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Ski Area With Longest Season In World (Without A Glacier) Ends 17-18 Season

Published : 04-Jun-2018 12:26

Arapahoe Basin in Colorado has rounded off a 234 day (almost eight months) 2017-18 season, closing yesterday. The resort, one of the world's 10 highest altitude ski centres, began its season back on October 13, 2017 last year.

It was the first in the state and by some measures the first in North America to open and is the last in the state to close, although Mammoth in California is still open (to June 17th) so it's not the last in North America.

Since Ruka in Lapland started closing in early May rather than early June Arapahoe Basin is now normally the ski area with the longest season in the world, excluding resorts with glaciers and indoor snow centres, although Mammoth comes close.

The ski area that by some measures has a longer season that A Basin and opens earlier flor the season is timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon. This does not have a glacier but does have a 'permanent snow field' that never melts away.

It was not the snowiest of seasons for A-Basin, but altogether the ski area reported about 300 inches (7.5 metres) of snowfall.

"Have no fear, powder hounds - ski season will be here again in the high country before you know it… it's only about 135 days away!" said A Basin's Marketing and Communications Manager Adrienne Saia Isaac.

Elsewhere in North America, Beartooth Basin in Montana (formerly the Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp) in Montana, the continent's only summer-only ski area, has postponed its planned opening – initially May 25th, then June 2nd, twice as crews struggle to clear deep snow from the lifts.

North of the border Whistler Blackcomb re-opens for five weeks of summer skiing and boarding on the Horstman glacier from this coming Saturday 9th, June.

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