Parking - Peak Days

We had quite the holiday weekend up here. Lots of new snow and phenomenal conditions. I visited with hundreds of people that were loving life. We did have some parking challenges. There are days, like Saturday and Sunday, when more people show up to ski than we have places to park all of their cars. The mountain is so big now that we have plenty of room to ski, we just don't have enough parking spaces on these peak days. Many people chose to park along the highway. Some chose to actually park on the highway and interfere with traffic. Many of those vehicles were towed.

Here are some tips to help you avoid frustration on peak days.

1. Ride The Summit Stage.
2. Carpool.
3. Get here early or get here late. By mid-morning, the parking is full. By early afternoon, plenty of people have left and spaces open up.
4. Don't park in "No Parking" zones along the highway. You will get towed.
5. Don't park on or over the white line of the highway. You will get towed.
6. If you insist on arriving in a vehicle between mid-morning and early afternoon, you will be eternally frustrated.
7. Consider buying the Arapahoe Basin Midweek Pass ($299 right now). It is the ski deal of the century.

Skiing at The Basin has never been better. A little bit of planning can help you avoid frustration on peak days.

Check out this article in the Summit Daily

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/its-a-huge-safety-concern-illegal-parking-a-problem-near-arapahoe-basin-ski-area/

Blood Wolf Moon

This composite photo by Tripp Fay makes the all-time favorites list.

Good Skiing All Over

Great skiing all over. Today the Steep Gullies and Montezuma Bowl were exceptionally good. Davis has really come together nicely. It looks like we have decent snow forecast for Monday night and unsettled weather most of the week.

The snow in The Bald Spot is sweet and almost no one is skiing there.

Dreamcatcher

At 16 Inches total, this was a very nice storm for The Basin. I can tell you it was deep everywhere I went especially in Dreamcatcher. Even this afternoon, parts of The Beavers were lightly skied. With another decent storm forecast for Monday, conditions are shaping up nicely. I have to think the East Wall is coming together.

Definitely More Than 3 Inches

A Very Fat 3 Inches

While we only reported 3 inches of new snow at 5 AM, it has been snowing heavily since then. By the time the lifts open our guests (and maybe a few employees) will be skiing more than double that 3". This is a good one. We are having a  busy pre-opening morning. The Base Area crew is clearing snow on the walkways. The Plow Drivers are getting the parking lots ready (although the lots are filling right back in with snow). The Ski Patrol is out there doing their ski checks and routes. The Lift Crew is trying to un-bury their stations. The Cat Drivers have been working all night, but this won't be a corduroy day. You don't want to miss today.

Il Rifugio

"Il Rifugio" - It is almost ready. Our new restaurant on the Summit will open Saturday. If you find this platter appealing, you have to stop in for a visit. Top it off with a fine glass wine and a piece of Tiramasu and a latte for dessert. Oh my goodness. This will be a cozier and smaller dining venue. Certainly, not your typical ski area cafeteria.

Chef Rybak and his team have been putting the finishing touches on the facility. Using ski patrollers and other employees as guinea pigs, they have been sampling and practicing the delivery of these delicious foods the last few days. This might not be for everyone, but for those of us that love this kind of stuff, we are going to really love this place.

Beavers Logo

You gotta' love that Beavers Logo. 

We had a beautiful day at The Basin. It snowed lightly to moderately just about all day. I did a ski tour covering most quadrants on the hill. With the new snow, the skiing was fun everywhere I went. There is more snow coming and we have lots of good fun ahead.