Type-2 fun lovers of Colorado, break out your splitboard. Uphill access is open at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area.
Riders looking to earn their turns will be able to at the Summit County Ski Area from now until the end of the season, unless conditions lead the resort to say otherwise.
Uphill access is available before and after lift hours. That means either before 8:30 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Until more terrain opens up, skinners are able to summit at the top of the Black Mountain Express lift. That will change as more terrain opens up.
To reach the summit, uphill riders should use Dercum’s Gulch or Grizzly Road.
Anyone looking to earn those turns will need an uphill pass, of some sort. A-Basin offers an uphill season pass for $109, and those who already hold an A-Basin full season pass can add it on for $29. $10 from the sale of each pass will be donated to the National Forest Foundation. And of course, you cannot access the chairlifts by purchasing an uphill pass.
Uphill passes must be picked up in person during operating hours. Of course, this can be tricky for someone trying to get those turns in before the mountain fully opens up. Those apart of the dawn patrol looking to get a dark start before the guest services office opens up should carry a copy of their confirmation receipt while skinning.
Photo: Arapahoe Basin/Ikon Pass Media Assets
A-Basin opened for the season on November 2, 2024.
The staff in Summit County typically aim for the longest season in Colorado. Uphill access at ski areas has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. In Colorado, just three mountains - Purgatory, Silverton, and Echo Mountain – do not allow uphill access in some capacity. That’s according to the United States Ski Mountaineering website.
The phenomenon is so widespread, even the Colorado tourism website has published a guide to going uphill.
“Yes — in spite of the elaborate engineering and advanced equipment that’s gotten us to the summit with minimal effort for 80 years, there are folks out there who legitimately want to earn their turns,” the article says. “Intrigued? Here’s the what, why and where.”
Related: After Several Storms, Purgatory in Southern Colorado Opens Early for Bonus Weekend