Arapahoe Basin Will Reopen for the Summer Season

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin will remain open seven days a week through June 5 and will reopen for summer skiing for at least two three-day weekends – Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays June 10, 11, and 12 and June 17, 18 and 19.

The ski area has reported over 420” of snow this season; 15” in the last week. Because of the strong snow season and current 94” base, A-Basin will be able to push the ski season into the summer. This is the first time the area will experiment being open on weekends only.

“Having our greatest season in years, ideally we would like to stay open on the weekends until the fourth of July, but it’s too early to know what the conditions will be to make that call,” said Alan Henceroth, COO of Arapahoe Basin.

During Arapahoe Basin’s Summer Season, the ski area will open at 8:30 a.m. with two lifts serving top to bottom skiing. Black Mountain Express will close at 2:00 p.m. and Lenawee Mountain Lift will close at 2:30 p.m. Lift tickets at the A-Basin ticket window will be $39 for adults, $29 for youths (ages 15-19) and $19 for children (ages 6-14) during the Summer Season. No other discount or lift ticket offer will be accepted during this period. All season passes and pre-purchased lift tickets valid at A-Basin during the regular season will be valid during this Summer Season.

A $10 barbeque lunch special will be featured on the deck at Black Mountain Lodge, the A-Frame café will be open for breakfast, and the 6th Alley bar will serve pizza and drinks. The retail and rental shops will be open with ski, snowboard and clothing rentals and sales.

Arapahoe Basin Reaches 100” Base

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin ski patrol reported a 100” base this morning. This snow depth represents the deepest base A-Basin has experienced all season and one that has not been reached since 2003. The current storm has dropped 7” of snow in the last 24 hours and 15” in the last three days. More snow is expected in the forecast.

Tomorrow, April 27, Arapahoe Basin and Summit County local radio station, KSMT The Mountain, will throw a Locals’ Day party to celebrate. A free State Farm, Big Hit and Nomis Air and Style competition will be held in the Treeline Terrain Park with cash prizes. From 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. enjoy barbeque specials, entertainment and giveaways at Black Mountain Lodge. Live music with Sam Adams and Jagermeister specials will take place in the base area from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Demo Tech Nine gear and partake in the Silverthorne Recreation Centers volleyball competition. KSMT is also putting on a scavenger hunt during the day.

A-Basin is 100% open and boasts 382” of snow so far this season. Closing date is currently set for June 5, 2011. For more information on snow conditions or spring events, please log on to arapahoebasin.com or call (888) ARAPAHOE (272-7246). Please carpool or ride the Summit Stage to Arapahoe Basin. The free Summit Stage will run through May 29, 2011.

Colorado Has Plenty of Action Left in Their Season Still

Here are the areas in Colorado that are still turning the lifts:

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Aspen Highlands

Beaver Creek Resort

Breckenridge Ski Resort

Copper Mountain Resort

Loveland Ski Area

Vail Mountain

Winter Park Resort

Silverton Mountain

Echo Mountain

Memorial Service announced for Leif Eric Borgeson

Arapahoe Basin, CO - A Celebration of Life will be held in memory of Arapahoe Basin Snow Safety Director, Leif Borgeson, on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at the Keystone Conference Center. The doors will open at 4:30pm for friends to gather and the service will begin promptly at 5:30 pm. Immediately following the service, there will be a reception for all at the Arapahoe Basin A-frame including refreshments and a time to meet Leif’s family. At the A-Basin reception there will be an opportunity for friends to be video-taped and share a favorite Leif Borgeson story.

In lieu of flowers, donations for the Leif Borgeson Memorial Fund are being accepted at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.

Arapahoe Basin's Montezuma Bowl to Open This Saturday

Montezuma Bowl Opens for its Fourth Season in Time for the Holidays
Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin’s Montezuma Bowl will open to the public at 9:00 am, Saturday, December 18.

A-Basin has received over 100” of snow since opening day in October, helping to make this Montezuma Bowl opening the earliest one in its four year history. Open terrain will be growing quickly to include additional runs with the anticipated snowfall this week. Hike back terrain and other areas of the West Bowl will open as soon as possible.

The intermediate and advanced terrain to open on Saturday will include Columbine, Larkspur, Shining Light, Ned’s Cache, Miner’s Glade, Independence, Eureka, Torreys, Grays and Bierstadt all accessible from the Zuma chairlift.

Montezuma Bowl opened for its inaugural season in January of 2008. The expansion increased the ski area’s terrain by 80 percent. The 400-acre Montezuma Bowl, located on the backside of Arapahoe Basin, was the nation’s largest terrain expansion for the 2007-2008 ski season.

Arapahoe Basin’s Norway Lift Will Open This Friday, November 5 at 9AM

Arapahoe Basin, CO - The Norway chairlift, running from mid-mountain to the summit, will serve two upper mountain intermediate runs – Dercum's Gulch and Lenawee Face.

A-Basin’s Terrain Summary as of this Friday –
Two chairlifts (Black Mountain Express/Norway) serving seven trails including four features in the High Divide Terrain Park.

Arapahoe Basin 2010-2011 Season Passes

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin’s 2010-2011 season passes are now on sale.

Arapahoe Basin Bonus Pass
The 2010-11 Arapahoe Basin Bonus Pass is now available to purchase for $359 (ages 15+). The Bonus Pass provides skiers and riders unlimited usage at A-Basin for the entire 2010-11 season, plus five non-transferable ski days valid at Keystone or Breckenridge. One of those five days can be used at Vail or Beaver Creek (some date restrictions apply). A limited number of these passes will be sold. These pass prices are valid through November 14, 2010.

A-Basin Only Season Pass
The 2010-11 Arapahoe Basin only Adult Season Pass (ages 20-69) is now on sale for $299, the Youth Pass (ages 15-19) is selling for $199, and the Child Pass (ages 6-14) is selling for $119. These passes are also valid for the entire 2010-11 season with no blackout dates. A pair of Colorado Avalanche tickets will be given to the first 50 people to purchase an adult pass at the Sniagrab ski show this weekend in Denver.

Pass Holder Benefits
Pass holders will also receive discounts at the ski area. Discounts include friends and family A-Basin lift ticket discounts, one $25 half-day class lesson, 10% off food (excluding the 6th Alley bar), 10% off purchases made at Arapahoe Sports, 5 days of skiing at Bear Valley in California, one unguided day of skiing at Silverton Mountain and $10 off performance tunes in the Base’n Edge Tune Shop.

Arapahoe Basin Receives CSCUSA Industry Awards

Arapahoe Basin, CO - On Thursday, June 10, 2010 Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) acknowledged outstanding industry professionals at its Double Diamond Awards Dinner in Denver in conjunction with its annual meeting. Three of those awards went to Arapahoe Basin ski area employees.

The CSCUSA industry awards have been presented to the best of the best in the categories of snow maintenance professionals, athletes, instructors, and ski patrollers for their leadership and commitment to Colorado’s ski industry. Tony Cammarata, Dick Dreyer and Alan Henceroth all won excellence awards in their field. The winners are chosen based on professionalism, dedication, contribution, leadership and attitude.

Patroller of the Year – Tony Cammarata, Arapahoe Basin
Tony Cammarata, Assistant Patrol Director, has been a valuable asset to the Ski Patrol at Arapahoe Basin for 16 years. Tony’s strongest suit is his unbelievable charisma with all types of audiences. He can motivate fellow patrollers at the end of an eight month season or entertain children during an on-hill safety talk. Cammarata recently received the Purple Merit Star from the National Ski Patrol for life saving actions. He is always willing to jump into action to help any ski area department or guest to keep the day running smoothly. COO and General Manager of A-Basin, Alan Henceroth said, “Proactively, he has designed and implemented numerous improvements to the Arapahoe Basin medical program. He is widely respected and admired by his peers.”

Slope Groomer – Dick Dreyer, Arapahoe Basin
Dick Dreyer has been with Arapahoe Basin operations for over thirty years. He has seen Arapahoe Basin through a breadth of changes, such as the addition of snowmaking, terrain parks, and the expansion into Montezuma Bowl. He was very influential in the implementation of many of these projects and continues to be a mentor to all of A-Basin’s cat drivers.

President's Award – Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin
The President’s Award was given to Alan Henceroth, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, for his industry leadership and support for the trade association. Melanie Mills, President of CSCUSA speaks highly of Alan, “Whether it’s service on an important board or committee that needs industry representation or brainstorming solutions to individual issues, he’s a go to guy for us.”

The Arapahoe Basin team is proud of Tony, Dick and Alan’s achievements and thank them for being part of Arapahoe Basin – The Legend.

Arapahoe Basin Celebrates 9th Annual Festival of the Brewpubs

Arapahoe Basin, CO - On Sunday May 30, Arapahoe Basin will be hosting the ninth annual Festival of the Brewpubs. Four local Summit County breweries will be offering samples of their favorite hand-crafted ales. Brewpubs include Backcountry, Breckenridge, Dillon Dam and Pug Ryan’s.

A-Basin will be selling 14 oz. plastic souvenir mugs for $20. Mugs can be purchased for unlimited tasting from noon until 4:00 p.m. or while supplies last. (Must be 21 years of age to participate.)

A DJ from Krystal 93 radio will be spinning tunes in the base area from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Live music starts at 1:00 p.m. with That Eighties Band, on the ticket office steps. The outside barbecue will be fired up featuring smoked pulled pork sliders.

A-Basin is open from top to bottom with great spring skiing and riding conditions. A-Basin currently has a 36” midway base and is open from 8:30 a.m. weekends and 9:00 a.m. weekdays until 4:00 p.m.

Chairs from the Exhibition Lift go on Sale May 1, 2010

Arapahoe Basin, CO - The Exhibition triple chair lift, built in 1978, will be replaced this summer with a high speed Leitner-Poma quad chair lift christened Black Mountain Express. Of the 118 chairs from the old lift, 110 will be available to the public for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis for $450 each. The remaining chairs will be donated to local Summit County organizations for fund raising purposes.

Sale of the chairs will begin May 1 at 8:00 a.m. online at www.ArapahoeBasin.com. The chairs will be available for pick up on June 11 and 12 at A-Basin.

The new lift received its name this past February after receiving hundreds of suggestions in a naming contest. A-Basin employee Mark LaFlamme was the first to enter the Black Mountain Express name.
The new lift will have a capacity of 2000 people per hour, a length of 2877 feet and a vertical rise of 719 feet. Ride time from base area to mid-mountain will be just under three minutes, half the time of the current lift ride. Construction is scheduled for mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date (tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010) or opening date next fall.

“The Exhibition lift is a great lift with few maintenance issues, but now is the time to replace it. The new lift will have increased capacity, shorter ride time and easer loading. It will provide rapid, easy access to the upper mountain, Montezuma Bowl, and Black Mountain Lodge,” stated Alan Henceroth, Chief Operations Officer.

A-Basin lead Groomer Wins Slope Groomer of the Year Award

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Colorado Ski Country announced on April 7, 2010 at the Colorado Ski Country USA Snow Conference that Dick Dreyer of Arapahoe Basin won Slope Groomer of the Year. There were seven finalists in his category. The CSCUSA industry awards have been presented to the best of the best in the categories of slope groomer, terrain master, and snowmaker for over 20 years. Each CSCUSA resort nominates one employee in each category every year. The winners are chosen based on professionalism, dedication, contribution, leadership, and attitude.

Dreyer has been with Arapahoe Basin operations for over thirty years. Prior to working for A-Basin, he worked one year as a groomer for Keystone Ski Resort. He has seen Arapahoe Basin through a breadth of changes, such as the addition of snowmaking, terrain parks, and the expansion into Montezuma Bowl. He was very influential in the implementation of many of these projects and continues to be a mentor to all of A-Basin’s cat drivers.

Dick’s supervisor, Mark LaFlamme spoke about Dick’s role in the Montezuma Bowl expansion project. “He played a huge role in our expansion into Montezuma Bowl, not only in creating the grooming plan but also with the construction. A large part of the project was completed over snow, which created many obstacles. Dick’s creativity and hard work made the project possible. His knowledge, skill and positive attitude make him a huge asset that we are very thankful to have at Arapahoe Basin.”
When asked about his passion for snow grooming, Dick said, “I still take enormous pleasure in firing up a cat and heading out into the night, always anxious to see what Mother Nature holds in store for us.” The Arapahoe Basin team is proud of Dick’s achievements and abilities and look forward to the next thirty years with him at the helm.

Arapahoe Basin Now Selling 2010-2011 Season Passes

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin Bonus Pass
The 2010-11 Arapahoe Basin Bonus Pass is now available to purchase for $359 for adults (ages 15+) and $269 for children (ages 6-14). The Bonus Pass provides skiers and riders unlimited usage at A-Basin during the remainder of the 2009-10 season as well as the entire 2010-11 season, plus five non-transferable ski days valid at Keystone or Breckenridge. One of those five days can be used at Vail or Beaver Creek (some date restrictions apply). The five Vail Resorts ski days are applicable for the 2010-11 ski season only. A limited number of these passes will be sold. These pass prices are valid through April 30, 2010.

A-Basin Only Season Pass
The 2010-11 Arapahoe Basin only Adult Season Pass (ages 20-69) is now on sale for $299, the Youth Pass (ages 15-19) is selling for $199, and the Child Pass (ages 6-14) is selling for $109. These passes are also valid for the remainder of the 2009-10 season as well as the entire 2010-11 season with no black out dates.

$49 Deposit
Arapahoe Basin is offering skiers and riders the opportunity to secure these pass prices with a $49 deposit. The remaining balance will be due September 1, 2010. A deposit can be made online at wwww.arapahoebasin.com or by calling 888-ARAPAHOE. Deposits are accepted on pass purchases made through June 6, 2009. Pass prices may change after April 30, 2010. Full payment is required on passes used during the remainder of the 2009-10 season.

Montezuma Bowl Opens for its Third Season

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Arapahoe Basin’s Montezuma Bowl will open to the public at 9:00am, Wednesday, February 24. Snow accumulation from the recent storms has enabled the crew at A-Basin to open the back bowl. The Zuma chair lift will give skiers and riders access to 17 intermediate, advanced and expert runs. Approximately 200 acres of groomed, chutes, trees and wide open bowl terrain will be made available.
Montezuma Bowl opened for its inaugural season in January of 2008. The expansion increased the ski area’s terrain by 80 percent. The 400-acre Montezuma Bowl, located on the backside of Arapahoe Basin, was the nation’s largest terrain expansion for the 2007-2008 ski season.
Arapahoe Basin continues to grow and this summer A-Basin will begin construction on a new detachable quad chairlift – Black Mountain Express. The new lift will replace the Exhibition fixed grip triple chair located in the base area. Construction is scheduled for mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date (tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010).
Arapahoe Basin Info

Arapahoe Basin Announces New Lift for 2010-2011 Season

Arapahoe Basin, CO - Detachable quad chairlift to replace current base area triple chair.

This summer A-Basin Ski Area will begin construction on a new detachable quad chairlift. The new lift will replace the Exhibition fixed grip triple chair located in the base area, which was installed in 1978. The new lift will have a capacity of 2000 people per hour, a length of 2877 feet and have a vertical rise of 719 feet. The ride time will be just under three minutes, half the time of the current lift ride from base area to mid-mountain.

Construction is scheduled for mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date (tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010). The top terminal of the new lift will be slightly realigned uphill and to the west away from Black Mountain Lodge. The lower terminal will remain in the same location.

Arapahoe Basin is taking suggestions for the name of the new lift. A 2010-2011 Arapahoe Basin Season Pass or $300 gift certificate to Arapahoe Sports will be given to the person whose suggestion is selected. If multiple people provide the winning selection, the award will be given to the first suggestion received. Send suggestions to Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin COO and General Manager!
A-Basin Info