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Aspen Snowmass
Colorado, USA
Aspen Snowmass was on my skiing bucket list for many years; and I knew I would get there one day. It seemed fitting that this was my first destination in my post-career mega trip!
Arriving in late March 2024, I was determined to catch the the tail end of the ski season. Indeed it was a perfect week with no queues at the lifts, blue bird days and shoulder season accommodation prices!!
Staying at the Limelight Hotel, the Elkcamp Gondola was only steps away. The two-stage gondola takes you to Elkcamp Peak at 3,452 metres. The nearby Village Express 6-pack takes you straight up to Sam's Knob at 3,240 metres from where you could ski down to the Big Burn 6-pack and then take the Cirque Chair to the highest peak The Cirque at 3,813 metres.
Altogether, Snowmass offered a very good mix of exhilarating black and blue runs. Beginners could find good green runs at Funnel Bypass and Lunchline.
Tips:
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There is the SkyCab high speed quad that takes you up from the village to the village mall for additional dining and shopping options.
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The major accommodations have complimentary shuttles to and from Aspen Airport.
Aspen Mountain Snowshoe
Colorado, USA
Probably can't ask for a better setting for a first snow shoeing experience than on a perfect blue bird day at the top of Aspen Mountain at 11,000 feet above sea level.
Being a regular hiker, the snow-shoe hike was an awesome experience.
Our guide who is an extreme skier, pointed out Castle Peak, Hayden Peak, and Highland Bowl - which is famous for off piste extreme skiing.
Snowmass and the iconic Maroon Bells which towers above 14,000 feet. Besides breathtaking birds’ eye views, we saw fox tracks, and scattered pine cone bracts beneath one of the lovely Spruce Pines evidencing the presence of an active squirrel. The Spruce Pine needle leaves are very high in vitamin C; legend has it that a tea made from Spruce needles cured early western Canadian pioneers of scurvy.
Take the Silver Queen Gondola to the top where the guided snowshoe starts. The name Silver Queen came from Aspen’s history in the late 1800’s as a top silver mining town, supplying 1/16th of the world’s silver then, and 2.
Travel & Snowshoeing tips:
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When in Aspen, do visit the the John Denver Sanctuary.
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There is a free shuttle between Snowmass Village & Aspen Mountain.
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At 11,000 feet, the oxygen content in air is 30% less than at sea level. Be sure you have the fitness to snowshoe at this elevation.
Copper Mountain
Colorado, USA
Copper Mountain has special memories as it was where I first cut my teeth in skiing when I was in my twenties when I was living in Dayton Ohio (quite a long time ago - hint - before we had mobile phones!).
Returning to ski at Copper in 2009 with my then 10 year old daughter was therefore special, to have her ski here for my Copper encore!
It was such a blast to make some tracks with my young daughter then.
Copper Mountain has a good variety of long runs for all abilities and the quality of snow was just as good as that in Aspen, but costing much less in lift tickets and accommodation!
The drive up from Denver was not too hard, mostly on wide freeways. As usual, just be cautious and prepared for winter driving conditions.
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