Aspen Mountain

9 miles from Snowmass and on the same lift ticket for all 4 mountains, Aspen's residents and visitors flock to Snowmass for the skiing, but every once and a while, one or our guests will ski over there.  Aspen is a charming, victorian mountain town with an interesting balance between chic and ski-bum.   There is complimentary transportation all day and evening between Aspen and Snowmass.

 

Skiing Aspen...

Since the first season in 1946-1947, Aspen Mountain's steeps, bumps and incredible views have been the stuff of legend. Serving up untold variations of double-black, cruisers and glades for skiers and snowboarders, Aspen Mountain rises an impressive 3,267 feet from the heart of downtown Aspen. After two decades of faithful service, the famous Silver Queen Gondola received a complete overhaul in 2006 and now boasts 147 spacious Swiss-made cabins. The new cabins offer more interior space for up to six guests and floor-to-ceiling windows to soak in the surrounding vistas before plunging down the slopes.

 

Aspen Mountain has kept the town of Aspen on the map since 1947, serving up black-diamond glades, bumps and steeps for anyone who dares step off the lift. Now 60 years later, guests are happy that – aside from a new gondola – things haven’t changed a bit.

Season dates: November 26, 2009 – April 11, 2010

Lift hours: All lifts open at 9 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m.

Base elevation: 7,945 ft./2,422 m

Summit elevation: 11,212 ft./3,418 m

Vertical rise: 3,267 ft./996 m

Terrain: 673 acres/272 hectares

Number of trails: 76

Miles/km of trails:  64 miles/103 km

Longest run: 3 miles/4.83 km

Steepest run: Elevator Shaft section of the Silver Queen run – slope angle of 42 degrees

Types of trails: easiest: 0%, more difficult: 48%, most difficult: 26%, expert: 26%

Annual snowfall: 300 inches/762 cm

Snowmaking: 210 acres/85 hectares

Lifts: 8: 6 primary – 1 gondola (14-minute ride), 1 high-speed quad, 1 high-speed double, 1 quad, 2 doubles; 2 secondary – 1 quad (Little Nell), 1 double (Bell Mountain)

Lift capacity: 10,755 riders/hour

Uncrowded slopes:  On average, 3 people per acre/9 people per hectare

Best known for: Steep, bump runs that drop right into the town of Aspen

Best-kept secret: Venture off the groomed runs and have black/double-black-diamond trails all to yourself!

What's new:  The base of Aspen Mountain is in the epicenter of downtown and will have an improved gondola plaza for the 2008-2009 season. A reduced number of steps will make it even easier to load the gondola.                

Location: Within the White River National Forest, the mountain rises up from downtown Aspen

Restaurants: 4: Sundeck, Bonnie's, The Tavern, Montagna Restaurant and Bar in The Little Nell

FREE Shuttle: All day and night, until 2am, the shuttles between Aspen and Snowmass are free for all skiers and non-skiers.