Continued Snowmaking

While our pace has slowed down a bit, we continue to have really good snowmaking nights.  Last night was clear, calm and cold. We ran 9 fan guns scattered about the Upper Mountain. You may have noticed a pair of machines running just below Black Mountain Lodge. They are laying the ground work for the next iteration of the High Divide Terrain Park.

Good Cruising

Good snow and good cruising today. 

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Arapahoe Basin

Center of the Universe

You know, there are some people out there that think the top of Pali Lift is the Center of the Universe. This afternoon I spent a little time there with Patio and a few ski patrollers. We talked about snow and skiing. I took a few photos. We all worked and skied a bit. Looking around it wasn't hard to understand why people feel that way.

Blue Skies

It looks like we are in for several beautiful, sunny days with very comfortable temperatures. Today we finished a storm cycle in which we saw measurable snow eight out of ten days. The skiing and riding continues to shine. This should be an ideal Thanksgiving holiday.

Epic Racers

This morning I met a couple of Epic Racers, Kim and Bryan. This is a very cool contest and looks like a lot of fun. Each of them shared a bit of their strategy and were very excited about the event. Their travel plans are intense. I gave them a quick tour of the nearly finished  6th Alley Bar and Grill. Good luck getting that lifetime pass.

Public Scoping - EIS

The White River National Forest is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to analyze and disclose the potential environmental effects of implementing the proposed projects in the Arapahoe Basin 2012 Master Development Plan. 

The Forest Service will host an Open House at the Silverthorne Library on December 3 from 4:30 to 6:30. All A-Basin stakeholders are encouraged to attend. The Forest Service will also be accepting comments on the projects through January 17, 2014. For more details go to the the Master Development Plan page of the A-Basin website.

http://arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/master-development/default.aspx

Are You Kidding?

November 24. Can you believe conditions look like this before Thanksgiving?

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6th Alley Update

The place is looking pretty good. We still need a few railings. The windscreen for the deck needs to show up and be installed. A few more interior finishes need to be completed. That truck with the new tables is out there somewhere driving across the country. And we'll need a couple more building department inspections. It won't be long, 2-3 weeks maybe?

Cornice Run

Spent a little bit time out on the hill this morning. Cornice / West Wall was really good.  Lenawee Parks opened later. I didn't ski it myself, but reports were good. One of my favorite skis at The Basin is The Cornice Run. The views from it are unmatched. The Ten Mile Range, Gore Range, Front Range, even Mt. of the Holy Cross in the Sawatch Range are all visible and striking. Next time you ski that trail, be sure and stop a time or two and take it all in.

What A Day

What a day. We reported 1" new but it snowed much of the day. All the previously opened terrain was skiing quite nicely. Again, we did some limited openings in Lenawee Parks and The West Wall. Cornice / West Wall should be open first thing Friday morning. It is awesome. Lenawee Parks should open about mid-day. The forecast has lots of snow in it.

Myself, I had to chance to spend a little time with the Ski Patrol and helped them evaluate and manage Norway and Dragon. Oh Man. The skiing is really over the top right now with much more to come. One word - POW. Don't miss this.

Pali

A couple of days ago I skied the Cornice Run to The West Wall saddle and climbed up to the top of Pallavicini Lift. The area looks pretty good.  The West Wall, Powderkeg and Grizzly Road have quite a bit of snow. Much of Grizzly Road is groomed. Slalom Slope could still use a bit. We do not have a fixed opening date for the lift. We will watch and manage the snow from each storm.  I suspect it might not be too long until we get her open.

Good

Today was a really good morning to get out and ski. I think these pictures show why.

West Wall Ski Packing

About 10 days ago I posted a photo of the West Wall after it had been footpacked. Over the last couple of days, we have had a couple of sessions ski packing the trail. Again, this packs the snow down for better skiing, better sustainability, and better avalanche work. While not quite deep enough to sustain full traffic, there was some great skiing out there. With snow forecast for later in the week, we should see additional chances to ski it up, pack it down, and, ultimately, get it open all the time.  

The Cornice Run is in great shape and has been favored by all of our storms. The snowcat drivers did an outstanding job dozing the drifts and leaving a great tilled surface. This is the natural stuff.

The Storm Was Good

The weekend storm was very good to us.  In the end, we got a fat 9" of snow. We also had a strong, but kind wind depositing deep snow in many areas. That enabled us to offer some short openings in Lenawee Parks, The West Wall, and Powerline. We are sitting pretty with more unsettled weather coming our way. 

Definitely Winter

Just Started Snowing

During a mid-morning ski today, I found great snow conditions, partly cloudy skies, and some beautiful light. And, of course, some really good skiing. As the day progressed we saw more and more clouds and it just started snowing. The forecasts are looking better and my fingers are seriously crossed for some good snowfall this weekend.

As a quick note, the snowcat in the bottom picture is hauling a container of food up to Black Mountain Lodge.

Lower Wrangler

It has been another beautiful day on the hill. I did a walking tour of the snowmaking this morning and was very impressed. Lower Wrangler will open Saturday. This will be another big improvement for those learning how to ski and ride. There is snow forecast the next few days. The forecasts do seem a bit scattered with snowfall amounts ranging from 1-12 inches. We will just have to wait and see what happens.