Kids of all ages enjoy the spring scene on the "Beach" at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Colorado. Photo: Arapahoe Basin
The first to the party will be one of the last to leave. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Summit County, Colo., opened on October 15, 2008, along with nearby Loveland Ski Area, to start the nation's ski season. On Sunday, June 7, A-Basin will bring down the curtain on the ski season in Colorado. Once Arapahoe Basin closes, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Timberline Lodge, Ore., will be the only open ski resorts in North America.
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area extends above an elevation of
13,000 feet to make it one of the highest resorts in the world.
Photo: Eric Wagnon
"Beach" scene hits the Rockies
Speaking of parties, A-Basin is known for its scene on the "Beach," an area near the Early Riser base parking lot where an almost daily tailgate party takes place in the spring. The resort even sells $100 reservations for six prime spots with enough room for two cars and a provided picnic table.
With nearly all Colorado resorts done in April, Arapahoe Basin is the only option for a devoted following of local skiers. Located along the Continental Divide, the ski area's elevation running from 10,780 to 13,050 feet and favorable northern exposures allow such a long season. The closing weekend, however, is rather limited in terms of open terrain. Less than 20 percent of the ski area, or about 140 acres, has stayed open during the final week of operation. Nonetheless, top-to-bottom skiing should be possible through closing day. While virtually all of the open runs are rated blue intermediate, A-Basin tends to be steeper overall than many ski areas, so some of those blues might rate as blacks at other resorts.
Lift tickets at the base ticket window cost $48 a day and $90 for a two-day ticket. Tickets are available through Liftopia.com at $38 for one day and $57 for a two-day ticket.
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Comments
Thanks for the news. I love your photos. Could you make the slide show pictures bigger?
Thanks. Unfortunately, the slideshow photo size is a preset template that's out of my control. I'd e-mail any originals that I fully own (they have a "Photo: Eric Wagnon" credit). If you're on Twitter, you can tweet me (@SkiingExaminer) so I can follow you, then you can DM me your e-mail address.
Unfortunately, there is one place that has been omitted. The Poma lift at Red Lodge Summer Race Camp on top of the Beartooth Plateau just opened last Friday and will remain open through the end of June or later. It is located outside Red Lodge, MT on the Beartooth Highway in the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming and is open to the public.
Good call, Bushey. Red Lodge wasn't on my radar. I don't know if I'd call it a "resort," but if there are lifts (even Poma lifts) and snow, that counts in my book.
Also, Laura, or any reader for that matter. Rather than going through all that Twitter stuff, you can just e-mail me directly at a google e-mail account I just created skiingexaminer@gmail.com
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