On the eve of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area\u2019s first Fourth of July skiing and riding day in eight years, the ski area\u2019s operations director for lifts and slopes maintenance Louis Skowyra recapped the numerous variables that led to July skiing at the Continental Divide.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many things going on, so many things changing,\u201d Skowyra said in a video shared by A-Basin. \u201cBut the transition periods are really the fun time of year up here, certainly for those of us in the slopes maintenance department. This is the slopes maintenance department\u2019s time to shine out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Skowyra, a Dillon resident, tipped his visor to Mother Nature and mentioned May\u2019s lower-than-average temperatures as a primary reason A-Basin is able to spin its lifts for skiing and riding Thursday.<\/p>\n
Skowyra also credited A-Basin\u2019s snowmaking crew for its work dating back 10 months, when A-Basin fired up its snowmaking guns for the season Sept. 21. He said it\u2019s the ski area\u2019s focus on snowmaking on certain portions of the mountain\u2019s front-side terrain that not only helps A-Basin to open early but also to have a solid base of snow in May, June or July.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of what we are doing right now has a snowmaking base on it,\u201d Skowyra said. \u201cAnd that snow tends to hold up better this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the snow begins melting, Skowyra\u2019s crew manages the runoff while keeping a rideable ribbon in mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe water can get into our snowpack and wash things away pretty quickly,\u201d Skowyra said. \u201cSo a lot of what our snowcat operators are doing are allowing for the water to flow where it wants to go, into water bars, into natural gullies and ravines. We want to let it do so, therefore we can maintain our snow strips in certain places.\u201d<\/p>\n