Aspen: Clearly Not My Scene

[Serafina]

Celebs on the snow, from Bloomberg: Most of the champagne ends up on the floor

The article mentions as an aside that on the busiest day of the season so far Aspen had 4,000 skiers on the mountain. I can't tell if they mean only Aspen mountain, or the whole multi-mountain resort. Aspen Mtn by itself is 20% larger than Mount Snow, and on the busiest day of this season so far, we had 14,000 skiers on the mountain (seriously, Saturday of President's Weekend, it was beyond insane). But 4,000 is...nothing. Can that be a typo, or is Aspen generally empty?

 

[newboots]

Seems like it must be a typo. In the article, the place sounded huge and crowded.

Not my scene, either!

Signed,

Aging Vermont Hippie

 

[mountainwest]

Aspen Mtn by itself is 20% larger than Mount Snow, and on the busiest day of this season so far, we had 14,000 skiers on the mountain (seriously, Saturday of President's Weekend, it was beyond insane).

Yikes!! I will never ski there.

 

[Serafina]

Yikes!! I will never ski there.

I don't ski there either, not when it's like that. I remember that day, I was working at home and periodically checking in on the mountain's webcams just for a hit of pure, delicious schadenfreude.

We've been getting 10K-12K consistently on Saturdays, and if I ski on Saturday, I'm on the mountain at 7:30 when lifts start running for passholders, and off the mountain by 9:30. Usually in those two hours I've gotten in at least as many runs as the people who show up and get on the lifts at 10 do in the entire day. I refuse to ski if it's crowded. It's simply too dangerous.

When I go on weekdays, I never have to stand in line. I just ski right onto the chair, so it's good.

 

[newboots]

Thank goodness for pre-retirement and skiing on weekdays! I remember the full-time work life, and it never felt so good to be old. I almost never go on a Sunday, and certainly not Saturday or a holiday weekend.

However, weekend folks, I feel your pain. Keep skiing. You’ll get here!

 

[Christy]

4000 sounds right. Aspen Mountain is pretty small – – less than 700 acres – – and not generally regarded as a busy place. I remember a couple years ago Sun Valley broke their single day record with… 5000? 6000? 7000? skiers in a day, and that's on more than 2000 acres.

 

[RachelV]

... But 4,000 is...nothing. Can that be a typo, or is Aspen generally empty?

Aspen is almost unbelievably empty. It's amazing. Especially if you're used to skiing in southern VT on a weekend (I lived in NYC until 2011 and skied Mt. Snow & Killington all the time).

I have to say that while hanging out in the town of Aspen is kind of a gross / extremely wealthy scene, skiing any of the Aspen mountains is a really great experience. Recommend 100%.

 

[ski diva]

All I know is that we had a heck of a lot of fun at Aspen Snowmass and Aspen Highlands at both of the Diva Wests we've had there. Went into the town of Aspen once for dinner, and yeah, it's a trip into another dimension. But the skiing at both mountains is divine.

 

[Serafina]

That's what I hear, that the skiing there is really sweet if you can stomach the fabulous clientele.

The only time people can spray a hundred-dollar bottle of champagne without advertising themselves as a complete d-bag is in the locker room after winning a national professional sports championship. The stories about Cloud Nine...sounds like that place is dumping a lot of seriously wasted people (and a bunch of drunken major d-bags) to make their way down the slopes in the afternoon. I enjoy a good apres scene as much as most, but apres means "after" not "during".

 

[Serafina]

4000 sounds right. Aspen Mountain is pretty small – – less than 700 acres – – and not generally regarded as a busy place. I remember a couple years ago Sun Valley broke their single day record with… 5000? 6000? 7000? skiers in a day, and that's on more than 2000 acres.

WOW!

 

[DeeSki]

I did a week in Snowmass around 10 years ago and spent a fantastic day at Aspen. It’s not the largest mountain but there’s lots of really fun stuff to ski at upper intermediate to advanced levels and I recall some really fun groomed steeps that were virtually empty. Not sure I’d recommend it to a beginner. The last stretch down to the gondola is about the steepest blue run I have ever seen and there seemed to be a lot of people stopped and trying to work out their next move! I thought the main reason it was a blue was because people like to be able to ski down to the base and would be less likely to book a vacation if it was black. The town is full of preposterous stores and restaurants and there were definitely people wearing ridiculous jackets and sunglasses quaffing champagne but you don’t see them when you’re skiing.

 

[DeeSki]

We also got delayed by wind when we were flying out of Aspen airport. All the private jets were taking off. I told my husband the next time we go to Aspen, there’s no way we’re flying commercial!

 

[ski diva]

That's what I hear, that the skiing there is really sweet if you can stomach the fabulous clientele.

Didn't see one celebrity either trip, unless you count the fabulous ski divas I was with!

 

[Christy]

I've stayed in the town of Aspen and had a perfectly normal experience. You do see Dior boutiques and such which you wouldn't normally in a small mountain town, but if you're not part of the crowd sprayng champagne all over the walls I don't think you're going to see people sprayng champagne over at the walls. I think it's a good place to go for a ski trip because, being a real town, there are other things to do ( ie cultural events) if conditions are bad.

 

[MissySki]

I've stayed in the town of Aspen and had a perfectly normal experience. You do see Dior boutiques and such which you wouldn't normally in a small mountain town, but if you're not part of the crowd sprayng champagne all over the walls I don't think you're going to see people sprayng champagne over at the walls. I think it's a good place to go for a ski trip because, being a real town, there are other things to do ( ie cultural events) if conditions are bad.

Same! I mean you see people in full length fur coats, which is unusual to me, and then some apres’ spots at the base where people are really done up in ski clothes (i.e. hair and makeup) where I’m like no way did you actually ski today.. but besides that I didn’t see people doing this crazy stuff or any celebrities. I think you are either in the know there or not, and I’m clearly not! Lol

It’s still my favorite ski town thus far, and all of the mountains there are uncrowded and wonderful!

 

[santacruz skier]

You should see St Moritz. Fabulous skiing and yes the town is very pretentious but charming at the same time. Yes royalty skis there but so what.
Way more charming than the purpose built resorts in France. Don't get me wrong - the purpose built resorts still have good skiing, just not the charming village of many swiss and austrian resorts.
Literally did no shopping in either St Moritz or Davos/Klosters as Valentino and Chanel are not the price point I can afford. Or even want.

 

[VickiK]

I love Aspen. It's a special place. The people-watching is all bonus.

 

[Serafina]

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

 

[VickiK]

The first time I went to Aspen was about 15 years ago. Then as now, I didn't do the boozey apres-ski scene, but that time there was plenty 'o partying in the evenings. I don't have the energy for that anymore!

 

[santacruz skier]

Biggest party "scene"I ever saw was not in Aspen but in Whistler at Garibaldi's on Aussie Day!