View from the Continental Divide:

Monarch’s No Name Basin expansion project adding more space and enhanced terrain options

By Kendra Walker 

Skiing along the Continental Divide at the top of Monarch Mountain at 11,952 feet, mountain operations assistant director Zach Moore points out the 377-acre stretch of fresh, steep terrain that will soon be added to the mountain’s trail map: the No Name Basin. 

“It’s going to add 1,000 vertical feet and expand our terrain by 50%,” he said. “For Monarch, that’s a lot. People will be able to ski both sides of the Continental Divide. It’s going to add an entirely different feel to the mountain.”

With its upcoming No Name Basin expansion slated to open next winter, Monarch Mountain will hail as the only ski area in the United States that provides skiable/rideable access to both sides of the Continental Divide. The new terrain will round the mountain’s total acreage to 1,177, about equivalent in size to Aspen Highlands. Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s skiable acreage is 1,547 acres.

The No Name Basin terrain, which has previously only been accessed by Monarch’s snowcat tours, drops off the backside of the existing ski area boundary and will be accessed from the Breezeway and Panorama lifts. The No Name Basin expansion will include approximately 10 new intermediate and advanced ski and snowboard trails offering groomed, bump and gladed sections and a new three-person fixed-grip lift running 1,000 vertical feet. There will also be a ski patrol outpost, warming house and restrooms at the bottom lift terminal. 

Catching the bluebird panoramic views from the Divide before zipping down the steep, freshly groomed trails of No Name and into the quiet, protected forest below, it’s easy to understand Moore’s excitement.

Monarch Mountain received United States Forest Service (USFS) approval for the No Name Basin expansion last July 2024, but the project has taken a decade of planning, permitting and assessments with many players involved. After a pause during the COVID pandemic, the expansion was officially reviewed over the last three years by the San Isabel and Gunnison National Forests.

According to Moore, the entirety of the no-name expansion is located on Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) land and required collaboration with multiple agencies, including the USFS, the State Historic Preservation Office, officials from Chaffee and Gunnison Counties and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

“We were presented with many challenges for ski area expansion, many unique to the area,” he said. 

Moore explained that the Monarch Pass area is home to a large network of Native American and mining cultural sites, and is also one of three prehistoric game drive sites identified in Colorado and the only one south of I-70. “With that we’ve had to plan and design where we put lift terminals, roads and trails very carefully, around these heritage sites. There’s been a lot of effort to make sure we’re doing it right and protecting sites we have. We came up with a good plan to help protect and develop thoughtfully and responsibly,” he said. “The Forest Service has been a huge partner with us working through the process, looking at the big picture and being here as our boots on the ground. It’s a good working relationship.”

Moore said the USFS also conducted an environmental assessment prior to approval to ensure the expansion will not result in significant long-term impacts or adverse effects on wildlife, botany, hydrology, climate change, scenery or recreation. While construction will cause some short-term disruptions and impacts to the area; Moore noted that the project will include the removal of dead trees affected by spruce beetle infestations. The timber would otherwise pose a large wildfire threat.

“We’ve had an infestation since the mid 2000s. The ski area has changed greatly with a lot of thinning of the trees,” he said. “We’re cutting trees for the expansion, but also for forest health. That will ultimately improve forest health and decrease those dead tree wildfire fuels. Hopefully we’ll have more lodgepole come in and diversify the forest.”

Moore said the work on the No Name expansion began last summer, including building the access road, installing power for the lift, cutting the timber and clearing out the new trails. Monarch Mountain worked with SE Group on the design and planning, Vegetation Management West on all the timber removal and will partner with Utah-based Skytrac on the new chair lift installation.

Construction on the No Name Basin expansion will continue through this summer and the terrain is scheduled to open for the 2025-26 winter season. The ski area is still working on names for the new trails. 

“We are probably ¾ of the way through the process,” said Moore. “We have a couple runs that we still have to cut and the road is about halfway in. There will be a big push this summer. We’ll start on installing the lift as soon as we can, and the new terrain should be open in December.”

Driving to that appointment in Salida or Denver just got sweeter. Pit stop at Monarch, anyone?

Monarch’s closing day for the 2024/25 season is Sunday, April 13.