Four seasons of skiing at A-Basin

I had a great day skiing Arapahoe at Eastertime some years ago. For those of you who are able, it's not far from Denver at all. If you are prone to altitude sickness, the Basin is pretty high up. I remember feeling light headed there.
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Four seasons of skiing at A-Basin

DAILY NEWS STAFF REPORT
March 6, 2006

Arapahoe Basin gets better with age, and after nearly 60 years in business, The Legend, as it is affectionately known, is still going strong.

The ski area has managed to stay true to its down-home tradition while changing with the times. In recent years, the Basin has added a terrain park and snowmaking to stay up-to-date with the changing ski industry.

But one thing that doesn’t change is the terrain. It’s mostly above treeline and varied enough to satisfy all ability levels yet challenging like no other.

The steep and bumped-up Pallavicini area is a playground for experts, while A-Basin’s lower east side offers mellow cruisers for beginners and intermediates.

The famed East Wall looms higher up the mountain. It usually opens in February or March, when the base depth covers the rocky terrain. Peaking at more than 13,000 feet, the wall serves up rock chutes and steep faces as well as powder stashes for those willing to hike to the top.

It’s thrilling terrain that earns its legendary status.

Let’s not forget that A-Basin has the longest ski season in the country, opening in October (now that the snowmaking guns are pumping it out) and closing after the summer solstice most years. Arapahoe shoots for July 4 as a closing date.
Those spring and summer days are part of the ski area’s story as riders and partiers alternate runs with burgers and beers at the base of the mountain — which has come, over the years, to be known as the Beach.

SKI magazine on a day at the Beach