When I was enjoying my morning coffee at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, the thought of skiing that day hadn’t come anywhere close to entering my mind. Several Colorado ski areas had been making snow for quite a while, but I had bet on a Friday or Saturday opening, certainly not a Wednesday.
Of course when I received the email that Arapahoe Basin would start spinning Black Mountain Express at 11 a.m., I dropped just about everything to pack up my car and hit the road. I arrived at the mountain around 10 a.m., just in time to watch the North American ski season begin.
Opening Day at Arapahoe Basin
Thanks to serious hard work from the entire team, A-Basin was able to open up with a well covered High Noon, a blue run that runs from the top of Black Mountain Express to the bottom of the ski area.
“I keep saying it’s a miracle what our team can do up here. We’re super small and we’re very nimble. But our snowmakers work around the clock to blow snow. Our groomers were here late night, early morning, getting this run ready. Our patrol came out, did all the ropes first thing. Our maintenance team has been working for weeks, getting everything safe and ready to go on the chairlifts, our lift ops teams. It’s crazy the amount that goes into opening day, and it’s really amazing to see it all come together.“ – Shayna Silverman, Senior Communications Manager at Arapahoe Basin
This season marks the ski area’s 80th anniversary and will celebrate with different deals and events throughout the winter, including $80 lift tickets every Wednesday throughout the season and free lift tickets every Wednesday for anyone who’s 80 years old.
“A-Basin has punched above its weight for 80 years as a locally-loved and slightly rebellious ski area. Turning 80 is a major milestone, and we just couldn’t wait to get the anniversary season started. We’re still a scrappy ski area that works fast, goes far, and does it together – that’s what allowed us to open so quickly, and we couldn’t be more excited to invite you all back.” – Alan Hencerorth, President & COO, Arapahoe Basin.
Snow Conditions and Lift Lines
The morning crowd was pretty light. The surprise announcement and the weekday opening certainly limited the number of people who could make it to the trails. When the first chair spun around 10:15 a.m. (yes, they opened even earlier than their surprise announcement implied), only around 20-30 people were waiting in line. The small crowd still had a great energy though, with everyone pumped up to get the winter going.
I’ve skied a lot of opening days, and they can get pretty scary. A lot of people on one icy trail means you have to take it really slow and very carefully. That was not the case on Wednesday. The limited crowd meant there was plenty of room for the first turns of the season. Plus the first several laps were quick, with little to no wait at the lift. Plus the snow was actually in great condition. It almost felt like a day of spring skiing, mostly being fairly loose but quite edgeable. There were even a few small kickers on the side of the run.
Opening Day Atmosphere at A-Basin
Like most days in Colorado, the sun was out and the temperature was great. Not too hot, not too cold, and my goggle tan got a nice head start. A DJ set up right next to the chairlift kept the vibes high as the morning went on, and a crew was pumping out free breakfast sandwiches for those who arrived early enough.
As the day went on the crowd started to grow. I left around 12:30 p.m., skiing for a little more than two hours, and the trail was starting to get a bit more crowded when I hit my last run. However the snow seemed to stay in pretty solid condition the whole time I was there. The middle got a bit more skied off, but sticking to the sides made for some great skiing. The longest lift line I waited in was maybe a few minutes long, even at the end.
The Verdict
A lot of people bash on early season skiing. Oftentimes they refuse to ski before January, or refuse to make it up for opening days. I do get where they’re coming from. But opening day at Arapahoe Basin was a party, with skiers, snowboarders, and staff all celebrating the start of the season.
With the season kicking off on Wednesday, Arapahoe Basin is officially open 7 days a week. Snowmaking will continue with the goal of opening more terrain as quickly as possible along the frontside of the mountain. If you’re feeling the itch to ski and can make it into the Colorado mountains this weekend, you won’t regret doing it. Keystone Resort, just down the road from Arapahoe Basin, opens on Friday, October 30th, meaning 2 ski areas will be open for Halloween.