Al's Blog

Al’s Blog

Alan Henceroth - COO and Vice President

Greetings from Arapahoe Basin

With all the events and activities going on around Arapahoe Basin the last few years, I thought starting a blog might give the Basin faithful a chance to ask me questions and give me feedback about how we are doing. The last year around here has been extremely exciting. In March we opened Black Mountain Lodge at Midway. More and more skiers and riders are finding their way up there and seem to be enjoying the great food and spectacular views. This season started October 10 when we were the first ski area in the country to open. The biggest news has been opening Montezuma Bowl January 11. The skiing back there has been great and with every inch of snow it will only get better.

The Good News

Our two recent big projects, Montezuma Bowl and Black Mountain Lodge, were designed to provide special opportunities for people and to really spread skiers and riders out and away from the base area. Although we have been extremely busy, the mountain has felt relatively quiet and people can find a table at lunchtime. Our biggest objective is to preserve that special feel people have when skiing and riding at The Basin. Mountain and Base Area wise, I think we are on track to spreading people out and keeping the quality of experience high.

The Bad News

Between 10:00 AM and Noon on Saturdays and Sundays, we have some parking problems. This past summer we added about 100 spots to the High Noon Lot. For next summer we are finalizing a plan to substantially add more parking spots, move pedestrians around more effectively and to get those pedestrians off the highway. For now however, I think we are going to have to deal with the challenges we face. I do have a few ideas you can do to help us deal with the parking issues.

-On Saturdays and Sundays try to avoid arriving between 10:00 AM and Noon. We have been filling the lots on those two days at about 10:30. The morning crowd starts leaving about Noon opening up plenty of spots. If you are not an early riser, enjoy the morning, go out for brunch and then come to the Basin for a great afternoon of un-crowded skiing.

-CARPOOL, CARPOOL, CARPOOL. All of our parking issues would go away with just a little bit of carpooling. Try to avoid one person per vehicle. It is good for the environment, it saves money, it helps I-70, and it frees up a lot of parking at The Basin. Anyone arriving in a vehicle with four or more people can get a $41 lift ticket at the Ticket Office. Go to http://www.skicarpool.com/

-If you are already in Summit County, take the Summit Stage and avoid all kinds of hassles. The Swan Mountain Flyer is a direct bus from Breckenridge, Farmer’s Corner, Summit Cove, and River Run at Keystone. Connections from other Summit County locations are possible. Go to http://www.summitstage.com/ for a detailed schedule.

A Special Thanks

As I find myself halfway through my twentieth year at Arapahoe Basin, I love the place more than ever. What makes it special is the extraordinary mountain setting and the incredible people, both employees and guests, that are here. Thanks to all of you for coming and creating the Arapahoe vibe. I look forward to hearing from you.