In March of 1957, two former members of the 10th Mountain Division, Peter Seibert and Earl Eaton, crested the summit of what was later to become known as Vail Mountain. On this day after seven hours with skis strapped to their backs, the dream of Vail began.
 
Over the next five years, Vail, named after Vail Pass at the eastern end of the valley, began to take shape.  Boosted by the founding of the Vail Corporation and the purchase of a 500-acre ranch at the base of the mountain, the dream was quickly becoming a reality
 
In the meantime, the U.S. Forest Service, which administers the mountain land, stipulated that there be at least 30 sleeping rooms included in the development for the project to proceed.  Determined to let nothing stand in their way, The Lodge at Vail came to be.
 
When Vail opened on December 15th, 1962, with one gondola, two chair lifts, eight ski instructors and a $5 lift ticket, The Lodge at Vail had been open for just one month.  Built to replicate the time-honored Lodge at Sun Valley,  The Lodge at Vail soon became the cornerstone property of what would eventually become the Vail Village.