ARAPAHOE BASIN 2009/2010 SEASON

Transcription

1 FREE! ANDY'S SKI&RIDE GUIDES ARAPAHOE BASIN 2009/2010 SEASON Every trail described & rated Hints for getting around Great for all skiers and riders

2 M WHAT ARE ANDY S SKI & RIDE GUIDES? A TE A N Table Of Contents GR EEN EL GLEN PLAKE BRAD HOLMES JEREMY BENSON MATTHIAS MAYR CHRIS LAKER SYSTEM KEY TO USING THE GUIDE FRONTSIDE TRAILS AND LIFTS MONTEZUMA BOWL TRAILS AND LIFTS TREE LINES TERRAIN PARK ANALYSIS & TOP MAPS QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

3 WHAT ARE ANDY S SKI & RIDE GUIDES? Welcome to the newest edition of Andy s Ski and Ride Guides. This guide has been completely rewritten with all the new changes that have happened at A-Basin. Formally Andy s Handy Ski Guides, these little booklets open up the world of A-Basin Ski Area. You will now know what happens on every run, lift and nook and crannie at A-Basin. It does not matter how you slide down the hill, whether on skis, snowboard, snowbike, monoski, telemark or whatever, these guides will enhance your day. If you are new to my guides, the best way to enjoy them is to understand my rating system; it is an international rating system, not a ski area specific system like the green, blue and black rating we now have in place. There is a big difference in the difficulty of a trail such as a double black diamond in West Virginia than at Taos, New Mexico! A green at A-Basin may be a black in Vermont. My system is based on the whole scope of snowriding in the world. Check out my system on the next page. It s important that you understand my ratings are an average and can be completely different from day to day. Please read and understand my liability statement. Hope you have fun out on the slopes and please check out for more information on this and other ski areas... In this guide all trails are alphabetical and come in two tabbed sections, Frontside and Montezuma Bowl, and the lifts come after that. You ll also find some information on tree lines, my top 5, where everyone should go according to their ability and more!. Find out where you are in my rating system and you will know where to go to stay in your comfort zone, or to challenge yourself! Remember that conditions change minute to minute and my ratings are a normal average. Check out my website: Andy 5

4 ANDY'S SKI& RIDE GUIDES Publisher Fresh Powder Media, LLC Michael Slattery Andy Blumenthal Creator/Writer Andy Blumenthal Art & Design Kelly McFeely Cover Photo Casey Day * The descriptions and ratings contained within Andy s Ski & Ride Guides are based upon average weather and snow conditions. Varied conditions such as new snow, no snow, high winds, poor visibility, etc. can significantly change the character and difficulty of the slope. Skiers and riders are strongly encouraged to evaluate the conditions and determine if the slope is within their skill level. Please ski and ride with care. This guide is an independent publication of Fresh Powder Media, LLC who is solely responsible for its content. This guide is not reviewed, approved or in any way associated with Arapahoe Basin. Special Thanks to: Special Thanks to Nick Alexander, Jake and Kim Nix, Jamie Airey, Meade Parks, Tim Putz, Dan Goodale, Josh Caley, Eric Vogel, Kevin Campbell, Frances Hanna, John White, Marco Olm, Dan Bogardus, Samantha Fisher, Paul Seroka, Megan O Hara, Gary Ross, Carl and Phil Anderson, Scott Meade, Bob Vozar, Christine Blaski, Bill Calloway, Dave Luthi, John Baker, Konane Zager, Ryan Pries, my family and ski bums worldwide by Fresh Powder Media, LLC, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved under U.S. Copyright Laws. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Now go read the rest of the guide, it is boring here. SYSTEM The easiest of the greens. Great for learning, perfect for your first day or two but probably boring to even the 2nd day skier or rider. A nice, easy cruiser. Perfect for the advanced beginner, or those who desire a nice run without much pitch. For those who are making the transition from advanced beginner to intermediate. Contains both advanced beginner and intermediate pitches Solid intermediate run with medium steepness Middle of the road terrain. Intermediates will be challenged, advanced will feel comfortable. Tough blues. Maybe a diamond for some pitches but, on average, intermediate stuff. Single Diamond terrain. Steeper than the tough blues, but not that hard for advanced intermediates. Solid advanced terrain. Advanced Intermediates should think twice. Steep terrain, any type of snow, moguls, etc. Challenging but not yet extreme. Should be a solid advanced skier. Experts only! Seriously. Anything in this category should not be skied or rode by anyone who has any apprehension... Remember that Andy s Rating is an average and it will vary! 6 7

5 Key to using the guide: (A) independence (B) 64 Every trail starts with all these vital numbers for a quick look at what there is to find: (A) Trail Name: I only talk about named trails so you will not find any secret stashes in this guide. But there are plenty of named areas that I talk about... (B) Rating: See Previous Page (C) Snowmaking: Either yes or no; good to know when low on snow, especially in the early season (D) Groom: This has three different designations: Groomed = Groomed almost every day; almost Occs. Groomed = Occasionally groomed; don t count on it, check grooming report Never Groomed = Never groomed (E) Color: This is the green, blue, black system that is in place at the ski area. This is ski area specific and only pertains to the trails and areas that Keystone has to offer. A blue here may not be the same as a blue elsewhere. (This is why my rating system on the previous page is better than the current rating system we have in place in this country.) 8 (C) SNOWMAKING GROOMED Independence is a narrow trail off of Ned s Cache that is pretty easy for most. This is almost gully like and will have small moguls most of the time. This thin trail is pretty flat with trees to hop in on both sides. It comes back under the Zuma Lift pretty fast but is a fun tangent, none the less. (E) (D)

6 2nd Alley nd Alley is one of the famous trails at A-Basin that offer the expert (and only the expert) some of the steepest tree glades in the country. Life or death stuff here if you make a major mistake, and very challenging to almost everyone. This is one of the hardest in bounds trails anywhere and should not be attempted by anyone who has any apprehension. Try the West Alley first if you ve never tried these trails before and see if you can hang. Obviously, the better the snow conditions, the easier this gets. 13 Cornices 13 Cornices is a fun run in the middle of the mountain that is different than most of the trails anywhere. This has at least 13 different drop-offs, not really cornices, that are fun and interestingly different. This is not great when windblown or when the base is still growing. Lots of rocks make up these drop-offs and when exposed this is not as fun. On a powder day and you are the first, and you are good, you ll enjoy the face shots as you rock on through the drop-offs! Ask a local about the tree of life... 3rd Alley 91 The third alley is the second easiest of the famous A-Basin alleys. That doesn t mean it should be done by anyone other than an expert. The trees are tight and you need to be on your game. This is very dangerous and you don t need to make a big mistake here. Please don t go here if you are not an expert. The conditions of the alleys change all the time with snow and wind and skier traffic. A-Basin is known for it s above treeline skiing and riding and adverse conditions. Please don t let others make you go over your head. On a deep powder day and you are one of the first, you probably can go straight and fast but most day s you ll have to make nice finished turns here. Near here is the waterfall which is really steep. I experienced a bad crash here, going down on my stomach after hooking a tip and needless to say I came to a painful stop at the bottom of the choke. It was quite a revelation as I thought I could handle anything at any time. I now know that things can happen and you need to be very careful here and anywhere. My friends can tell you about another day on Gauthier... FRONTSIDE 10 11

7 Bear Trap 84 Bear Trap is a little tangent off of North Glade that comes out right at the bottom of the Pallavicini lift. This trail is pretty steep and usually has many moguls, rocks, and terrain changes. All the experts on the Pali-Lift will be watching, so give it your best and you might here hoots from above; or if you suck... I ve never see this trail groomed. The last pitch is very steep and moguled and has a big Hollywood kicker for all to awe in your ability... Challenger 80 Challenger is a quick pitch coming off the Pallavicini lift that has a short but steep pitch which is usually laden with large moguls. Sometimes this can be a great pitch for the strong intermediate or advanced skier or boarder looking for a pitch where you need to pay attention. This trail comes out near the top of the Exhibition Lift and from the lift one can see you negotiate this tough pitch; so make it a good one! This trail can get scraped off with bad skiers or boarders coming down sideways, and when low on new snow... FRONTSIDE Cabin Glades Cabin Glades is a fun trail, although short, that is just shy of the East wall on the East side of A-Basin. The pitch is fairly steep with moguls, large rocks and some trees. Intermediates will be challenged. There is usually a smooth, sometimes groomed gully that leads you around this small trail. However, sometimes it has small moguls that add to the challenge. This is especially true at the end, where speed is needed because there is a long run out at the end to get to the Lenawee chair. If you don t get enough speed, you ll be walking or poling, while the people on the chair laugh at your ignorance... Chisholm Trail GROOMED The Chisholm Trail is a meandering cat track like trail that takes you from the beginning of the Wrangler trail, over to Sundance, back over to Wrangler and then goes to the far east of the bottom of the resort. This is mostly easy terrain, although people might be whizzing by you as you go across the above trails. This is scenic with lots of trees, terrain changes and an easy pitch. One would take this if the above mentioned trails are too difficult or for a scenic change for the other harder trails here.

8 Corner Chute 91 Cornice Run 32 Corner Chute is probably the last trail to open at A-Basin if it opens at all. This will most likely happen later in the spring when the conditions are right and there is at least an 80 inch base. This is very steep, very exposed, and not easy to get to. I ve never seen anyone access this from the top but have been told it has happened. Most likely you are going to have to post hole from the east wall traverse and make your way up. You ll be rewarded with very steep and chute like powder turns with lots of rock bands. You don t want to fall here! Cornice Run is more like a catwalk than a run but it gives the intermediate a chance to see the top and all the runs off of it without having to go down them. You will have to go down eventually, with the easiest being the final part; the West Wall. If you choose to go off before that, you will have to jump off the cornice, with landings in moguls, or more preferably powder. Always spot your landing before jumping off as rocks and people may be below! With speed you can fly for distance! David s Run 91 David s Run is a sad and terrible story for a great run. This was the 1st Alley and is steep and not very wide. This unfortunately slid and took the life of David Conway a couple of years ago. The chances of an avalanche in this very well travelled slope is incredibly minute and the conditions aligned in just such a way on this terrible day. A-Basin has some of the best ski patrollers in the business and they did, and do, the best avalanche control work anywhere. Unfortunately, things do happen in our sport, and on one terrible day this trail took a life with a slide that went all the way to the rocks which was at least 8 feet deep. There was no way anyone would know that this would happen and it s very sad that an in bounds avalanche would take a life. But I guess the dangers of our sport are what adds to the excitement. Would I say that this trail would ever slide? No. There are a lot more trails at A-Basin that I would say would be the first to slide. So you never know. Will I ski this trail again; of course. I have many times since. But know this, snow science is a risky business and I have 100% confidence in the ski patrol, before, now and forever... FRONTSIDE 14 15

9 Dercum s Gulch 25 SNOWMAKING GROOMED From midway on the Lenawee Lift to the top of the Exhibition Lift, Dercum s Gulch give the solid beginner and beginning intermediate a chance to see the high alpine environment of the Basin without having to go down a difficult blue. This is definitely the way if you think you are over your head. This is a fun and winding run that s groomed almost every day. The only thing you have to worry about is others flying off the runs above it. i Named after A-Basin s original directors, Max and Edna Dercum. Dragon Dragon is located from the midway point of the Lenawee Lift and ends at the bottom of the lift. This is a pretty steep trail for a blue and can have varying conditions. Sometimes it s groomed and is a fun little ripper. Sometimes it has moguls and is more difficult. At the end you must go fast as to not get caught on the super flat part before you get to the Lenawee lift. There are glades on both sides if you want some short tree sections. Photo by Blue Sky Photography NAHB Certified Green Professional

10 East Avenue 84 East Gully 75 East Avenue is a great bump trail that is relatively wide but pretty steep and typifies Arapahoe Basin. To get to East Avenue, take a right off of Pallavicini and drop off the top cornice. Directly below the cornice is the trail East Avenue. You ll need to keep turning on this steep trail with moguls, some trees, and some occasional rock bands. You should be close to an expert to enjoy this. This can get a tad boney when low on snow or with big winds. When this is good, this is really good. The East Gully is the first trail off of the East Wall entrance. This starts off pretty steep and goes into a large gully which is characterized by large rocks, jumps, snow walls and other obstacles. A fun, different kind of run. Weird snow can also be found here since this is a small bowl that collects snow from every different direction. There are a couple of neat hits here also. East Wall Traverse 71 The East Wall Traverse is a long, somewhat difficult traverse that takes you from the East Wall Gates all the way across the East Wall. This traverse will get you to all the climbing spots so you can hike up to great steep terrain. This also gets you to some short but entertaining powder fields. The traverse itself can get a little tricky and is by no means flat and cat road like. You ll encounter moguls, rocks, ice walls, drop-offs, fences, and more. Plus, you ll need to keep your head up for falling rocks, snow slides, and skiers or riders. There is lots of great terrain here, both above and below. To find current news and events as well as additional information on ski areas not included in our printed guides, visit our website at: FRONTSIDE 18 19

11 Exhibition Exhibition is the trail that goes right under the Exhibition lift. This is a easier black than a lot of the blacks at A-Basin. That does not mean it s easy though. This starts off flat and wide but after a couple of rolls, it starts getting steeper. This is never groomed and has many large rocks, drop-offs, moguls, lift towers and other obstacles to keep you on your toes. Add the many onlookers on the chairs above you and you have a great challenge. Fire down the unrhythmic lines here and hear the hoots! Falcon Falcon is a short black run coming off the beginning of Dercum s Gulch after Humbug or Lenawee Face. This has rocks, gullies, moguls, trees and constantly changing terrain. This goes along the rope line at the top and starts bearing to the skier s left until it joins the easier Dragon for the trip back to the Lenawee Mountain lift. Gauthier 94 Gentry Gauthier is a little tangent off of the West Alley that is very steep and difficult. This is definitely one of the most difficult chutes at A-Basin. It s very steep and if you fall you may be at the bottom in pieces. Only the expert will enjoy this or even attempt this. This is only open with good snow and sometimes this can get scraped off, making it harder and faster. This is kind of hidden off the West Alley, so you will need to pay attention to find it. There is a big rock to jump off back here but it will take you a couple of times before you find out how to get here. 65 Gentry is an open, above tree line slope between the Lenawee and Norway lifts. Early season, there are many snow fences trying to catch blowing snow but when the depths are deeper they take out the fences and this is a wide open blue. This has some steepness and rolls that make this a fun playground for the intermediate and up. There are a few hits to get a little air and it ends too quickly onto the easier Wrangler. This area can get windblown and nasty here when snowy must most of the time it s great. FRONTSIDE 20 21

12 Grizzly Road 45 Grizzly Road is the easiest way down off the top of the Pallavicini Lift and is usually groomed, which makes it different than any other trail off of here. The first pitch is the steepest and goes right under the chair. Then it cants off to the right with a slightly harder pitch because it s sideways. Then it make a full 180 degree turn and becomes more of a catwalk than a trail. The map does not really do it justice. This is a great way for the intermediate to check out all the tough trails off of the Pallavicini without have to go down them! Half Moon Glades 68 Half Moon Glades are off of the midway of the Lenawee lift and starts where Humbug ends. This lightly treed and not that steep glade has a few rocks to jump off and glades to ski through. It s very short and not that difficult. The most important thing is to remember that you ll need speed for the rest of the trail to get to the Lenawee lift. FRONTSIDE Gulch (the) 63 Aptly named The Gulch, this is a short tangent off of the Exhibition lift that starts near the top of Ramrod. This rounded gully has weirdly shaped moguls and rocks and everything filters to the middle. With someone almost always flailing in the middle of this, be careful. People who like little jibs will find lots of them on this half pipe like trail. High Noon 41 SNOWMAKING GROOMED High Noon is a fun cruising blue off of the Exhibition lift. Usually groomed, this trail is a great place for intermediates to enjoy a nice wide open blue that has a great fall line. When the lines are less than half a maze, you can take this great run for many runs in a row. On a powder day, go elsewhere unless you want groomed or relatively powder free. On a busy day, you might want to stay away from the Exhibition lift since it tends to the most crowded lift of the six at A-Basin

13 ANDY'S SKI& RIDE GUIDES Mobile Edition Andy s Ski & Ride Guides are now available on your mobile device: Navigation quick-links on every page give you one-click access to information on all of the slopes and lifts for Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Vail.

14 Humbug Humbug is the large wide open gully that goes from the top of the Zuma Lift back towards the main mountain. This is usually groomed and is a natural half pipe. This is a fun little trail that is medium steep and has a consistent fall line. Go up the steep bank and fall back into the main trail much like you d do in a man made half pipe. This has a roll in the middle for a little air. This is the best way to get over to the East Wall traverse, and the Land of Giants. International International is a wide but difficult trail that comes down the middle of the mountain from off of Grizzly Road. This is a great black run that is easier than many of the trails in this area but by no means is it easy! It starts off steep with lots of moguls and rocks and ends all the way down at the bottom at the beach. You ll need to do well on the bottom part as all will be watching from their beach chairs! In the spring when the bumps are softer, everyone love to rock a good line through the bumps and ski right up to a keg for a beer! Jamie s Face 41 King Cornice 63 Jamie s Face is a neat but short blue that comes off the midway of the Lenawee Lift or from the middle of the Norway Lift. This has a steeper pitch to it for a blue but it s short, maybe 10 turns and it s over. But this is better for those who want a challenge, compared to the pretty flat Dercum s Gulch that is right next to it. King Cornice can live up to it s name on a good snow year but with speed this is always big. Be sure to spot your takeoff before going. You don t want to land on someone else or in a rock field. Upon landing, the pitch is steep and possibly moguled and true all the way to the bottom. To get to the West Wall and King Cornice, go to the top of Norway and get off to the right. Climb the small hill around the patrol shack, for about 1 minute and you ll be there. If Norway is closed, you ll have to take the Lenawee lift and then traverse over to here with a slightly longer climb. This is a good place to learn how to land an air. For the first time jumper, go down and check it out first. Don t hurt yourself! FRONTSIDE 26 27

15 Knolls 58 Knolls is another quick pitch off of the top of the Norway lift. This widely varied trail is steep for a blue run; and has many rocks and rolls that make this a challenge for the intermediate and fun for the advanced. Obviously there are some knolls to jump off of and get some air! This isn t long though as it hits Dercum s Gulch rather quickly. Watch for others, especially beginners, when you get to Dercum s Gulch... Lenawee Face 64 SNOWMAKING GROOMED Lenawee Face is a great short blue off the top of the Lenawee Lift. This pitch starts off relatively steep for a blue and rolls quickly to the midway of the Lenawee Lift. You can t midway load though so you ll have to find another way down. Dercum s Gulch would be the easiest, but there are many other options. The snow is usually groomed here, but not always. This can get a little nasty here as it s wide open and visibility can be difficult on a snowy or windy day. FRONTSIDE Land of the Giants Land of the Giants is a large playground of open powder, rocks, berms, moguls, gullies, and jumps. The terrain here changes every day with new snow, no snow, wind and skier traffic. There are lots of opportunities for air here, whether its the natural kicker right at the entrance, to the many small, medium and large rocks throughout. Bring a camera, some guts, and some smarts as you don t want to get hurt. The backdrop of the East Wall is intimidating and amazing to look at. This gets better in the spring when there is more snow, and softer landings after it s softened up. Lenawee Parks Lenawee Parks goes from the midway point of the Lenawee lift and has many different terrain changes to keep the intermediate and above smiling. This is typical A-Basin terrain that has rocks, snow fences, sparse trees, steepness and rolls. Be sure to get enough speed for the run out to the bottom of the Lenawee lift. Coupled with Lenawee Face, this is a great combo! Again, if the weather is nasty with wind or snow, many will not enjoy this exposed trail, but hardy people will love it!

16 Lower East Wall 75 Lower East Wall is the open section after the Land of the Giants below the East Wall Traverse. This is generally a flat section with some rocks, gullies and open areas. It s pretty boring here compared to every thing above it but you can find some powder here or some air opportunities. There are a couple of stands of trees but mainly this is completely exposed. Molly Hogan 10 SNOWMAKING GROOMED Molly Hogan is a great place to learn. This small area has two lifts and is right next to the parking lot so you don t have to lug your equipment too far. True beginners should start on the carpet which basically takes you up on the ground which is really easy for most. Take a few runs here to get comfortable and if you feel up to it, try the two person chair. This is great for the first day beginner, and with good direction you should be able to go up the Exhibition Chair next. Most should learn from a professional teacher, not your friend because they know how to convey the correct techniques to you in plain English. It s worth the money, trust me. My Chute No Name My Chute is a great, narrow chute that is slightly hidden and very steep. This starts off from the top of the Pallavicini, going down Grizzly Road and taking a quick left. You need to negotiate some rocks and snow fences to find this chute. You ll have to be here early for powder as the locals love this area and will be here first for the face shots. But by having good skiers and riders here, you ll probably have some nice bump lines after the powder is gone. This finishes pretty quickly almost right on top of the huge rocks of International. You need to be really careful here as you do not want to roll off those massive rocks! No Name is another chute type trail that has lots of rocks and tight turns. Advanced skiers and riders will love this short trail that you had better pay attention because if you fall, you will probably be at the bottom! Intermediates should stay away. On low snow years or nasty days, this trail can get a little harder. FRONTSIDE 30 31

17 North Chute 78 North Chute is a great trail that starts from the top of the Pallavicini lift and ends in Dercum s Gulch. This is typically bumped up with the first pitch relatively steep and then it gets a little less steep, and then the final pitch is consistently steep. Fun Stuff! Slightly easier than Slalom. You should find good bumps here because many quality mogul skiers are here training on this or Slalom. They usually make good rhythmic bumps by repeatedly skiing this. North Glade 85 North Glade is a difficult black next to International that has a steep pitch as well as trees, rocks and rolls that make this an interesting challenge. On a powder day, this is great for the advanced skier or snowboarder that can negotiate harder terrain. Keep your wits about you as you make your way down this and you ll have no problem. Intermediates will have a very hard time here and I definitely don t recommend it for all but the advanced. It s not great when it hasn t snow recently. FRONTSIDE North Fork 55 North Fork is a strange blue on the east side of the mountain that is a lot like a gully with all sorts of rocks and berms that can make this short tangent fun. Usually you ll find not the best formed moguls, because this is near many green runs and beginning skiers or riders tend to make for unrhythmic bumps. Watch out for people lying in the middle of this one flailing! North Pole 92 North Pole is one of the steepest and rawest trails in Summit County. Scary stuff here because if you fall you most certainly will be at the bottom in some serious pain. This is very steep and is accessed either by climbing around from the top of the Lenawee lift or by climbing from the East Wall Traverse. You had better be an expert and very skilled or you may kill yourself here. This is certainly worth the effort if you are good, as steep powder and chute type excitement await you

18 SNOWMOBILE RENTALS BEST RATES AROUND! Located in Frisco, CO Call Snowmobile Season opens the day after Thanksgiving. Colorado Backcountry Rentals is an equal opportunity service provider. Colorado Backcountry Rentals is under special use permit by the White River National Forest. We have an extensive selection of wines, fine wines and rare vintage wines to choose from. Our large selection of liquors and spirits includes 166 micro brews and domestic beers. Mention this advertisement and receive a 10% discount on liquor and 5% discount on beer. * * Non-sale items only. Also receive a 10% discount on wine. Frisco Liquors, Inc. 416 Main St. Frisco, Colorado Fax: Phone: abacus@vail.net

19 Norway Face 55 Norway Mountain RUN 60 SNOWMAKING Norway Face is the top pitch off of the Norway Lift. It goes directly under the chair and is virtually treeless. This is a fun steeper blue that has many different obstacles that challenge the intermediate. In the early season you ll find snow fences that you have to go around, but when there is enough snow you find neat rolls. Different pitches make this a fun roller coaster of a trail. It ends quickly though, onto Dercum s Gulch. Stay away from this when windy or snowy, since this run has no shelter or cover and will have bad visibility. Coming from the top of the Snow Plume Refuge patrol shack, Norway Mountain Run is a neat blue that offers the intermediate steeper and harder terrain than on the lower skier s right side of the mountain. This has a wide open feel to it with berms and air possibilities, powder areas and you can let it rip when groomed. This is a fun but short run that ends on Dercum s Gulch quickly. Watch out when visibility is diminished because of weather. Nose (THE) 83 Pali Cornice 81 The Nose is an epic albeit short run off of the Pallavicini Chair and is off to the left when you go straight at the top of the lift. Characterized with large cliffs and rocks and large moguls, The Nose is a great place of cliff jumping photos without have to go really big. There are many choices of rocks ranging from 3 feet up to 40 feet. This is great on a powder day as the landing will be softer. Always spot your landings and run outs and be careful. It s your responsibility not to hurt yourself, or others, not the ski areas. Don t jump when conditions aren t right. Pali Cornice is the flat area from the top of the Pallavicini Lift that gives you access to all the goods that Pali has to offer. You better be a strong intermediate or more to even be over here. Pali Cornice builds up and can be bigger depending on the snow and wind conditions. Drop into the steep moguls fields of Pali Main Street, the Spine or Pali Face, or go to the famous alleys from here. Pali Cornice is the easy part, whats below is not. FRONTSIDE 36 37

20 Pali Main St. 86 Pali Wog Pali Main Street is the beef of the Pallavicini area and you ll find lots of moguls, rocks, small bushes and trees, and more moguls. This is steep at first but the bottom half is not as steep. There are many obstacles to keep the advanced rider or skier happy, with pitch changes, cants, small tree sections and of course lots of moguls. Lots to do here, air, bumps, avoidance techniques and lots of fun, especially on powder days. Pali Wog is the run out from the alleys and anything to the west of the Pallavicini area and brings you back to the bottom of the mountain. This catwalk is thin in some places at the beginning and halfway it widens out to be pretty wide and flat. There are many rocks, moguls, canted slopes, stumps and more at the beginning which is much tougher than the last half. Those with jello legs will not enjoy this run out after battling the steeps of Pallavicini. Careful and take it slow and you ll make it though this run out. I don t know why they call this a double black except for the only way to get here is to do one. Sometimes they groom the bottom half of this but don t count on it. Pallavicini Powder Keg The Pallavicini area at A-Basin is one of the best and most famous expert areas in North America. You had better be ready to rock if venturing down any of these trails or chutes. The Alley s are awesome, but much caution should be taken before trying these. You ll find almost every type of skiing or boarding obstacle here from large moguls, trees, berms, multiple cants, open snowfields, snow fences, cornices, cliffs, rocks and more. If you can go top to bottom in this area without stopping, you are a great mountain adventurer. It pretty much is easier in the saddle than the outskirts so try the middle first before venturing elsewhere. i The Pallavicini run and lift are named after a similarly shaped nose called the Pallavicini Couloir on Grossglockner, the highest peak in Austria first climbed Count Pallavicini. Powder Keg is a quick and short black coming off the top of the Pallavicini lift. This is usually not groomed and can have a wide variety of snow conditions. Most of the time it s nice powder or bumps and not very busy. Most people tend to do the stuff near here but leave this area alone for some reason. So that means this is a great place for powder when others are doing other trails. 39 FRONTSIDE

21 Powerline 65 Powerline is the main pocket between the two lifts; Lenawee and Norway. This wide open trail is totally exposed to the elements so you never know what type of conditions you might find here. There may be great powder, great groomed stuff or sometimes crud and ice. Most of the time this short steeper blue is nice and you can make some good turns here. It ends too quickly though, and you have to take the seriously flat Dercum s Gulch back to the chair. Ramrod 63 SNOWMAKING In the springtime, this is the best trail for the intermediate to learn how to conquer relatively good bumps without having the steepness of the other A-Basin mogul runs. The rest of the year this run can be great or a nightmare depending on new snow, wind and base depth factors. This can get groomed but not that often. This is best on powder days or springtime slush bumps. FRONTSIDE Radical 71 Radical is a quick tangent off of Grizzly Road that is pretty steep and difficult for all but the advanced. You ll find varied snow here, usually not groomed and scattered with moguls. This will bring you down just below the bottom of the Norway lift. There are some neat rocks to get air here and if you stray from the trail you ll find some nice tree glades with a steep pitch. After this you can get to Standard or Exhibition or some east trails. RollerCoaster 86 Rollercoaster is a great expert trail that definitely lives up to it s name. Starting from Grizzly Road this is pretty steep with lots of moguls and trees and then it runs under the Pallavicini lift for a final few quick and steep pitches. This has it ups and downs for sure. One should be advanced and ready to tackle different types of pitches and snow conditions. This can get tougher when there hasn t been much snow. Watch out for rocks

22 Scudder 72 Scudder is basically a very short and steep tree experience that is a good training trail for the advanced intermediate that wants to get a feel for the trees at A-Basin. Starting off of Grizzly Road, this is so short that one can get some speed knowing that you can run out when Scudder meets Grizzly Road again. Be careful though, since the bottom of Norway is here, with lots of people. South Chute 75 South Chute is off the Pallavicini lift and has many moguls in this bowl like trail. Located right next to the infamous Nose, one can watch the crazies jump off the rocks here. You may even get the gumption to jump one yourself. The last pitch here is steeper so get ready to turn em up! FRONTSIDE Slalom Slope Slalom Slope is a bump skiers delight with a pretty steep black pitch. This is usually splattered with huge bumps and almost always the super fast zipper line that has been repeatedly skied by some of the best bumpers anywhere. Watch these guys (and gals) rip down this super bump field. Sometimes the bumpers build those huge jumps you could drive a truck off, for hospital air! These moguls are steep and the pitch is consistent, and this is one of the best bump fields in the country. They are many competitions here so come and watch! You had better be ready... not for the weekend warrior! Spine (the) The Spine goes from the top of Pallavicini and ends on Pali Main Street. This is fairly steep and wide open with rocks, moguls and drop-offs. There are some decent drop-offs that will give you some good air. The snow usually blows over the cornice into here, leaving a velvety layer of perfect snow for you to carve your turns. Sometimes this can get windblown but most of the time it s excellent. Powder days are awesome here as the snow blows in here perfectly...

23 Standard 75 Standard, an usually bumped up black, is easier than most of the blacks on the mountain, but still very difficult with moguls, trees, steeps and more. This is a good test to see if you can hang on this type of terrain. Do well here and maybe you can graduate up to other harder trails off of Pallavicini. This run ends right in the Molly Hogan area so watch out for others. TB Glade 57 TB Glade starts out open and not very steep and then it turns into a short tree glade. There are a few different ways through here and most are pretty easy with wide open corridors through evenly spaced trees. This would be a good place to bring the apprehensive tree skier or rider as these don t last long. This joins Wrangler for the long and open trip to the bottom. FRONTSIDE Sundance 28 SNOWMAKING GROOMED Sundance is the best green out of the four trails at A-Basin that are green. Starting from the top of Exhibition Lift, Sundance has a pretty steep pitch to start out with; this is probably a blue at most other mountains in the country. After the steep pitch it levels out to be a nice cruising trail. We suggest that the beginners try out the other greens first and make your way here after some warm up. This is usually groomed every day and is quite pretty with the continental divide in the background. Timber Glades 84 Timber Glades is an awesome area near the Pallavicini lift that has some great steep pitches interspersed with many trees. There are many lines through this thicker tree section and one should be an expert or pretty close since this can be quite difficult. The pitch is mostly slanted and that can make it more difficult. The locals love it here and you ll hear some hooting coming from these lines on a powder day... Make sure you read and understand the disclaimer on page 6 and be safe out there on the slopes... and the parking lot

24 THIS IS A SAMPLE OF OUR DELICIOUS MENU Farley s Famous Prime Rib Served with au jus and horseradish sauce 12 oz. Garrett Cut or 16 oz. Geordie Cut Steaks & Chops Filet Farley House Specialty. 8 oz. filet topped with crab meat, artichoke heart and bernaise. Filet Mignon Lamb Chops Chef s Choice Pork Chop N.Y. Strip Seasoned Strip Top Sirloin Baby Back Ribs Chicken & Seafood Alaskan King Crab Legs Over a pound of the real thing. Served with drawn butter.. Shrimp & Scallop Scampi Chicken St. George Baked Salmon Chef s Choice Vegetarian Entree Ahi Tuna 10% off entrees with mention of this ad Tavern & Lunch Menu Appetizers Scallops Ahi Tuna Buffalo Wings Veggie Pot Stickers Artichokes Parmesan Chicken Satay Shrimp Cocktail Chicken Tenders Buffalo Chicken Tenders Sandwiches French Dip Fish Sandwich Chop House Burger Hickory Burger Chicken Sandwich Chicken Hickory Sandwich Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich Prime Rib Sandwich Salads Caesar, House, Wedge & Mixed Green Salads Happy Hour 3pm-6pm daily $1.50 PBR Bottles $3.00 Shillings $3.50 Well Drinks & House Wine $6.00 Beef Tips, Burgers, Fish Sandwich or Wings Lunch (seasonal): 12noon-5pm Dinner: 5pm-10pm Happy Hour: 3pm-6pm Non Smoking Full Service Bar Handicap Accessible Great Outdoor Deck Nightly Specials Kid s Menu Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express 423 Main St. Corner of 5th & Main Frisco, CO (970)

25 Tree Chutes 78 Tree Chutes is the farthest of the East Wall chutes, and the traverse over here can be a long one. On a powder day it may be worth it though, since this area has a consistent pitch and sparse trees despite it s name; and most people will drop in before here. Fun stuff when it s untracked, but the other East Wall stuff is easier to get to, steeper longer, and equally fun. You have to go to the bottom if you do this area since this is below the Lenawee Lift. Turbo Turbo is typical A-Basin; steep trees and gullies, with rocks and other obstacles. You had better know what you are doing to be in this area. You access this trail halfway down under the Pallavicini lift. All will be watching as you negotiate this steep chute right under the chair and this is a place you don t want to fall as you will not be able to self arrest. The trees at the bottom will stop you, painfully. This is one of the hardest pitches at A-Basin, and is harder when it hasn t snowed in a while. The deeper the base, the easier this gets as there are not as many exposed rocks.

26 Upper East Wall 91 The Upper East Wall is the longest of the East Wall chutes. The only way to get here is to climb up it s gut, straight up this 40 plus degree chute. This is obviously only for the best of the experts. You will be rewarded for your efforts after the strenuous climb with a very steep powder field interspersed with rocks and chutes. There are several options for going down, and depending on snow conditions you should have an amazing run down. This doesn t open until conditions are perfect, usually sometime in the spring. Careful! FRONTSIDE West Alley 87 The West Alley is the easiest of the famous Alley s at A-Basin. This is steep in parts, and not very wide; except in contrast to the other alleys. You ll find many large moguls that help you from plummeting down the mountain. Try this one first to see if you have what it takes for the other steeper and harder alleys. After 3/4, it gets very steep so if you are overwhelmed, cut right on the traverse to get out of here. Obviously, the better the snow the better the trail; I ve seen this terrible or perfect; depends... 51

27 Service Experience Results No pressure sales Free 24 hour access to MLS listings in Summit County, Colorado West Gully 62 West Turbo 90 The West Gully comes directly down from the midway of the Lenawee Lift and is a relatively hard blue. Many terrain changes, including steeper blue chutes characterize the middle of this run. With lots of weird rolls and pitch deviations, this is fun stuff. Intermediates will be challenged, advanced skiers and boarders will be very comfortable. West Turbo is a tangent off of Turbo in the Pallavicini area that will keep the expert challenged. If you can t make quick turns on very steep terrain with rocks and moguls, don t come here. You will probably hurt yourself. This trail is even more challenging when low on snow. This is great for anyone who is very good and wants to be challenged. FRONTSIDE Renee Apfelbeck Broker/Owner Renee@SummitCounty4Sale.com Disagree? Have more information? me at: andy@andysskiandrideguides.com 53

28 West Wall GROOMED The West Wall is a great pitch off of Cornice Run that is steep for a blue and will be a challenge for the intermediate and a cakewalk for the advanced. The West Wall is like it s counterpart, the East Wall, in that it s steep and wide open. Warren Miller shot a great scene here that showed people falling and not being able to stop until the bottom of the trail when it hits Dercum s Gulch. This is a great place to teach an intermediate steep terrain and to see if they are ready to conquer some easier A-Basin blacks. This is also a great place to watch apprehensive skiers and riders almost kill themselves! Wild Cat 69 Wild Cat is directly next to the West Wall (see above) and is just slightly steeper and rarely gets groomed. This is another place to watch people sliding down on their butts out of control. You should be about to make solid parallel turns to be here so you don t do some body grooming. Remember that a black at A-Basin will most likely be harder than at your home area. Check out Andy s Ratings and judge each trail using my system. Willy s Wide Wrangler 55 Willy s Wide is a chute located skier s right of North Pole that has to be accessed by walking up the post holes from the East Wall traverse. This is dangerous terrain here that is very steep with lots of rocks and chutes. This is for experts only and will not be open until enough snow has left a solid base. You can watch them bomb it from the Avalauncher if here at the right time. Don t be fooled by it s name either, as it s not very wide. This is incredible if you are good enough... Wrangler is a nice green flat meadow trail that gets steeper at the end but is generally pretty flat. This goes by the Lenawee lift and then meanders along to the bottom. Perfect for the beginner that can turn both ways and stop. The Molly Hogan trail at the bottom is a good place to learn but since this is longer and wider, this will be more fun for the second day skier or rider and above. Work on your skills here and if you think you are ready, try Sundance next. You can probably handle Dercum s Gulch after that which has amazing views! FRONTSIDE

29 ANDY'S SKI& RIDE GUIDES advertising opportunities Andy s Ski & Ride Guides are able to put your advertising message in the hands of Colorado skiers and riders for the entire season or for our out of state visitors, for the duration of their ski vacation. With over 150,000 copies circulated annually, these valuable guides will be reviewed during lift rides, gondola trips and off the mountain while skiers and riders recall their adventures of the day. Andy s Ski & Ride Guides are distributed FREE to skiers and riders at local retailers including sporting goods stores, retail outlets, and restaurants. Combined with website, you are ensured of advertising exposure that rivals any other form of media. Andy s Ski & Ride Guides give readers detailed descriptions of each and every run on the mountain including a difficulty rating (not simply green, blue or black) from to provide them with a more defined idea of the challenge of the slope compared to their skill level. Combined with information and recommendations on each of the lifts, and tips on navigating the mountains, Andy s Ski & Ride Guides will be retained throughout the season by the local skier or throughout an out of state visitors entire ski or ride experience. Andy s Ski & Ride Guides cover the five ski areas of A-Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Vail which together account for over 45% of all skier visits to Colorado. For more information call or visit: Exhibition 711' RATING AVERAGE: TIME: 6 MIN VERTICAL RISE Exhibition is a great triple that gives all abilities good terrain to do over and over with this lift. This is probably the busiest lift at A-Basin but since this place rarely get crowded, this is usually not a problem. Early season and weekends are definitely the exception. This lift is protected from the weather until the last hundred yards so this is probably the best chair when it s nasty out. It has a lot less exposure than the other lifts except for the short Molly Hogan. The beginner will enjoy the longer green runs off of this; the intermediate will love the few blues off this and the advanced skier or snowboarder will like the challenge of the Exhibition trail or The Gulch. A little something for everyone here... To access electronic versions of our ski and ride guides and provide feedback and opinions on our publication, please visit our website at: FRONTSIDE 57

30 Lenawee 1017' VERTICAL RISE Molly Magic Carpet 25' VERTICAL RISE RATING AVERAGE: TIME: 8 MIN Lenawee is a three person lift that goes to the top of A-Basin with sweeping views and many choices. Intermediates have lots of choices such as Lenawee Face or Humbug on the frontside, or they can try Columbine on the backside, also know as Montezuma Bowl. Stronger skiers and snowboarders will have a plethora of choices both on the frontside and back in Montezuma Bowl. The expert also has many choices, from hiking to the upper East Wall, hiking to the Zuma cornice and more. This is one of the best chairs A-Basin has to offer but be aware when the weather is nasty out, this is the most exposed of all the chairs. RATING AVERAGE: 5 TIME: 2 MIN The Molly Magic Carpet is a conveyor type lift for the first day beginner located in the Molly Hogan beginner area right off the parking lot. The carpet allows the first day beginner an easy way to go up a small part of the hill to learn the very basics of snowboarding or skiing. Back in the day we had to walk up or sidestep but no longer... FRONTSIDE Molly Hogan 62' VERTICAL RISE RATING AVERAGE: 10 TIME: 2 MIN This Space For Rent To get more information on advertising opportunities in Andy s Ski & Ride Guides, contact us at: The Molly Hogan lift is a very short two person chair at the bottom of A-Basin. This is an interesting place to learn how to ski or snowboard since it s base elevation is 10,800 which means you can have all types of weather. The terrain itself is very flat and short. The beginner who can stop and turn solidly left and right should go up the Exhibition chair and take some of the longer and wider green trails. On days that are not snowing or cold this is a good place to teach the very basics to the first day skier or snowboard. When it s cold or nasty, this is not a fun place to learn a new sport

31 Norway RATING AVERAGE: TIME: 9 MIN The Norway lift is an exposed two person lift that brings you to some great blues. This is very open and can get quite cold on nasty days. This is one of the highest lift in North American (with Lenawee) and offers the intermediate and up some super choices. Many of the trails on the west side are preceded by a cornice and have very open and ungroomed areas. Sometimes the groomers come up here and buff a little part of this but most of the time they leave it alone. You should be ready for steeper blues with moguls and rocks. Fun stuff! Pallavicini 1361' RATING AVERAGE: TIME: 8 MIN VERTICAL RISE If you ask almost any local the best chair in all of Summit County, he/she will probably say Pallavicini. Not because the chair itself is fast or efficient. It s because of the variety of terrain off of this. Just the trip up will get the heart pumping, looking at all the expert choices off of this. The intermediate has a choice with Grizzly Road and the advanced have lots of choices. But the expert shines here, with super steep trails, large rock drops and a myriad of moguls. Of course, throw in some powder and this will have everyone smiling! See individual trails. 60

32 Black Forest 82 Black Forest is an more open trail below the hiking line at the bottom of the Montezuma Bowl. This shot is usually nice since most don t want to hike. You will have to hike around 20 minutes if you choose to do this trail and more if your fitness is not good. You will find open powder shots here, with trees, moguls, and a fun not so steep pitch. Come here a couple of days after a powder day to find untouched but remember; you will work for it! Black Bear 81 Black Bear is the easiest of the skiers right side of Montezuma bowl and it one of the shortest. You must climb a couple minutes to get above the rock band that separates this from Larkspur. This is never groomed and has moguls, rocks and cliff bands that make this a challenge. It ends quickly though on the flat and gully like Larkspur back to the lift. Bierstadt 84 Bierstadt is the longest of the tree glades on the skier s left side of Montezuma Bowl and offer many different lines to get down. Some are tight, some aren t so tight. You will usually find nice snow here as most drop in earlier and sometimes it holds powder here a couple of days after a storm. But some know this so get here earlier if you can. Always ski or ride with a partner as tree skiing is dangerous and you ll need to keep your head up! Watch out for branches and other obstacles that make this a little hard for the advanced intermediate and up. i This is one of the 54 14,000 ft mountains in Colorado. 62 Columbine 62 Some might call Columbine the main run in Montezuma Bowl. This wide open powder field is perfect for your first foray into this area as it s easy and you can see much of the bowl without risking life or limb. Go back up on the lift and scout out where you want to do next. They usually groom this from top to bottom and the snow stays nice here. The top is steeper but then it gets flatter and easier as you go. Super fun carved turns are the norm here and you ll love it s consistent pitch. Watch out for others as this is probably the busiest of the slopes here and many will join you coming off the other runs. 63 Montezuma Bowl

33 Crags 87 Davo Crags is a short shot below the hiking line that almost always has good snow as most people don t like to hike. There are short steeper pitches, some open areas, some trees and more here but it ends rather quickly at Lower Elephants Trunk. Then you will have to take off your equipment and hike back up to the lift. Worth it on a powder day if you don t mind a bit of hiking. Davo is a treed section below Montezuma s Revenge that will require a hike out if you go here. This feature will make the snow better in this section as most don t like to hike. I d give it at least 20 minutes unless you are a super hiker and more if you re not. You ll find tight trees in Davo with nice lines throughout. Some moguls may form if there hasn t been much snow lately. On a powder day this will give you great face shots on a medium steep pitch with lots of trees to negotiate... Durrance Durrance is a wide and steep open field of snow that comes off the Zuma Cornice after a short hike from the Montezuma Bowl entrance. There is a large cornice at the top that sometimes can get quite large, requiring dropping in with some air and speed. This will be great if you have good ability and if the snow is fresh below. It will be harder if there hasn t been new snow or you re not very good. This is a longer run than Max or Groswald but not as steep. i Elephants Trunk Named after Olympic Medalist Richard Dick Durrance, who joined up to help start A-Basin. Elephants Trunk is the farthest trail off of the right side of Montezuma Bowl. You ll have to climb twice to get here but both are short hikes. Since most will drop in to the many possibilities before this, you will usually find great snow here. Also, this faces the sun differently than the other trails in this area so the snow will most likely be different. This can be good or bad depending on the amount of snow and sunshine lately. You ll find a pitch with open areas and tighter trees depending on where you go, but most likely powder or good snow. This almost has a back country feel to it. 65 Montezuma Bowl

34 Elk Meadows 66 Elk Meadows is an open blue after the Mountain Goat Traverse that has a nice fall line feel and open snow. Sometimes they groom this, most of the time they don t. This can get some small moguls on it but most of the time it s pretty nice since snow blows in here from the other side of the mountain. This is usually fun and the pitch is not as difficult compared to many of the other trails in the Montezuma Bowl. Look for more of Andy s Ski & Ride Guides for Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Vail ski areas at 66

35 End Zone You have to walk up from the lift a few minutes to get to the Zuma Cornice. From here you traverse down past many cornice drops to great steep skiing. Then you must walk up again, only a couple of minutes to get to End Zone. From here you get some of the coolest views of Keystone, Montezuma Bowl, Buffalo Mountain, Breckenridge, The Gore Range, the 10 Mile Range and beyond. The trail itself is steep, requires a cornice drop and will be challenging to most. Watch out for rocks and small trees, and enjoy this gully like section of A-Basin. Eureka Eureka is a short tangent at the end of Larkspur that offers some open trees and maybe a chance at some powder depending on when the last snow storm hit. The pitch has many rolls and cants with small moguls and many trees. This is short and ends quickly but is a fun little side shot for the better skier or rider. This has many different lines and with experience you ll find straight corridors right to the traverse that takes you back to the Zuma Lift. Gentlings Glade Gray s Gentlings Glade is a steep treed glade that comes off of the top of the Zuma Cornice after a couple hikes. Head off the cornice at the top of Winning Card and head off to the trees at the right. There are some nice corridors through here and some tougher and tighter spots. Head to the right if this is too tight for you. This is a great challenge and most of the time it has better snow as most will drop in before this. Always ski or ride with a friend here as this is pretty far away from patrol if things go awry. i Named after former General Manger of A-Basin, Jim Gentling who is now GM of Bear Valley in California. Gray s is the middle tree run on the left bottom flank of Montezuma Bowl. Head off the top on the Mountain Goat traverse, head down Elk Meadows and take a left to get here. Bring a tree skiing mentality to this glade and look at the spaces; not the trees. You ll find open sections of trees and moguls and tighter sections. Make sure you take the Lightning traverse out to the right or you ll end up having to hike out of there. Always great on a powder day, this section stays nice most of the time since most people duck in earlier. 69 Montezuma Bowl

36 Grosword 89 Independence Grosword is the second of the cornice drop runs on the skier s right side of Montezuma Bowl. You ll have to climb for at least 5 minutes and then traverse to get here. The cornice can be intimidating depending on how windy it s been, and if there has been a lot of snow. You ll most likely have to jump off this to get to the main trail, which is steep and mogully and may have some exposed rocks. The main part is open and steep but ends quicker than other trails in the area. There are a couple cliff bands you must go around carefully or you may huck yourself all the way to the bottom. i Another of the founding father s of A-Basin. Independence is a narrow trail off of Ned s Cache that is pretty easy for most. This is almost gully like and will have small moguls most of the time. This thin trail is pretty flat with trees to hop in on both sides. It comes back under the Zuma Lift pretty fast but is a fun tangent, none the less. Jump 87 Larkspur 59 They don t call this Jump because you have to jump off the cornice to get to the trail. You ll have to climb up from the top of the bowl to get here, traverse on Zuma cornice until an uphill part, and walk up another couple of minutes. It s worth it most of the time as most will drop in earlier. You ll have a large open field of snow with a nice black pitch for powder and moguls with some rock bands... i Named after Larry Jump, 10th Mountain Division veteran who was one of the founding fathers of A-Basin. Larkspur is the first run you come to when you make it over to Montezuma Bowl from the Lenawee Mountain Lift. This is the run that requires no climbing and goes to the right of the Zuma lift and is a good way to see all the runs to the skier s right without having too hard of a trail. Do this first so you can check all the goods out here, ride back up the lift and choose which poison is right for you and your ability. This is probably harder for a blue with moguls and rock bands and a steep, consistent fall line but it ends quickly and is flat for the rest. 71 Montezuma Bowl

37 Lightning Traverse Lightning Traverse is a little path that takes you from the bottom of all the skier s left trails of Montezuma Bowl. This traverse is vital if you don t want to climb! This isn t flat or groomed so it can be a little challenging for many. Watch out for moguls, trees, branches and other obstacles as you make your way to the right to get back to the bottom of the Zuma Lift. Lightning Trees The Lightning Trees is an area the has many lines and has a nice pitch to it. This is great except if you go here you will have to climb back up which can be a 20 minute hike or more depending on your hiking prowess. You ll find open corridors and tight trees here with open powder, moguls, and other terrain to keep you on your toes. You most likely will be rewarded here with untouched powder as many do not want to do the hike at the end. It s a good idea to ski or ride with a partner in this section and stay together. Not many people make the decision to come here and with that it s usually really good here. Enjoy the silence away from the crowds. Log Roll Long Chute 73 Log Roll is a steep and tight tree section under the Zuma lift. There are nice corridors and lines through this tighter area and it s pretty steep. Add the pressure of everyone looking at you from the lift and you have the recipe for a difficult run. Rip it and hear hoots from above, hack it and hear the groans. This is challenging for most and will be great on a powder day; conversely when low on new snow this can be more difficult for sure. Long Chute is a five minute walk up from the top of the Zuma Lift. This is the longest run of the climbing area to the skiers right of the lift. There are rocks and cliff bands to the left with an open and pretty consistent pitch in the middle. Sometimes they groom a couple of stripes down the middle here making it much easier and nice. Off the groomed part you find moguls, rocks and uneven terrain that can be more challenging depending on recent snow and sunshine. This gets sun and can change the consistency of the snow depending on how much and how much new snowfall. Montezuma Bowl

38 Lower Elephants trunk 83 Lower Elephants Trunk is the longest and openest of the hike back terrain at the bottom of Montezuma Bowl. This starts off with a huge open area with powder and sparse trees and then wraps around with open tree glades. The pitch at the top is medium steep and the rest pretty easy. Remember you have to hike out of here and that takes at least 20 minutes and more depending on your hiking prowess. Miner s Glade 78 Miner s Glade is an easier and short tree area that has many choices. Most are short and fairly open but there are some tighter options. This is so short you ll wish it was longer as it joins up with Larkspur for the trip to the bottom or if you bear to the skier s left you can stay in the trees longer. The pitch is medium so this would be a good place to bring the strong intermediate wanting a short tree experience. Max 82 Max is the first of the cornice drops after Long Chute on the skier s right of Montezuma Bowl. This is one of the shortest but that doesn t mean that it lacks challenge. The cornice can be big here depending on wind and snow but it s usually a little smaller than some of the cornices on this. After jumping off the cornice, you ll have moguls and rocks, with a steep gully-like pitch that most will find challenging. This ends quicker than many of the trails here and if you traverse to your left you ll end up back on Long Chute which can be groomed sometimes. i After founding father of A-Basin, Max Dercum. Montezuma s 67 Montezuma s Revenge is the last trail off of the Zuma Cornice, and then off of Elephants Trunk, that will go along the rope line so you don t have too much to hike. If you play your cards right and traverse left at the end, you won t have to hike at all. This is pretty steep in sections and has lots of small trees, rocks and moguls. It s the last trail in this area so it will probably have good snow unless it hasn t snowed in a while. Montezuma Bowl 74 75

39 Mountain Goat Traverse 47 Ned s Cache Mountain Goat Traverse is the traverse that goes from the top on the left flank of Montezuma Bowl. This is really easy for most and is really just a feeder to the other trails like Tieze s Claim, Elk Meadows and the glades of Torrey s, Grays, and Bierstadt. See each individual trails for more information. This can get a little choppy and bumpy but it s pretty easy and just a way to get from here to there... Ned s Cache is a quick tangent off of Shining Light that takes you over to Independence or Miner s Glade or the traverse part of Larkspur. This quick little shot is steeper than most of the trails right in this area but is over too quickly. You can stop and check out the Avalauncher here, as one time I watched them bomb all the steep trails off the Zuma Cornice. Take Independence for a blue or head into the trees for some gladed skiing. i Named after Ned Goodman, from the current owner of A-basin, the Dundee Resort Development Group. Northern Sky Placer Junction 77 Northern Sky is an easier wide open black that you must first climb a tad to get around a rock band and then it opens up to an open piste. This is a little steeper than the adjacent Columbine but ends quickly on Columbine. Depending on snow and wind there can be rocks so be careful of that. They sometimes groom a stripe through here and you can jump in and out of the groomed stuff at your leisure. A lot of times the snow can be good here as it blows off the trails next to it and it doesn t get the sun as much as many of the other trails in this bowl. Placer Junction is a short and steeper tangent off of Columbine that has many trees, rocks and moguls to keep you on your toes. To get here you need to go down the wide open Columbine most of the way, but before the last flat pitch to the bottom, take a right on to Placer Junction. Now it gets steeper and lots of trees are around. There are nice lines through them though, with some hollywood rocks to jump off for the entertainment of the chair riders above. This ends all to quickly though... Montezuma Bowl

40 i Schauffler 84 Shining Light Schauffler is a wide open trail with a nice open feel and great powder to be had when the snow is right. There is a large cornice up top that can be huge when the snow or wind sets it up that way. Throw in some speed and you may land half way down the trail! (Exaggeration but you should be careful and check this out before hucking!)... When you land you ll have a wide and fun medium steep pitch. Rocks and cliff bands on both sides, and this can get moguled when there is lots of use. The short hike and intimidating look scare people from coming here. In , the Winter Sports Committee from Denver s Chamber of Commerce hired two men to make a statewide survey of potential ski area sites Laurance Larry Jump, a Dartmouth grad and 10th Mountain Division veteran, and Frederick Sandy Schauffler, Amherst grad and member of the 1940 Olympic ski team. Tieze s Claim 54 Shining Light is a small tangent right under the Zuma Lift off of Columbine that starts off steeper and ends pretty flat. This is just a short 100 yards that comes right under the lift that is somewhat steep for a blue and has rocks and trees and probably moguls but then takes a left and flattens out and comes back to Columbine for a final pitch and then the run out. There is a rock band you need to watch out for but other than that this is pretty easy Tieze s Claim is a tree area with glades and corridors that has some nice lines through it. The top is rocky with cliffs and such and then it drops into trees. This has some nice fallines to it and sometimes gets some moguls. This is pretty short though and ends quickly onto Columbine for the trip down to the bottom. Torrey s 77 Torrey s is a great tree area on the skier s left side of Montezuma Bowl. You can take the Mountain Goat Traverse to get over here and then drop into the open Elk Meadows. Before you come to the end of Elk Meadows, take a left onto Torrey s. Here you ll find trees and lots of them. There are nice lines throughout but there are tight sections also. Most drop in earlier than this so this can stay fresher than other parts of the mountain. That mean on a powder day you ll find great powder lines here if you like tree skiing or riding. Ride with a partner here and be safe; of course tree skiing or riding is dangerous. Montezuma Bowl

41 Winning Card 82 Winning Card is another of the great chutes off of Zuma Cornice. This gets not as much travel as most drop in earlier. This is also not as open as many of the others in this area. Many trees, most small add to the challenge of this pretty steep chute. Walls of snow, moguls, rocks and more make this a fun expert foray and hopefully lots of powder. This starts out open at first with a cornice, and then goes into the small tree glades. i KNOW THE CODE... Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely. Zuma 1115' RATING AVERAGE: TIME: 9 MIN VERTICAL RISE The Zuma Lift is the only lift in the Montezuma Bowl area and is a great quad that accesses all the good the bowl has to offer. Rarely is there a line, and there are so many great choices! Strong Intermediates can go down the middle on trails like Columbine or Larkspur, or off to the skier s left with Elk Meadows. Advanced skiers and riders have all the rest that doesn t require a hike. Experts will love the easy climb to steep chutes, cornice drops and great powder accessed off of the Zuma Cornice. The only drawback about this area is that it is quite exposed, and during a windy snowstorm you might not want to be here. Also, this gets alot of sun so things can get cruddy. Other than that, this is an amazing area with lots of different types of terrain. Andy s Ski & Ride Guides are now available on your mobile device. Visit Montezuma Bowl 80 81

42 Dave Petersen Call Dave Petersen Properties of the Summit Independently owned and operated Frisco Main Street 2 BR HOME WITH EXTENDED DECK and fenced yard nestled into the mature Aspen trees. Vaulted ceilings feels large and open, light and bright. Awesome Master Suite on the Private Upper Level. Oversized garage for all of your Mountain Toys! $439,000. Call Dave Petersen

43 TREE LINES There are many great tree lines to explore at A-Basin. Please note that tree skiing is dangerous and should not be attempted by those who are not good enough. You should be an advanced intermediate at least and above and have good confidence. You should always ski or board with a partner. 1. CHALLENGER TREES: RATING: 75 The Challenger trees are a short but fun section of trees that you can bring someone who is new to glade skiing and give the an experience that will be great. It s not as steep here and the trees are widely spaced with limited branches. Most will enjoy this and it s short enough to get out if not. 2. TORREY S: RATING: 83 Torreys is a great tree area back in Montezuma Bowl area. This is on the skiers left and has lots of great tree stands with open corridors and a fun, manageable pitch. There are some thick sections. 3. TIMBER GLADES: RATING: 83 Timber Glades is a great and steep tree section that cuts across the mountain and is pretty thin as far as wideness is concerned. On a powder day this can be an epic run with great steeps and trees that offer small corridors for the advanced skier or snowboarder. This gets tougher when low on snow. 4. THE ALLEY S: RATING: Up to 92 The Alleys have some of the best steep tree skiing in the country. This can be very dangerous. There are sections in here over 50 degrees that if you fall you will be in some pain at the bottom. Only the expert should be here. Try the West Alley first and if you can handle that you can go to the other ones. Terrain park analysis A-Basin has two small terrain parks, one called the Treeline Terrain Park and one called the High Divide Terrain Park. These have jumps, rails, boxes and more. They are constantly changing every day so it s hard to write about them. Every year these get bigger and better as the terrain park visitor gets better. What I can tell you is that terrain parks are quite fun, but can be very dangerous. Please wear a helmet, and make sure you inspect all features before doing them. Hopefully next year I ll have an actual page devoted to A-Basin s terrain park written by the men and women who build it! TOP 5 TOP 5 RUNS BY ABILITY EVERYONE WHO COMES TO A-BASIN SHOULD SKI WHEN HERE: BEGINNER Molly Hogan Wrangler Sundance Chisholm Trail INTERMEDIATE Ramrod King Cornice Dragon Columbine Independence ADVANCED Slalom Slope The Nose Torrey s Long Chute Log Roll EXPERT Gauthier North Pole Rollercoaster Jump Durrance 84 85

44 High Noon C West FRONTSIDE ARAPAHOE BASIN Summit 13,050' LENAWEE MOUNTAIN 13,204' MOUNT GUYOT 13,370' BALD MOUNTAIN (BALDY) 13,684' BEAR MOUNTAIN 12,585' INDEPENDENCE MOUNTAIN 12,615' QUANDARY PEAK 14,265' PEAK 10 13,633' Upper East Wall North Pole Hiking Gate MONTEZUMA BOWL ZUMA LIFT NORTH AMERICAN BOWL BRECKENRIDGE Ski Area Boundary-Unpatrolled Unmaintained Tree Chutes Corner Chute Willie s Wide Lower East Wall North Pole East Wall Traverse Land of the Giants High Divide Terrain CLOSED AREA East Gully East Wall Gates Cabin Glades Falcon Dragon Half Moon Glades TB Glade Humbug Lenawee West Gully Wrangler Face Lenawee Parks Chisholm Powerline LENAWEE MOUNTAIN LIFT Trail Dercum s Gulch Gentry Sundance Norway Face Face Jamie s NORWAY LIFT Treeline Norway Mountain Run Park Terrain Knolls Cornice Run King Cornice West Wall Wildcat Nose Scudder Zuma Cornice Ski Area Boundary Unpatrolled Unmaintained South Chute Challenger Slalom Slope Radical No Name North Chute Powder Keg Standard Grizzly Road 13 My Chute North International Glade East Avenue Rollercoaster Pali Cornice Timber Glades Bear Pallavicini Turbo Pali Main Street Trap West The Spine Rock Garden Turbo Pali Face David s Run Pali Wog 2nd Alley 3rd Alley Alley Gauthier The Gulch EXHIBITION LIFT Standard PALLAVICINI LIFT t ained Ski Area Boundary-Unpatrolled Unmai n KEYS Ramrod Exhibition Park Sundance North Fork Wrangler Chisholm MOLLY HOGAN LIFT Molly Hogan MOLLY S MAGIC CARPET This is not an official trail map to Access Last Chance Parking Lot Base Elevation 10,780' Early Riser High Noon

45 Davo 11,990' MONTEZUMA BOWL EAST WALL PALLAVICINI LIFT SUMMIT Ski Area Boundary Unpatrolled Unmaintained Elephant s Trunk EXHIBITION LIFT Gentling s Glade End Zone Jump Zuma Cornice Schauffler LENAWEE MOUNTAIN LIFT Durrance Groswold Max Long Chute Independence Log Roll Bear Black Larkspur Ned s Cache ZUMA LIFT Shining Light Placer Junction 12,472' Columbine Northern Spy Torreys Mountain Tieze s Claim Elk Meadows Grays Goat Traverse Ski Area Boundary Unpatrolled Unmaintained Bierstadt Winning Card Miner s Glade Montezuma s Revenge NO LIFT SERVICE HIKE BACK TERRAIN ONLY Lower Elephant s Trunk Black Forest Crags Eureka Hike Back Trail Lightning Trees Lightning Traverse NO LIFT SERVICE HIKE BACK TERRAIN ONLY This is not an official trail map

46 QUICK REFERence guide Trail Runs Rating Color Pg 2nd Alley 93 Black Cornices 87 Black 10 3rd Alley 91 Black 11 Bear Trap 84 Black 12 Bierstadt 84 Black 66 Black Bear 81 Black 67 Black Forest 82 Black 66 Cabin Glades 65 Blue 12 Challenger 80 Black 13 Chisholm Trail 16 Green 13 Columbine 62 Blue 67 Corner Chute 91 Black 14 Cornice Run 32 Blue 14 Crags 87 Black 68 David s Run 91 Black 15 Davo 83 Black 68 Dercum s Gulch 25 Blue 16 Dragon 55 Blue 00 Durrance 85 Black 69 East Avenue 84 Black 18 East Gully 75 Black 18 East Wall Traverse 71 Black 19 Exhibition 72 Black 20 Elephants Trunk 86 Black 69 Elk Meadows 66 Blue 70 End Zone 88 Black 72 Eureka 76 Black 72 Falcon 63 Black 20 Gauthier 94 Black 21 Gentry 65 Blue 21 Gentlings Glade 85 Black 73 Grizzly Road 45 Blue 22 Gray s 82 Black 73 Grosword 89 Black 74 Gulch (The) 63 Black 22 Half Moon Glades 68 Black 23 High Noon 41 Blue 23 Hambug 43 Blue 26 Independence 64 Blue 74 International 82 Black 26 Jamie s Face 41 Blue 27 Jump 87 Black 75 King Cornice 63 Blue 27 Knolls 58 Blue 30 Land Of The Giants 75 Black 30 Larkspur 59 Black 75 Lenawee Face 64 Blue 31 Lenawee Parks 61 Blue 31 Lightning Traverse 55 Black 76 Lightning Trees 83 Black 76 Log Roll 82 Black 77 Long Chute 78 Black 77 Lower East Wall 75 Black 32 Lower Elephants Trunk 83 Black 78 Max 82 Black 78 Miner s Glade 78 Black 79 Molly Hogan 10 Green 32 Montezuma s 67 Black 79 Mountain Goat Traverse 51 Black 80 My Chute 88 Black 33 Ned s Cache 58 Blue 80 No Name 83 Black 33 North Chute 78 Black 34 North Fork 55 Blue 34 North Glade 85 Black 35 North Pole 92 Black 35 Northern Sky 63 Black 81 Norway Face 55 Blue 38 Norway Mountain 60 Blue 38 Nose Black 83 Black 39 Pali Cornice 81 Black 39 Pali Main St. 86 Black 40 Pali Wog 65 Black 40 Pallavicini 88 Black 41 Placer Junction 73 Black 81 Powder Keg 74 Black 41 Powerline 71 Blue 42 Radical 71 Black 42 Ramrod 63 Blue 43 Rollercoaster 86 Black 43 Schauffler 84 Black 82 Scudder 72 Black 44 Shining Light 54 Black 82 Slalom Slope 82 Black 44 South Chute 75 Black 45 Spine (The) 78 Black 45 Standard 75 Black 46 Sundance 28 Green 46 TB Glade 57 Blue 47 Tieze s Claim 81 Black 83 Timber Glades 84 Black 47 Torrey s 77 Black 83 Tree Chutes 78 Black 50 Turbo 90 Black 50 Upper East Wall 91 Black 53 West Alley 87 Black 53 West Gully 62 Blue 55 West Turbo 89 Black 55 West Wall 63 Blue 56 Wild Cat 69 Black 56 Willy s Wide 91 Black 57 Winning Card 82 Black 84 Wrangler 23 Green

47