abasin expansion

[Telemarketeer]

Abasin announces plan to open Beavers/Steep Gullies: Posts map with "hike-back" option and limited opening next season.
http://arapahoebasin.com/Abasin/moun...llies.aspx#map

[hatchgreenchile]

Sweet! Looks like the terrain below the Alleys is in play.

[Lindahl]

Sweet! Can't wait to hit traverse track ruts in the middle of one of the gullies!

[The SnowShow]

Where's the traverse in the middle of the alleys? Isn't it at the bottom?

[Telemarketeer]

So fucking dumb that they can't put a lift in to service the whole area. A ski area expecting it's clientele to skin back to the lift after accessing the best terrain is pathetic. Al can't even fuck it up right.

[Lindahl]

SnowShow, look at the gates. Now imagine lazy fucks who don't want to hike 30 minutes out. Ski the top half, traverse out. They need to not put gates there.

So fucking dumb that they can't put a lift in to service the whole area. A ski area expecting it's clientele to skin back to the lift after accessing the best terrain is pathetic. Al can't even fuck it up right.

There might have been environmental impact restrictions at the bottom. Its a major waterway.

[Name Redacted]

SnowShow, look at the gates. Now imagine lazy fucks who don't want to hike 30 minutes out. Ski the top half, traverse out. They need to not put gates there.



There might have been environmental impact restrictions at the bottom. Its a major waterway.

The same waterway that is riddled with mining waste and flows directly under multiple lifts and a village in Keystone?

[raisingarizona13]

I think it looks sweet but I'm not a local.

[hatchgreenchile]

At this point in the planning process, I can't imagine that those gate locations are accurate.

That would be a nasty fucking traverse across the gullies.

[Rideski]

I'd presume they are going to attempt to keep people from crossing the yellow boundary line, aka hitchhiking back?

[Telemarketeer]

No more hitchhiking, which is currently much faster than hiking/skinning back to Pali.

Parking has been so bad up there this year. Can't imagine it'll get any better with an expansion.

[The SnowShow]

I'm torn: easier lift access from the chutes = way more people in there vs. the ability to lap that area easier and really get into it without a pain in the ass skin or hike back out.

I don't ski that sidecountry but I'm sure there are some pissed off people who do.

[raisingarizona13]

I doubt there is going to be a cop stationed down there telling you that you can't hitch hike.

[smallies]

double has to be twice as fast

[WTF is dat]

I am cool with Abasin building this expansion since I am a backcountry whimp and rarely ski anything too gnar in the backcountry - this expansion really does not impact me at all. If anything I will now be able to ski lines I never dared to ski before!

I think this is good - the pow will now get tracked out more slowly on pow days and people will be more spread out around the mountain.

I am more curious about where ABasin expects to park all of these people!! The lots are already full a lot of the time, even when the mountain doesn't seem that busy.

Also, why are they getting rid of the Norway chair?!? That lift is actually much more convenient and a little bit faster than Lenawee. It doesn't make any sense to remove Norway. That lift is a good alternative on busy days and is much more convenient to access this new terrain and Zuma cornice / west wall.

[ColMan]

There might have been environmental impact restrictions at the bottom. Its a major waterway.

Not sure why the EPA would give a shit about a lift there. Heck, due to massive pollution, Keystone has to restock the trout every spring to be able to keep fly fishing on their list of guest activities.

[Name Redacted]

Below where they are putting the lift, and their yellow line, is some pretty decent terrain. Their excuse for not putting the lift all the way to the bottom was that they couldn't offer a green or blue slope all the way down to the lift. I call BS. They also said that there is less snow below that level, once again BS. I do believe that they were just too cheap to deal with mitigating the wetlands area at the bottom.

[Name Redacted]

Below where they are putting the lift, and their yellow line, is some pretty decent terrain. Their excuse for not putting the lift all the way to the bottom was that they couldn't offer a green or blue slope all the way down to the lift. I call BS. They also said that there is less snow below that level, once again BS. I do believe that they were just too cheap to deal with mitigating the wetlands area at the bottom.

[Lindahl]

Exactly. Enviro impact restrictions.

[galibier_numero_un]

So fucking dumb that they can't put a lift in to service the whole area. A ski area expecting it's clientele to skin back to the lift after accessing the best terrain is pathetic. Al can't even fuck it up right.

A truly constructive comment. Clearly you were involved in the planning and environmental impact process ...NOT.

... Thom

[rudy]

We got it, your name is Thom (you don't need to add it every time you post)

...Drew

[Wobby]

You guys need to stop bitching. Its gonna be dope as shit

[jefemundo]

I'm stoked there's no lift at the bottom. a 15 minute hike is worth every step if it will keep snow back there a few days after a storm. same as lightning trees....no body skis them, the 8 minute hike out to Zuma is too much.

The plan is perfect for those of us who aren't afraid to earn our turns. quit bitching that a giant moving couch isn't available at every inch of the resort to sweep your fat a$$ off the mountain and whisk you back to the top of the groomers.

[jefemundo]

ULLRismyco-pilot:

If you'd have bother to read the actual post on the site, you'd quickly realize it wasnt the "dumb fu*cks" at Basin making the call, but a concession to even allow the project to go forward in the first place. If you are able to read more than a few paragraphs in one sitting, have a look here and you can find out why. if reading 11 pages is too much for ya, here's a short bulletpoint on why:

The Beavers chairlift alignment was proposed specifically to keep the bottom lift terminal off the valley floor and out of the high-quality habitat in the riparian area.

Bitch all you want about the "high quality riparian area" but don't blame Basin for it. chat with your local forest service buddy.

I for one am happy they allowed Basin to expand into that territory at all, they could have said no-go and F-U.

Doosch.

[DasBlunt]

Glad they will ditch Norway and clean out those lift towers on that little fall line.

Ive never seen it run, but I only ride there on the bookends of the season.