Summer

Had a nice tour of the mountain yesterday afternoon. Almost all of the snow is gone. The exception being a couple of large snowfields in Humbug and along the Cornice Run. The place is green and flowers are popping everywhere. Saw a large buck meandering his way down Upper Wrangler. The marmots are starting to fatten up. The hiking / biking trail out of the base area is in fine shape. Looking forward to several more great weeks of summer.

Traffic Around This Place

BBQ and Arapahoe Sports Open This Weekend

Just for fun we are going to open A-Frame Deck BBQ and Arapahoe Sports Saturday and Sunday. The BBQ will be serving food from 11 AM to 3 PM each day. If you are driving by or riding your bike up Loveland Pass, please stop by. The snow is melting fast and things are greening up quickly. Looking forward to walking around the hill soon.

I'll Be On The River.................

This has been an amazing season. I have enjoyed writing this blog and sharing some of my daily thoughts. I hope you have liked it and I also hope you will continue to let me know your interests. As I look back at the last year, it is hard to fathom all the different events and highlights that have occurred. I was never bored.

2010-11 Highlights and Events

-We built and opened Black Mountain Express.
-We received 473" of snow, tied for the second best season on record.
-For 8 straight months, October thru May, the monthly snowfall was well above average each month.
-The skiing and riding was tremendous all season long.
-We were open from October 25 thru July 4. Open to close was 253 days and we were actually open 237 of those days.
-Montezuma Bowl was open 5 1/2 months, December 18 thru June 5. In its 4 year history, that was the earliest opening day and the latest closing day.
-We lost Leif.
-The East Wall had an amazing hiking season.
-We hit a 100" base on March 16 (and on many days thereafter).
-We set an April record for snowfall, 87".
-The Moonlight Dinners at Black Mountain Lodge were a huge success.
-The July 4th Closing Day was quite memorable.
-A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOYED SKIING AND RIDING AT ARAPAHOE BASIN.

What we'll be doing this summer.

-We will be expanding the parking in Last Chance Lot by 225 spaces.
-We will finish the hiking/biking trail from the Base Area to Black Mountain Lodge.
-We are getting a new e-store on our website to make your shopping and planning easier.

As for the crew, we are catching our breath. Most are taking the time to reflect on a special year. Some have already started working on the 2011-12 season. Everyone will take some much deserved time off to lounge on the beach, visit family and friends, ride their bikes, go to Rockies' games, explore the mountains and canyons, and much more. Me, I'll be on the river as much as I can. Thanks for a season I will never forget.

Closed For The Season

We are closed for the season. Thanks for a phenomenal year. I feel lucky to be a part of this scene. I'll give a better update later in the week. Right now I am going to celebrate Independence and Closing Day with some friends and family. Take care.

Al

The Men and Women of Black Mountain Lodge

What A Day

Great music. Great snow. Great Fun. Great Mountain. Great People. More of the same tomorrow, July 4th. High 5 will back on the BML deck.

Lake Reveal Is Closed

Sorry, the snow has melted away from the shore and it just isn't quite happening anymore. Something to think about for next May, June, or July.

Mr. T Goes To Work In July

Summer Days

Mother Nature Can Be Tough

Yesterday afternoon Mother Nature was wreaking havoc on us. We had a heavy thunderstorm with big winds and hail. The crew prepping for today's opening had to bail for a few hours. The winds put two trees on the powerline downvalley and we were without power for 19 hours. Finally, power came back on about 11:30 this morning. We still opened on time using auxillary power. As long as you didn't mind using the restroom by candlelight, the inconvenience wasn't too bad. Judging by the smiles on people's faces, it was still a pretty fun day.