Tea Cup Bowl
The Tea Cup Bowl gets easily overlooked because of the vast bowls that it sits between. The terrain here is also probably slightly less interesting to most skiers and riders, so most people will head to the China Bowl or Sun Up Bowl on either side of this one, rather than take the time to ski down here.
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/vail-tea-cup-back-bowl-lower-glades-2.jpg)
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/tea-cup-bowl-map-vail-back-bowls.jpg)
Terrain Brief
Open bowl for intermediate+ skiers. Small cliffs on one side.
Tea Cup Bowl Stats
- Vertical Drop: Approx 1,450'
- Named Trails: 6
- Opened: 1988
Why do snowboarders hate the Tea Cup Bowl? – The path to get here from the top of the Tea Cup Express is flat and not great for snowboarders to traverse.
![Tea Cup Bowl](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/tea-cup-bowl-vail.jpg)
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/vail-tea-cup-bowl-2.jpg)
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/tea-cup-bowl-vail-lower.jpg)
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/vail-tea-cup-bowl-lower-on-powder-day.jpg)
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/vail-tea-cup-bowl-lower-cliffs.jpg)
Tea Cup Express Lift
If you are skiing the Tea Cup Bowl from top to bottom, this is the chairlift that will take you back to the top. You can descend into the Tea Cup Bowl or the China Bowl easily from the top of this lift. This chairlift also takes skiers back to the front side of Vail from Blue Sky Basin.
The Tea Cup Express rises approx 1,650′. The amount of vertical terrain is the Tea Cup Bowl itself is debatably less.
![](https://www.coloradotopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/tea-cup-express-chairlift-cliffs-vail-colorado.jpg)