Thursday Lunch / Hike / Activity Series

Last summer's Yoga on the Mountain was such a hit that we are expanding the program.  Beginning Thursday, July 11, and for five consecutive Thursdays, we will be hosting a lunch event at Black Mountain Lodge.  These will be NON-Chairlift events.  Guests will hike to Black Mountain Lodge, participate in an activity, enjoy a lunch by Chef Rybak's crew, and hike to the bottom.  Three of those events will be Yoga on the Mountain (July 11, July 25, and August 8).  July 18 we will host a Historical Hike and Lunch with insight on Summit County lore from local historian Mary Ellen Gilliland.  The fifth event, hosted August 1, will be Music, Food, and Wine Tasting.  

I think these events will be a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the Argentine North Fork Trail, hang out with friends, make some new friends, soak in the Black Mountain Lodge scene, savor some good food, and have a little fun.

Season Pass Buying Strategy

OK, we know I occasionally throw in a commercial plug.  This post is one of those plugs, but it is also an effort to share some insight on season pass strategy.  We have three great products for sale on the website right now:

2013/14 and 2014/15 Double Down Two Season Pass - $499
2013/14 Season Pass - $269
2013/14 Elevation 4 Pass - $119 (4 days of skiing)

These are all great deals that speak for themselves.  The real message I want to share is "The earlier a guest commits to buying a pass, the more A-Basin commits to lower prices."  The prices are extraordinary.  These are the best prices you will find all season and you can make the purchase on our website.  If you live out of state and are thinking about that long weekend ski trip, buy the Elevation 4 Pass.  If you know you are going to ski 5 or more days at The Basin the next two seasons, buy the Double Down Pass.

If price matters, now is the time to buy.

A-Basin Summit Challenge

The first event of the summer is the Sunday, July 7 A-Basin Summit Challenge Trail Run.  There will be two divisions.  The Mid-Mountain Group will run from the base area to Black Mountain Lodge.  The Summit Group will run from the base area to the top of Pali, to the Summit, and down to Black Mountain Lodge.  While there will be a few very fast runners, this a good day for anyone that enjoys a good trail run (or walk) in a beautiful spot.  You can top it all off with a BBQ lunch at BML.  For more details and to register go to our website.

The day is not for runners only.  The Black Mountain Express Chairlift will be open to mid-mountain.  We will serving a BBQ lunch and High Five will be singing and playing.  All and all it is just a great day for a party on the mountain.  Bring the kids, bring Grandma and Grandpa, and bring yourself.  Come see and feel the green side of A-Basin.

It Is Melting

With last week's heat and wind, the remaining snow is going quickly.  Much of the Argentine North Fork Trail is melted out and it won't be long before it will be open to Black Mountain Lodge.  I have seen the bighorns almost everyone day I have driven Highway 6.  Ten Mile Creek and the Blue River have been good for paddling and Summit County's paved bike paths have been fun.  Many mountain bike trails are drying out.

As far as summer and blog go, I will keep you guys up to date on what is going on around here.  Over the next couple months, I have some vacation time brewing.  There are family to see and rivers to run.  There will be a few gaps in my posts.  By mid-August I will be around a lot more and the blog will be back to its normal self.

There are some exciting things to talk about.  We have lots of events brewing including trail running, yoga, historical hikes, and much more.  We are remodeling The 6th Alley Bar this summer and there will be lots of posts and pictures on that.  So....keep checking in.  I will be out a week or two here and there, but I will keep you posted on how the place looks, feels, and tastes over the summer.

It's A Rap

Each spring (or summer) we reach that day when it is time to put the ski season to bed.  It has been very nice to finish strongly.  Mother Nature wasn't so kind early on.  Trying to get the place rolling, there were some days I felt like I was running uphill in sand.  It finally started really snowing in February and the spring precipitation was as good we could hope for.  Compared to most other areas, we had an incredible, full season of powder skiing in March, April, and May.  The images below were taken by Dave Camara May 9.  

From all of us at A-Basin, we are deeply thankful to those of you that chose to spend a day, a week, or a season with us.  This blog has given me a chance to meet many of you and hear your stories about your connections to The Basin.  I cannot adequately express how much that means to me.  Physically, Arapahoe Basin is an extraordinary place.  The people that choose to ski and work here have created a culture like no other.  It is an honor for me to work here and be a part of that culture.  Thanks again for another great season.  See you in October (hopefully sooner).

Al

That Kind Of Day

What a really cool early summer day.  I saw racer types making some great turns early this morning.  I saw a guy snowboarding and playing the saxophone (that was a first).  I saw plenty of costumes.  I saw some nice Lake Reveal action.  I saw Colin playing guitar and singing on the BML deck.  I saw plenty of people having fun and it was a beautiful Colorado day.

One more day.  Hope to see you then.

It Was a Good Friday

It has been a really nice Friday.  I toured the hill for a couple hours this morning. Made a bunch of turns in that perfect snow, the kind that is firm underneath with 1" of summer slush on top. I saw one big old mountain goat on top of Little Lenawee Peak.  The lift ops were spreading good cheer.  Lake Reveal was, well, Lake Reveal.  It looked cold.  We had a couple of quick showers move through during the day.  The forecast Saturday and Sunday shows no clouds with highs in the 60's.  Every guest I bumped into seemed really happy and thankful to be getting a June ski day in.  Good fun.

Mountain Goats

I took this photo Thursday afternoon from the top of Lenawee Face.  We regularly see these animals wandering around the Upper Mountain, especially in the spring and summer.  They are commonly confused with bighorn sheep (I posted pictures of bighorns last Friday).  Mostly, we see these guys on the East Wall, but they occasionally wander over towards Snow Plume Refuge and down into Lenawee Parks.  I have seen as many as 35 of them herded together on Lenawee Face.  They are very beautiful and tough animals living most of their lives about treeline.

My resident wildlife expert tells me these two are pregnant females.  I look forward to seeing the little guys running around.  The little ones are amazingly cute.

Closing Day Will Be June 9

Just took a snowcat tour with Mark LaFlamme.  The cat drivers have done a very nice job pulling the place together.  Lake Reveal is in "SUPER PRIME CONDITION."  Temperatures are supposed to rise over the next three days.  This is going to be a perfect way to finish the season.  When spring conditions exist, it makes sense to arrive a little late and let the snow soften.  Summer is another story.  The best skiing is early in the day.  Arrive early.  Ski the corduroy and the slush for a few hours.  Dig into a pork sandwich at Black Mountain Lodge.  Take a nap in an Adirondack chair on the deck.  Head down valley.  Ride your bike around Lake Dillon.  Call it a day.

This Sunday, June 9 will definitely be closing day.  Joking and teasing aside, Sunday will be the last day.  No more extensions.  Come on out and join the fun.  

Putting It All Together

This is Day 3 of not being open.  The last time the snowcats had been on the hill was Saturday night.  The crew came in today to start putting things back together for Friday's re-opening.  Even though we are having some beautiful early summer weather, the snow is holding together nicely.  The cats will spend the day consolidating key areas and getting the hill ready for skiers and riders.  They will come in again Thursday night to put the finishing touches in place.  Friday we should be skiing Upper Wrangler, Sundance, High Noon, Upper Ramrod, Humbug, Lenawee Face, Powerline, Norway, and a little bit more.  Lake Reveal is now a slush puddle about 30 feet in diameter.

I look forward to some really fun summer skiing, BBQ, and good music.

The Basin At Night

Garret Fisher sent this night photo taken near Loveland Pass.  The lighted areas are time delay images of snowcats working at The Basin.

3 More Days

A lot of you turned out to enjoy a beautiful Sunday.  We had a great scene going on the Black Mountain Lodge deck with the band and local favorite, High Five, playing some tunes.  You don't find a ski scene like ours in many places.  We are going to shut down for 4 days and then fire the place back up Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 7, 8,  and 9.  Thanks to all that came out today and I look forward to seeing you this weekend.

Patrick Deneen

FIS Freestyle Mogul World Champion Patrick Deneen has been training at The Basin for the last week.  He and his coaches have built a jump site in Fun Bowl.  Patrick was a 2010 Olympian and is a strong contender for honors in Sochi in 2014.  My kids, both former mogul skiers, first met Patrick at a youngsters' ski camp at Mt. Hood many years ago .   Since then I have had the pleasure of watching Patrick ski and compete in many events ranging from Junior Nationals to the Olympics in Vancouver.

A-Basin has a strong relationship with the US Freestyle Ski Team.  Many of their athletes have trained here, especially in the fall and spring.  Over the years you may have noticed some of the country's most prominent mogul skiers booting up in the A-Frame and jumping and skiing out on the hill.  I have fond memories of watching Jonny Moseley, Jeremy Bloom, Hannah Kearney, Toby Dawson, Heather McPhie and other great US Ski Team members working hard and training at The Basin.

We wish Patrick and the entire US Freestyle Team luck in their journey to Sochi.