Featured Image: Lucas Herbert, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area | Skier: Reid Litwiller

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Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has implemented significant upgrades in the last decade, but the resort is far from content. This much can be inferred from A-Basin’s latest Draft Master Development Plan (DMDP), which was recently released and includes major upgrade proposals, including two new gondolas, a new lift, an on-mountain skier services hub, parking expansion, trail improvements and more.

It’s important to note that the Draft Master Development Plan is simply that: a draft. This is by no means a final map for A-Basin’s future. “The MDP offers us a path forward but does not guarantee anything,” said the resort’s Communications Manager, Shayna Silverman. “The idea behind MDPs is to provide the [United States Forest Service] with any potential project we would be interested in doing in the coming years to benefit the ski area in one big proposal.”

The USFS must accept these proposals, and even still, there’s no guarantee these projects will come to fruition then. President and COO Alan Henceroth writes that, “Acceptance of the plan does not grant approval of projects within the plan. Acceptance simply recognizes that the plan is within the scope of our existing Special Use Permit… Subsequent to the plan acceptance, we will begin the project approval process in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act – commonly referred to as NEPA.”

This means that, similar to development plans from other resorts operating on Forest Service land, A-Basin’s 2025 DMDP isn’t a straightforward list of what’s to come, but rather a collection of ideas the resort hopes to pursue.

We’ve outlined important sections of Arapahoe Basin’s 2025 Draft Master Development Plan document below

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the 122-page document is that the ski area is looking to aggressively improve its beginner skier offerings. To anyone who has seen the towering peaks of this Rocky Mountain classic, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In recent years, The Basin has made extended efforts to improve its advanced terrain. This includes upgrading the iconic Pallavicini Lift, opening the new Beavers area and accompanying chairlift, and funding drastic trail maintenance in order to operate The Steep Gullies, a phenomenal section of freeride terrain on the ski area’s northwest side.

These investments make sense when you consider the naturally technical terrain at the mountain, as well as the distribution of skier ability levels at A-Basin. A study included in the report found that intermediate, advanced and expert skiers make up roughly 55% of the traffic at the resort. That being said, The Basin is still looking to be a welcoming destination for beginner, novice and low intermediate riders, as listed in the DMDP.

Increase Beginner Terrain Access

In an attempt to increase beginner terrain access, as well as to mitigate lift lines at the base Black Mountain Express Lift, the resort has outlined the following plans:

• Build a new gondola from the base area to Sawmill Flats (beneath the current Lenawee Express Lift)

• Construct a new Skier Services Hub at Sawmill Flats

• Detachable chairlift (unspecified seat count) from Sawmill Flats to Upper Wrangler run

• Magic carpet at Bob’s Bowl

The Sawmill Flats area is located beneath the current Lenawee Express Lift, and it would be an ideal location for beginner skiers. It’s a flat area of the mountain on the far skier’s right side that sees little attention except by riders making their way from the East Wall terrain to the base area. This is a great spot to move beginners away from the base of the resort, easing crowding near Black Mountain Express and Pallavicini Lifts.

Parking Upgrades

Increased parking has long been discussed at A-Basin, but implementation is geographically difficult. The new plan suggests increasing parking from 1,674 spots to 2,069, an addition of 395 spots, which is meant to deter illegal parking on U.S. Highway 6 and allow for slight overflow parking when compared to projected weekend visitation. The new Moose Hollow parking would be near the existing Upper Last Chance lot.

Another gondola is meant to be built from the Upper Last Chance parking lot to the pedestrian tunnel at U.S. Highway 6. The addition of a Pulse Gondola here would ease the lengthy walk from the parking lot to the base.

Expanded Snowmaking Capabilities

Upgraded snowmaking is another large component of the DMDP. The Basin is expecting “to make snow on 65 additional acres,” bringing its total snowmaking coverage to 140 acres.

New snowmaking operations would be installed in Montezuma Bowl, the Beavers terrain, as well as the resort’s front side on runs such as Humbug, West Gulley, Upper Wrangler and Shooting Gallery.

Avalanche Mitigation Investments

Avalanche mitigation improvements in the form of “remote systems” are planned to be installed on the East Wall as well as the west side of the Montezuma Bowl. “A-Basin currently uses avalaunchers, but rounds are costly and the technology is being phased out in favor of remote avalanche controllers,” the DMDP stated.

Avalaunchers are weapons that launches 4 to 6 mm rounds, and follow the same avalanche mitigation principles as the Howitzer cannons that were commonly used. (We highly recommend watching “The Last Gunners” from Alta Ski Area for a brief and cinematic look at the history of Howitzers in the mountains.) But as stated, remote triggering systems are rapidly becoming the industry standard.

In addition to the changes listed above, A-Basin hopes to increase its Special Use Permit boundary by five acres, install a new maintenance facility, improve mountain roads heading up to the Lenawee Express lift and boost infrastructure such as sewer, water and internet.

Henceroth has stated that previous Master Plans have taken around 10 years to implement, and that we should expect a similar timeline here pending approval. While these upgrades aren’t the flashiest, they will certainly benefit every rider at Arapahoe Basin. Beginners will have more access to friendly terrain, and advanced skiers will have less crowding to worry about at the base area. As an industry leader, it will be interesting to see how the next chapter of A-Basin unfolds given the recent acquisition by Alterra. So far, it looks like The Legend is on the right track with familiar faces at the helm.