5" New

Another beautiful morning at the Basin. Happy Holidays to all.

 

Black Mountain Rime?

Black Mountain had a very cool look to it yesterday. It almost seemed like the high cliffs and rocks were covered in rime ice? The late day sun made it  glisten. It was easy to enjoy the special views while riding the new Pali Chair.

 

The Old Bullwheel

When it came to removing the original Pallavicini Double, we couldn't get rid of everything. We kept the old, top bullwheel. The Lift Maintenance team fabricated some legs and capped the spokes with expanded metal creating a fine deck. With a quick pick from the helicopter, we moved it to the very top of the Pali Knob. The site was already flat because it was the unload area from the Poma Lift that ran up Radical to the the Top of Pali 50+ years ago.

We hope this will be special for the A-Basin Faithful. It is a great vantage to soak in the view. It is spiritual for some. It is a place to to sit and catch your breath or gobble a snack. You can enjoy it winter or summer. It is a magnificent site to enjoy a sunset or a sunrise. It might become a shrine or an altar. It might be a great spot for an afternoon nap. Whatever it becomes, I hope you enjoy it.

 

New Pali Lift - Open

Saturday morning we opened the new Pallavicini Double. Leitner Poma built us a beautiful, fine chairlift. The color is a galvanized silver versus a glossy black. While it is a new machine, so much is the same. As I load the machine I know it feels different at first. A new comfort bar sits across my lap. By Tower 3, I am getting into the groove. The ride is smooth. As I near the top, I realize I am riding my favorite chairlift - ANYWHERE !! An incredible amount terrain and vertical for such a short ride. So good to have her open for the season.

                              

That New Lift

Dressed in white, that new lift is looking pretty good.

 

Divide Cam

Earlier this evening I caught this image on the Divide Cam.

 

Dawn At The Basin

 

From BML Deck

It might not be snowing, but the days are beautiful. Today I enjoyed my day off with a couple hours of skiing and a pulled pork sandwich on the deck at BML. Pretty nice.

 

From The Cornice Run

The view from the Cornice Run is certainly one of my favorites.

 

Taos Update

The Arapahoe Basin / Taos Ski Valley partnership is alive and well. Taos, like A-Basin, is working closely with its state and local authorities to develop an operating plan consistent with COVID-19 guidelines. Again, like A-Basin, Taos has to reduce skier visits on peak days. Because of that, we have to make some changes.

Pending New Mexico State Health Orders, your A-Basin season pass will still get you three, free days at Taos to ski or ride. For the 2020-21 season, those days will be limited to Monday thru Thursday with the following blackout days: December 19-January 3 and March 13-28. Pre-reservations will be required and tickets will be limited each day. Taos and A-Basin are ideal partners and we look forward to getting beyond these COVID-19 challenges. Thank you for your understanding.

Please call 888.262.8398 to book your reservation. For skiing, riding and opening day information, go to Skitaos.com.

Molly Hogan, Snowmaking, Snowsports School

The current snowmaking push is on Molly Hogan. We plan to open the new quad chair and the Pika Magic Carpet Saturday. This allows the Snowsports School to kick into a much higher gear offering lessons for anyone interested. More work for our employees and more chances to get people hooked on skiing and riding.

Tomorrow the Snowmakers move to Sundance. We managed to get that trail open with natural snow. It was good fun for a while, but right now, it needs a little love from the Snowmakers and Cat Drivers.