Aspen has it all
Not just posh, the skiing is great too
“Just because they have a champagne bar towed by a snow cat and roaming the mountain doesn’t mean it’s not a true skiers’ spot!”
That was me talking, correcting a friend who’d never been to Aspen but thought she had it all figured out. “Rich snow bunnies and Mariah Carey in fur, right?” she said in a not-so-kind way.
Little did she know, a winter visit to Aspen might have some posh, but it’s all about the peaks. Aspen exists, and loyalists love it, for its amazing skiing on four peaks, show-stopping scenery and a community of true outdoor enthusiasts whose love for their ski town is palpable.
I visited Aspen last winter for the first time in a handful of years. It didn’t take long for me to fall back in love. My home base was the Limelight Hotel, a comfortable, bright, 126-room hotel located just steps from Aspen mountain and the town’s vibrant downtown area. Once the location of the Ski and Spur Bar which welcomed “skiers and outlaws,” the Limelight still feels like a central gathering spot for those in the know. Locals love to dine there — breakfast is great, and the dinner and pizza legendary. My room faced the slopes and was drenched in delicious Colorado sun.
With two ski days to spend, I decided to split them between Aspen and Aspen Highlands. Aspen (also known at Ajax Mountain) was up first. Right away, I appreciated the ease of it all. The Limelight offers a lift to the gondola base (in the center of town) and I took it, but only once. I laughed at how easily walkable the town is. And while I opted for rentals from Aspen’s own Four Mountain Rentals this trip (other than my boots, which always come with me), I had no schlepping at all. When I’d gone and chosen my rentals the night before (jackpot, the brand new K2 women’s line was in stock and I’d been dying to try them), they asked where I’d be skiing in the morning. The message was: “Your skis will be waiting for you at the base.” That’s right, for no extra charge while in Aspen, your rental skis head out ahead of you. At the end of each ski day, simply drop them off at the ski valet and let them know where you are skiing the next day. Poof! They magically appear there for you. That’s the kind of “posh” any skier will embrace.
I went up on the mountain with my guide for the day. A guide at Aspen is a great idea. Why? Because the mountain skis really well without guidance, but with it, it’s a flipping masterpiece. Aspen Mountain is not for the weak; 65 percent of its trails are rated intermediate or higher (no worries, there is plenty of gentler terrain across the other peaks). I was delighted, as thighburning steep cruisers are my favorite. We carved down Ruthie’s Run, Buckhorn and the classic International, all long, steep and semi-narrow with thick aspen trees lining them. It was snowing below us, so half our runs were up in the sun, half in a snow globelike splendor.
Lunch at Gracie’s, where I treated myself to a bit more than I usually eat on a ski day. Post-lunch, we worked that off by attacking the bumps (no easy feat) on epic Belle Mountain. By day’s end, I was spent.
I spent the evening meandering town and popping into shops. There’s the Aspen Art Museum to savor, as well as a cool, historical society with an amazing program on the Ute Indians. Dinner at Zocolito was kicked-back and comfortable yet sublimely delicious. There is a great variety of dining options in Aspen, very much a foodie town. At the Little Nell, I was able to pop into their famed wine cellar and then enjoy an exquisite gourmet meal, as upscale as Zocolito is kicked-back. I enjoyed a nightcap at the Limelight bar, where locals seem to love to hang.
The next day was for Aspen Highlands. Truly, The Highlands is one of my favorite places to ski. Since I’d last been, their lift system had been totally overhauled to a modern, smart system. The initial good impression you get about Highlands isn’t the skiing, as amazing as it is. It’s the view from the summit, the legendary Maroon Bells on full display and the sweeping view of white peaks that seem to go on forever. The next-best thing is, of course, the skiing. Thunder Bowl is a wideopen, true bowl experience that is welcoming to intermediates looking to up the ante. Cruisers are steep and fun too. But the highlight of it all is the hike-to-decent of Highland Bowl. Perfect on a powder day (locals flock there when flakes fly), it is an exciting, challenging and amazing experience. Nervous? On Wednesdays, the resort offers a guided Highland Bowl tour, with a true insider helping you navigate it. You also can book a “guided experience” with your own pro to help you do Highland and all the other parts of the mountain. Worth the effort.
There’s also Buttermilk Mountain, an entire learning mountain, as well as Snowmass, a destination in itself. And it’s all so easy: free buses run day and night and are so efficient and clean, even the locals use them before taking cars.
What you think you know about Aspen might be somewhat true. But here’s what I know: it’s a natural, rugged, breathtaking, perfectly set up mountain destination. Now that’s what I call posh.