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Featured Vail Hiking Trail: Fireweed

Fireweed Trail is a beautiful, cruisy trail between the tops of our two gondolas, Gondola One and Eagle Bahn. A great option for families or guests just starting to get acclimated to the altitude, this gradual trail is about a mile long and takes between 30 and 40 minutes. We began our hike from the top of the Eagle Bahn, which is the slightly easier direction since it trends downhill.

< size-full wp-image-1009" src="http://s4301.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Eagle-Bahn-Gondola-summer.jpg" alt="Vail's Eagle Bahn Gondola" width="407" height="611" /> The path from the Eagle’s Nest and Adventure Ridge begins as a dirt road that wends beneath the Eagle Bahn gondola line and then veers east. This road leads to several different trails on the mountain so you’re likely to see a few mountain bikers, disc golfers and other hikers as you make your way down the road. By now you’ll already have noticed plenty of beautiful wildflowers on the sides of the trail. They’ll become even more abundant as the trail progresses. The trail dips down and then somewhat steeply up for the one and only real climb of the hike. The climb quickly subsides into a gradual uphill that leads to a left turn onto the real start of the trail. From here the trail enters a pretty wooded area… …and then veers right and away from Berry Picker trail. A very slight uphill brings you into a beautiful, flat section surrounded by wildflowers. Most vibrant are the red indian paintbrush but you’ll also likely see plenty of alpine lupine, salsify, pentsamon and more. From here the trail enters into a meadow before dropping into trees for the remainder of the hike. These trails, an advanced skier and rider haven in the winter, are a peaceful escape in summer. You’ll even find some signs along the way that explain some of the flora and fauna of the area. You’ll know you’re nearing the end of your hike when you begin catching glimpses of Gondola One rising out of the trees. Once you step out of the shade of the forest, you walk out below the One Gondola line. From there it’s a short hike up to Mid-Vail to grab some lunch with a view of the Gore Range or download on Gondola One.