New Terrain at Monarch Mountain
A Photo Story
Long Live the Independent Ski Area
No-Name Basin has been years in the making. In a world of Epic and Ikon it is special to have a mountain like Monarch that retains its Indy character. Monarch Mountain is part of why I fell in love with the Ark Valley. This expansion felt not only like a win for Monarch skiers, but a win for Salida and the valley.
I went out and shot some photos of the opening day. The 2025/26 snow year has been rough. Despite that, the stoke was high.
The new terrain is fantastic and adds so much to the mountain. Long groomers, steep bumps, powder pockets in the trees, views of the S. Sawatch and finally a triple chair. It really remined me of the Beavers expansion at A-Basin.
I am looing forward to skiing here often and hopefully a few powder days before the end of the season.
-Dave
