The Snow has Arrived

 We reported 3 inches this morning and it is still snowing heavily.  I love this. 

Snow on the Way

The forecast is looking good for the next week.  We could see up to 10 inches by Saturday morning. Winter is here to stay. 

Season Passes

Conditions are unbelievable all across the mountain. We are having a tremendous winter.  Check out the sweet turns in this VIDEO by Drew Petersen.

Season passes are on sale now. We will, again, limit the number of unrestricted passes that we sell. Our primary objective is to keep the quality of the mountain experience high. We can do that by controlling our parking and hosting the appropriate number of visitors, meeting but, not exceeding our comfortable carrying capacity. To do that we limit the number of unrestricted season passes that we sell, we limit the number of lif tickets we sell each day and we will limit Ikon Pass holders to 5 or 7 days per season.

Historically, our busiest days of the season are weekends in January, February and early March. To take the edge off those days, we have created a new season pass, the Value Pass. It is valid all season except for 18 black out days, Saturdays and Sundays, January 6 thru March 3, 2024.

As always, the lowest season pass prices are in the Spring (now). In early May there will be a pass price increase. At some point, the unrestricted passes will sell out.

At Its Finest

 The Basin at its finest.

East Wall Season

I know we have been posting a lot of East Wall pictures lately, but it "tis the season."  And it has been a tremendous East Wall season,

Bottom of Jump

It is hard to believe that this is the 16th season for Montezuma Bowl. It feels like we built that lift yesterday. I still find myself skiing back there and finding a view that feels brand new to me. Last week I experienced that when I stopped at the bottom of Jump in West Zuma. I was enamored with the place as I looked uphill.

Late Day Shadows

I caught these late day shadows in Lenawee Parks and the East Wall during an after work skin yesterday.

From The Ys

The Tree Chutes Staircase is now open on the East Wall. Another rugged climb give skiers and riders access to the 8 Tree Chutes and North and South Y Chutes. From near the bottom of Lenawee Express you can look at the north end of the Wall and, from left to right, see 8 chutes surrounded by little trees and then North and South Y combine to form a cool, Y-shaped feature. The skiing out there can be very good when conditions are right. Plus the area has a very unique view of The Basin.

Colorado Hut Trips

Colorado is lucky to have a few dozen mountain huts scattered around the backcountry. Typically sleeping 8-20 people, these "semi-rustic" huts range from having catered service to do it yourself kitchens. The last few days several friends and family members skied into Margy's Hut near Aspen. We did some fun ski touring finding lots of powder in gentle terrain. Communally, we packed in and cooked our meals. We enjoyed the sun rises, sun sets and stoking the wood stove for heat. Getting to the hut wasn't easy, but the laughter never stopped.

If you like the culture and vibe of A-Basin, there is a good chance you'd enjoy a hut trip. For more details check out 10th Mountain Division Huts.

The Upper Mountain

I went out for a spin early this afternoon and found myself stopping at The Bench on Slalom Slope. As I often do, I took a few moments just to look around and see what was going on. I found myself a bit overwhelmed by just how spectacular The Upper Mountain looked today. Blue skies, crisp air, great snow - just a classic Colorado day.

IFSA in West Zuma

The International Free Skiers Association (IFSA) and Team Summit just hosted a two day junior event in West Zuma. Capitalizing on 20 inches of new snow followed by brilliant late winter weather, the athletes, friends and parents had a great time. 12-18 year olds were ripping up all kinds of lines that most of us just dream about skiing. Seeing all these young people enjoying The Basin and having so much fun brings a smile to my face.

The Pinnacle

The Willie's Wide Staircase is steep, long and painful and the rewards at the top are unparalleled. This morning I dragged myself up there with the family. We slipped through the Snorkel Door, spread out and had classic runs in Snorkel Nose, Booger and Corner Chute. Magnified by 20 inches of snow the last three days, the Basin is really coming alive. I am known for my bias towards A-Basin, but I truly think making this climb and ski in these conditions is the "Pinnacle of Resort Experiences." I love it.

 

Another Brilliant Day

Another brilliant day, although very different from yesterday. The snow was soft and sweet everywhere and deep in places. Skies were overcast or it was snowing, including heavily at the end of the day. The Ski Patrol had been working diligently on the East Wall over the weekend. By mid-afternoon we were all treated with a Lower East Wall and North Pole rope drop. We caught the North Pole gate opening and we were rewarded with a fine run down East Vert. People were loving the powder skiing. North Pole was a hit.

 

One In A Million

Well it wasn't really one in a million, but today was incredible. By the time the lifts were spinning, we had a foot of new snow. It snowed heavily for a couple hours and then the sun popped out. The skiing was unbelievable across the whole mountain. I was evesdropping on a guest and I heard him describe the day as "Life Changing." It was that good and such a treat for me to be around so many people having that much fun.

Certainly the best day of the season.

Storm Delivered

 9 Inches new this morning and still nuking! It's going to be a good one. 

Storm Looks Good

We had heavy snowfall this afternoon putting about 3" on the ground. I just skinned up and skied down and the turns were very nice. We should see more snow through the evening and into tomorrow. This storm might be a really good one.

The Good Wind

Yesterday afternoon the good wind was blowing. Hiking out from The Steep Gullies, I could see the wind buffing out The Spine and 3rd Bowl on Pali. Skiing down that ridge, on the leeward side, was as soft as can be.

6th Steep Gulley

6th Steep Gulley. Hard to get to. Difficult to find. Super narrow. For the most adventurous skiers only. Very cool.

 

Riding Snorkelnose

 

Snorkelnose

This is what the bottom of Snorkelnose looked like about 1:30 today. 

Vertical Cornice

The "Vertical Cornice" is a snowy ridge accessed from the North Pole gate hike and to the skier's left of Narrow North Pole. People ski either down the East (right) side or the West (left) side. These chutes are commonly called "East and West Vert." It is another very special A-Basin place. Monday afternoon Kay and I had a sweet tour up there with her skiing West Vert and me skiing East Vert.