Arapahoe Basin Ski And Hike Day

This Sunday the skiing was at Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin), and the hiking was in Breckenridge. I started out the day by skiing a few turns at A-Basin, but only managed to get in three short runs before tiring of the 20-minute wait for the chair lift. Holy cow!


A-Basin can be a lot of fun once the whole place is open, but it's also one of the ski resorts on the popular Colorado Pass from Vail Resorts, so it gets mobbed during the early season because it's one of the first to open, along with Loveland. Due the high traffic, the snow surface also tends to get scraped smooth. If you go, get there early or go on a weekday, and bring skis/board with good edge grip!

It was a bit chilly waiting in line, so when I got to the top of the chair lift, I grabbed a cup of coffee in the upper lodge, petted the ski patrol dogs (they escaped before I got a picture), and warmed up while I enjoyed the scenery. The lodge is at 11,600 feet elevation in an alpine bowl, and the views of the surrounding peaks are great:


No worries about the long lines, because I knew it was going to be a short ski day, and that meant I could do two activities for the day! Later in the day, I ended up hiking the trail system that leads from Carter Park right in Breckenridge, up the hills east of town and up towards Bald Mountain. There are many trails to choose from, leading up through pine woods in the relative seclusion of forest between the homes and condos. I parked in front of the North Face store on Main and hiked to Baldy Road, about 1/3 of the way up Bald Mountain:


There was already snow in the woods, and before long, it began to snow more. Snow in the woods is an amazing thing, quiet and beautiful. As I mentioned yesterday, the trail often opened up to expansive views. However, such snowy paths also can have the more intimate quality of being in beautiful Gothic church: the trees have the soaring lines of columns, and sounds are hushed by the snow, as if the space awaits your silent prayer. But hiking is the only form of worship this atheist will be engaging in ;)


Unfortunately, the drive home was the first nasty drive of the season -- on only my second ski day. Here is the scene as I started out from Breckenridge, with 70 miles of driving to go:


There were quite a few cars off the road, since the snow was at that stage where tires tend to press it into a nice slippery mess. Trips like this are why I use snow tires from October to June (I only get two seasons out of them). Thankfully, the snow turned to drizzle and wet roads after about 20 miles, and after one more accident that blocked I-70 near Denver, I was home free.