Well that was quick. A few hours after Curbed Ski surmised that Colorado skiers could be making some turns this weekend, Arapahoe Basin announced that they will turn on the lifts this Friday, October 17. A-Basin will be the first ski area in North America to open for the 2014-2015 season, so that means winter is officially here. Last year, the Basin kept the lifts going for a whopping 241 days, so let's get this party started!
A-Basin's neighbor, Loveland, has also been pumping the snow guns, but there's no word on when they will open. A ski area representative reports that Loveland will "start turning Chair 1 as soon as we have 18 inches of snow and tree-to-tree coverage on our top-to-bottom run."
In the meantime, wax your gear and head to A-Basin!
Press Release provided by Arapahoe Basin:
Arapahoe Basin, Colorado — Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (A-Basin) will kick off Colorado's 2014-15 ski and snowboard season on Friday, October 17, 2014. Skiers and snowboarders will be able to make turns on the intermediate High Noon trail starting at 9:00 a.m. Guests will take the Black Mountain Express high-speed quad chairlift to the top of the run at mid-mountain.
"Conditions have been outstanding for snowmaking and we are very excited to open this Friday," said Alan Henceroth, A-Basin's Chief Operating Officer. "It is always great to watch people have fun skiing and riding. I look forward to catching up with old friends and getting The Basin rolling."
A-Basin's mountain operations team started making snow on October 2, 2014, and they were able to create the 18-inch base necessary for opening over the course of several days. The ski area also received about a foot of natural snow in the weeks prior to opening.
Skier services available opening day include ski and snowboard rentals, several dining options, and a sale in the Arapahoe Sports retail store. Guests can enjoy breakfast in the A-Frame lodge's Legends Café; lunch will be served at both Black Mountain Lodge (at mid-mountain) and at the recently renovated 6th Alley Bar & Grill (in the base area). The A-Basin Mug Club sale will start at 8:00 a.m. in the A-Frame on opening day; each mug is $45 and the mug holder receives discounts throughout the season (limit one mug per person; must be 21 with valid proof of age).
Guests can find the guaranteed lowest price on A-Basin lift tickets by purchasing them in advance at ArapahoeBasin.com. Current lift ticket window pricing will run through December 19, 2014, with adult (ages 19-59) full-day tickets priced at $69, youth (ages 15-18) window tickets priced at $57 and child (ages 6-14) window tickets priced at $34. Children under age 5 ski free every day all season. Information about season passes and multi-day tickets can be found at ArapahoeBasin.com.
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