Bowl Skiing

We will be visiting the Tahoe area in late March of 2008. Our past skiing experience consist of the eastern USA slopes and Colorado. What exactly is bowl skiing and how is it different from trail skiing? Pictures on the internet look the same. Thanks

Bowl Skiing

Here is my take on it.

Bowl skiing is akin to skiing in a huge downhill field, with few if any trees. You pick your own entry point and make your own path. It is more likely to appeal to expert or advanced skiers. More likely to be on the upper regions of the mountain.

Trail skiing is akin to skiing down a roadway. Closed in on both sides by obstacles or trees. The difficulty level ranges across the entire spectrum. The run can be much longer than for a bowl. You would chose a particular trail according to your comfort level.

Which is better? That is a personal decision.

Let%26#39;s hear definitions from other skiers.

Bowl Skiing

Thanks for the definition on bowl skiing.

StateRef defines it well.

Bowls are wide open spaces, they literally look like a shallow bowl on its side. They go from steep to almost level, with the center wide open, treeless, sometimes un-groomed terrain (moguls).

Trails are groomed, and are like wide streets. They are rated according to difficulty or ease.

coloradoskihistory.com/images/vail_large_1_0…

This is one of Vail%26#39;s bowls and as there slogan says ';there%26#39;s no comparison'; for those of us who have skiied Vails back bowls its right on the money.