Tennessee Creek Basin is Open – Use Caution
January 10, 2020
As you have probably heard by now, the new Tennessee Creek Basin Area with its Little Horse T-Bar is up and running! After considering all the details and coordination involved in opening what is basically an entire new Ski Area, we opted to perform a “soft opening” so we could assess and address any challenges and deal with them without disrupting the days with huge numbers of Cooper skiers. Well, after a week of operation, we identified a few kinks which we addressed and now feel solid about the TCB and Little Horse.
The most important note to pass on is that we have decided to CLOSE the High Road (rated a Blue Square) trail, as we learned that many folks were not heeding the warnings about the steep terrain which the Little Horse T-Bar ascends to return skiers and riders back up the Mountain……and it is THE ONLY WAY OUT!!! So, the message is that you must possess the ability to descend TCB on Double Black Diamond Terrain in order to get to the bottom terminal of the Little Horse. If you have questions in your mind about your ability to handle this type of terrain, DON’T GO THERE – work on your skiing, or better yet take a few higher level lessons until you feel proficient in handling this extreme terrain.
One other important message: When riding up the Little Horse T-Bar, you must stay in the uphill track (directly under the haul cable). Like any other surface lift, skiing or riding outside this straight track could cause the haul cable to be pulled from the sheave wheels and create a maintenance issue which takes some time to rectify. (e.g. the lift is down and you might have to hike up…..and if you do that, many of your friends there with you will not be happy with you!!!)
So please heed these cautions, respect this terrain and lift, and keep yourself as safe as possible. This is truly an exciting addition to the already amazing terrain at Cooper – so when you feel ready for it, come and get it!
Enjoy the weekend!
Dan