Arapahoe Basin backcountry skiing possibilities
Today, Arapahoe Basin or "A-Basin", as it is referred to by locals, was the last stop on our two week Colorado skiing odyssey. As I have mentioned before conditions in Colorado this winter have been less than average. The lack of snow has prevented us from really sinking our teeth into the backcountry ski touring possibilities, on top of that the snow that is on the ground is very unstable. With this in mind we were content to ski Arapahoe Basin Resort and drool over what loomed all around us.
Arapahoe Basin has several hike-to destinations including what is known as the East Wall. Directly out of bounds lies a plethora of ski touring possibilities as you can see below this terrain is not to be taken lightly, it requires qualified mountain skill and experience. The relatively new high speed Black Mountain Express gets you into the alpine in seconds and provides a good vantage point of the front side of A-Basin's terrain. Over the ridge, Montezuma Bowl opens up even more expert skiing terrain with a number of double-black diamond runs. Some of the runs continue past the base of the lift but there is a hike back trail that you can take back to the base of the lift.
Back on the front side, the Pallavicini double chair gives you access to a vast number of expert only (double black) runs to suit all tastes. As you come off the chair, to the left is a backcountry gate that accesses the next drainage over where there is another alpine bowl and ungladed trees below. This is out of bounds and unpatrolled so you'll need your wits and avi gear and a way to hike back into the resort or to the road.
(click images for a larger view)
With the resort literally minutes from Loveland Pass we could see more high alpine ski touring across the highway, we heard this one was known as "The Professor". It had been skied and was well sun-baked but we imagine with stable conditions and good snow it would be a great ski.
Our timing was not the best for Arapahoe Basin but there are several days of snow in the forecast and winter ain't over yet. For us, there will be other seasons we'll be sure to return to experience all the inbounds hike-to skiing as well as check out what lies in the surrounding backcountry.
Looking down from the top of the Norway Double Chair you get a good view of all the ski touring options from Loveland Pass and then some.
Heading up to Loveland Pass you get a great view of the inbounds East Wall hike-to routes.
From the top of the Lenawee Triple Chair you get a prime view of "The Professor", accessible from Loveland Pass this has to be a local favourite.
