10/10/2007 – Arapahoe Basin (A-basin) opens on the earliest day ever since it became Colorado’s first public ski area with lifts in 1946. Today, A-Basin having received 13 inches new in 3 days, A-basin is optimistic about opening more trails very very soon. This is the official beginning of the ski season for residents and visitors to the Vail Valley, as A-basin is only a short drive over the pass in Summit County, and is one of the first areas to open every year, with Loveland being a close rival.

Now why the “White Ribbon of Death?” Locals who have grown accustomed to fresh powder and wide open spaces refer to the single man-made intermediate slope overrun with every enthusiastic skier available in a 100-mile radius “risky,” especially with torn ACL’s being rampant in the early season. Wish to risk it? We recommend you look before you leap by the mountain’s web cam.