Talk with Ira Riklis about his love for the sport of skiing, and it won’t be long until the conversation gets around to his love of his favorite ski resort: Vail, Colorado. He can wax poetic about the miles and miles of well-groomed runs, the great restaurants and lodges and the spectacular scenery. But of course, he’s not the only one who feels that way. John Denver’s hit song “Rocky Mountain High” was inspired by his love of Vail and the surrounding mountains.
President Gerald Ford was another who loved the area and it was he, who in a quite indirect way led Ira Riklis to discover the town way back in 1975. Vail was not so well known then, but as Ira and his wife were heading back east after a long driving vacation around the country, they learned that President Ford was going to be in the mountain town. Hoping they might catch a glimpse of him, the couple made a detour to the town. They never did see the President, but like so many before and after, they fell in love with the area and have been returning there to ski ever since.