A Colorado ski area is celebrating the first step in realizing a long-held vision to expand.

Monarch Mountain’s 2011 master plan detailed the concept of No Name Basin — a lift-served area for skiers and snowboarders to explore the opposite, western side of the Continental Divide. The U.S. Forest Service recently launched its review of the possibility by publishing documents and requesting public comment.

The move “means one thing,” Monarch Chief Operating Officer Randy Stroud wrote in a newsletter, “that our dream of introducing more terrain to our guests is no longer simply a dream.”

While still potentially years away, the Forest Service’s review “is the first official step in (No Name Basin) becoming a reality,” Stroud wrote.

Monarch’s proposal calls for expanding by 377 acres, bringing the ski area’s boundary to 1,46 acres. That would be “low intermediate, intermediate and advanced-intermediate terrain with a vertical rise of approximately 960 feet,” according to Forest Service documents. Including long cruisers and trees, the terrain would be served by a fixed-grip, four-seat chairlift.

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While the ski area’s front-side lifts would initially access No Name Basin, the plan envisions a new road eventually reaching the area. A warming hut and bathroom facility are also outlined.

The Forest Service review comes as Monarch continues to report record visitation. The idea is “to better disperse guests across the mountain,” according to documents, adding: “Monarch hopes to meet evolving guest demand for more varied and interesting terrain.”

The ski area’s 2011 master plan predicted increased visitation and the eventual need for No Name Basin, Stroud explained in his newsletter.

“Since we indeed anticipated an increase in visits should we expand our terrain, we immediately went to work on improving our infrastructure to be ready for the day we cut the ribbon on the new No Name lift,” he wrote. “Now, 12 years later, and over $20 million worth of capital improvements, we feel confident that that day has come.”

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