Filed under: ski, snowboard, top-feature, winter activities
Skiing and Boarding at Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado
While the celebrity sightings at the Aspen/Snowmass Ski Resort (travel guide) are some of the best in the world, so are the thousands of acres of groomed skiing and boarding trails that traverse across the area’s grand Colorado Rocky Mountains known to produce some of the U.S.’s freshest powder.
The news gets even better: This season the resort will have one of its longest, officially opening on November 25, 2010 and not closing until April 24, 2011 – that’s 151 days of skiing and boarding.
About Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen/Snowmass consists of four peaks: Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. Free skier shuttles can transport you to, from and between all four mountains so you can logically ski as many of the peaks as you want in any one given day. And, all buses between Aspen and Snowmass are free no matter what time of day or night.
- Snowmass: At 4,406 vertical feet, Snowmass has 3,132 acres of terrain, including 91 trails (the longest being 5.3 miles), 21 chairlifts, and for adventure seekers, access to terrain parks and halfpipes. Snowmass is geared more for advance skiers and boarders, with over 50% of its trailed deemed “more difficult.” The mountain’s base elevation is 8,104 feet and its summit elevation is 12,510 feet. Lift hours include: the Sky Cab opening at 8 am; the Cirque lift opening at 10 am; the Village Express and Big Burn lifts opening at 8:30 am; and all other lifts opening at 9 am. Most lifts close at 3:30 pm, weather permitting.
- Aspen: At 3,267 feet, Aspen Mountain has 675 acres of trails with 76 ski trails and eight lifts. Aspen’s longest run is three miles. While the mountain has no beginner trails, 48% of its trails are for intermediate skiers and boarders and 26% are for those at the advance and expert levels, including double-black steeps and challenging glades. Aspen’s base elevation is 7,945 feet and its summit elevation is 11,212 feet. All lifts open at 9 am. and close at 3:30 pm.
- Aspen Highlands: At 3,635 feet, Aspen Highlands has 1,028 acres of trails, including 125 ski trails served by five lifts. Trails consist of intermediate cruisers and challenging expert terrain. Roughly18% of the mountain is for beginners and the rest is for intermediates and advanced skiers and boarders. Aspen Highlands is known for its’ steep, challenging terrain that, according to its Web site, can be found in its bowls. The mountain’s base elevation: 8,040 feet and its summit elevation is 11,675 feet.
- Buttermilk: At 7,870 feet, Buttermilk has 470 acres of 44 trails with the longest being three miles. Roughly 35% of the trails are for beginners; 39% for intermediate skiers and boarders; and 26% for advanced. Nine lifts serve the mountain, including a separate beginner terrain and a 22-foot superpipe and an X Games slopestyle course for more advanced skiers and boarders. The mountain’s base elevation is 7,870 feet and its summit elevation is 9,900 feet.
Tip: Starting March 18, 2011 and continuing every subsequent Friday, Aspen/Snowmass will leave one of the four peaks open after regular hours for sunset skiing. With daylight savings, the mountains often stay well-lit until 6 pm.
Planning
Aspen/Snowmass is about 220 miles from Denver International Airport (DIA). You can rent a car or take a shuttle from DIA. Drive time is about 4.5 hours. A closer option is to fly into the Roaring Fork Valley Airport, which is about three miles from the town of Aspen and six miles from Snowmass Village.
Weather conditions can vary in Aspen and Snowmass, going from rain to snow to sleet all in one day. Dress smartly by layering clothing and plan to pack: hats; gloves; glove warmers; ski socks; ski pants and jackets; goggles or sunglasses; and an outer shell to protect against wind and rain. It is also smart to buy small tubes of sunblock and lip moisturizer and keep them in one of your ski jacket’s pockets.
If you are an avid skier or boarder and have your own equipment, you can send it as checked luggage on your flight or ship it out ahead of time via Fed-Ex or UPS. You can also rent skis and poles and boards in Aspen or Snowmass.
For more ideas on packing for your snow vacation, check out these ski planning tips.
Tip: Enjoy free rental gear transfers to the mountain of your choice if you rent skis or snowboards from Four Mountain Sports or D&E Ski and Snowboard shop. The shop also offers free overnight storage of your gear.
Lift Tickets
Lift ticket prices start at $158 for a two-day adult pass; $140 for seniors and youth 13 – 17; and $90 for kids under 12.
Tip: The Aspen/Snowmass Ski Resort has a mobile application that works on most smart phones (including the iPhone and BlackBerry) and provides live grooming, snowfall and weather information. The application also lets you book lunch or dinner reservations straight from the chairlift. Daily tips and updates can also be followed on Aspen/Snowmass’s Facebook fan page.
Off the Slopes
If you are looking to take a day away from the slopes, there is plenty to do in Aspen and Snowmass. Some off-slope activities include:
- Visiting the Aspen Art Museum (travel guide).
- Visiting the Aspen Recreation Center (travel guide)
- Visiting the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center (map).
- Tasting a flight of local beers at the Aspen Brewing Company (travel guide).
- Hiking Smuggler Mountain (travel guide).
- Doing a mine tour of Smuggler Mountain.
There are also a number of free things to do, including:
- First Tracks – Be the first on the mountain and get “first tracks” in fresh powder or down the groomed runs for free on Snowmass and Aspen mountains with the pros of the Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass. The experience is free as long as you sign up the night before and have a lift ticket or season pass.
- Free Mountain Tours – Aspen/Snowmass Ambassadors provide free mountain tours daily on all four peaks. Tours depart from the on-mountain guest service centers at 10:30 am.
- Free Coffee and Sunscreen – At the base of all four mountains, free Green Mountain Coffee is provided to skiers and snowboarders. And on-mountain, free cider, sunscreen and water are also available.
- Free Admission to the Aspen Art Museum – The Aspen Art Museum offers a free reception and gallery tour every Thursday evening and free admission everyday.
- Free Sing-a-Longs and Storytelling – Roast marshmallows and sip on hot chocolate every Monday during a Sing-A-Long by the Campfire, or listen to tales of the old west at Storytelling by the Campfire on Wednesdays in the Snowmass Mall from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.
Aspen/Snowmass has some of Colorado’s best dining and a lot of that has to do with the area’s celebrity appeal. Dining options include:
Lunch:
- Big Wrap (travel guide) – Winner of the Aspen Times Best Cheap Eats 2007, Big Wrap serves tasty wraps, salads, tacos, breakfast burritos and vegan soups.
- Ajax Tavern (travel guide) – Located on an outdoor patio at the base of Aspen Mountain, Ajaz Tavern is known for its bistro fare, including Colorado lamb bolognese, grass fed beef tartare and the Ajax double cheeseburger with truffle fries. The restaurant also has a raw bar with fresh oysters, shrimp and crab.
Dinner:
- Cache Cache (travel guide) – Known for its French American cuisine, this bistro’s dishes include French onion soup with aged Gruyère cheese, black mussels with lobster broth and filet mignon.
- The Silver Queen – One of Aspen’s newest restaurants, some The Silver Queen’s specialties include crispy skin Rocky Mountain trout and thyme-roasted, chicken raviolis.
Après Ski:
- 39 Degrees at the Sky Hotel (travel guide) – This swanky bar is more about coziness than anything else. Its large fireplace and comfy couches give it an intimidate feeling, perfect for snuggling up to the fireplace with a hot toddy.
- Bad Billy’s (travel guide) – Good drinks and food is this bar’s motto, along with shuffleboard, billiards, foosball and pinball.
For more information on the Aspen/Snowmass Ski Resort, visit the resort’s Web site.
Photo credit: Ryan Oksenhorn via flickr (top) and Colorado Tourism Office
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