So, you'd think we were in Vail to watch the U.S. Open. You'd think it'd be difficult to basically ignore a world-class park and pipe event happening on the same mountain we were skiing. Well, we weren't and it wasn't.

The reasons for the Vail stop were twofold. First of all, it's home base to tour veteran and pocket rocker Gabe Schroder. Second, it has some of the best powder and terrain in the lower 48 states. The naysayers and playa haters can say nay and hate all they want, but if you know where to look in Vail's vast bowls and basins, the goods can be found even during a January drought.

We skied Vail a few different days and Gabe led me around the mountain he knows like the back of his hand. Every time we'd be bushwhacking in the trees he'd assure me it would open up into a sweet untracked stash, and it always did. The crown jewel of our time at Vail came on Sunday. Gabe had been eyeing up a surly 35-footer in the trees for a while and just needed a few new inches to close the deal. The sky delivered on Saturday and the following morning he blazed 300 feet of thigh deep turns and without any hesitation he launched the cliff, which had turned into a sloughing waterfall. Hoots and whoops came from locals Coup and Jeff Cricco as Gabe skied away from the landing. The sun was out and we all got another 500 feet of the best powder we've seen on the tour thus far before disappearing into the aspens below.

We brought POWDER to the People in the form of an après ski soirée at Vendetta's on Friday. A good portion of the good folks on the Vail Ski Patrol were on hand to indulge in specially priced Red Hook beer and to support Meet the Wilderness, a Vail-based environmental organization. We raffled off some Salomon Teneighty skis to a lucky chap from New York and many ski patrollers walked away with some sweet gear from Smith. All in all it was a successful event and everyone was stoked on skiing the powder that the weatherman promised and delivered in the days to come.

Come find the PTTP Tour at the Tram Club at Snowbird on February 5.