Winter Is Back

Wow, what a great surprise.  The Thursday night / Friday morning storm brought us 4".  Friday was cool and Friday night was downright cold, 14F.  While the Lower Mountain was still spring conditions, the Upper Mountain returned to winter.  Great skiing up there, particularly on the groomers.  Had very good runs on Cornice Run, Norway, Lenawee Face, and Falcon.  My suggestion for Sunday morning, arrive early, ski the Upper Mountain groomers then head for the Lower Mountain as the snow softens up.  Be sure and sneak in some BBQ at Black Mountain Lodge.

3" New

We had a few of those spring squalls blast through here the last 18 hours.  3" new at 5 AM and maybe another inch since then.  It is supposed to be fairly cold the next couple of nights.  That will actually improve the skiing by setting the snow up over night making things a little firm in the morning, but ideal in the afternoon.  Right now a few flakes are still falling.  I am expecting this to break up through the day and maybe a little sunshine by sweep time.

The Grind

The Grind went well today.  We had hard core racers and we had people smiling and laughing taking their lap around the mountain.  With this year's snow conditions we had to modify the race division course a bit, but it seemed to work.  I think we needed to make it harder for those guys.  Thanks to all the competitors, volunteers, and staff that made it happen.  All and all a very fun event and a very fun day. 

Colorado Living

It is that time of year in Colorado when there is so much to do.  We had 3" of new snow yesterday.  It was a very nice frosting.  Today is The Grind.  Always fun to watch those guys race uphill.  Looks like we are going to have a spectacular spring weekend and The Beach is "Alive" this morning.

Oh yeah, that is a photo of Tom Petty and The Hearbreakers.  I saw them at the 1stBank Center the night before last.  Absolutely incredible.  Those guys still have it.  They have been my favorite band for decades.

So Thursday night, a Tom Petty concert.  Friday, a good trail run near Boulder. Saturday, skiing at The Basin. Sunday, a bike ride around Lake Dillon.  Living in Summit County, working and skiing at The Basin, Being in Colorado.  WE ARE LUCKY.



Terrain Parks

The Treeline and High Divide Terrain Parks are both going strong now. The High Divide Park has one very small jump and several entry level rail and box features. The Treeline Park has three fairly decent sized jumps as well as several cool log, rail, and box features. My favorite, of course, is that buttery C-Box (for watching not doing).

Snow and Answering Questions

Great skiing this afternoon. It is good out there. With last night's snow, the storm was at 16" for 3 days. While we were not really able to re-open trails, the quality of what is open improved dramatically. While Pali Face and The Spine probably were quite good, there just wasn't quite enough cover the bare spots down low.

We are planning on closing June 3. We also plan on remaining open 7 days per week until then. Is that an absolute answer? Probably not. Keep in mind, we had an excellent snowmaking season in October, November, and December. All of that snow is still out there. I feel pretty confident that we are going to make it. Only time and the weather will tell. A couple of more decent storms and we should be in fine shape.

What is orographic lifting? When an air mass moves and hits a mountain range, the air mass lifts. As it lift it cools. The cooling often forms clouds and may create precipitation.

14" From The Storm

Wow. This was a great storm. 6" more overnight bringing the total to 14". We might get one or two more still this morning. Over the next the couple of days we are expected a couple more waves of moisture. We tend to do well with those spring orographic bursts. And then it looks like a spectacular warm weekend. I would call that prime "Beaching at the Basin" weather.

Winter is Back

8" new this morning and it snowed much of the day. Very nice. Monday should be another great day.

NEW Chili Cook Off - May 19

Put it on your calendar. May 19th is Arapahoe Basin's 1st Chili Cook Off. Enter your chili in the contest or come sample the chilis and craft beers. "Great American Taxi" featuring Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon will be playing from 1-4 PM. Sounds like another classic, great party at The Basin. And you know, nobody can throw a party like A-Basin.

For details go to:

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/calendar.aspx?id=240f0414-8623-4dff-a342-e679c1bfc283

Here It Comes

This morning was beautiful, brisk, and mostly sunny. I enjoyed several runs on both the lower and upper mountain. The clouds have moved in now. We are expecting a few showers tonight, 3-5" Saturday, and continued snow possibly until Tuesday. Come join us tomorrow for the Save Our Snow celebration and some spring skiing and riding.

Snow In The Forecast

OK. This hasn't been the greatest season to get excited about weather forecasts. The storm coming at us is starting to look pretty good. NOAA, Opensnow.com, CAIC, and my secret sources are all saying good things. I think Mother Nature is waiting for a few more of you to put the skis away and take out the bikes and rafts. That is always when she hits the hardest. My fingers are crossed.

I went for a 1 1/2 hour spin this afternoon. The timing was perfect. Today was just above freezing so the snow was soft, but just. It was not big slushy bumps, but a nice carveable, soft, smooth surface. Great runs on Grizzly Ridge, West Wall, Cornice Run, Humbug, Dragon, Sundance, High Noon, and Ramrod. Nice afternoon.

Carpooling - Save Our Snow

Saturday is the Save Our Snow celebration. Join us for this great environmental education weekend. There will be discounted lift tickets for participants and additional fun activities including music. All proceeds go to our local green group The High Country Conservation Center.

We have chosen this special day to kick off our Spring Parking Plan. For 5 weekends starting Saturday, April 14, we are encouraging everyone, both guests and employees, to carpool, ride the Summit Stage or ride the Front Range Ski Bus. This is a great way to save a few bucks, put a few less bad things in the atmosphere, and ease the I-70 congestion/parking crunch.

The Plan includes:
-Encouraging carpooling
-Providing close-in Early Riser parking for carpoolers (4 or more per vehicle)
-Offering discounted tickets for carpoolers (4 or more per vehicle)
-Spreading the word about the Summit Stage in Summit County
-Spreading the word about The Front Range Ski Bus
-Offering an express employee shuttle to get people to work

Even just carpooling or taking the bus once will help. Thanks.

I Don't Know How They Do It

I just don't get it. The Moonlight Dinners just keep getting better. A Night in Spain at Black Mountain Lodge was incredible. As always the food was amazing. Sea Bass, Goat, Lamb, Chicken, Croquettes, and more. Wow. Thanks again to Chef Rybak, Meredith, Paul, and Matt for another great evening. The three piece Latin-Mediterranean band with a guitar, violin, and accordian was fantastic. Diners were cheering and clapping to the great sounds. Just plain fun. I don't know how they do it.