A-Basin, CO 3-23-25

[EMSC]

Two takes. Very good day to ski the Basin; also very interesting comparison to my recent euro trip.

8" powder day. Interestingly I didn't bother rushing I-70, not worth the hassle to get up that early. I suspected at least some of the front range would stay home with 60F in the forecasts for the flatlands. We ended up in about 20min of delays which I took as not at all bad compared to many weekends. Got lucky that CDot opened Loveland Pass only 15 or so minutes before we drove it. Arrival about 9a.

Warm up on Pali, then to the Beavers terrain. I've found a number of spots that don't get skied out too fast so skiing anything from untouched to the 'big patch' leftovers.

Kinda all over, all aspects of the beavers. Then a quick lunch at mid-mtn BML. We were thinking maybe a Zuma run but just as we approached the top of Lenawee lift they opened East Wall and could not resist. We did two laps there, one 100% untouched and managed to get big patch style 2nd lap as very few were going past the Willy's Wide hike area.

Snow was just some of the best. Both fluffy and creamy at the same time.

By end of 2nd lap a huge line had formed on Lenawee so we bailed down to Pali lift. From there we decided to do Steep Gullies. The wind had really picked up by then so while not powder exactly, lots of wind drifted and sifted snow. It is the Basin so always need to be aware of rocks in there, but we found them easily avoided and for them well covered.

Couple laps in there and a final one down in to the base area. So Europe ended very nicely, but on a travel and cost basis this kind of stuff is my comparison. Where would you spend your resources?

Warm up lap on Pali

Beavers if you know where to go

More Beavers first tracks

Welcome to the Steep Gullies in prime condition.

A bit breezy on the pass

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have always wondered why EMSC doesn't ski A-Basin more. It has more steeps than the rest of the Front Range combined IMHO. Perhaps that is changing now.

Steep Gullies. ......Couple laps in there

With the half hour hike out? My guess is that even in my younger days I would only have considered that once a day.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Can't argue with those pix from A-Basin.

Europe ended very nicely, but on a travel and cost basis this kind of stuff is my comparison. Where would you spend your resources?

You deserve props for giving the Alps a try twice despite the fact that -- due to your home location, preferences, things you don't care about, and being locked into advance lodging reservations -- a winning value proposition would entail hitting paydirt the entire time with conditions like those he scored at Val d'Isere.

Don't forget the deal closer on sticking to the western U.S. for your guys trips -- no one is there to question your right to ride the chair without a safety bar!

 

[Tony Crocker]

The quality of one’s local skiing can be a deterrent to any destination ski travel. Thus former admin and JimK cut way back after moving to a home base in Utah.

The apples to apples comparison is destination ski travel to the Alps vs. western North America. If you live in the West the balance is tipped to the latter due to:
1) Much longer air travel distance and an 8-9 hour time change for a short trip.
2) The option to drive your own car vs. fly for longer trips, as we are doing right now.

For east coasters it’s different and if I lived there I would probably take similar numbers of trips east or west. What do EMSC’s eastern friends think about that?

For those easterners I see the trend moving toward the Alps. The lift ticket pricing disparity has been going on a few years now. But now there seems to be a growing lodging cost disparity as well.

Sbooker, who has the travel schedule from hell to either Europe or North America, has already commented on how much more expensive the US West is.

 

[Skieric]

I live in Toronto. Still finding US and Canada skiing preferred to European. I have family in Colorado, making that an easy choice while western Canada has both snow, costs and easy accce in its favour. I also have a better knowledge of the mountains and the weather patterns in NA. A major deterrent to me for Europe is the difference in avalanche control. Its more common for me to ski solo. In NA, I can ski anywhere within the boundaries and know that avalanche safety is being performed. I europe, I would need to get a guide to safety ski the off piste that I prefer and guides get expensive quickly.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

A major deterrent to me for Europe is the difference in avalanche control. Its more common for me to ski solo. In NA, I can ski anywhere within the boundaries and know that avalanche safety is being performed. In Europe, I would need to get a guide to safety ski the off piste that I prefer and guides get expensive quickly.

That's a legit issue. I ski solo 95% of the time and don't have the wherewithal to afford guides; however, my comfort zone acts as an automatic deterrent from me wandering into avalanche-prone offpiste terrain. Incredible how many stories you hear about higher-level skiers crossing into sketchy areas without a guide when it's above a 3 rating -- and as we saw a few weeks ago in St. Moritz, a veteran guide can also make doh! mistakes in rare circumstances.

 

[Tony Crocker]

. In NA, I can ski anywhere within the boundaries and know that avalanche safety is being performed.

Which is the reason fresh powder gets hammered within a few hours at most North American resorts. As James says, you have to exercise judgment in the Alps choosing terrain and being aware of the current avalanche status and recent history. I’ll admit I’ve had a couple of close calls which James so far has not.

western Canada has both snow, costs and easy accce in its favour.

No argument there, as I have been going there almost every year since 1997. But I’m greedy. In retirement I’ve been going to the Alps regularly in addition to Canada.

And I’ve consistently advised expert skiers with time constraints like EMSC that Canadian cat/heli is the most reliable call for those who must reserve far in advance. So that’s what I did starting at age 44 when I was in that situation.

So far the US ski ticket/lodging pricing model has not infected Canada much with the possible exception of Whistler.