(Ed note: Updated March 2009)

THE WEATHER

Well, it's winter in the Rocky Mountains. You never know when you could wake up to three feet of snow on your doorstep or 60 degrees and sunshine. Sometimes we get both in rapid succession. We love our schizophrenic weather. Check our weather page for the details of nature's madness. Waterproof footwear with decent traction is the way to go, along with many layers to add or discard as needed. If you're driving, make sure your vehicle has good tires and front or four-wheel drive. For updated road conditions, call or visit the Colorado Department of Transportation.

TRANSPORTATION

If you don't have a car and you're in Vail, you're in luck. A free bus runs the length of the area from East to West Vail until 2 a.m. every day. Check the schedule here. There is also the ECO bus that costs $3 per ride and goes to Eagle, Minturn, Edwards and Avon. Check out the ECO bus schedule. If you're just looking to get here, say, from Denver International Airport, shuttles can be scheduled at Colorado Mountain Express.

EMERGENCIES/MEDICAL 

There are no 24-hour pharmacies in Vail, but you'll find what you need during business hours at City Market in West Vail, Avon and Eagle or Wal-Mart in Avon. Turn to the Vail Valley Medical Center for medical needs or to see a specialist.
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SLOPE ETIQUETTE

The adrenaline is soaring out on the mountain and tensions can get high. We don't know why. Won't happen if you follow these simple guidelines.

* Always ski or ride within your ability. Be aware of the difficulty of terrain served by certain chairlifts.

* The downhill skier/rider has the right-of-way.

* Respect ropes, signs and boundary lines or Ski Patrol will pull your pass.

* Alternate in lift lines. It's only fair.

* Look uphill when merging onto a trail.

* Don't sit down or camp out where uphill traffic can't see you.

FUN FACTS

Don't forget that Vail is the largest single-mountain ski area in North America. There are almost 200 named trails (and a few that prefer to go nameless). There should be no question what your priority is while you're here.

Vail is a baby. Unlike ski areas that sprang out of old mining towns like Telluride and Aspen, Vail was built from the ground up in 1962. You will likely notice a Swiss flair to the architecture. That's because the village is modeled after Vail's sister city, St. Moritz.