Happy New Year

It has been a chilly New Year's Eve here at The Basin. Looks like another inch or two tonight. Tomorrow should be 10-15 degrees warmer than today was. Sunday looks fabulous with mostly sunny skies and a high near 20 F. I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year's Eve. I'll be with my family and a bunch of others at Black Mountain Lodge tonight. I'll try and go light on the filet and lobster. Delicious.

Happy New Year.

East Wall

Looks like we have a little bit of snow heading our way the next 48 hours. That will get us closer to opening the East Wall. For my thoughts, check out the East Wall video at the link below.

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/video.aspx

Black Mountain Express Construction

We made a very cool video showing the construction of Black Mountain Express. To watch it, click on this link, click on Lift Construction and click on Black Mountain Express Construction. Enjoy.

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/video.aspx

Today's Alpenglow

New Year's Eve

Chef Rybak is at it again. Join us for our first New Year's Eve Dinner at Black Mountain Lodge. He will be serving char broiled filet mignon and butter poached lobster tail. As always there will be lots of additional goodies to go along with the entree. Ride Black Mountain Express Chairlift to the restaurant between 7:00 and 7:30. Enjoy an incredible dinner with live big band, jazz, and funk music from the Trading Fours Jazz Band. Best of all, celebrate the New Year in Manhattan at 10 PM Colorado time. That gives you plenty of time to be in bed early or be primed for your next function. You can ride the chairlift down or snowshoe to the base area at the end of the evening. Please join us and make reservations at www.arapahoebasin.com.

Alpenglow

Some late day alpenglow on Black and Lenawee Mountains to close out Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve

Your typical Christmas Eve at The Basin.

Happy Holidays

Here is the Black Mountain Lodge webcam photo from sunrise on Christmas Eve. That is one snowy photograph. It has been a busy and exciting week . Zuma West Bowl is open with great skiing. The Treeline Terrain Park opens later this morning. And, always a crowd pleaser, the ski patrol has had several very exciting sessions creating numerous avalanches on the East Wall. The forecast looks beautiful with 3 mostly sunny days coming up followed by the next set of storms. Be ready to hang on for more excitement.

All of us at The Basin wish you a Happy Holiday and we hope you get a chance to enjoy the beautiful snow and weather. Peace.

Serious for Just a Moment

Ok I think everyone has followed what a great start we have had with snowfall this season. I also think everyone understands how much it is snowing right now. The quality of the skiing and riding is truly beyond descriptions. This storm cycle is one we are going to be talking about for decades. I have one simple piece of advice. If there is any possible chance, you need to get up here very soon and experience how truly remarkable conditions are. You won't be sorry.

Our Checklist

Close ski area in June - check

Build Black Mountain Express - check

Make snow on Lower Mountain - check

Open Black Mountain Express - check

Make snow on Upper Mountain - check

Open Lenawee Mountain Lift - check

Open Pali Lift - check

Open Pali Trail - check

Open Montezuma Bowl - check

Get tons of snow - check

Open Treeline Terrain Park -

Open Zuma West Bowl -

Open East Wall -

A few thing to do still !!!!!

Cool Montezuma Bowl Video

Check out the video made by Rex Lint yesterday.

http://www.vimeo.com/17947340

Tough Photography Weather

With all that snow it was a tough morning for photography. The gentleman in the top photo was the first guy off Lenawee Mountain Lift and into Montezuma Bowl this morning. He literally ran and was rewarded for his efforts. The skiing was smooth and soft back there. The guy in picture 2 is Rob, our Lift Maintenance Manager. He and his crew are the ones that keep the lifts going "round and round" for you.

Thanks for coming out this morning.

Snow, Snow, Snow

6:40 AM Update. 3" at 5 AM and then it started snowing heavily. Forecast looks like snow all day, tonight, tomorrow then getting heavy Sunday night and Monday. Oh yeah. Great day to ski Zuma, Pali, Lower Mountain, Lenawee Parks. Great day to ski at The Basin. You guys must have been good because the holidays are going to be very nice.

Tomorrow Is The Day

After much anticipation, Montezuma Bowl will be open tomorrow, Saturday. Kudos to the lift guys, patrollers, and cat drivers for getting it ready. The Lightning Trees will also be open. Keep your eyes on those guys in red. They just might have a few more openings in the afternoon (i.e. you might be able to help with snow management and compaction). Enjoy.

Zuma - Very Good

This is going to be a good one. Took several several runs looking at all the trails. Bueno. There is still a lot of work to do setting up ropes, bamboo, lift mazes and stuff. The gang will get all that done for you by Saturday. Come on up. It is going to be one special day.

Oh yeah, Becs opened North Fork. The big line, Toilet Bowl > Bob's Bowl > North Fork is primed and ready. You kids can start ditching your parents and having some real fun.

Montezuma Bowl Opens Saturday

Montezuma Bowl will open this Saturday, December 18. The Cat Drivers have done their magic. It looks like 2 or 3 inches of snow has fallen today with 2-4" more forecast for the evening. We are looking at a very good opening. Primarily the Eastern half of the bowl will open Saturday. For groomers the cats have tilled all or parts of Columbine, Larkspur, Ned's Cache, Independence, and Shining Light. For some trees skiing try Miner's Glade or Eureka. If you really like adventure, you will be able to enjoy "The Fourteeners" (Grays, Torreys, and Bierstadt).

The next trails to open include Black Bear, Long Chute, and "MGD" (Max Groswold, and Durrance). With snowflakes in the forecast every day this week those openings may happen quickly. I know the patrollers are doing everything they can to get the next trails ready.

I am excited. This will be Zuma's fourth and earliest opening. I need you guys to get up here and ski out all those lines for me. See you Saturday.

You can tell this photo is from Casey Day. My pictures often have the camera's wrist strap in the way.

Terrain Park Crew Blog

Hey Terrain Park junkies. The Park Crew does a blog with lots of photos and comments. It can be found on our website, www.arapahoebasin.com > The Mountain > Terrain Parks > Terrain Park Crew blog. Their thoughts are probably far more descriptive and detailed than I could ever create. Enjoy.

Treeline Terrain Park and Zuma Bowl

Warm, brilliant beautiful day. Skied three runs in Zuma checking it out. The grooming is extraordinary with a little work to go. Big slide in Max and Long Chute. Forgot my camera, sorry. Look for the official word on opening Tuesday or Wednesday, but.................. if I were a Montezuma Bowl fan I'd make sure I was at the Basin this weekend.

Snowmaking will be done in the Treeline Terrain Park Thursday. Once the snow guns are clear the terrain park artisans will go to town. Building that park takes the crew at least a week. It will be open about December 24. I'll keep you posted.

Zuma

Montezuma Bowl looked very good today. It needs several big nights of snowcat work prepping Columbine and Larkspur. Long Chute, Black Bear, and Max are filling in nicely. The grooming on Upper Columbine and Shining Light is also good. Simply, we have a lot of work to do back there. I feel very good about conditions. I will keep you posted on our progress. In my terms, it won't be long.

Really Good

6" New. Just spent the last hour shoveling in the base area. The Ski Patrol has shots going off right and left. Both snow plows and the snow cats are clearing the lots. The Summit is kind of wind blown. The patrollers are saying the skiing below timberline is out of this world. I know the roads may be a bit tough today, but the rewards will be great for those who make it here. Hope you can get here.

Zuma Update

No promises and no dates yet, but......................... we are looking good. The snowcats have made it to the bottom of the lift. The grooming looks good. We are just a bit shy on snow and there are still a few willows popping out of the snow at the very bottom. Without cursing myself, the forecast the next 48 hours looks great. It is snowing moderatley right now. The wind is just right. Keep your fingers crossed. I think we are getting pretty close.

Sorry, no blue sky pictures today.

6" New This Morning

6" of new snow this morning. It snowed until early afternoon accumulating a few more inches. Loveland Pass was closed so there weren't many folks here today. Lots of great skiing and riding to be had. Sick day Wednesday?

A-Basin Stuff

Just another day skiing around.