Over the years, Ira Riklis and his skiing partner, Mike Bartasuis, have found plenty of way to maximize their skiing time and skiing enjoyment at Vail, their favorite resort. The first thing is to be first—first out on the slopes each morning that is. That alone gives you the most time on the slopes and the cleanest, purest snow.
Next, they carefully choose just where they ski. They tend to take the VistaBahn out of Vail Village to the Mid-Vail area then “yo-yo” runs around Chairs 2, 3 and 4 back to Mid-Vail while they are pristine and empty. As other skiers work their way up the mountain, they’re moving back into the bowls. Once the solitude is broken as other skiers reach the bowls, Ira Riklis and Mike head back the opposite way to the front of the mountain and eventually back to the village. That way, they also have the cleanest snow and run into the fewest skiers since they’re always a step ahead of the crowds.