Monarch Mountain expansion well underway

After a busy, construction-filled summer, the ski runs within Monarch Mountain’s No Name Basin expansion are beginning to take shape. 

Monarch Mountain received final approval from the U.S. Forest Service on its long-awaited expansion into No Name Basin at the start of July. The ski area is operated under a special use permit administered by the agency. The project, which involved over a decade of planning, will increase the ski resort’s size by nearly a third. 

Visitation at the small, privately owned resort has grown by 30% over the past 10 years. As of last year, Monarch had already invested close to $20 million in infrastructure upgrades to accommodate increasing visitation and to prepare for the project’s launch. 

The expansion, which sits on the west side of the Continental Divide, will feature roughly a dozen new named ski runs tailored for intermediate to advanced skiers and riders. The runs will give skiers access to traditionally cleared trails, as well as glades. On a clear day, it’s possible for drivers stopped at the Blue Mesa middle bridge closure to see the newly cut No Name ski runs in the distance, said BL Holdinghaus, director of engineering, maintenance and project management at Monarch. 

“I can't even begin to tell you the amount of excitement, both internally and externally, here at Monarch,” he said. 

Monarch broke ground in No Name Basin at the end of July. The six-week construction period consisted mostly of tree removal on the new ski runs. Crews used the remainder of the season to complete restoration work, erosion control and drainage management. 

“We've been working on winter site stabilization to make sure that when we come back in the spring, everything is going to be right where we left it,” Holdinghaus said.

Timber crews cut down roughly 60 acres of trees. Most of the timber was sold as firewood in the neighboring Gunnison and Chaffee counties. The remaining slash timber was used to aid site stabilization. Tree clearing in wetland and cultural areas will continue this winter, when trees can be cut and slid out of the area over snow without disturbing the ground. Since some construction will occur during the winter months, it is still unclear if portions of No Name Basin will be open to backcountry skiers this season, Holdinghaus said. 

The Monarch team plans to install a three-person 2,700-feet-long fixed grip lift with a warming hut and restroom facility next summer. The anticipated opening date of No Name is the winter of 2025-26.

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)