Vail, Colorado

This past weekend, Team Rhoback was lucky enough (thank you, Roger!) to ski some of the best conditions Vail, CO has seen in years.

With a reported 24 accumulated inches of snowfall in the past week, the conditions were incredible. There were in-bounds slopes that didn’t even appear to be touched and in many cases, we were in powder up to our knees. Some of the trip’s highlights include:

• Skiing Vail’s Legendary Back Bowls: There could have been a thousand skiers back there and you wouldn’t have known it. With a mountain so vast and open, you felt like you had the slopes and moguls all to yourself. And it was a hell of a workout.
• Blue Sky Basin: Probably the coolest place on the mountain with the most incredible views… from the barely-touched tree runs to the long, winding slopes, Blue Sky was one of my favorite parts of the mountain.
• Belle’s Camp: On the top of Blue Sky Basin, we found a gem of a lodge – standing with only about a 1000 sq foot footprint, we huddled up near the fire with one of the best chocolate chip and raspberry granola bars in the world and a hot cup of coffee. Plus we randomly ran into friends from C’Ville… they say it’s impossible to find someone you’re looking for on Vail, but it’s almost guaranteed you’ll run into someone you’re not.
• Après at Los Amigos in Vail Village: I’m a sucker for chips and salsa and après ski beers. Los Amigos has both, plus the chips and salsa are bottomless. We scored a seat at the bar which felt like scoring tickets to the Masters, almost.
• Sweet Basil Dinner: Our cofounder Hubs turned 30 in Vail and what better way to celebrate the big THREE-OH than eating at the most recommended restaurant in Vail Village. Since Team Rhoback has decidedly declared 2019 as The Year of The Cocktail, we all tested the bartender’s chops with our favorite (and less known) drinks… the drinks and service were incredible and so was the food.
• Curling at The Marriot: Who knew that The Marriot boasts a curling court on its back patio? Hubs did. So he hooked us up with one of the most fun experiences of the trip. Stones were flung and drinks were had… we were far from acceptable curlers but we had a lot of laughs!
• The Shakedown: We rounded out our trip with a night at The Shakedown with our local friend, Henry. The seemingly quiet bar turns into a jam session when you walk downstairs to the basement floor. With Jerry Garcia stained glass windows and low popcorn ceilings, you’d be surprised to hear The Shakedown sold out of $3,000 tables on New Year’s Eve… but then you hear the live band and it all makes a lot of sense.

Special shout outs to The Bresnahans, Genevieve, Skelly, Henry, Danielle, & Linda! You guys are the best - what a trip!