'Stunning:' Colorado ski area's long-dreamed expansion taking shape
A Colorado ski area's long dream for expansion finally took shape over the summer.
On the backside of Monarch Mountain called No Name Basin, crews have cleared trees for six runs — along with the wide lane for a fixed-grip, triple chairlift. The lift is expected to be installed next summer, ahead of No Name Basin's official opening for the 2025-'26 season.
"It's all gone according to schedule," said Bob Nicolls, Monarch's owner.
All according to the plan announced in July, with the U.S. Forest Service approving the lift-served addition of 377 acres of north-facing slopes.
The blue- and black-rated terrain lies on the opposite, western side of the Continental Divide. If all continues accordingly, visitors in a couple of winters will be able to ride Monarch's front-side lift up and ski down what will be the ski area's longest drop, close to 1,000 feet, while exploring the trees across the six trails.
"The tree-skiing in there is very good, and we're gonna make it better by taking out some of the standing dead beetle kill trees like we did on the front side," Nicolls said. "The first year it might be a little tight in spots. We'll open that up as time goes by."
Guided snowcat tours have run in No Name Basin for years while operators have awaited the go-ahead for the development outlined in a 2011 master plan. The vision for No Name Basin goes back long before then, said Nicolls, whose LLC took over the ski area in 2002.
Now he's finally seeing the vision come to life.
"It was one thing to ski it when it was part of the snowcat operation and looking at it on maps and looking at it from a distance," Nicolls said. "But when you get down in there and see all the runs now and the vast area, I mean, it's way bigger than what I really ever imagined. ... It is stunning."
But no, visitors won't be able to venture in and hike out this winter before the lift installation.
"We can't let the public go down. I wouldn't know how you would clear it at the end of the day, you couldn't do that responsibly," Nicolls said. "Folks will have to wait for the '25-'26 season. But it'll be worth the wait."
