Arapahoe Basin, CO to Add New Lifts and Expand Terrain by 400 Acres

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Arapahoe Basin's proposed changes.  With the new lift in red and white.
Arapahoe Basinโ€™s proposed changes. With the new lift in red and white.

The US Forest Service has accepted Arapahoe Basinโ€™s proposal to add a new lift, a new rope tow, and expand their terrain by 400 acres.

The new lift will be a quad that will gain 1,500 vertical feet in elevation.

Arapahoe Basin is one of the most โ€˜core ski resort in the US with a base area at 10,800 feet and ski access up to 13,000 feet.  Adding terrain and lifts here is a very good thing.

arapahoe basin, co
arapahoe basin, co

The Summit County Voice has all the details you need on this big move by Arapahoe Basin:

FRISCO โ€” U.S. Forest Service officials say theyโ€™ve accepted Arapahoe Basin Ski Areaโ€™s proposal to begin implementing pieces of a master plan that was updated last winter, including a new lift in the Beavers area, a short surface lift to improve access to Montezuma Bowl, and increased water storage for snowmaking.

The new lift in the Beavers area, to the west of the ski areaโ€™s current operational boundary, would serve about 400 acres of terrain.

โ€œTwo or so trails would be cleared while the majority would be gladed. The proposal calls for a four-person lift that would gain 1,500โ€™ in elevation,โ€ said Forest Service snow ranger Shelly Grail. โ€œThe proposed reservoir expansion is still being fine-tuned.  Itโ€™s final proposal location will  be determined after more wetland delineation work and feedback from the Army Corps of Engineers,โ€ Grail said.

The Forest Service will start the formal environmental studies for the proposal with a scoping period sometime in the next few weeks, but before that, the agency and the ski area will give the public a chance to get an overview of the plan with an Oct. 3 field session.

โ€œI highly recommend this for anyone curious about the proposal,โ€ said A-Basinโ€™s Alan Henceroth. โ€œThe tour will take most of the day and will involve a fair bit of walking on rough terrain. We will also discuss our proposals for a new surface lift to Montezuma Bowl, increased snowmaking reservoir storage, and a zipline/challenge course. This tour is meant to give anyone interested a clearer understanding of the proposal,โ€ Henceroth said. โ€“ Summit Country Voice

Read the full article here:

A-Basin moving ahead with master plan


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