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Price of closest ‘Beach’ spots at A-Basin going up

The Associated Press
Aspen, CO Colorado

KEYSTONE, Colo. – On any given spring weekend, barbecue grills, camping chairs, the occasional beach ball and RVs line “The Beach,” the closest row of parking spots to the lifts at the Arapahoe Basin ski area.

It’s one of the most popular spots for skiers and snowboarders to tailgate and unwind at A-Basin, and soon the price of reserving prime spaces is going up.

For years, beach spots closest to the lifts could be reserved for a fee. All other spots go to whoever gets there first.



This year, the ski area is giving away even the closest spots for the early season (though if people insisted, they could still reserve spots for the standard $100), but prices will go up for peak demand times.

After Feb. 15, reserving one of the nine closest spots will cost $100 Monday through Thursday, and $150 for the peak times of weekends, holidays and April. Only six spots could be reserved last year for a fee.




The rest of the spaces in the first row are still free.

“It was just a business decision,” guest services manager Sha Miklas said. “The demand was there. We always had waiting lists.”

By mid-December, most reserved spots for April were booked, Miklas said. In past years, some April weekends have had 10 people on the waiting list, she said.

Weddings, companies, individuals, local organizations and other ski resorts holding staff parties have all reserved the best spots on the beach.

Miklas would not say how much revenue beach reservations generate.