Two Elk Lodge sits high on Vail Mountain, above the Back Bowls, and the Vail Sports counter inside it is about as far from a village shop as a rental counter gets. That distance is exactly the point.

Its usefulness is specific. If a binding needs adjusting mid-run, a boot has started to hurt, or a glove has gone missing on the far side of the mountain, this saves the long ride back to the village — and the afternoon that goes with it. From the Back Bowls especially, that ride is not a small thing.

Retail and adjustments are both handled on site. Come here to fix a problem, not to start a rental from scratch. You need a lift ticket to reach it, and it runs on mountain hours, so plan accordingly.