Northern Spy

Northern Spy is wide and in great shape. I did a blog post on August 26, 2015 about a new snowfence the Summer Trail Crew built on the traverse accessing this area. That fence has worked perfectly. It has created a big, wide snowy path into Northern Spy. The beauty of these permanent fences versus the roll up portable fences is that 1) they are bigger and catch much more snow, and 2) after construction they are working all time. Northern Spy is a sweet, little chunk of skiing and this fence just made getting there faster and easier.

Northern Spy

Northern Spy is wide and in great shape. I did a blog post on August 26, 2015 about a new snowfence the Summer Trail Crew built on the traverse accessing this area. That fence has worked perfectly. It has created a big, wide snowy path into Northern Spy. The beauty of these permanent fences versus the roll up portable fences is that 1) they are bigger and catch much more snow, and 2) after construction they are working all time. Northern Spy is a sweet, little chunk of skiing and this fence just made getting there faster and easier.

Final Day of Kids Club

Yesterday was the final day of Kids Club for the season. They finished off with "Ski Patrol Day." The young rippers were given toboggan rides by the patrollers and participated in avalanche dog drills with Rio and Max. Not only is this program lots of fun, it is the future of the sport. It makes my day seeing the little vested guys cruising around the hill in packs. Whether they are playing in the snow or lining up to "send it" into North Fork, having the kids here is way cool.

Special thanks to all those instructors that made this happen. Awesome job.

Final Day of Kids Club

Yesterday was the final day of Kids Club for the season. They finished off with "Ski Patrol Day." The young rippers were given toboggan rides by the patrollers and participated in avalanche dog drills with Rio and Max. Not only is this program lots of fun, it is the future of the sport. It makes my day seeing the little vested guys cruising around the hill in packs. Whether they are playing in the snow or lining up to "send it" into North Fork, having the kids here is way cool.

Special thanks to all those instructors that made this happen. Awesome job.

Grooming The Spine and The Face

No, no, no, we did not groom The Spine and The Face with our snowcats. Mother Nature groomed The Spine and The Face with kind wind and transported snow. The skiing is sweet and we could not be better positioned for a snowy spring. I kind of like the "No Mogul Thing."

Grooming The Spine and The Face

No, no, no, we did not groom The Spine and The Face with our snowcats. Mother Nature groomed The Spine and The Face with kind wind and transported snow. The skiing is sweet and we could not be better positioned for a snowy spring. I kind of like the "No Mogul Thing."

Parking Tips

So I am guessing some of you have noticed that we have had some fairly busy Saturdays. I have a few suggestions to avoid parking problems. It is always a good idea to ride the Summit Stage or carpool. Most importantly, on our busiest days, our parking can be full from about 11:00 AM to about 1:00 PM. I encourage you to avoid arriving during those hours. These days can be Saturdays, January through April with an occasional day in May. With just a little bit of foresight, it is very easy to avoid the most congested times.

Parking Tips

So I am guessing some of you have noticed that we have had some fairly busy Saturdays. I have a few suggestions to avoid parking problems. It is always a good idea to ride the Summit Stage or carpool. Most importantly, on our busiest days, our parking can be full from about 11:00 AM to about 1:00 PM. I encourage you to avoid arriving during those hours. These days can be Saturdays, January through April with an occasional day in May. With just a little bit of foresight, it is very easy to avoid the most congested times.

Know Before You Go

For more information:

http://bit.ly/KBYGFeb26



I hope you can attend.

Know Before You Go

For more information:
http://bit.ly/KBYGFeb26

I hope you can attend.

Jump

Jump, named after first A-Basin President Larry Jump, is a great trail out in West Zuma. It has the steepest pitch in Montezuma Bowl. To access the area, ski out the Zuma Cornice. After making the small uphill climb, slide Southwest a few hundred more feet. When the cornice drops super steeply to your left you have arrived. This trail faces Southeast and can be a temperamental with the sun so choose your timing wisely. It is one of my go to runs on a powder day.

Jump

Jump, named after first A-Basin President Larry Jump, is a great trail out in West Zuma. It has the steepest pitch in Montezuma Bowl. To access the area, ski out the Zuma Cornice. After making the small uphill climb, slide Southwest a few hundred more feet. When the cornice drops super steeply to your left you have arrived. This trail faces Southeast and can be a temperamental with the sun so choose your timing wisely. It is one of my go to runs on a powder day.

Y Chute

Enjoy the view from a hike out in Y Chute over the weekend.

Y Chute

Enjoy the view from a hike out in Y Chute over the weekend.

Full Moon At The Basin

Full Moon At The Basin

Foods of the Pacific Rim

Enjoy these photos from Foods of the Pacific Rim. This past Saturday night Chef Rybak and his crew hosted another spectacular evening at Black Mountain Lodge. A full moon night with foods from Japan to Thailand made for a very special evening.

Foods of the Pacific Rim

Enjoy these photos from Foods of the Pacific Rim. This past Saturday night Chef Rybak and his crew hosted another spectacular evening at Black Mountain Lodge. A full moon night with foods from Japan to Thailand made for a very special evening.

Getting To Be Deck Season

It has been a week of beautiful weather. The deck scene has been going off at Black Mountain Lodge, the A-Frame deck and the Perch (above The 6th Alley). While we may see a bit of snow and cooler temps this week, the last several days have given us a hint of what is coming in March, April and May.  Spring is our time for lots of warm, sunny days and, surprisingly to some, the snowiest time of the day. I love spring.

Getting To Be Deck Season

It has been a week of beautiful weather. The deck scene has been going off at Black Mountain Lodge, the A-Frame deck and the Perch (above The 6th Alley). While we may see a bit of snow and cooler temps this week, the last several days have given us a hint of what is coming in March, April and May.  Spring is our time for lots of warm, sunny days and, surprisingly to some, the snowiest time of the day. I love spring.

Just Another Basin Day

Just another stunning, gorgeous, perfect, fun day at the Basin.

Just Another Basin Day

Just another stunning, gorgeous, perfect, fun day at the Basin.

Lower Elephant's Trunk

Another A-Basin Adventure Tour. I skied Lower Elephant's Trunk about mid-day. It is another fine tour. I wandered out Zuma Cornice and skied the main part of Elephant's Trunk. I went through the Lower Elephant's Trunk gate and enjoyed some nice turns in some small/medium sized spruce trees. The vertical part of the ski is followed by a nice traverse getting a good look at The Crags and the Lightning Trees. The loop finished with a 10-20 minutes hike up the Hike Back Trail and a ride out Zuma Lift. It was an enjoyable tour with some exceptional views of Porcupine Peak and the Snake River Valley.

Lower Elephant's Trunk

Another A-Basin Adventure Tour. I skied Lower Elephant's Trunk about mid-day. It is another fine tour. I wandered out Zuma Cornice and skied the main part of Elephant's Trunk. I went through the Lower Elephant's Trunk gate and enjoyed some nice turns in some small/medium sized spruce trees. The vertical part of the ski is followed by a nice traverse getting a good look at The Crags and the Lightning Trees. The loop finished with a 10-20 minutes hike up the Hike Back Trail and a ride out Zuma Lift. It was an enjoyable tour with some exceptional views of Porcupine Peak and the Snake River Valley.

West Zuma Views

I always enjoy wandering out on the West Zuma side of the mountain. Good skiing. Good views. Always fun.

West Zuma Views

I always enjoy wandering out on the West Zuma side of the mountain. Good skiing. Good views. Always fun.