Adventure Travel Life

About a week ago I started a small series on the names given to the ski runs in Vail. In that post, it was the logging profession and the influence of the loggers on the mountain that gave the trails very interesting titles. In this post, I’ll continue talking about the front side (as well as some of the back) and the men and women immortalized on the mountain by having their names printed in blue and white.

The Front Side: The Celebrities

Of course, not everyone that comes to Vail is a celebrity. Many have earned this status just by living and working in the village, by being some of the pioneers who built hotels, gave donations to the town, or worked in the ski school. When you’re in Vail this weekend enjoying that powder, keep in mind all of the trails which are directly connected with people who have – in one way or another – changed the face of this well-known ski town over the past 60 years:

Widge’s Ridge: Alice “Widge” Ferguson an early back bowl devotee who always seemed to bring fresh snowfall with her every time she came out from Denver.

Ricky’s Ridge: Named for Ricky Andermatter from Zermatt, Switzerland, one of Vail’s first ski instructors.

Lindsey’s: The former International run. Renamed for a local ski champion – who is still winning gold – Lindsey Vonn.

Pepi’s Face: The last and steepest face of Lindsey’s. Pepi Gramshammmer raced with the Austrian national team and was recruited to come to Vail at its opening in 1962. He loved it so much, he decided to stay forever. He still operates and owns Gastof Gramshammer (a hotel and restaurant, with probably the best apple strudel in Colorado), Pepi’s Bar and Pepi’s Sports in the Village with his wife Sheika.

38: Named for the 38th President of the United States – Gerald Ford – who was an avid Vail skier.

Head First: Named after Howard Head, ski design innovator and owner of Head Skis. His residence was at the base of the International (now Lindsey’s) run in the village.

Minnie’s Mile: Named after Charles Minot Dole, “Minnie” founded the National Ski Patrol in 1938 and convinced the War Department to create the 10th Mountain Division of ski troopers during World War II. This division was fundamental in winning mountain outposts at altitude during the 1940s.

Pete’s Bowl: Named after Vail’s founder Pete Seibert. A former member of the 10th Mountain division, he finally fulfilled his dream of founding, building and operating a ski resort when Vail opened in 1962.

Earl’s Bowl: Earl Eaton initially discovered the area that would become Vail mountain in 1957 as he was prospecting for uranium. His discovery led to the development of North America’s largest single-mountain ski area. He showed his discovery to his good friend Pete Seibert, who put all the groundwork in place for a marvelous ski resort.

Milt’s Face: Assistant Ski Patrol leader in 1962, Milt Wiley was particularly fond of this run in the west side of Sun Up Bowl.

Have you ever asked yourself where a trail-name comes from? Sometimes the stories behind the naming of the ski-runs as well as their  location on the mountain can give you reason to lift your head and say, “Huh, I didn’t know that,” or maybe share a tidbit or two with the folks next to you on the lift. In this  series, I’ll take a look at the trail names in Vail, CO (since there are so many, and since I am here) and how they came to be. Starting with the Front Side, I’ll move to the runs in Game Creek Bowl, the Back Bowls and in Blue Sky Basin. All of them make interesting info to share the next time you’re at the Trivial Pursuit board, as well as something to think about while you’re carving up the slopes (if you’re thinking at all).

The Front Side: The Loggers

In the early years, the front side of Vail was cleared to make these first runs. The loggers who practically lived on the mountain (with none of the shelters and restaurants we see today) named most of the front side. From breakfast to britches, techniques to tools, they came up with some of the more unique titles. Here is a sampling of the front side, and its connection to the logging industry of the late 1960s:

Tin Pants: In the early years of Vail’s development, the canvas chaps worn by loggers were waterproofed with grease or pitch. In freezing weather, the pants were known to get stiff and the men called them “tin pants.” The loggers were able to slide back down to camp on them when work was completed for the day.

Boomer: A device that tightened the chains around logs which had been loaded for transport.

Choker Cutoff: “Chokers” were the cables wrapped around bundles of logs in order to haul them out of the mountain. The “cutoff” was simply where these cables were trimmed.

Flapjack: A really flat patch of the east side named after the loggers’ favorite breakfast.

Pickeroon: A long-handled, hooked pole (otherwise known as a “peavy”) used by lumbermen to get leverage on heavy logs, and roll them to a desired location.

Log Chute: A steep clearing cut through the woods and lined with poles where logs went shooting down the mountain side to be loaded onto vehicles at a lower altitude.

Highline: Pulleys were rigged to the treetops throughout the mountain.  A cable (“highline”) was then threaded through the pulley and hooked to a steam engine to haul the felled trunks out of the forest.

Skid Road: You may think this title comes from skiers skidding down the mountain path – but it isn’t.  In the early days of logging, before steam-powered vehicles were able to climb the mountainsides, teams of horses pulled the logs out of the forest on skid roads.

Blue Ox: Named for the legendary lumberjack (and logging hero) Paul Bunyan’s ox, who turned blue during the “winter of blue snow.”

Northwoods: The first trail cut in the Northeast Bowl, in 1967. Named for the beautiful strands of timber through which it runs. Northstar – just next to it – faces the actual North Star (“Polaris”) all year round.