I first laid my eyes on the mountains when I was five-years-old. My parents loaded my siblings and me into a gold two-wheel-drive minivan in Kansas City and headed west. After being away from skiing for more than five years, my dad wanted to get back on snow just as badly as he wanted to introduce it to us.
We wound up at Arapahoe Basin in Summit County, Colorado. Little did I know that this small stretch of the Rocky Mountains would change my life forever. By the time we arrived, the sun had already baked the April snow into a wet, heavy slush. Sharing one pair of skis and boots with my siblings, we all took our first turns beneath the Molly Hogan chair. Although I did not know it then, those turns helped shape a life of passion, relationships, and respect for the mountains.
Arapahoe Basin sits in the heart of Summit County and is often the first ski area to open and the last to close in Colorado. From the “white ribbon of death” in early October, to the Fourth of July pond skim on Lake Reveal, and every day in between, it remains the soul of Summit County. A-Basin spans 1,428 acres with 147 runs, 73% of them being advanced/expert level terrain. The mountain is known for challenging terrain, including a 2017 terrain expansion that added “The Steep Gullies.” Here you can access some of Colorado’s most unique inbound terrain and enjoy a 20-minute hike back to the lift.
A-Basin’s 10,700-foot base rises dramatically to 13,050 feet on the East Wall. The terrain is as exposed and steep as any inbounds terrain in North America. Though the base amenities may seem humble, the mountain’s opportunities are endless. You can bootpack 1,500 vertical feet on a cold March morning and cruise mellow groomers with friends and family in the afternoon.
But what stole my heart, and the hearts of so many others, is the slow double chair on the west side of A-Basin’s parking lot: the legendary Pallavicini lift, or “Pali Chair.” Its distinct creaky sound and the consistent cheers in the corral on a powder day always remind me that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Here skiers and riders can truly challenge themselves skiing tight tree-lined chutes, and long sustained bumps that seem to never end.
My first time riding this chair was in March of 2008, when my Dad and I took our first solo father-son ski day. After hanging up our boot bags inside the third floor of the A-frame, we skied right past all I knew until that point in the Black Mountain Express. I have never looked back. Even in the middle of a high pressure system, the high altitude and favorable wind patterns keep the snow chalky and smooth, especially on my personal favorite run, “The Spine.” It is here my mind goes when I’m furthest from skiing. I imagine myself lying down long drawn out turns on centimeters of fresh, wind-blown smoke in my favorite place.
The 2025-26 season is sure to provide new memories that anyone who visits A-Basin can reflect on for years to come. Until then, I wait. Refreshing Open Snow’s five-day forecast ad nauseam.
