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Skiing in Aspen
The Aspen area is rich in skiing history. Austrian Friedl Pfeifer was a 10th Mountain Division soldier who trained at nearby Camp Hale in Leadville. In 1947, he teamed up with Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke to open Aspen Mountain with what at the time was the world’s longest ski lift. From those humble beginnings, the resort has grown to include four mountains and is now considered a world famous destination. The Winter X Games have been hosted here since 2002, and are set to continue at this location through 2010.
The great thing about the Aspen ski resorts is that each one has it’s own character. Aspen Mountain is where the stars hang out, the place to see and be seen. The secret is that it also holds on to excellent stashes of snow for days after a storm. Snowmass is huge, with over 3,000 acres of terrain, and is popular with families due to the mellow nature of much of the skiing. Don’t be fooled though, poke around and you’ll find expert terrain to give even the most seasoned skiers second thoughts about dropping in. Aspen Highlands is where the locals hang, and here you’ll find some of the biggest and steepest lines at any ski resort in Colorado. The famous Highlands Bowl will test your aerobic capacity on the way up as you hike to its 12,000’ summit, and your skiing skills on the way down it’s double-black-diamond-only terrain. Buttermilk is a great place for those who want to ski in a low key environment, but it’s also home to a massive terrain park that has hosted the Winter X Games since 2002.
Put it all together and you’ve got four mountains that add up to some of the finest skiing in North America. With an average annual snowfall of 300 inches, and sunny days in between, this just may be the perfect mountain paradise.
The great thing about the Aspen ski resorts is that each one has it’s own character. Aspen Mountain is where the stars hang out, the place to see and be seen. The secret is that it also holds on to excellent stashes of snow for days after a storm. Snowmass is huge, with over 3,000 acres of terrain, and is popular with families due to the mellow nature of much of the skiing. Don’t be fooled though, poke around and you’ll find expert terrain to give even the most seasoned skiers second thoughts about dropping in. Aspen Highlands is where the locals hang, and here you’ll find some of the biggest and steepest lines at any ski resort in Colorado. The famous Highlands Bowl will test your aerobic capacity on the way up as you hike to its 12,000’ summit, and your skiing skills on the way down it’s double-black-diamond-only terrain. Buttermilk is a great place for those who want to ski in a low key environment, but it’s also home to a massive terrain park that has hosted the Winter X Games since 2002.
Put it all together and you’ve got four mountains that add up to some of the finest skiing in North America. With an average annual snowfall of 300 inches, and sunny days in between, this just may be the perfect mountain paradise.
