Monday, April 20, 2015

About The Parking - Tips For A Busy Day

Saturday was a big day at The Basin. It snowed most of the day. Many parts of the mountain, The East Wall, Lenawee Parks, North Glade and Columbine, have their best conditions of the season. The skiing was awesome and, literally, thousands of people had a very special day. Same on Sunday.

That said, more people showed up Saturday than we had parking for. To top that off, the highways were a mess with many delays causing lots of frustration for people. A few people left pissed. I feel bad for them and have a few travel tips that may really help.

In the spring, we sometimes have a day where we get a lot of new snow, the skiing is incredible, many or all other ski areas are closed, and more people show up than we have parking for. This happened Saturday and it happened last season May 11 (which was also an awesome ski day).

On really busy days, I encourage people to arrive early by 10:30 or 11:00 or wait until 1:00. I know that not everyone is an early riser. If you like to sleep in, do so. Drive into the mountains. There are plenty of great restaurants in Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Dillon, Silverthorne, and Keystone to have lunch. Show up at The Basin about 1:00, get a good parking spot, enjoy a great day of skiing (these days are always linked to great conditions), have an early dinner in The 6th Alley, and drive home after the traffic has lightened up.

Now you wouldn't show up at Red Rocks for a big concert without tickets, drop in a downtown Denver hotel on a busy Saturday night without a reservation, or expect great seats at a pivotal Broncos game without tickets. No, you'd plan ahead. On these great days at The Basin you should also plan ahead. You should arrive early or arrive late. On a really special Spring Day, you should plan ahead just like you would for a game, a concert, or a busy hotel.

The Basin is a truly wonderful place full of wonderful people, both guests and employee. With a little bit of planning, you can enjoy it just about any day of the year.