It is now officially Fall. The golden aspen leaves will be peaking soon and we will see more and more snowy white dustings up high. The early snow always melts, but eventually and usually sometime in October, the snow starts to stick. The nights get a lot colder and we will be making snow before you know it. We all need to be thinking about getting our final high elevation hikes and bike rides completed soon.
We are in Day 1 of Okotberfest at The Basin - one of my favorite events. Hope you can join us. The weather might be challenge later today and tomorrow, but we will make the best of it, moving the fun indoors if we have to. Prosit !!!
The trail construction for the last section of "Up At Arapahoe" continues up Norway Face. The trail is now about 100 vertical feet from the Summit. The Trail Crew has crossed the summer road and is preparing for the final push to the top. No doubt we will be battling winter weather in the coming weeks, but the finish is so close.
People are starting to think about winter. Saturday we hosted our first "Boot Camp." About 50 skiers and riders came up to The Basin and took part in some serious (and of course fun) ski training. We will see some snow on the Lower Mountain very soon. Almost all of the fan guns are out on High Noon now. In another couple weeks, the snowmakers will start focusing on the temperatures, looking for that first night when wet bulb temps drop below 28 F.
The snowmakers are placing fan guns on High Noon. Some of the hydrants have been deployed. We are filling the reservoir. We will be testing pipes, pumps and plugs. The crew is gearing up for a busy few months.
Yesterday afternoon I went for a nice stroll around the base area and a little ways up the Argentine North Fork Trail. The Lift Maintenance crew is busy gearing up for their October annual inspections. The snowmakers are finishing their summer work. I savor these September days with the tall grasses and blooming fireweed. I am wearing a puffy, hat and gloves to walk the dog in the morning. The glorious summer days are winding down. ..............And you know what that means.
The Trail Crew has opened up another 1,000 feet of the "Up At Arapahoe" Trail. Leaving Steilhang Hut, riders and hikers can now skip another chunk of the summer road. Hard to believe, but it is another sweet section of trail that traverses across Lower Powerline and Lower Norway. From where this new section intersects the summer road, the trail work under construction on Norway Face is clearly visible. Man oh man, do I look forward to the Norway Face section being complete.
