prices are all over the place. So if you can help by narrowing the range, you might get more replies.

Do you need rental equipment or lessons? If you haven't already, check out http://vail.snow.com/winter/ for resort info. You may be able to save a bit by booking your vacation as a package.

Ok - here's what happened. We were planning a family ski trip. We had a party Sat. night and 3 families jumped on board. Some of them know Antlers, I don't. Skill levels vary - one guy gets dropped off by helicopters, my husband (whose screen name this is) does blacks, the other guys snowboard and the mom's range greens and blues. All the kids would go to ski school, but from past experience at Steamboat, my kids were better than me on their first day. I don't know where the action in Vail is, and I don't care. We are trying to find a nice, clean, accommodating place, where the experienced people have their in/out ski access and we are not spending $1000 a night. Two of the families are hooked on Vail and wouldn't entertain ideas of anywhere else. Now can you help me?

Given the range of interests and abilities it may be very difficult to find a place that satisfies everyone. But first let me make some general comments abot Vail. First, relatively speaking Vail has very little ski in/out type of accomendations. And the Antlers is not a ski in/out place. And Antlers is located in Lions Head towards the west end. That area is undergoing massive redeveolopment with most of the Lions Head restaurants and shops are closed. Haven't been there all summer so don't know the exact progress but would think that little is finished. Antlers is an older property that has been rehabed a couple of times. Nothing wrong with it but it is probably a reasonablely priced property for its location. The more reasonable priced properties will be on the north side of I-70 (sking is on the south side) with a local bus to the various ski bases.

Second, Spring break (which is most of March) is peak season so price breaks will be rare. Only Christmas/New Years will be slightly higher in price. Lift tickets will be $85 with min discounts available.

Second, Vail is not a good mountain for beginners or novice skiers. I am guessing that helicopter guy is one of the two familes hooked on Vail. For advance skiers Vail is close to best there is. I love sking at Vail but I would not start new skiers or even kids at Vail. However, it doesn't look like you will have much choice about Vail.

It will be hard to stay in Vail near the actions. Vail sets in a very narrow valley about half mile wide and 15 miles long. The more reasonable priced properties in your 1000 range will be at either end of the valley and across I-70 on the north side. But Vail does have a decent free bus system.

The are better ski areas that would meet your original requests and abilities. Vail is a premier facility and you will pay the price for Spring break. You might try VRBO.com to see what would be available to rent directly. I rented a five bedroom house last year will off of I-70 in mid February for $750/night. It was $1500 for March.

Good luck -- Frank P., Centennial, CO

Just returned from Vail and fmpden is certainly correct about the massive conctruction projectts. I've skied Vail over the years but I would not bother this season. The billion dollar reconstruction project is no way near completion. Lion's Head is a mess. Vail Village is better, but personally I wouldn't stay at either unless I was getting a big discount on prices and I seriously doubt that's a possibility.

Try Copper Mountain. It has ski terrain for all abilities and will be more 'reasonable' than Vail.There are condos very close to the lifts.

For anything with ski in ski out access at Vail, you'll pay much more than what the Antlers is asking.

I also would have suggested Copper, Keystone (or Breckenridge)over Vail for the reasons given above. It would be easy for those who have their "hearts set" on Vail to hop over for a day. A very good option, give that you don't care about night life and have a party of wide-ranging abilities, would be Winter Park; terrific ski school, huge mountain, and Mary Jane is there for those who want more challenge.

I, also, have been to Vail recently and will confirm that the mess will probably remain through the ski season.

We stayed at The Marriott Vail Resort and although the resort was perfect for our visit we did experience the turmoil of construction at times. It didn't keep us from enjoying our visit but it is Summer.

Add several thousand visitors and snow/mud and you've got some potential discomfort.

I would also recommend Copper, Breckenridge or Keystone

I agree that the construction in Vail right now is a drawback... but I wouldn't let it keep you from going. Skiing at Vail is fantastic. And sorry to be the pain that disagrees, but I'm going to disagree with the comment that Vail isn't any good for children or novices. I've skied Vail since I was a beginner and never had problems. Stick with the front side of the mountain and you'll be fine. From what friends have told us as well (we don't have children) their children's ski school is great. There's enough terrain at Vail for every level. Agree that your timing is prime for peak season prices... but with that many people, you should be able to find a large enough place that you can split the lodging costs... cook in a few nights, etc.

If the kids are going to ski school, you want to be as close to the ski school as possible to make drop off and pick up easier. I haven't been to Vail in a couple of years but I believe ski school is primarily out of Lionshead. Is the Golden Peak ski school location still there? I thought I heard that closed. Is there a ski school drop off near the main lift in Vail village? You need to find out the answers to these questions. Having to drive 11 kids to ski school in Lionshead or having to take the bus is a major inconvenience that you wouldn't have to deal with at other resorts. Having skied with kids for 11 years, I think a ski school within walking distance of your lodging is a must. You don't want to drive back to the condo or ski school (or ride the bus) to get the forgotten lift ticket or goggles.

You may be able to get a good price in Lionshead this season but there's a reason why the price is discounted- the construction.

I agree with others that your group would be better off at Keystone, Copper or Breck.

Well, that Vail isn't a good mountain for beginning or intermediate skiers is sure news to me since I learned to ski quite well there. And there are nice easy trails up at the top of the mountain so you get to have the great views. Whassup with that!! Aspen is that mountain not good for any but experts.
I can't speak for the construction--we have most recently been going to keystone. Nice mountain, good ski schools.
When we did go to Vail we stayed at Manor Vail and LOVED it.

Guess I'll post my opinion on Vail as an good/poor area for begining skiers.

I also learned to ski at Vail, but I will admit that some of the other areas mentioned are better for begining skiers. The biggest problem for beginners is getting back down the mountain. The options are pretty much limited to catwalks and intermediate runs. I've never liked catwalks and as a beginner, I found them particularily scary especially when so many skiers are whizzing past you. Vail is an excellent ski area,maybe one of the best anywhere, but it always gets very congested as skiers head to the bottom at the end of the day. And, most of them are skiing at top speed. Not an welcome situation for beginers. This certainly isn't a major issue, but perhaps one to consider.

Copper, Winter Park, Keystone and Breckinridge also offer excellent ski programs. As I said before, ski Vail just not this year.

I'm pretty sure that Manor Vail is now nothing but a shell, a consequence of the renovation project.

Vail Manor is long gone. I think it has been a long time since Gretchen was at Vail. It is also interesting that we have had no response fronm chc.

Thank you all very much for your time and advice. I didn't know anything about the construction. We will figure this out, but Vail may not be the place this year.
Thanks again.

Most ski areas seem to funnel skiers into one small area to get down the mountain at the end of the day, and it can be daunting to a beginner. One solution is to ride the gondola down.

While it may be news to Gretchen that Vail is not well geared to beginning, it is not to travelhistory. And I don't know where she got the idea about intermediate skiers either. It is great mountain for intermediate and advance skiers BUT there is NOT good separation of skiers and slopes. Vail is an older designed area when the number of skiers was not big issue or concern for design. The result is that you have green trails crossing black slopes, black and blue rated slope emptying into green areas. And green area, if you are not very careful, empty into blues and blacks. The net result is, as historytraveler pointed out, a beginning skiers needs to be very careful about where they ski. Two years ago a beginning skier on a green slope was killed by a hot dogger flying off of a black slope into a green trail.

A great example of a well designed mountain with good separation is Copper Mt. The further west you move the easier the slopes and east is harder. You can ski Copper without a map. The newer peaks (10,9,7) at Breckenridge have good separation. Keystone less so but mostly geared to the beginner and iintermediate with the exception of the Outback.

While there are some areas have choke points at the bottom as abram mentioned. That is not true for most of Colorado.

As for chc and the issue of die hard Vail lovers, I would consider moving to Beaver Creek/Bachelor Gulch. Pricing should be about the same as the better properties in Vail. BG has a lot ski in/out properties. Ticket prices are the same, but the crowds in March will be less since this area is not friendly to day skiers. The terrin is great and the Birds of Prey will challenge most skiers.

Aspen/Snowmass could be another option. Again Snowmass has lots of ski in/out properties. Beginners and cruisers will love Snowmass and the black lovers can go to Aspen. Although the action in Snowmass is fairly dead. And Aspen is good for intermediate skiers as well as advance. And it is Aspen !!!

chc, think you need a group meeting to establish exact priorities. The construction at Vail should not discourage you other than to avoid the Lions Head area. Beyond that anything related to sking is functioning well. All of the lifts out of Lions Head are running. Just would not stay in that area.

Good luck