Vail Back Bowls

The Back Bowls are what make Vail legendary. Seven massive bowls—Sun Down, Sun Up, China, Siberia, Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, and Tea Cup—span over 3,000 acres of above-treeline terrain. On a powder day, they offer some of the best skiing in North America. On a tracked-out day, they can be disappointing. Understanding the bowls is key to skiing them well.

Unlike traditional ski runs, bowl skiing means picking your own line down vast expanses of open terrain. There are no trees to navigate, just rolling contours and the occasional rock band. The scale is immense—you can see skiers a mile away, tiny figures on distant ridges. It's skiing stripped to its essence: you, the snow, and the mountain.

The Seven Bowls

Sun Down Bowl is the first bowl most skiers encounter. Chair 5 accesses it directly. Wide-open terrain with consistent pitch. Gets tracked quickly on powder days due to easy access.

Sun Up Bowl lies east of Sun Down, accessed via the same Chair 5 or by traversing. Slightly steeper pitches and less traffic. The sun hits earlier, affecting snow conditions by mid-morning.

China Bowl is the most famous, accessed via the Orient Express or High Noon chair. Massive scale with varied terrain. The Tea Cup section offers steeper pitches. This is the postcard Vail.

Siberia Bowl sits between China and the Mongolia bowls. Less trafficked than China, with excellent intermediate terrain. Good option when main bowls are tracked.

Inner and Outer Mongolia are the most remote, requiring significant traverse from China Bowl. Outer Mongolia offers the most challenging terrain. Both reward the effort with fewer skiers.

Tea Cup Bowl is a subsection of China with steeper pitches and more challenging lines. Advanced skiers gravitate here for the pitch.

Blue Sky Basin

Blue Sky Basin opened in 2000 as Vail's newest expansion. Unlike the open bowls, it features significant tree skiing and more protected terrain. Two high-speed chairs—Skyline Express and Pete's Express—access the area.

Better afternoon snow is Blue Sky's advantage. More shade means snow stays cold longer. When the south-facing bowls are sun-crusted, Blue Sky often holds powder.

Tree skiing here rivals anywhere in Colorado. Gladed runs through subalpine forest offer protected terrain when the bowls are wind-affected or tracked.

Powder Day Strategy

Go early. The south-facing aspect means morning is critical. Fresh tracks disappear quickly, and afternoon sun changes snow quality. First chair puts you in position for the best skiing.

Start in China Bowl for first runs—it's vast enough that fresh lines persist longer. Then work toward the Mongolias for midday. Save Blue Sky for afternoon when the bowls get sun-affected.

Watch the wind. Bowl lifts close in high winds. Check the Vail app or call the snow phone before committing to a bowl day. Getting stuck on the back side when lifts close means a long traverse out.

Know your exit. The traverse from the far bowls back to the front side takes 20+ minutes. Wildwood lift closes at specific times. Getting stuck on the back side at closing is a long, cold walk.

Reading Conditions

Fresh powder: The bowls at their best. Go early, ski aggressively, and enjoy the magic. This is why people fly across the world to ski Vail.

Tracked powder: Still fun but requires more line-finding. Look for north-facing pockets, terrain features that hold stashes, and the far reaches of each bowl.

Sun crust: Afternoon sun bakes the south-facing snow into breakable crust. Not fun. Head to Blue Sky or the front side when conditions deteriorate.

Wind effect: High winds strip snow from exposed areas and deposit it in pockets. Learn to read wind loading—the loaded pockets hold the goods.