Late storm gives ski area a lift

'It just won't end' for riders craving spring conditions

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Photo by GEORGE KOCHANIEC JR.

Skiers and snowboarders enjoy fresh snow at Arapahoe Basin on Tuesday.

On a powder day in May, all roads lead to this winter playground along the Continental Divide.

Snow fanatics filled up the parking lots at this high-altitude ski area Tuesday, hoping to get in a few more runs at one of the last ski areas open for business in the waning days of an epic snow season.

"I'm pretty excited," said Brittany Perkins, a teleskier who just returned home "for the summer" in Breckenridge after her classes ended at Western State College, in Gunnison. "It hasn't been this good in May for a while."

After some ski areas had trouble opening early in the season because it hadn't snowed enough, many resorts have reported record amounts of the white stuff.

For most areas, the ski season came to an end because of a lack of workers, not a lack of snow. Or skiers, for that matter.

"It just won't end," said Bernadette Foley, who arrived half an hour before the lifts opened and got a "front row" parking spot. "It's great out here. It's not windy at all."

While most ski areas wrapped up the season last month, revelers turned out in droves Tuesday to take advantage of the storm.

"This is a pretty good day - make that a really good day - for May," said Alan Henceroth, head of ski area operations for Arapahoe Basin.

Even this late in the season, about 82 percent of the resort's terrain remains open.

On the highway leading up and over Loveland Pass, a white Subaru stopped briefly on the side of the road to drop off a passenger. A snowboarder grinned broadly as he climbed out of the car, yanked on his gloves and prepared to hurl himself down the steep slopes below.

At the Interstate 70 exit, two skiers prepared to head up to Mount Trelease after making a last- minute decision to take the day off from work.

"This is the third powder day for me this month," said Chad Julian, who drove up from Boulder with his friend Kevin Grady. "We'll probably get a couple runs in."

Titan, a Huskie-Malamute mix, and Jack, a border collie, played in the snow as their owners got their gear together for the trek.

On the same day last year, Julian said they had to hike up about a quarter of a mile before they hit snow.

• May 14, 2008

  9:31 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SASQUATCH writes:

  GLOBAL WARMING FLUNKS THE LOOK OUT THE WINDOW TEST...AGAIN!

• May 14, 2008

  10:54 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  kirbysfriend22 writes:

  It didn't in November and early December.

• May 14, 2008

  11:22 a.m.

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  Mike1969 writes:

  Ski areas close in April because they are GREEDY! Not because of lack of workers or lack of snow…and don’t buy that crop about “Forrest Service leases either” everything is negotiable, especially public use land permits (like the ski resorts use)...and what cold be a better public use of public land than letting people who pay for season ski passes, actually ski on the public land!

  If Resorts wanted to have longer seasons they would. They could always limit lifts and terrain.

  Instead all summer and fall we hear “Buy our Passes”, “Buy our Four-packs”, “Buy the Epic pass”, “Buy the Rocky Mountain Super Pass”, “Hurry, last chance to buy your pass”

  …But then in April all we hear is how the resorts can’t make any money and “Have to close because the only people who are skiing are pass-holders”

  Luckily we have Abasin where it is really about the skiing and not about the $$$!

  …Sad to say that even Abasin feels the pinch and now chooses to close in June, and while that is still better than April, they used to make a run at the 4th of July every year, or at least stay open as long as the snow conditions permitted. Next time you are at The Legend skiing on your “Buddy Pass” do us all a favor and buy lunch, buy a beer, buy a T-shirt. Let’s help this Gem make some money in the spring/summer months!

• May 15, 2008

  8:56 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Mike1969 writes:

  Arapahoe Basin has 2 feet of snow in the last week!

  I imagine other front range resorts would be reporting the same...if they weren't closed.

  Many reported record snow years...then said but we are closing anyway because we can't take any more of your money.

  It should be a crime! If you open with 1 run on an 18 inch man made base you should have to stay open until you are down to 1 run on an 18 inch base!