The never ending ski season

Ski season is still here and everybody's okay with it!

• Jared Black
• Jun 28, 2019
• Travel

Skiing this weekend? Arapahoe Basin announces it will be open until the 4th of July

Arapahoe Basin is still open and is one of only two ski areas in the United States that are still operating! A-Basin being open this late into the season is pretty remarkable and it's the 1st time since 2011 that the ski area has been able to stay open so late.  The other mountain in this write up is Mt. Hood, they kind of have a cheat though because Mt. Hood is essentially a glacier so they tote themselves on how it's the best summer skiing; really it's normally the only summer skiing. A-Basin is better anyway.

 

Arapahoe Basin was originally found by a duo by the names Laurence Jump and Sandy Schauffler. They were tasked with finding a possible ski area location on the front range ad ended up with Arapahoe Basin. Arapahoe Basin was fairly close to the soon to boom Denver and they originally opened up in 1946 with one tow rope and the skiers were actually transported to the tow rope via 4x4 vehicles. The feel at A- Basin for short, is nothing short of incredible. They've had this local touch that seems quite hard to find nowadays, especially amongst the mega resorts that surround A-Basin in Colorado's popular Summit County. Keystone, Breckenridge, & Vail are all within an easy drive but there is something to be said about the small "locals" resort. The resorts listed above are fantastic ski resorts but they're all about the money. Vail Resorts a business that owns over 40 resorts and is the owner and operator of these resorts and everything from a burger&fries to lift tickets is priced with the resort winning at the end of the day. Sure, these mountains are fantastic but the price of a ski trip to one of these world class destinations you should probably get some free restaurant vouchers and at least some discounted drinks! The price is a driving force and a lot of things are changing in the ski industry due to this change. A-Basin originally opened with a lift ticket at just $1.25 now you can expect to pay at least $180+ for a lift ticket at one of the major resorts.

 

Though A basin remains local and focused on getting skiers on the slopes even their rate has gone up a bit to the neighborhood of $90 dollars. What these resorts are seeing is purely profit, that's not what original pioneers of the sport wanted. What skiing was meant to be is a way for families to get out and enjoy the winter weather together. A ski trip now is estimated to cost $10,000 when it's all said and done and that’s just for a family of 4. I remember getting up early and heading to the slopes in Maine with a giant grin on my face as I geared up to meet my ski racing coach. My parents worked at the mountain at the time to get us a free pass and it was one of the many joys I had as a kid. Me and my friends learned alot from each other and it was snow sports that brought us all together.

 

Arapahoe Basin does do a d#$% good job of trying to keep it as local as possible and not let the mega resorts influence them as much as they try to stray away. The first step actually just took place as the small resort decided that they will no longer participate in Vail Resorts Epic Pass. A-Basin has been on this pass as long as I can remember and it finally parting ways with the giant Vail has people questioning if it was a good decision or a bad one but I think at the end of the day A-Basin knows what they're doing. They've opened up more space, they have the beach, and hamburgers don't cost $26 dollars. I believe A Basin is out for the authentic skiing/riding experience and I trust that whatever decision they make will be the right one for the organization as well as it's patrons. Oh and did I mention the famous beach?! The beach is a zone along A-Basins slope that allows cars to drive right up to the slope for prime ski in ski out parking. On weekends you'll see hundreds of people flock to the beach not even to ski but to party and listen to music instead! Don't drink and drive! 

 

Lastly - A- Basin is open until July 4th, 2019 and it will be the resorts last day of operation. I am sure some will be saddened to see the ski season go but hey, it's been going since last october so I am pretty sure we will last the next 3 months until we're able to slide around again. I am ready for summer! Should you want to rent skis here is a link for Ridden - Ski Rental 

These guys are the best rental shop in Breckenridge and it shows! When I first walked in the door I saw all these service rewards and upon a little more research I learned that Breckenridge being such a tourist hotspot actually has a program dedicated to businesses providing above and beyond service. At the end of the day, rent some skis, put some sunscreen on and make sure you're ready for all the fun that A-Basin has to offer!

 

 

Go Ski!