In Town Events
Summer means outdoor markets, music festivals, culinary & arts experiences, and an Aspen original, the Aspen Ideas Festival. If it's happening, it's happening here!
WELCOME TO SUMMER Gain an elevated perspective at Aspen/Snowmass this summer. Your adventure is waiting to happen. Use the links to the left to discover all the exciting activities, dining and cultural experiences that Aspen/Snowmass has to offer in the summer.
You decide. Learn about our sustainability work and philosophy. Then email us with your thoughts.
Whether you’re keen on bolstering your freeride skills at Bike Snowmass, tackling an epic mountain singletrack, or cruising along the charming streets of Aspen, our little corner of Colorado is ideal for cycling.
STORY IDEAS FOR WINTER 2012/2013
Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. September 2012 – Aspen/Snowmass is about more than just skiing and snowboarding. It’s more than just four mountains on one lift ticket – Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. This place has a soul - a rich historical and cultural heritage as well as great snowfall and sunshine. There are dozens of free events throughout the season as well as lift and lodging deals for guests to take advantage of all season long. With the pent up demand from last season, and all the new and exciting things happening here, now is the time for you to tell the story of Aspen/Snowmass.
Sun, Snow
The location and elevation of Aspen/Snowmass combine to create ideal conditions, with more than 762 cm (300 inches) of snow and more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Although the entire United States saw limited snowfall for the 2011-2012 season, year-in and year-out, Colorado’s snow is as consistent as any place on earth. Just to prove a point, Mother Nature dropped 13 inches of snow on the resort on closing day, Sunday, April 15.
Hospitality
In addition to the on-mountain improvements, Aspen Skiing Company operates two hotels, two residences clubs, one golf/tennis/athletic club, 15 restaurants and 18 retail shops:
Limelight Lodge: Recently acquired by the Aspen Skiing Company in 2010, the Limelight Lodge is a contemporary Aspen ski lodge with vintage spirit. An ideal downtown Aspen location, high-style accommodations and true mountain hospitality combine for an unmatched experience. Pets are welcome. www.limelightlodge.com.
The Little Nell is a year-round destination hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain. Its unique slopeside location, unparalleled service, deluxe or luxurious guestrooms and suites, and singular amenities combine for a one-of-a-kind experience. www.thelittlenell.com.
Snowmass Club is a private, year-round club offering elevated service, facilities and amenities for members, along with their families and guests. Casual and fine-dining restaurants are open to the public. For more, visit www.snowmassclub.com.
Art on the Mountains
Aspen/Snowmass is proud to present a multi-site exhibition of renowned artist Walter Niedermayr, whose large-scale photographs entitled The Aspen Series, will be featured at venues and locations throughout Aspen/Snowmass. In addition Aspen/Snowmass continues to build on the theme of art in unexpected places, fostered by the partnership with Aspen Art Museum. Begun seven years ago, the tradition features unique contemporary art images printed on lift tickets.
Aspen/Snowmass as Environmental Leader
Elk Creek Coal Mine Methane Project
Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) recently partnered with the Elk Creek coal mine, Holy Cross Energy, and Vessels Coal Gas and invested more than $5.5 million to capture waste methane vented from a coal mine in neighboring Somerset, Colorado to generate carbon negative electricity. The three megawatt project will produce as much energy as ASC uses annually -- approximately 24 million kilowatt hours. In addition, by destroying methane, a potent greenhouse gas, this project eliminates three times the carbon pollution created by the resort each year. Waste methane, and therefore electricity, will continue to be produced for at least 15 years, and possibly much longer, even after the mine has closed. This project is the only one of its scale in the United States.
Lighting Ban
ASC spent over $140,000 retrofitting lighting and installing efficient lamps to replace nearly all incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient LED and florescent bulbs in 2011. This project included all buildings at Aspen Skiing Company from hotel properties to parking lots. Banning incandescent light bulbs will save an estimated 50-75 percent in lighting energy use each year, contributing significantly to ASC’s goal to reduce of reducing total C02 emissions by 10 percent by 2012 (on a 2000 baseline, even as the company grows). From 2000-2010, ASC was able to reduce C02 emissions from electricity use by 6.5 percent. The company is currently on target to achieve a 5 percent reduction of total C02 emissions in 2011.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
ASC continues to invest in energy efficiency throughout the company: installing new heating systems at the Ullrhof restaurant on Snowmass and in our real estate acquisition, the Sopris View Apartments; buying more efficient fan and air/water guns for snowmaking; exploring installation of additional real-time energy monitoring equipment; and upgrading hot water heaters at Snowmass Club. Annually ASC spends in excess of $250K toward goal of 10% reduction in CO2 by 2012 and 25% by 2020. Preliminary estimates indicate we reduced emissions in 2011 by 1,093 tons, or 3.5%. To achieve our 10% goal we need to eliminate another 2,068 tons of emissions in the next 9 months.
Employee Volunteer Program
Beginning in January 2012, all full-time year-round employees of the Aspen Skiing Company are provided 16 hours of paid volunteer time. If all eligible employees take advantage ASC will donate 15,000 hours and over $330,000 in employee time to the local community.
Beyond Beef
ASC spends more than $200,000 annually with growers and ranchers from the local, North Fork Valley, at places like Rendezvous Farms, Hillside Acres, Raincrow Farms, Thistle Whistle, Austin Family Farms and Lazy M Ranch. In the words of Little Nell Executive Chef Robert McCormick: “it's ranchers and growers like these who are the foundation of any great restaurant. Not only do they provide us with amazing ingredients to work with, but they give us our identity in this extremely competitive, vast culinary landscape.” Lynn Britt Cabin has been serving lamb raised at Avalanche Ranch near Redstone, CO and in the West Elks Drainage above Newcastle, CO. All of the lamb is pasture- raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.
2012-2013 Season Dates, World Class Events & Deals
The lifts begin running on November 22, when Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open for the 2012/2013 winter season; Aspen Highlands will open December 8 and Buttermilk will open on December 15. Buttermilk is slated to close on April 7, and Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will close on April 14 and Aspen Highlands will stay open until April 21*.
*Subject to change.
World Class Events
Kicking off the 2012/2013 ski season with the Women's FIS World Cup Alpine Ski Races in November and carrying on with the ESPN Winter X Games in January, Aspen/Snowmass is packed with world class events. The 2012/2013 events calendar includes exciting parties, free musical entertainment through the Bud Light sponsored Hi Fi concert series and athletic competitions like Aspen/Snowmass Open and Kick Aspen Big Air.
Deals
First Tracks Start the winter off right with early season deals on lift tickets, equipment rentals and lessons. Take advantage of this lift and lodging package to get on the slopes in the early season. Buy 2, get 3 on lift tickets, equipment rentals, and group lessons (all kids group lessons ages 5 – 17 and adult group lessons level 4 and up). Book by November 19, 2012: Valid November 22 – December 20, 2012.
Terms and conditions: Offer valid November 22 – December 20, 2012. Package must be booked by November 19, 2012 with lodging through a contracted tour operator. All offers subject to availability at time of booking. Only available with participating properties, some properties may have blackout dates. Offer not valid on existing reservations. May not be combined with other offers. Tickets may not be combined for longer stays – only one free day per guest. Snowmass and Aspen Mountain are scheduled to open November 22, 2012; Aspen Highlands is scheduled to open December 8, 2012 and Buttermilk on December 15, 2012.
Aspen Skiing Company operates the four mountains in the Aspen/Snowmass area - Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk - as well as the award-winning Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass. The area offers unparalleled nightlife and off-slope activities as well. Aspen/Snowmass is accessible by two of the most convenient airports in the mountains – Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) (5 kilometers from Aspen) and Eagle County Airport (EGE) (112 kilometers from Aspen). For more information on Aspen Skiing Company, please call 800-525-6200 or 970-925-1220, or visit the company’s website at www.aspensnowmass.com.