Aspen: Clearly Not My Scene

[Kimmyt]

This is a picture from one of the mid mountain lodges at Snowmass.

Skiing the Aspen resorts though is highly recommended. Great terrain, low crowds. I just stay out of the town if I can!

 

[Skier31]

I teach and live in Snowmass. The article is wrong on so many levels.

I think the Cloud 9 scene is gross and wasteful.

I love living in Snowmass. The resort skiing is phenomenal. There is free cross country skiing everywhere. I don't have to drive my car. There is great music, great happy hours and reasonable dining if you look for it.

I love working for Skico. They treat us very well and we have access to great training, free lessons and other employee perks. There are more women instructors, demo team members, former Olympians, race coaches that work for Skico and share their knowledge with us.

I saw Elton John, Katie Couric, Lyle Lovett and a few others but for the most part, celebrities seem to want to enjoy their ski vacation anonymously.

There are many days I go out on the mountain and marvel at how empty it is.

 

[VickiK]

^ Yes, the mountain life + cultural life = one enviable lifestyle

 

[newboots]

Then there's this charming scene. Found that when I went looking into this thing from the article about the champagne. Holy smokes.

As you put it so well, not my scene. It never was, but now I’m too old for that anyway!

 

[Kimmyt]

@Skier31 last time I was up there it was pointed out that there is a tiny home community that the resorts are building for their employees, which I thought was v cool!

 

[Christy]

This might sound a little fussy but those bubblies aren't high end. The Prosecco with the blue label is actually cheap stuff (ha, I know because I bought it for a party I threw for animal shelter foster parents. It's not terrible).

 

[Kimmyt]

Veuve is solid middle ground good stuff, like its what I buy if I want good champagne but am not spending 100 bucks a bottle. That being said, the markup was still ridiculous so people are buying $100 bottles of not the best champagne to have with their lunch.

 

[diymom]

There are some quite good methode Champenoise that won't break the bank. I usually stick to Segura Viudas Brut or Gruet Brut.

 

[DeeSki]

Still, a range of champagne at a mid-mountain restaurant! And I love champagne, but not half way up a mountain at lunchtime.

I loved Aspen-Snowmass. The skiing is great, it wasn’t crowded and the people watching and window shopping (in Aspen) is first class. I find it hugely encouraging to hear that it’s possible to live well there if you’re not super rich.

 

[MissySki]

My first time to Aspen Highlands I had a glass of champagne at a mid mountain outdoor patio, it was lovely. I was only doing one more run to the bottom after that, usually I won’t drink and then ski unless it’s just one drink and the day is pretty much over like for spring skiing. I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol though.

The “funny” part was that it took forever to get a question answered of how much the different glasses of champagne were. No prices on the menu, and apparently they are more used to bottles being ordered..

 

[Serafina]

I'm all for a glass of champagne at the mountain. I'm not at all for spraying the champagne all over a crowd. I'm also not for conspicuous consumption. That yellow-label Veuve is $60 if you buy it retail from Wine.com, and $150 at the mountain after mark-up, and if you're getting it just to hose down other people, you might as well just use a Franklin to light your cigar. It's repulsive.

After that revolting Cloud Nine video, YouTube suggested to me someone's helmet cam footage from a run down the Highlands. The terrain looked great, and it clearly wasn't first thing in the morning based on the light, but it still appeared that no more than 5-10 people had preceded this guy down the runs he was taking. And according to the time stamp in the video, it was a Sunday. This is inconceivably empty to me, as a New England skier.

 

[marzNC]

And according to the time stamp in the video, it was a Sunday. This is inconceivably empty to me, as a New England skier.

One reason Aspen/Snowmass is often suggested for families looking for a ski vacation during Christmas break is that there is usually more than enough terrain open for some fun ski days at any level, and no long lift lines. True for Big Sky, Telluride, and a few others places that are a little harder to reach by plane either because of distance to the nearest major airport or cost considerations. In contrast, Tahoe and SLC resorts are very crowded over Christmas break.

I've met a fair number of New Englanders riding lifts at destination resorts in the Rockies. Some have completely stopped skiing within driving distance of their homes, even though that means fewer ski days.

 

[valli]

I love skiing there but don’t hang out at club 9. I did have some champagne at the top of the mountain to celebrate my 50th this year, but it was one of those minibottles. There’s some excellent art museums, bookstores, and sometimes live music, and I like the fact everything is accessible by walking or free bus. There’s Dior and Prada, but there’s also amazing thrift/consignment stores.

 

[Cantabrigienne]

I love skiing there but don’t hang out at club 9. I did have some champagne at the top of the mountain to celebrate my 50th this year, but it was one of those minibottles. There’s some excellent art museums, bookstores, and sometimes live music, and I like the fact everything is accessible by walking or free bus. There’s Dior and Prada, but there’s also amazing thrift/consignment stores.

I skied in Aspen in Dec 2008 - the screamingest bargain at the time because of the financial crisis, Limelight Lodge post reno at $99/night - and met some Aussies who had gleefully kitted themselves out from the consignment store. They pointed out that people dump brand new ski gear there because, hey, it's Aspen and pointed to brand-new looking skis underfoot. (That said, my neighbour in Vancouver found a Prada puffy vest for $3 at the consignment store in Whistler....) I liked the town a lot, although maybe it was subdued because of the crisis - the bookstore was wonderful & the fact the Wheeler Opera House & the Aspen Ballet exist just wow me. (I'm not sure who apart from my family and non-skiing/summer visitors go to the excellent new art museum in Whistler.) And I loved Snowmass. Plus the food everywhere on the mountain was great (my big gripe about Whistler)

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

I have been at Snowmass 3 times and loved the skiing. I haven't been inside of Cloud 9 at Highlands, though skied past it. My understanding that it's more the exception not the usual. When I skied at Highlands I mostly saw really good skiers, no drunken fur clad partyers.

Skiing at Snowmass and Aspen is fantastic just like others pointed out. It's one of my favorite resorts and I generally plan my ski vacations for skiing not partying or other amenities. Maybe also good food, ok good skiing and good food. The amenities and town are secondary for me and still I love Snowmass. I did not see any celebrities there either.

 

[Abbi]

This is a picture from one of the mid mountain lodges at Snowmass.

Skiing the Aspen resorts though is highly recommended. Great terrain, low crowds. I just stay out of the town if I can!

Veuve Clicquot? Love !