Jeremy Swanson, Aspen/Snowmass
by Kristen Lummis, braveskimom.com
1. Ski Highland Bowl in a Bikini. Okay, you probably werent expecting that one from me, the mother of teenage boys. But last season, the 20 year-old daughter of our friends hiked the bowl, stripped down and ripped G-8 on tele skis.
As scores of men gaped and gasped, her surprised father shrugged, shook his head and announced, Thats my daughter.
Cmon. Is that cool or what?
2. Take It Uphill At Buttermilk. Buttermilk allows uphilling during all operational hours. Break out your skins, grab some water and hike it from the base of Tiehack to Ptarmigan. Or follow a more adventurous route from the main mountain base. Orange discs mark a trail up Columbine, through the woods, across Midway Avenue to Ridge Trail and onto the top.
But you better go soon. Buttermilk closes earlier than the other mountains, on April 6th.
3. Have Some Culture with Your Lunch. Since 2005, Aspen Skiing Company and theAspen Art Museum have presented visual and performance art on the resorts four mountains.
This collaboration, known asArt in Unexpected Places, features internationally known visual and vocal artists. Past exhibits have included giant dice rolling down the Buttermilk Superpipe, tapeda cappella melodies on the Trestle Bridge at Snowmass, and reproductions of paintings and graphics on every lift pass.
This season, visit the Elk Camp Lodge at Snowmass and check outGolden Panorama (Snowmass), a mural based on an aerial view of Snowmass Mountain created from reflective gold Plexiglas and installed over a deep charcoal-gray painted background. The artist is Brooklyn-based Teresita Fernandez.
4. Race the NASTAR Gates. In March, Snowmass was the site of this years NASTAR Championships, a weeklong party and amateur racing spectacular. Even if you didnt qualify, get a jump on next year by running the gates for fun.
Courses at Snowmass and Aspen Mountain are open on various days throughout the week, beginning at 11:00 a.m. They often close prior to the end of the season however, so double-check by calling 970-923-0560 (Snowmass) or 970-925-1220 x3029 (Aspen).
5. Aprs Al Fresco. Have a Drink Outside. Blue sky. Warm sun. Soft snow. Cold beer. There are lots of places where you and your friends and family can meet for some bragging, eating and drinking at the end of your ski day. One of our favorites is The Nest at the Viceroy Snowmass.
With big comfy chairs, fire pits and a unique drink menu, adults cant go wrong (Thyme for Lemonade, anyone?). Kids will like the non-alcoholic cocktails while many of the aprs snack choices are a steal.
6. Keep skiing until May. In 2013 Aspen opened for a bonus Memorial Day weekend, and May skiing in Aspen continues this season. Aspen Mountain will be open for bonus weekends on the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May, maximizing your opportunity to take some turns on this great mountain and enjoy all of the fun and culture Aspen has to offer.
Closing Dates
Aspen Mountain: April 20 plus weekend skiing on April 26/27 and May 3/4
Aspen Highlands: April 13.
Buttermilk: April 6.
Snowmass: April 20.
