Filled In

With all this snow, everything is really filled in. I mean REALLY FILLED IN. The coverage is extraordinary and the East Wall looks fat. The Ski Patrol had another big day up there periodically making lots of noise.  We might be skiing North Pole from the top almost right away. Boy was the skiing fun. There is a lot to be excited about.

Holiday Weekend Tip - Get here early (or late), car pool, take the bus.

77 Inches In 9 Days

Since I was throwing numbers around yesterday, I should also mention we had 77 inches of snow between January 4 and 12. An impressive number considering the average snowfall for the entire month of January is 45 inches. The snow images everywhere you look are jaw dropping. The East Wall has plenty of snow. The Ski Patrol has done an extensive amount of work up there, but still has a lot to go. Throughout the days, we have heard a consistent stream of booms coming from their avalanche work. Keep looking East. We are shaping up for a stellar East Wall / East Wall hiking season.

156 Inches Since December 5

Yes, we have had 156 inches of snow since December 5. November was fairly dry and warm. I know a few people were even a little discouraged. A dry November only means one thing.......we had a dry November. Mother Nature started snowing December 5 and it has hardly stopped since then. We are buried.

This has been a cycle of very notable proportions. We do track snowfall by month. Our single biggest month on record was January 1996 with 136 inches. So getting 156 inches in about 5 1/2 weeks is certainly one of biggest and most continuous snow events we have experienced. And we all know how good the skiing is.

Dave Camara took this photo on Slalom Slope this morning while enjoying 11 inches of new snow. 

And We Went Skiing

We did finally open. About 100 cars showed up and people enjoyed some deep, deep, deep snow. My phone/camera battery quit working long ago so no photos. It has been an exciting and very challenging 36 hours around here. The reward was snow about as good as it gets.

......And there will be plenty of great skiing tomorrow and the day after and the day after that and.........

We Are Going To Open

CDOT is getting ready to open the highway. We plan on opening Pallavicini Lift and Black Mountain Express for the afternoon. Other skier services will be extremely limited. Come up and enjoy the fun.

Hug your local CDOT and CAIC worker when you get a chance.

Basin Update - Still On Standby

We are still on stand by. Our patrollers, snowcat drivers, lift mechanics and lift operators are on the hill doing all the work necessary to get the ski area open. Crews from CDOT and CAIC are on the highway working and preparing to do avalanche mitigation work. It is still snowing heavily. Mitigation efforts are being slowed by the snowfall and the limited visibility. At this time we do not know when the highway will open. Stay tuned to our website. As soon as we know when the highway will open, we will update the website. This may take a while.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Patio took this very cool photo of the tunnel before dawn today. Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) pay close attention to our website for the latest status on CDOT avalanche work and an A-Basin opening.

Ski Area Closed Today at 1 PM

With 15 inches new today and 11 new yesterday the skiing is phenomenal. I had just finished getting a bunch of face shots in Long Chute when Tony C called me on the radio asking for a phone call with that very serious and heavy tone in his voice. Some tremendous avalanches have been occurring near us. Both CDOT and CAIC had very significant concerns about avalanche paths along Highway 6. In fact Highway 6 is now closed between Keystone and Loveland Ski Areas. Considering the very serious concerns about travelling down the highway, we made the decision to close and get our guests and employees off the hill as soon as we could.

This morning at the ski area, our Ski Patrol did substantial mitigation work. We had a phenomenal day of skiing and riding. This closure is about getting people off the highway and home to safety.

We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow just yet. A few essential A-Basin personnel will stay at the ski area tonight and we will work closely with both CDOT land CAIC to make sure appropriate actions happen along the highway. Our snow safety safety team will be all over the hill tomorrow. I will update my blog and we will update the website as the situation develops.

.......And uphill access is closed.