Colorado Is Hurting for Snow, but Arapahoe Basin Is Getting Creative

It’s no secret that the Colorado ski season is off to a slow start.

In river basins across the state, the snowpack is well below the median, according to data gathered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

Against this less-than-snowy backdrop, one ski resort in the state, Arapahoe Basin, is taking a unique approach to terrain management.

Along with working to open trails and keep them open, the mountain is also expanding what it calls “limited and directed” skiing. Keep reading for more.

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What does that mean, and how does it work?

Arapahoe Basin’s ski patrollers are being stationed around rope lines in the Pali and Front Side areas. Once a group of skiers and snowboarders gathers, a patroller will guide them through the run. Afterwards, patrol will close the run so it doesn't get skied out. 

These limited openings won’t be shared on Arapahoe Basin’s website. They’re dependent on the weather and conditions, down to the hour. 

“Patrol is still hard at work managing the safety of terrain and helping injured parties, so be aware and do not just assume all of patrol is there to take you on a private tour!” a spokesperson for the mountain said in an email. “You'll know it when you see it—they'll be waiting by closed terrain and looking to chat, a group may be gathering.”

The program addresses two goals at once. First, it gets Arapahoe Basin fans off-piste amid the low tide conditions—as of now, only 22 of the mountain’s 147 trails are officially open. Second, skiers compacting the snow is critical to greenlighting more runs.

The “limited and directed” announcement follows a recent storm that dropped about a foot of snow on Arapahoe Basin, pushing its season total to 60 inches. The storm improved conditions and, just a few days ago, the ski resort’s famed Pallavicini chairlift finally started spinning for the season.

But skiers in Colorado and other western states may be waiting for a while before the next big storm. According to Chris Tomer, a meteorologist popular among skiers, the West looks quiet through January 22. 

“For the first eight days of this period, there’s absolutely nothing,” he said in a recent video update, although snow may begin to trickle in by the end of the month.  

In the meantime, Arapahoe Basin is doing its best to make lemonade from lemons.