I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck, went to Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin) ski resort today.

Back o Arapahoe Basin Ski resort

We were here June 20 for the last weekend of skiing for last season. Today they have the snow guns going.   A-Basin is making snow now in preparation for the opening of another ski season. Last year A-Basin was the first ski resort to open in North America.   A-Basin was established in 1946 and is really high. The base or bottom of the ski runs is 10,780 feet above sea level. The top of the ski run is 13,050 feet. That’s more than 2 miles high! Usually about 2 weeks of snowmaking is needed to make the 18-inch base necessary to open the resort.

This is a working snow gun.

Snow gun at work

Making snow that is similar to natural snow and good for skiing is happening now. The area has received up to 7 inches of natural snow this week and the temperatures are cold enough to make snow.   It was 36 degrees this morning when we visited. This photo shows snow guns.

Snow guns making snow today

These are not skiers. Soapy and I sat in natural snow on these tables.

They had some natural snow also and it is cold

We do not know how to ski or snowboard, so we would need to rent equipment and take lessons here.

Everything the beginner needs

Another ski resort, Copper Mountain, is also making snow. When we arrived this afternoon, the guns were off. Snow is usually made at night when it is colder. This is a photo of Dillon Reservoir, between the two ski resorts.

Beginning to look like winter

The snow on the mountains was not there a couple weeks ago.

Then we went to Loveland Basin ski resort.

We have a lot of ski resorts

The snow guns had been working when we passed the resort this morning, but were off in the afternoon.  This shows some man made snow on the lower part of the ski runs and natural snow at the top. These ski lifts are ready for ski season.

Getting ready to ski at Loveland Basin