Storm Rider: studded, lifted 4WD SUVs and AWD Sprinters built for I-70 in a storm. Denver International to Vail and Beaver Creek.
Months of planning come down to the drive up. Specified, studded vehicles, a driver who knows every mile, and a route ready for every closure — so you arrive where you've been picturing all year: safe, on time, together.
| DEN → VAIL IN WINTER | Typical car service | VME Storm Rider |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | Studless winter tires, or studs on vans only | Studded Hakkapeliitta 01 / LT3 |
| Ride height and lighting | Stock | Lifted · snow-driving fog lights |
| Finding your car at DEN | Call when you land | Your door, pin and driver before you land |
| Where the vehicle starts | Denver metro | Vail Valley |
| When I-70 closes | Wait in the queue | Pre-planned pass route, if CDOT has one open |
| Late-night / storm surcharges | Often added | None |
I-70 between Denver and Vail has three recurring choke points. For each one we hold a pre-planned alternate over the passes — driven by our team, matched to the SR spec, used whenever CDOT has it open. Select a closure:
From Copper, CO-91 over Fremont Pass to Leadville, then US-24 over Tennessee Pass and down through Minturn into Vail.
Your airline determines your baggage claim. Your baggage claim determines your door. We resolve both from your flight number before you take off — one door, one island, one driver, already waiting.
Arriving internationally? Bags come out at North International Arrivals — text us your flight and we'll confirm your door. Air Canada, Breeze and WestJet: West side.
From the moment you book to the moment you're at your door, one VME number connects you to us and to your driver — text or call, 24/7, handled by the team running your trip, not a call center. You'll never have to wonder where we are.
Our drivers live in the Vail Valley and drive I-70 all winter — traction-law mornings, avalanche-control holds, Vail Pass at night. The standard below is written down, so you can hold us to it. They know Gore Creek, the village pedestrian zones and exactly where to drop you. This isn't a job for them. It's their home road.
Storm Rider SUV: up to 5 guests with 5 checked bags and 2 ski or snowboard bags. Storm Rider Sprinter: up to 10 guests with luggage and skis for the whole group. Tell us your bag count at booking and we confirm the fit.
Yes, on request at booking. Add them in the booking form and the right seat is fitted before pickup.
We track your flight, not the clock. Your pickup moves with your landing time, and 60 minutes of waiting after you land is included.
We take an open Plan B pass where CDOT allows it. If every route is closed, we hold with you and run the moment CDOT reopens a route. Your fare stays fixed — no waiting or storm charges.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Inside 24 hours the fare is non-refundable. If your flight is cancelled, your fare becomes a credit toward the replacement trip.
Yes. The all-in price includes a 20% driver gratuity. No late-night or storm surcharges.
Level 5, Jeppesen Terminal, Island 2. West Door 506 or East Door 511, depending on your airline. We text your exact door before you land.
Yes. Pick Departure · Vail / BC → DEN in the booking panel; every return date is priced live, the same way as the outbound.
By card at booking, through secure checkout. The price you see is the price you pay.
Every Storm Rider component was chosen against one test: how it performs on the Denver–Vail corridor at its worst. Every vehicle carries the full specification. Not an upgrade you request. The condition we run in.
| CODE | SYSTEM | SPECIFICATION | THE FAILURE IT PREVENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR-01 | Traction | Studded on all four corners. SUV: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01, the flagship of the company that invented the winter tire, with temperature-adaptive studs*. Sprinter: Hakkapeliitta LT3, Nokian's studded light-truck tire, built for heavy vans. Both Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake certified. | Loss of grip on black ice and packed snow — where studless tires slide |
| SR-02 | Clearance | Lifted ride height · Sprinter +4 in · SUV up to +2 in | Hanging up on drifts, ruts and unplowed shoulders on two-lane pass detours |
| SR-03 | Visibility | Snow-driving fog lights — low, wide beam | White-out glare, when high beams bounce off falling snow and the road disappears |
| SR-04 | Drivetrain | 4WD SUV · AWD Sprinter | Stalling on the grade at the Eisenhower approach and Vail Pass under Traction Law |
| SR-05 | Contingency | Pre-planned closure routes · live CDOT feed · two-way contact on the VME line | Losing contact and options when I-70 holds in the cellular dead zones |
* Per Nokian Tyres. Hakkapeliitta 01 North American release autumn 2026.
