Commando Run Trailhead
ELEVATION: 8,220
10TH MTN MAP: Gore Range
USGS MAP: Vail East
The Vail Trailhead for the Commando Run is not signed, but it's fairly easy to find. Follow I-70 to the main Vail Exit (Exit 176) at Vail Resort. Take the exit, then travel south to a traffic circle. Turn east out of the traffic circle onto the frontage road and drive .4 miles E to an intersection marked with an oversized stop sign. Turn right (S) here and follow Vail Valley Drive .4 miles to parking at the Golden Peak Children's Skiing Center at the base of lifts 6 and 12. In the winter parking is highly regulated, so check the parking rules when you get there.
At any rate, you can skin up the ski area from here to start the Commando Run in Mill Creek. This is a grueling start for such a nice tour, so consider accessing the Commando Run from the Vail ski lifts. There has been talk for years of a one-ride ticket for just that purpose, so check for this option. To reach the Commando Run from the lifts you can get into Mill Creek from the top of lift 6; or take a more roundabout route, finally using the Orient Express Lift to reach the west ridge of Siberia Peak. In the summer you can ride the Vail Gondola most of the way up the mountain, then hike the ridge to Siberia Peak. Cyclists can take their bike up the Gondola and ride across the ski area to the Mill Creek Road.