So, we are headed into some old and some new ground next season. What is old ground is that we are willing to make significant operating changes that will improve the skiing and riding experience. What is new ground is that we are going limit season pass sales and we are going to require that all lift tickets be purchased in advance and online and the daily number of tickets sold will be limited.
For this COVID season we limited season pass sales and sold out of passes in November. For the 2021-22 season we are actually going to sell 10% fewer unrestricted passes than we did during the COVID season. We announced this change and started selling season passes March 12. As of today, we have sold 36% of our unrestricted season pass inventory. Passes are selling at a much faster rate than I expected. On April 16 we plan on raising the price of an “Adult Unrestricted Season Pass” from $519 to $599. The renewal rate for 2020-21 Season Pass holders is valid only thru April 15 or while supplies last.
I have very high confidence that we are going to sell out of the unrestricted passes. I just don’t know when that is going to happen. It is very possible that we sell out before the April 16 price increase. This post may seem like a pushy sales pitch. That is not the intention. It is a transparent effort is to let you know that unrestricted pass sales are limited and we are running out fast. If you want to buy an Arapahoe Basin unrestricted season pass, you should buy it now.
Our neighbors have announced a plan to drastically cut
season pass prices in an effort to sell more passes. We are pricing and
limiting our season pass inventory in order to sell fewer passes. Depending on
what factors are important to your season pass purchase (price, the mountain
itself, the skiing experience, the culture, the vibe, etc), your choices for
purchase have never been more clear.
These last three days have been just perfect Spring weather. The East Wall has really come alive, including the hiking. Montezuma Bowl has been classic south facing Spring skiing. It has been nearly perfect. And the forecast, tonight thru Wednesday, SNOW.
Yesterday was so good that we repeated it again today. We skied usual North Side runs and a few spins in the Steep Gullies. So good again. We also checked out some fun stuff in Lenawee Parks.
This storm event is good for the East Wall. It has been open for a few very limited directed skiing sessions already. I slipped in one run below the Traverse under Willie's on Saturday. The recent snow has been favorable for the Wall. The Snow Safety Team continues to be very active out there. With unsettled weather in the forecast the next several days, I see the East Wall in our future soon.
It might not have been the Snow-pocalypse that was forecast, but the skiing Sunday was an A+ kind of day. We only had 4 inches of snow at report time, but it snowed all day long we received another 8 or so on top of that. At least very locally, the roads were passable. A decent number of people found their way to the ski area and it seemed like all had a great time. We only rode Pali Lift, skiing all the usual places plus a good 3-lap session in the Steep Gullies (which were deep).
Everyone is still masked up in the busier places, but we caught up with a lot of friends in the Pali maze and at the top. It was really fun. Personally and socially I look forward to the COVID era being over because I miss my Sunday afternoons in Marnie's.
We have experienced a tumultuous and uproarious few years at Arapahoe Basin. From major expansions to pass partner changes to 4th of July skiing to the pandemic, we have not slowed down for a second. It has been challenging, fun, difficult, crazy and weird all at the same time.
Throughout it all, we have focused on making the A-Basin experience the best it could possibly be. While we are constantly changing the “stuff” at The Legend, we strive to preserve our culture and vibe. Our first major step was to design, construct and implement The Beavers / Steep Gullies expansion. We added a big chairlift and nearly 500 acres of exciting groomers, gladed runs and dramatic chutes. We offered more terrain and spread the crowd out even further. We left the Epic Pass. The Basin simply wasn’t big enough to handle that many pass holders. We joined the Ikon Pass. The spirit of A-Basin was in sync with Ikon resorts and they had fewer pass holders and days were restricted.
Moving forward to the 2021-22 season, we are taking more major steps to preserve the culture and vibe. COVID forced us to learn in a few months what probably would have taken us five years to learn otherwise. Next season we are going to continue to restrict our pass and ticket visits. While reservations will not be required for our season pass holders, we are going to limit the number of passes that we sell. In fact, we are going to sell 10% fewer unrestricted passes next season than we did this season. On top of that, we will continue to limit the number of lift tickets sold each day and all tickets must be purchased online and in advance. No lift tickets will be sold on site. We anticipate selling out of weekend lift tickets on a regular basis.
So why are we doing this? There are many factors, like a friendly and knowledgeable staff, a spectacular mountain and excellent facilities, that go into to making Arapahoe Basin special. We also think a critical factor for a successful day is keeping crowd size down and skiers and riders spread out. For decades, a key strategy for us was to keep adding more and more skiers. That is no longer the case. We are actively working to reduce the number of skiers on weekends and holidays. We have learned so much since COVID forced us to hit a daily target of skier numbers. Next season we will continue a similar strategy. Our target will be to have a “comfortable” level of skiers each day. Our ticket inventories and pricing will directly reward midweek skiing over weekend skiing. By knowing how many people to expect each day, we can do a better job running the place. We will measure success by reducing parking challenges, keeping lift lines and other service lines short and by observing smiling skier faces.
This is a big, big change. We are ready for this change. We
know our skiers and riders want to preserve the A-Basin culture and vibe. We
know they want to cherish and enjoy this stunning place. There are many great
resorts in the world, but there is no place quite like Arapahoe Basin. By
making these changes we plan on keeping it that way.
A few years ago Jeff Woodward and Erik Lambert reached out to me to discuss their idea of creating a ski area without chairlifts. It seemed like a crazy vision, but these guys were full of passion, ideas and enthusiasm. It was very clear they were smart, creative and driven. Since then we have talked, emailed and met a few times. They asked dozens, if not hundreds, of questions about what it was like to manage A-Basin. I was not surprised to see they created the revolutionary Bluebird Backcountry, a ski area without lifts.
Yesterday, Kay and I went skiing there. We had a great time. The area is located on Bear Mountain between Kremmling and Steamboat. The mountain is mostly north facing and has a very cool layout with one side, West Bowl, having a bit gentler terrain and the other side, Bear Mountain, being bigger and steeper. We climbed both sides and took a total of three skin/ski laps over four hours ascending 2,100 vertical feet. On a nearly perfect, windless, bluebird (yes, I use that term a lot) day, we enjoyed lunch on the summit of Bear Mountain. The snow and terrain were excellent. The "Lost in the Woodwards" skin track through the aspens was our favorite. In West Bowl there was a geodesic dome tent / warming hut called "The Perch" that served up bacon. Brilliant.
I think the area appeals to anyone that wants to wander around the hills on their skis or snowboard. It is especially great for people entering the backcountry scene. Not only is there beginner friendly terrain, but they offer equipment rentals and a wide variety of lessons, clinics, women's clinics and avalanche courses. The vibe of the place is welcoming and incredible. The employees were authentically friendly and helpful. We had fun catching up with two of my old ski patrol buddies from 30 years ago, Pat Ahern and Bob Tierney, who are patrolling the mountain.
While COVID may be holding them back a little bit, they have a comfortable base area set up for after ski socializing. When we visit next season, we look forward to hanging around the campfire, sharing a beverage, maybe listening to a little music and re-telling the day's adventures. Jeff and Erik have built something very special. They have a great team. Our visit was wonderful. In my mind Bluebird Backcountry is a big success and offers an experience many are looking for. I encourage you to check it out, bluebirdbackcountry.com.
As we left that afternoon, a bald eagle flew right over us.
The bluebird days have made for some very beautiful mornings.
We have recently added even more Ikon Reservations for every day (including Saturdays) in March and April. If you are an Ikon Pass holder trying to squeeze in a few more days, be sure and check it out. If the reservations are full on a day you want to ski, be sure and make a last minute check. There are almost always last minute cancellations.
