Colorado — Arapahoe Basin is working towards implementing many major projects from its master plan, which was accepted by the U.S. Forest Service last September.
However, this acceptance is for the vision, not the individual projects (unless previously approved) mentioned in the master plan. This means that Arapahoe Basin is now trying to get some of them officially approved.
Last week, the U.S. Forest Service announced that it is requesting comments on a series of improvements planned for Arapahoe Basin. The enhancements intend to improve patroller safety by becoming more reliant on remote avalanche technology, increase snowmaking production (leading to opening more terrain quicker), and add more parking spots for drivers.
Here’s a rundown of the proposed changes for Arapahoe Basin.
Avalanche Mitigation
In recent years, major ski resorts like Snowbird have transitioned to Remote Avalanche Control Systems (RACs). These machines lead to more efficient blasting and protect patrollers from dangerous situations. This system leads to quicker openings, which is scientifically proven to lead to more stoked skiers and riders.
While the locations of each tower haven’t been finalized, the current plan is to install 17 Wyssen towers. 6 towers would be installed in the Montezuma Bowl, and 11 would go on the East Wall. The 17 towers would cover around 115 acres of avalanche-prone terrain.
Here’s A-Basin’s reasoning behind the change:
“A-Basin currently uses avalaunchers, which are costly and require employees to work in avalanche-prone areas, exposing them to safety risks. The installation of RACs would improve employee safety during avalanche mitigation and would align with the resort’s commitment to prioritizing the well-being of its employees, as well as with industry trends shifting away from military-grade artillery and towards RACs.”
Parking
Two proposed parking lots would help handle the continued high demand at the Colorado ski area. These additions would increase the number of parking spaces from around 1,695 to 2,095. This would add the Moose Hollow and the Upper Upper Last Chance (surprisingly not a typo) parking lots. Each of these new lots would have around 200 spaces. The Moose Hollow Lot would feature not only ski-in/out access, but also a pedestrian bridge over US 6 for guests to reach the existing shuttle stop.
Does this mean Arapahoe Basin is planning to get rid of paid parking reservations? I wouldn’t count on it.
Notably absent from the proposal is the previously proposed gondola. This proposal could eventually connect the Upper Moose, Last Chance, and Upper/Upper Last Chance lots to the base area.
Snowmaking
While Arapahoe Basin is known for being one of the first to open in North America, they tend to struggle to grow their terrain count in the early season following the opening of High Noon. This is because they only have approximately 75 acres of snowmaking infrastructure at this point, along with limited water capacity.
Their plan is to expand their snowmaking capacity by having the Forest Service eliminate the 25% maximum removal rate from the North Fork of the Snake River. A-Basin is arguing that its scientific analysis over the years has proven that this increase wouldn’t negatively impact the local ecosystem.
The plan is to expand their snowmaking coverage by around 65 acres, bringing total skiable acres covered to approximately 140. They are envisioning adding snowmaking to the Montezuma Bowl backside, two intermediate runs (Loafer and Davis) in The Beavers, and a few frontside trails around the Lenawee Express (Shooting Gallery, Upper Wrangler, and Sundance).
If you have thoughts on these proposals, you can submit your comments electronically here. Alternatively, you can mail your comments to Brian Glaspell, Forest Supervisor, c/o Sarah Strehle, Mountain Sports Permit Administrator, with the address being the USDA Forest Service, Dillon Ranger District, P.O. Box 620, Silverthorne, CO 80498.
Image/Video Credits: Arapahoe Basin, SE Group
