A Weekend in Vail

One year and one week ago, I had never been to Colorado. In fact, I had never been further west than Kansas, besides California and Nevada. Since December 2009, however, I’ve made four trips to Denver, and all four have been incredible. This weekend I drove up to to Vail and Beaver Creek with a good friend of mine who lives in Denver — just two weeks after the resorts opened for the season. I also had an incredible opportunity to ski Vail on the last weekend of the 2010 season in March. My flight to Orlando is boarding in a few minutes, so I’ll be brief, but if you love to ski and haven’t made it out to Vail yet, plan a trip for the end of this season. The early- and late-season conditions are incredible — and it gets VERY cold and windy in January and February, so if you’re looking to ski early or late in the season, Vail’s the place to go. I’m not in love with Beaver Creek — and considering that Vail is significantly larger, more diverse, and the lift tickets are valid at both resorts, there isn’t any reason to go anywhere else.