Super Blue Moon Rising

Last night was a good one to watch the Super Blue Moon rising. Kay and I took the lawn chairs, a picnic dinner and a bottle of Pinot Noir to a little beach on Lake Dillon to watch the moon rise. Another good reason to hang out in Summit County.

Buttoning Up Lenawee Express

Last December when we opened Lenawee Express, the actual lift was fully completed, but some of the work surrounding the lift was not completed. This summer we fully finished the "Wall," finished the railings, finished the grading and, mostly, just really cleaned the place up. That is a fine looking lift.

 

Another A-Basin Engagement

Congratulations Billy and Abbey. Thank you for being such a big and special part of The Basin.

Another A-Basin Engagement

Congratulations Billy and Abbey. Thank you for being such a big and special part of The Basin.

Trail 5 Bridges

The third and final bridge on Trail 5 is now complete. There are 3 bridges between Black Mountain Lodge and timberline. The trail crew, working with the mini excavator, are now crossing Lower Gentry in their trail building quest. Keep your fingers crossed, maybe 3 more weeks and we will be riding the new trail and skipping the lower third of the Upper Summer Road.

 

And Sundance Towers

We also added two snowmaking towers on Sundance. While tower guns are not ideal in every situation, they allow snowmakers to get more loft and throw with their shots and cover more ground with snow. One gun is near the bottom of the Upper Sundance Pitch and the other is close to the bottom of Sundance. Upper Sundance does have a snowmaking pipeline and electricity. This gun will help us make snow in a broader area more effectively. Lower Sundance does not have a pipeline or electricity. Again, the snowmakers will draw water and power from High Noon to make snow here. In the past this has been a difficult place for us to get covered with snow. The new tower gun should really help.

 

Top Of Elephant's Trunk

Sunday Kay and I rode the Beavers Loop Trail again. Too cool. The ride has a few switchbacks near the top of Elephant's Trunk. The views of Independence Mountain, the Ten Mile Range, the Gore Range and Lake Dillon are pretty darn good. You can also see Keystone, Breck and, if you really know what you are looking at, you can pick out the tippy top of Copper. I think it is going to be a long time before I get tired of this place.

 

Summer Showers

 

Lower Wrangler Snowmaking Tower

Early this summer I did a post on the four new snowmaking tower guns we have purchased.  We have three of them installed. This particular tower is on the left side of Lower Wrangler just below the bottom of North Fork. There is not a snowmaking pipeline on Wrangler so the snowmakers will pull water and power from the shelters on Lower High Noon to make it work.

The snow gun will be used for "shots" both up and down the trail from the tower. This tower, coupled with the existed tower at the top of Lower Wrangler, gives pretty good snowmaking coverage on the trail despite not having a pipeline on the trail. While this may slightly speed up the opening of Lower Wrangler, it will really improve our overall ability to make snow there. Getting this terrain open for beginner skiers in the early season is a major November priority for us.

Another Stunning East Wall View

Just another stunning view at The Basin. Just about any image that includes the East Wall is stunning.

 

IMBA, Joey and Trail 5

We continue to make great progress on the climbing trail (AKA Trail 5 soon to get a proper name) from Black Mountain Lodge to the Summit. They are in Mountain Goat Alley and will connect with the summer road before too long. IMBA trail designer and A-Basin trail system visionary, Joey Klein, has been around all week operating the mini excavator and leading the way towards the summit.

Mountain Cleanup - Zuma

We had a great mountain cleanup back in Zuma Bowl. We picked up a full pick up truck bed of various garbage, mostly cans, wrapppers and snow fence slats. The rain didn't hit us until we got out of Zuma. It was a rainy walk to sausages at Steilhang. Good deeds and good fun. Thanks to all who joined.

Riding Across Pali

In the past, there were not many people that wandered around Pali in the summer. The place is steep and rugged and walking there is not easy. With the construction of the Beavers Loop Trail, people can ride across the top of The Alleys, The Face and The Spine and then cross Main Street and, even, North Glade. Even though we are so used to seeing Pali in winter, it is cool to see how different this zone looks in summer. 

Zuma In Summer

Check out this view from the top of Jump. Every single time I stand on the lip of Montezuma Bowl, I am overwhelmed with what a stunning and dramatic place it is. In summer, particularly the eastern half, the bowl is so lush and green. I could hang out there all day long.

Beavers Loop Trail

This morning I went for a very nice ride out on the hill. The Argentine North Fork Trail was a treat. After all of Trevor's work on the turns, all of the switchbacks are very rideable. The Upper Road is still kind of a grunt, but the Beavers Loop Trail and Wheels Up were a hoot. At the top I ran into a group of eight friends that were having a blast, enjoying the new trail. We had quite a few chuckles about all things A-Basin. Following the ride, they were looking forward to that free beer that goes with the free bike pass.

 

Steilhang Hut Deck

Now that is a good deck. For hikers and bikers only.

 

Sundance Fireweed

The fireweed is starting to flower. It is especially thick on Lower Sundance, but can be found in many places like Ramrod, Exhibition and The Void. It tends to bloom later in the summr than most of our other flowers. No doubt this week's rain will give it a nice boost.

Monsoon

The North American Monsoon has been strong in Summit County this week. In July and August the wind pattern shifts, bringing moisture from the Gulf of California across Arizona and New Mexico and into Colorado. While there is always a concern for flooding, we typically embrace the moisture with open arms. When the monsoon begins, the vegetation responds almost immediately creating lush, wet landscapes. We savor that water for forest and stream health and a reduction in fire danger. Ultimately, for us, it is a nice boost for fall snowmaking. Some people dread rainy days. I look forward to a good summer rain as much as I look forward to a big winter storm.

Building Trail

As I have mentioned a few times, this summer we have started to build a trail from Black Mountain Lodge to the Summit. The trail will be for one-way uphill biking and two-way hiking. Trevor, using his mini mini excavator, has been meticulously scratching his way uphill and has cut the first 1200 feet of the trail. Upon completion, this will be a walk in the park compared to hiking and biking up the road. The trail will be twice as long as the road with the same vertical. That translates to a much gentler grade.

Free Bike Trail Access Pass

We are asking that all bike riders that use our trails get a "Free Bike Trail Access Pass." This gives riders a chance to learn about riding at The Basin, review the "Mountain Biker's Responsibility Code", understand the inherent risks of biking, sign a waiver and get a token for a FREE BEER at the 6th Alley Bar and Grill.

To get your pass, go to Free Bike Trail Access Pass