Arapahoe Basin Releases 2020-21 Season Details, Will Not Require Reservations
UPDATE 9/14/2020: Reservations will be required for Ikon passholders. Details on the reservation system are unclear at this point.
On the heels of recent announcements from multiple other resorts, Arapahoe Basin announced their operating plans for the 2020-21 season today. The resort plans to open “as soon as Mother Nature allows.”
As per county guidelines, the resort will require visitors to wear face masks in all indoor facilities, at the base area, and while riding lifts. All lifts will run next season, but at a maximum of 50% capacity per chair. No guests will be required to ride with people they don’t know.
Indoor lodges will be not be places to take breaks next season. The resort says that visitors should expect “to only be able to go inside to use the bathroom or purchase food.” All food options at the resort will remain open, but all bars will be closed. In addition, tailgating will be prohibited for the foreseeable future, as will be gathering at the resort’s Beach area.
A-Basin season and multi-day passes will not require reservations next winter, and passholders will be able to visit the mountain as they please. The resort says lift tickets will be on sale for every day of the season, but they will be limited in number and need to be purchased in advance. At this point, it’s unclear whether Ikon and Mountain Collective passholders will need to make reservations. A-Basin says that these measures should “substantially reduce peak visitation periods”, but that as a last resort, the mountain may limit parking to prevent excess capacity.
According to A-Basin, “[i]f a person purchases a pass product for the 2020-21 season and Arapahoe Basin does not open, that pass product for that Holder will be valid for the 2021-22 season.” An unlimited adult pass is $469.
Our Take
On the surface, the lack of mountain-access and parking reservations is a huge A-Basin advantage. The first-come, first-serve parking system sounds pretty good during off-peak times, but it’s not unimaginable that on the busiest days, interested parties will need to get up at an ungodly hour to guarantee a spot on the mountain. Weekend and holiday powder days, when high numbers of season passholders will likely try for resort access, will probably be the most susceptible to these circumstances.
Hopefully, limited ticket sales will ultimately keep this from happening. It’s unclear at this point how far in advance lift tickets will be sold, but we hope A-Basin has learned some lessons from the technical fiascos it experienced selling late-season tickets last spring.
A-Basin can get cold and windy, and its altitude can be overwhelming for some. Since indoor seating won’t be an option next season, guests should come prepared with the mindset that they’ll have to use their cars for “indoor” breaks. The loss of bars and tailgating next season will assuredly disappoint some, but given the need for social distancing due to COVID and lack of on-site lodging, it’s hard to knock the resort for these decisions. On the plus side, A-Basin offers high-quality and somewhat reasonably priced on-mountain meals, so we’re glad to see that all restaurants will continue to serve food.
While these operating changes seem quite reasonable, it’s still disappointing that Arapahoe Basin’s pass assurance policy is essentially useless. Passes will only provide refunds in the event that the entire 2020-21 season is cancelled, and that means that even if the resort only opens for one day, passholders won’t be able to get any money back. If you’re willing to stomach only spending 7 days at A-Basin next season, buying an Ikon Pass may be a safer bet—but unfortunately, reservations will be required for these passholders.
