Monarch Mountain Just Got BIGGER — First Turns in No Name Basin

Описание: This video documents my first time skiing the brand-new No Name Basin expansion at Monarch Mountain, accessed by the newly built Tomichi Lift. This terrain had never been lift-served before and represents one of the most significant expansions in Monarch’s modern history.

Monarch sits along the Continental Divide and is known for steep fall lines, natural snow, wind-loaded pockets, and a true Colorado feel without the mega-resort scale. The addition of No Name Basin changes the mountain’s footprint by adding new expert and advanced terrain that was previously hike-only or rarely accessed. The Tomichi Lift now provides direct access to high-elevation terrain featuring open faces, glades, natural gullies, ridgeline skiing, and varied pitch that skis very differently from Monarch’s traditional frontside runs.

This day marks my first exploration of the expansion zone — learning the terrain layout, snow distribution, entry points, and flow between zones. Conditions in this zone can vary dramatically due to wind transport and aspect, with soft pockets, wind buff, chalk, and natural features shaping how lines ski. The terrain emphasizes route finding, terrain reading, and controlled skiing in complex snow surfaces.

The expansion is a major milestone for Monarch as an independent ski area, adding scale, vertical options, and a new style of terrain to a mountain long known for strong local culture and natural snowfall. No Name Basin and the Tomichi Lift shift how the resort skis by opening sustained fall-line descents and new tree zones that expand the mountain’s expert terrain network.

This video captures:
• First laps in newly opened terrain
• Snow conditions and surface variability
• Terrain style and character of the expansion
• How the new lift changes access and flow
• What makes this zone different from the rest of Monarch

A long-anticipated addition is now part of the mountain — and this is the first day experiencing how it skis.