INTRODUCTION
Vail. Every skier's dream locale. This magnificent mountain was revealed in 1854-56 by American frontiersman Jim Bridger and Irish-American Lord Gore. Traces of their explorations remain in the names of the mountains and valleys that Bridger named in honor of Gore. The arrival of prospectors during the 1874 gold rush finally drove out the Ute, for whom this area had for centuries been a summer home.
The resort was named in honor of engineer Charlie Vail, who created a dirt road connecting a quiet sheep-raising and farming region with a scenic area at the eastern edge of Gore Range. In 1957 World War II veteran Pete Seibert and ski enthusiast Earl Eaton hiked up this mountain and realized its incredible potential. Eaton, who had helped build Colorado's Camp Hale for wartime ski troopers, now turned his attention to creating a skier's paradise.
Vail now has over 32,000 residents, and draws many more to sample its varied charms. Fishermen enjoy the temperate river valleys, skiers the snow-capped peaks, and cowboy wanna-bees the open ranch lands. You will love it, too. Come, find your own "Rocky Mountain High."