Pali Chair and Wind Vane Auction

So one of our favorite events of the year is the Enduro. It has been a great fundraiser for a good cause and it is loads of fun. The COVID-19 closure prevented us from  holding the event that had been scheduled for April. This Saturday, September 26 at 2 PM, we are going to host the Enduro Apres Ski Party at the Dillon Amphitheater. Tickets will be very limited. Everyone will be practicing physical distancing and wearing masks. There is going to be a little music. There is going to be a live auction for a Pali Chair and the Pali Wind Vane and other goodies.

We are hosting this event to help two of our employees. Guest Services and Sustainability guru Sha Miklas' son, Jonah, is in a tough battle with Cerebral ALD. Black Mountain Lodge fixture Rob Miller went to the doctor for a cold and ended up having emergency open-heart surgery. All proceeds to go Jonah and Rob.

For details and to buy tickets go to Enduro Party  

Did I mention we would be auctioning off a Pali Chair?

Don't forget your mask.

 

Snowmaking Equipment

I don't see any good snowmaking weather out there for a least a week. That doesn't mean the snowmakers haven't been busy. Most of the fan guns have been set on High Noon. The reservoir is full. The snowmaking pipes have been filled. Water has been run to the Summit. Electrical lines and fixtures have been tested. Training begins later this week. There has been a little frost each morning at my house.

While it isn't time yet, it won't be long...........

 

Via Ferrata Commissioning

Friday we went through the field portion of our commissioning process with the Forest Service engineering staff. Our engineer, Joe Gmuender, flew in from Nevada. He, along with the Adventure Partners builders, broke out the dynamometer and did all kinds of pulling and yanking and testing. Our Mountain Patrol had to demonstrate rescue abilities on a cliff face. A large gang of us climbed to the summit of Lenawee Pinnacle. All along the way, there was Q and A and hearty discussions. We still have several administrative tasks to complete with the Forest Service and the State, but physically, the Via Ferrata is complete.

We all shared a spectacular, long, fun and exhausting day. This is a one of a kind experience.

 

Lift Towers

All of the lift towers are now on site. Most of them are rigged for flying. We hope to see the helicopter here early next week. We are still waiting to see how we exactly fit into the chopper schedule. Three towers have been set without the helicopter (Molly Hogan Towers 1 and 2 and Pali Tower 1). The remaining 11 towers will be set with the helicopter.

From inside the Molly Hogan motor room.

 

Not Your Usual Day At The Basin

I climbed the Via Ferrata today for the first time since its completion. It was so dramatic and so much fun. Having the safety cable the entire route is very comforting. Steel rungs offer a sense of security. That said, a lot of the journey is actually climbing on the rock. Mike Friedman, the designer and builder, guided us up and down the rock ridge between Willie's Wide and North Pole. That took us four hours plus drive and hiking time.

We are still designing exactly what our tours will look like. We will likely have a longer tour that offers the possibility of getting to the Summit and a shorter tour that focuses on climbing lower on the rock. These tours will both be very challenging and adventurous and for people that are fairly fit. They won't be great for people afraid of high places.

 

D-REP: Fight for Life

The 2020 Breck Film Festival will be hosting a world premier documentary, D-REP: Fight for Life.  Dave and Amanda Repsher have been long time friends of Arapahoe Basin and many of our staff members. Dave was a River Guide, Copper Mountain Ski Patroller, Paramedic and Flight for Life Flight Nurse. In 2015, Dave was involved in a fiery helicopter crash in Frisco. The documentary is the story of Dave and Amanda's journey from their active mountain lifestyle, to coping with horrific burns, to being miraculous survivors.

The film can be seen at a Breckenridge drive-in this Sunday night or virtually online at home. Details can be found at the links below. Check out this amazing and inspiring story.

Drive-In

Live Virtual Event

Guide Training

So the Via Ferrata is essentially complete. There may be a few nuts and bolts to finish up, but for all practical purposes, it is complete. Guide training has begun. We have a team scrambling all over the rock. Adventure Partners is sharing years of savvy wisdom. Our commissioning session with the Forest Service and the State of Colorado is later this week. There are administrative tasks to be completed. I am getting major thumbs up from the A-Basin group that has been on the climb. I will be out there a couple days this week.

We can't wait to share this.

 

Ikon Pass Reservations

Beginning November 9, reservations will be required at A-Basin for Ikon Pass holders. Reservations are not required before November 9. We encourage and want to see Ikon Pass folks this winter. This action is being done to manage COVID-19 conditions. We want to spread out visitation and to make sure that no single day sees too many people. Ikon Pass Friends and Family tickets will still be available although we have not yet finalized the fulfillment method.

Overall, there is plenty of room for Ikon Pass visitors. For most days, the reservation system will be a non-issue. We are concerned about those 20-30 mostly weekend days after the first of the year that are our busiest days of the season. We are really trying to migrate visits away from those days.

The Ikon Pass is a tremendous part of The Basin experience. We value all the Ikon Pass guests that visit and we want to get them on the hill. Some might think we are doing this to single out Ikon Pass holders in a negative way. That simply is not true. The Ikon Pass community is large and we just need to be careful that not too many people show up at the same time.

We are really focused on the safety of our guests and our employees in the COVID era. With just a little bit of planning, I think we can do that and keep everybody skiing and riding. I am looking forward to a great season. For complete details on the Ikon Pass reservation system, ikonpass.com/reservations.