Every October it’s a race between A-Basin and Loveland, CO. to see who can be the first resort to open a run. Occasionally Mt. Rose in the Sierra Nevada, or Timberline Lodge in Oregon will benefit from some early season snowfall and make an October opening, but neither has the altitude or snowmaking capacity of A-Basin.

​A-Basin consistently goes daily through Memorial weekend or the first week of June, and often extends more bonus weekend if conditions allow. On a good season, a few Sierra resorts can beat them out into summer, and glacial Timberline Lodge in Oregon outlasts them by a month or two, but that’s it.

​At 13,050 feet, A-Basin is one of the highest lift served areas on the continent, and with altitude comes cold, snow, and consistently stable conditions. They don’t call it Summit County for nothing!

​The base parking area affectionately known as “Snow Beach” is a great place for tailgating activities with your friends in between runs, with great slope side views and just a short walk back to the chairlift. Unlike other resorts that make you do the long walk through the village first, or park miles away and shuttle in, Snow Beach is front row parking with the friendly and funky, party vibe atmosphere and there’s no other place like it!

Most folks are familiar with Alterra Mountain Corp, you know, one of those companies that are taking over the skiing world. Well although Alterra does not own A-Basin outright, they have struck a deal with the ski area to put them on the Ikon Pass (7 days access). When most other Ikon Pass resorts are closed, A-Basin is still rolling and provides a great way for folks to extend their season even if A-Basin is not their regular home mountain.

Moguls, steeps, hike to runs, terrain parks, groomers… you want it, A-Basin has it! With 2,530 feet of vertical spread over 1,428 acres on 147 named trails, the resort is big enough to explore and have fun for any level of skier or snowboarder. Oh, and 350 inches cold snow helps too.

I don’t just mean the cold! A-Basin is one of those good vibe places that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re looking for super fancy village life with great shopping and people wearing $5,000 worth of ski gear, A-Basin is not the place for you! A-Basin is chilled out, laid back and relaxed, more of a “Live and let shred” type of place. Just the way I like it!

Go to most ski resort towns and immerse yourself into the community, and you will usually find some pretty cool nature loving folks. Although some places are a little funkier than others, and A-Basin’s Summit County is one of those places. Living in the mountains requires commitment and passion and those that brave Loveland pass on a storm day to get some freshies are pretty deeply committed to the lifestyle.

Go ahead, ski the Sierra, the Wasatch, the Cascades, the Tetons or anywhere in the East and you will be hard pressed to find more consistently good snow conditions. Now I’m not here to argue who has the best powder days, I’m saying overall every day snow quality and consistency. The Rockies have altitude and a relatively dry climate, so what snow they get they keep and it usually stays good for a really long time.

Many resorts frown on people not using their chairlifts to get up the mountain, and strictly forbid or regulate it. At A-Basin, they’re not uptight about it. Just grab an uphill access pass at the ticket office, observe signs and barriers, and you can be on your way.