Beacon Bowl

Please join us Saturday, February 6 for The Beacon Bowl. Staff from the A-Basin Ski Patrol, Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), and Backcountry Access will be offering numerous clinics for beacons, snowpits, avalanche dogs, and general avalanche safety. All proceeds go to the CAIC. There will be some friendly beacon competitions.

To cap the day off there will be an apres ski party in the A-Frame with plenty of cheap beer and pizza. Raffle tickets will be available for all kinds of groovy prizes including shovels, probes, packs, and more. There is a big silent auction as well as a fun live auction led by A-Basin's finest, Tony C. Look for for very cool handmade, wood Ski Logic skis, K2 skis donated by Wildernest Sports, and a beautiful Cruiser Bike from the New Belgium Brewery.

All and all this a great party. Folks get a chance to learn or grow their avalanche safety skills while raising some dough for one of the state's greatest assets, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Please join us. For specific times and details go the events page of our website or http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/calendar.aspx?id=fafecf35-eaab-4e78-931d-d7dbf2df6a80.

Black Mountain Express

We have decided to name the new lift Black Mountain Express. Mark LaFlamme, our Snowmaking, Grooming, and Vehicle Maintenance Manager, was the first to suggest the name. Congratulations Mark and enjoy the $300 Gift Certificate at Arapahoe Sports.

Black Mountain is the rugged and jagged mountain that dominates the skyline immediately east of ski area. Just south of Black Mountain is Lenawee Mountain whose western flank is the East Wall. The final decision on the name was extremely challenging. We chose a name that reflects the terrain, will be timeless, and is part of the Arapahoe spirit. For many, Arapahoe Basin conjures an image of this dramatic mountain filling the Eastern sky. Thanks for a great suggestion Mark.

I received literally hundreds and hundres of suggestions including "Chairway to Heaven", "Quadzilla," and "Four Play." Thanks to all of you who played. Sorting through all these ideas was great fun and I enjoyed the email exchanges that many of us shared. Take care and think snow.

When is Montezuma Bowl Going to Open?

I have been receiving this question a fair bit. Having only been open two seasons, we don't have the history we do on other trails, but we think a 35-40 inches deep base is a good number for an approximate Montezuma Bowl opening. Of course there are lots of variables that impact this and they change from year to year. I do have some good news on Zuma. Opening the top requires a fair bit snow farming and snow cat operations. The cat crew had a great start back there and we have corduroy surfaces down Columbine and Larkspur all the way to the Tower 13 zone. Every time the wind blows, it snows a bit, and we catch the snow behind our snowfences, the cat drivers will push the trail down a little further. Those wooden, 8 foot tall fences you see back there are critical in the snow farming program.

Of interest on another note, Pali trail is usually opened with 30-35 inch base. Very early this season, Pali had a large avalanche that buried the willows and brush on the bottom. I don't think it will take a whole lot of snow and wind to fill in the top. I suspect that trail will open relatively soon with very good cover down low from the avalanche debris. If you have been up here, you have noticed the extensive work (explosives, foot packing, ski packing, boot packing, etc.) the ski patrol is doing on Pali. Kudos to them. Think snow.

New Webcam

We just added another new webcam with views of the bottom of Exo, the Beach, and the bottom of Pali. Check out the image captured this afternoon and use the link below to see it live (except when it is dark).

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/snow-conditions/web-cams.aspx

Pallavicini Lift Opens Saturday

Big news. Pali Lift is opening tomorrow, Saturday January 9. West Wall and Grizzly will be groomed. Upper Slalom Slope is open and in outstanding shape. I skied it a few times yesterday and it was great. I have attached a very cool photo from Casey Day. Come on out and join the fun.

On another note, we are getting a little closer with Montezuma Bowl. The snowcats have been doing their magic on Columbine and we have corduroy down to Tower 13. There are some very big drifts at the top of Larkspur that they will rip into over the next couple of nights. Leif and the patrollers have been kicking the cornice and throwing some shots out in West Bowl. We are getting closer.

Happy New Year

January 2 and I am looking out the window at snow falling heavily. The forecast the next several days is very good for snowfall. As always, my fingers are crossed and I am doing a snowdance. It looks like a really nice Arapahoe week. Spirits from both guests and employees are high as we watch the snow come down. I think the Base Area crew has shoveled the A-Frame deck three times this morning. The mountain opening has gone well although a little slower than most of us would like. Keep your eyes peeled for Slalom Slope and Powderkeg. With just a bit more snow the Ski Patrol will be opening that terrain via a short hike from the West Wall Saddle. It feels like a big change is coming. Take care and Happy New Year.

New Detachable Chairlift at The Basin

This summer A-Basin Ski Area will begin construction on a new detachable quad chairlift. The new lift will replace the Exhibition fixed grip triple chair located in the base area, which was installed in 1978. The new lift will have a capacity of 2000 people per hour, a length of 2877 feet and have a vertical rise of 719 feet. The ride time will be just under three minutes, half the time of the current lift ride from base area to mid-mountain.

Construction is scheduled for mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date (tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010). The top terminal of the new lift will be slightly realigned uphill and to the west away from Black Mountain Lodge. The lower terminal will remain in the same location.

A contract has been signed with Leitner-Poma to build and install the lift which will cost approximately four million dollars. The new detachable lift will enable beginner and intermediate guests to load and unload more easily, resulting in fewer stops and starts on the ride to mid-mountain. In addition, with the new quad chairlift, Black Mountain Lodge will be more accessible for weddings and special events throughout the year.

With its increased capacity, shorter ride time, and ease of loading, the new detachable chairlift will be a tremendous benefit for our guests. The new lift will provide rapid, easy access to the upper mountain, Montezuma Bowl, and Black Mountain Lodge. Each year we receive hundreds of comments suggesting we make this change. Finally, after working on this project for the last five years, we are very excited to christen a new chairlift for the 2010-2011 season.”

Arapahoe Basin is taking suggestions for the name of the new lift. A 2010-2011 Arapahoe Basin Season Pass or $300 gift certificate to Arapahoe Sports will be given to the person whose suggestion is selected. If multiple people provide the winning selection, the award will be given to the first suggestion received.
Send suggestions to alanh@a-basin.net.

I have attached a picutre of a similar lift at Marmot Basin in Canada.