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Vail Today
By the People, for the People
Portions of Sun Down Bowl Now Open on Vail Mountain
Chairs 5 and 17 open for the 2025-26 ski season after a late start.
Published on Feb. 23, 2026
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Portions of Vail Mountain's Sun Up and Sun Down Bowls are now open for the 2025-26 ski season, with Chairs 5 and 17 operating as of Sunday. Several runs in Sun Down Bowl, including Seldom, Never, Widge's, and Ptarmigan Ridge, are now accessible, while in Sun Up Bowl, the Yonder area and parts of Milts Face and the Slot are open.
Why it matters
The opening of the Back Bowls is a highly anticipated event for skiers and snowboarders at Vail, as these expert-level areas offer some of the mountain's most challenging and rewarding terrain. However, this year's late start to the Sun Down Bowl openings is noteworthy, as it follows a similar delay in 2022 that was the latest in decades.
The details
Chairs 5 and 17 in Sun Down and Sun Up Bowls, respectively, opened on Sunday, February 23, 2026, providing access to several runs in those areas. In Sun Down Bowl, Seldom, Never, Widge's, Ptarmigan Ridge, Ricky's Ridge, and Ricky's Tube are now open, serviced by the Sun Down Catwalk. In Sun Up Bowl, the Yonder area, parts of the Yonder trees, Milts Face, and the Slot are accessible.
- Chairs 5 and 17 opened on Sunday, February 23, 2026.
- Prior to this season, the latest opening of Sun Down Bowl was in 1977, when the first mention of the Back Bowls being open came on February 25.
The players
Vail Mountain
A ski resort located in Vail, Colorado, known for its expansive terrain and challenging Back Bowls.
What’s next
Skiers and snowboarders now wait on Inner and Outer Mongolia Bowls for the final remaining terrain openings this season. Lift 22, the Mongolia Platter, is still closed for the season along with Earl's Express, No. 38, in Blue Sky Basin.
The takeaway
The delayed opening of the Sun Down Bowl this season highlights the unpredictable nature of ski resort operations, which can be impacted by factors like weather and snowfall. However, the eventual opening of these expert-level areas is a highly anticipated event for Vail's passionate skier and snowboarder community.
