ARAPAHOE BASIN — Attention skiers and snowboarders, the snow guns were fired up at Arapahoe Basin at 5:15 am Wednesday morning!
@Arapahoe_Basin snowmaking! #RaceToOpen pic.twitter.com/JY2TaKXEh1
— Sam Schreier (@SamASchreier) October 2, 2019
A Basin has the longest ski and snowboard season in Colorado and is usually one of the first to open in the state. A Basin has a key advantage over it's competitors due to it's location deep in the mountains, as well as a very high base area of 10,780 feet.
Opening day has not been announced and won't be announced until shortly before it happens, but the Basin always aims for mid-October.
Arapahoe Basin
Arapahoe Basin Snowmaking Stats:
- Snowmaking acres: 125
- Equipment: 24 energy-efficient fan guns plus several low-energy stick guns
- First year of snowmaking: 2002
- Opening day last season: October 19, 2019
Fun Facts about the A Basin's snowmaking:
- A Basin's snowmaking is solar powered thanks to a partnership with Xcel Energy and its Renewable Connect program, which gives the Basin access to a large-scale solar project in eastern Colorado.
- The snowmaking team is led by Bill LeClair, who has 35 years of experience making snow. He started in 1984 at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, his home state, because he wanted a job that would get him a free ski pass and making snow was the job that was available.
- A Basin's snowmaking system is not automated but think of it like craft brewing. We do small-batch snowmaking led by an experienced team that is constantly monitoring the conditions and equipment to adjust for the best product possible.
