Get insider insight into how to enjoy some of our newest terrain in The Beavers with this video tour. If you like steep and deep tree runs, this is your spot. Louis, our head of mountain operations, shows you around the terrain he helped shape.
Terrain Overview
- 339 acres
- 1 fixed-grip quad lift
- 2 groomed runs: Loafer and Davis. BUT, note they are the most challenging blue runs at A-Basin due to snow conditions, steepness and length.
- Hike-back terrain: ski the expert Bald Spot (similar to the Lower Alleys), then boot-pack 5 to 10 minutes back up to Beavers Lift.
.jpg)
First Time in the Glades
If you have never skied or ridden in trees before, start by checking out our intermediate runs East Gully, Cabin Glades, Lynx Lane and TB Glades on the frontside of the mountain. If you're ready for The Beavers, head over to the "C Pod," first. Dreamcatcher, Bighorn, Pioneer Willie, and Glockenspiel Glade make up part of the C Pod to far skier's left.
The Beavers is a place to find solitude and maybe see a porcupine (look up in the trees). The terrain primarily faces north and receives great snowfall. The trees hang onto that snow often longer than other areas of the mountain, meaning powder stashes await you even a few days following a big storm.
The Beavers History
The Beavers were part of our founder's original vision for A-Basin back in the 1940s; the area can be seen circled on early Forest Service maps. The "Beaver Pond Run" is indicated on a 1947-48 ski-area trail map as the westernmost run (#13 on the US Forest Service photo below). Early skiers would descend the run, then walk or hitch hike back up the road. But for more than 70 years, The Beavers remained extreme backcountry territory.
Our COO Alan Henceroth strongly advocated for bringing this terrain into A-Basin's formal snow-management program for public safety reasons. It took more than a decade of planning and assessments to formally incorporate The Beavers into A-Basin's in-bounds area for the 2018-19 season.
"I've always thought of A-Basin as the small mountain that skis big. This expansion pushed this point by offering our guests many more options between a variety of gladed tree runs, [and] a whole new terrain aspect facing west with different views and vistas..." - Peggy Hiller, A-Basin VP of Operations.
Special Construction Considerations
When building The Beavers, we focused on minimizing environmental impacts to honor this iconic terrain and create a one-of-a-kind skiing and riding experience. The second video below covers how we did this.
"We were not trying to re-think what Mother Nature intended. We were just trying to make things more accessible."
