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"We have finally come to that point in the journey," writes A-Basin CEO Alan Henceroth. "Sunday, June 22 will be the last day of the season. No more extensions. As much as we really wanted to make it to July 4th, it is time to put 2013-14 to rest. I was reasonably optimistic about making the 4th, assuming we had some cool weather. For a while I thought that storm that hit the Northern Rockies this week would hit us. It didn't. It has been warm. The dust layer isn't helping. The forecast is for above average temperatures for several days."
Colorado diehards know how to translate that: break out your bikinis and your sunscreen, and enjoy your last laps in what's left of the snow before settling in for the base-area beach party. A-Basin's still reporting a 24-inch snow base, so get in those turns while the getting is good.
"The snowcat drivers took every reasonable step to keep things going," writes Henceroth. "Sometimes the decision to close is very difficult. This year's decision was pretty easy. We will still have some excellent skiing for the coming weekend, but the outlook for skiing next weekend wasn't great. I am usually the last one around this place that says, 'It is time to close.' Last night I said, 'It is time to close.'"The ski area will be making a quick seasonal transition: Yoga on the Mountain kicks off Arapahoe Basin's summer events calendar on July 13, when you can hike to the Black Mountain Lodge and send your sun salutations to whatever's left of the white stuff (or start your snow dances for the 2014-2015 season early).
