As an avid alpine skier, I enjoy exploring mountain tops without the need to earn it in the traditional sense. Instead of hiking, snowshoeing or even skinning uphill, comfortable, high-speed lifts sweep us from base to summit in minutes, instead of hours.
One of my favorite resorts is Arapahoe Basin, situated on Loveland Pass in the Front Range of Colorado. Separating the Arapahoe and White River National Forests, surprisingly given its name, the ski area is on the White River side of the pass.
Arapahoe Basin’s base sits at 10,780 feet (3286 meters), with the summit rising above 13,000 feet (3962 meters). Due to its northward facing position, A-Basin boasts one of the longest ski seasons in the state, often having skiable snow through June. The East Wall, Montezuma Bowl, The Beavers & Palivicinni beckon.
My routine generally involves rising before dawn to secure a spot along “The Beach” just steps away from Pali, the two-seater that sweeps us to the top of the infamous Pallavicini North Face – some of North America’s most challenging terrain.
As a photographer with a passion for the mountains, I’m always facing the dilemma of taking my gear on such extreme terrain or simply enjoying the slopes themselves. The pull to capture images is often too great, and I find myself with cold fingers, camera in hand, shooting vistas from the mountain tops.
On this occasion though, my standard kit wasn’t required. As beautiful light painted Lenawee Peak and the terrain below, I reached for my new iPhone 15 Pro. Modern smartphones rival dedicated digital kits with 48 MP ranges, multiple lenses and RAW file formats that let us fully realize our visions in post.
The best camera is the one you have with you” ~Unknown
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