“Arapahoe Basin is a big, unpretentious, and challenging mountain that has changed lives”
I agree! – Near and dear to my heart is Arapahoe Basin Ski area in Summit County. It where I learned to ski and home to some of my fondest childhood memories. My time then was confined mostly to the inbounds stuff – which still proved to be very exciting with cornices and rock gardens sprinkled throughout the mountain… It was great fun to return to A-Basin after cutting my chops in Jackson for a few years and really see what a great skier’s mountain this is. It is home to some of the more challenging terrain in Colorado.
A-Basin just held a meeting to announce their plans to add 412 acres of new terrain – including some super steep stuff in an area commonly known as “the Beavers”. This is the spot just down-valley from the area base and Pallivicini Lift that has long finger-like gullies, which, to many people looks too steep to ski – but it gets skied – a lot. To get an idea of what this area looks like, Check out these: video1 video2
Google Earth View:
While I’m normally not a fan of area expansions into former side-country, or “slack-country” slopes (these are areas that locals often ski just outside of area boundaries) – I think this plan has some merit. This area is frequently skied anyway and the slopes and gullies are technical enough that its a frequent site of avalanches and accidents. Having a lift there and enabling the patrol to manage the snow and get in and out quickly is probably a good thing in this area.
I’m sure the locals are not too psyched about this though as this is a pretty good stash. But, this area was part of the original mountain plan and skiable area back in the old days – check out this old map:
CHERRY POINT PROPERTIES 
