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The air is fresh, the temperature is perfect and, thankfully, the days are long because, so is the list of possibilities. Learn first-hand what makes Snowmass the kind of special that entices people back year after year.
Skiing and snowboarding are only the start!
Summer in Snowmass is nothing short of spectacular. With wide open spaces to explore, a vibrant...
Snowmass is the perfect destination wedding location for many reasons. Wedding planner EKS Events...
No matter where you stand in Snowmass, there are truly endless views offered in all...
Snowmass is truly a giant outdoor playground, and during the summer months, a myriad of hiking...
Summer in Snowmass is nothing short of spectacular. With wide open spaces to explore, a vibrant village, and endless activities, our cozy mountain town offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a day tripper, weekend warrior or are here for the long haul, there is plenty for you and your crew to do while visiting Snowmass. The volume of activities, hikes, bike rides and sites in Snowmass see can be overwhelming, so we’ve highlighted some of our favorites to help get you on your way.
More than 90 miles of trails connect directly to the Village, which puts nature right at your doorstep.
Tom Blake Trail – Tom Blake is a shaded bike, hike, and equestrian friendly trail that winds through some of the prettiest Aspen groves in the valley as its makes its way across Snowmass Ski Area. This trail is a fan favorite in the summer, be sure to stay aware and share the trail!
Government Trail – Government Trail is filled with short up- and downhill sections between forests, meadows, and streams all the way to Buttermilk.
Elk Camp – Arguably the best view in Snowmass, the top of the Elk Camp chairlift offers 360-degree alpine views that include the Maroon Bells. Start from Base Village and follow the Vista Trail to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola where you connect to Summit Trail that takes you to the top. Looking for something shorter? Opt to take the gondola to meet the Summit Trail to eliminate some of the uphill hiking. Even better? After taking in the view from the top, take the Elk Camp chairlift and/or gondola back to Base Village for a more forgiving descent.
Snowmass Lake – If you backpack once this summer, make it to a location worth the hike. This 16-mile hike is best enjoyed with a picnic lunch and plenty of water in your pack. This longer hike is the best way to soak in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness’ largest (and perhaps most spectacular) alpine lake which will alleviate any sore muscles and make the view from your tent nothing short of extraordinary.
Snowmass is at the heart of Colorado’s first and only IMBA Gold-Level Ride Center, with cross-country and lift-served biking for all ages and abilities.
Snowmass Bike Park – In Base Village, you can load your bike into the gondola at 8,432 feet, and then on Elk Camp Chairlift to start your ride at 11,325 feet with views of dramatic alpine scenery and 14,000-foot peaks. At almost three miles long, with 1,400 feet in elevation drop, the black-diamond Valhalla is chock-full of dipping berms, thrilling wall rides, and perfectly constructed jump features. Beginner trails, skill-building parks and lessons open the door to new riders who want to explore what all the hype is about.
Rim Trail – A Snowmass Classic, Rim Trail climbs up to a ridge that offers true cross-country riding (think climbs and descents) through spruce and aspen groves, then high-desert scrub oak—all with expansive views of the valley. This trail can be shuttled from the trail head on upper divide road to wildcat reserve, or connects to Seven Star for the full Rim Trail Loop.
Deadline – A part of the beloved Sky Mountain Park Trails, Deadline is a downhill flow trail with generous in-sloped berms, rollers, table tops, drops and a couple doubles that can be gapped at speed is a must-ride.
Day 1 – Hiking and activities. Start the day with a hike up the Rim Trail to the yin-yang platform overlooking Mt. Daly, Snowmass’ iconic mountain with a handsome diagonal stripe. Grab lunch on the Snowmass Mall, then head to the Elk Camp Gondola to ride up the mountain for the hub of activities, The Lost Forest, complete with climbing walls, ropes course and the exhilarating Breathtaker Alpine Coaster.
Day 2 –Mountain Biking. Sky Mountain Park offers the Roaring Fork Valley’s smoothest singletrack, rolling terrain, gradual grades and banked turns designed so riders can carry momentum with minimal peddling and braking. End your ride at the Snowmass Recreation Center, where the saltwater pool and hot tubs beckon.
Day 3 – Whitewater rafting. Spend the morning rafting the Roaring Fork River, enjoy lunch on the Snowmass Mall for dine-in or takeout on the new Fanny Hill picnic tables! Spend the afternoon hiking on some of Snowmass’ 80+ miles of trail.
Wednesdays – The Snowmass Rodeo returns every Wednesday this summer! Come early for a free petting zoo and roping for the kids, plus shopping, mechanical bull rides, a cowboy dinner, and more!
Thursdays – Join us every Thursday for live music on Fanny Hill! Wind your way through the Snowmass Mall and Snowmass Base Village for restaurant specials, entertainment, and more.
Fridays – Kick off the weekend with Fridays on the Mall, featuring live music from local Roaring Fork Valley musicians.
Weekends – Keep and eye out on our events page for all the exciting events making their way back to Snowmass. Highlights include, Ragnar Race, Snowmass Rendezvous, Balloon Festival and the Golden Leaf Half Marathon.
Explore all things to do in Snowmass
Read More Best Snowmass Hikes For…Snowmass is the perfect destination wedding location for many reasons. Wedding planner EKS Events works to find the perfect locations for their clients and many brides and grooms choose Snowmass to host their perfect day. Here are a few reasons:
From extravagant to rustic, large scale to intimate, Snowmass’ dramatic landscapes and approachable venues create the perfect backdrop for any mountain inspired wedding!
Written by Elizabeth Slossberg, EKS Events
Read More Best Snowmass Hikes For…
No matter where you stand in Snowmass, there are truly endless views offered in all directions. Here, we’ve detailed the 5 most iconic views in Snowmass that you can’t leave without seeing.
The views reveal themselves gradually as you ascend the switchbacking Rim Trail. Then, upon reaching the marble yin-yang platform at Spiral Point, the Elk Mountains spread themselves in front of you in all their glory. Nearly 360-degree views include Mount Daly with its distinct diagonal stripe, the pointed cap of 14,137-foot Capitol Peak, and a panorama of Snowmass Ski Area. Click here for more information about the Rim Trail.
There’s nothing more iconic to Aspen Snowmass than the Maroon Bells — and a unique perspective on them can be found at the top of the Elk Camp chairlift. Presiding over the upper end of a glacier-carved valley like royalty, the twin 14,000-foot peaks top off a panoramic alpine view that also includes jagged summits, steep cirques and Snowmass’ rugged Hanging Valley.
The lookout point, just one mile into the flat and easy Ditch Trail offers major rewards for minor effort. Looking into the magical Snowmass Creek Valley, you’ll see a mosaic of aspen and evergreen trees dominated by majestic Mount Daly. It’s like you’ve discovered a natural fairy tale kingdom that begs further exploration. Click here for more information about the Ditch Trail.
While it’s fun to point out landmarks from a mountaintop, the view from Snowmass’ Sam’s Knob includes perhaps the most interesting story of all. Ringed by aspen trees and perched on a ridgeline, the nearly perfectly round lake below you is Ziegler Reservoir. Ziegler is the repository for thousands of perfectly preserved fossils of Ice Age animals, including mastodons and ancient camels, accidentally discovered by a bulldozer operator in 2010.
Between Snowmass and Aspen, Owl Creek Road winds up and over rolling hills and through a massive pasture with many sights to see. From the red barn, to the horses, elk and other animals that frequent the area, this is the picturesque western skyline you’ve been dreaming about.
Read More Best Snowmass Hikes For…
Snowmass is truly a giant outdoor playground, and during the summer months, a myriad of hiking options are all out your front (and back) doors. With endless amounts of trails to choose from, here are a few ways to narrow down your choice of Snowmass hikes for the day:
Sunrise
Start your day right with a gradual climb up Rim Trail South to the summit where you will find 360-degree views and a granite Ying-Yang (Check out Aspen Sojourner’s dedicated article on the Yin-Yang here). Start early enough and you’ll most likely catch an unforgettable sunrise. To get to the South Rim Trail, park in the designated parking lot located on Divide Road.
Cardio Challenge
Start along the easy-going, relatively flat Ditch Trail until you reach a bench overlooking views of Mount Daly, East Snowmass, and Snowmass Creek. Then hike about .25 miles uphill until you reach the cut off for the start of the West Government Trail. Hike amongst Aspen groves until you reach the Campground Connector Trail which takes you back down to the Ditch Trail and retrace your steps back to the parking lot. Park at the Divide Parking Lot located at the top of Brush Creek Road.
Sunset
Ascend the scenic Viewline trail and take in expansive views of Snowmass Village that can be enjoyed the entire way up and down. Once you reach the top of the Viewline trail, enjoy the sunset and continue along to the Skyline Ridge trail for a longer hike or simply turn around and see the views from a different perspective. Park at Town Park (known as the Rodeo lot) to access the Viewline trailhead.
Best for the family
Easily access the trailhead for the Nature Trail in lot #7 just above the Snowmass Village Mall. This hike is very gradual and offers lots of excitement to keep the little ones entertained, including a nice flowing stream for rock throwing and large beaver dams for viewing. For a longer hike, continue along to the Sleigh Ride Trail down towards Fanny Hill back to the Snowmass Village Mall, or turn around and head back the way you came. Parking is free in the numbered lots.
Best with your furry friend
The Ditch Trail offers shade, water, and views for you and your pup. The Ditch Trail follows along an old irrigation ditch, which gives your pup the opportunity to take a drink whenever they get hot or tired. Once you reach Snowmass Creek, you have the opportunity to continue on up the East Snowmass Trail or stop for a quick look at the rushing water, and then retrace your steps back to the Divide Parking Lot. Make sure to take a minute about halfway through your hike to enjoy the breathtaking views of Mount Daly and Snowmass Creek, best viewed from the solo bench overhanging the valley. Depending on the time of year, you may also enjoy the sounds of a running waterfall flowing into the creek from this viewpoint. Park at the Divide Parking Lot located at the top of Brush Creek Road.
Best hiking-only trail:
The Vista Trail, located within Snowmass Ski Area, is a nice gradual climb that runs adjacent to the Elk Camp Gondola, ending at the Elk Camp Restaurant. The hike does not allow bikers so you can enjoy the uphill challenge without worrying about downhill traffic. Reach the top of the Elk Camp Gondola, and enjoy a delicious lunch from the Elk Camp Restaurant, you’ve earned it! Start hiking from Snowmass Base Village, free parking is available in the Base Village Parking Garage.
Always remember to bring:
A hat, sunscreen, rain jacket, snacks, plenty of water and a map. If you are going alone, ensure that someone else knows where you are going and when you are coming back!
Read More Best Snowmass Hikes For…Choosing where to take your children on a ski vacation can be difficult. But in Snowmass, with...
Choosing where to take your children on a ski vacation can be difficult. But in Snowmass, with kid-specific terrain, convenient lodging and transportation, an award winning ski and snowboard school, loads of off-mountain activities and on-mountain food options that the kiddos love, the decision to spend time here with your family is easy. Here are the top 5 reasons Snowmass is perfect for kids:
Snowmass offers over 3,300 acres of incredible terrain, including a bounty of beginner slopes designed to help skiers and riders learn faster. The green runs are wide open, perfectly pitched, and allow for quick repeatable experiences (Assay Hill). Also, there are tons of kids’ tree trails that bring the sensation of exploration to the youngest of adventurers. While 48% of the mountain is rated blue (more difficult), Snowmass has some of the most forgiving black and double black runs that make the most challenging slopes an accessible experience, theirs for the taking.
There is no better way to enjoy a ski vacation than to have the family staying right next to the slopes. Also, Snowmass’ free shuttle service is fast, frequent, and incredibly easy. Slopeside lodging means two things. First, this means at the beginning and end of the day, you don’t have to haul your gear plus your kids’ gear to the slopes. Second, not having to drive means more time connecting with the family.
The Ski and Snowboard School at Snowmass can ensure a kid’s experience is second to none. Don’t want to split up the crew? Consider booking a family private lesson. The instructors and guides will ensure that your family has the best experience possible, together.
Sometimes, a day off the slopes can do a kid a world of good. The Snowmass Recreation Center has a gym, climbing wall, heated outdoor pools, and a hot tub to provide some off-the-slopes fun. Plenty of kid-friendly events and activities. Need more? Go tubing and ride the Breathtaker Coaster at Elk Camp. Go bowling at Slopeside Lanes. Enjoy free ice skating at one of two ice rinks: Base Village and the Snowmass Recreation Center. Try out cross country skiing at the Snowmass Cross Country Center. Take a turn on the new indoor rock climbing wall at the Limelight Snowmass. You will definitely have more options than time.
Nothing perks up a little skier like a warm lunch or a quick snack, and at Snowmass, on-mountain dining for kids is both delicious and affordable. All of Snowmass’ on-mountain restaurants have Kids’ Combos, and you’ll find free hot cider at the top of the Sam’s Knob and Village Express lifts! Looking for kid-friendly après? Check out Snowmass S’mores, free s’mores available at 3:30pm every day in Base Village and on the Snowmass Mall.
Written by Jon Delk
Don’t call it a run… at Snowmass we call it terrain. Snowmass might have the reputation as...
Don’t call it a run… at Snowmass we call it terrain.
Snowmass might have the reputation as an intermediate, family-friendly resort, but we want to let you in on our best kept secret: 30% of Snowmass is classified as black/double black diamond, expert terrain. Add 300 inches of annual snowfall into the mix and you find yourself in some of the best double black skiing/snowboarding the state of Colorado has to offer.
If you consider yourself an expert skier/rider, you know what a black diamond run looks like. It’s a steep pitch with the occasional unique fall line that is accessible to hot lap via the same chairlift. And while those “runs” are fun, they don’t quite feel like expert “terrain”. Here, expert terrain is actual terrain. It keeps you on your toes, offers a new line, entry and exit point with every lap. It’s a ‘build your own adventure’ of actual snowy adventure. And, it makes you feel like you ducked the rope into untouched side-country goodness. The thing is, at Snowmass, that’s part of the 1,000 acres of inbounds, expert terrain. We’re here to challenge the way you think about expert terrain. It’s time to explore the high alpine secrets of Snowmass and change what you thought you loved about the expert area of a ski resort.
Take the Hanging Valley Wall. It’s not just one run, instead it’s a compilation of nearly 23 named ‘runs’, and that doesn’t include the local’s secret stashes with names that don’t make the trail map. With such an expansive area, conditions range from cliff band splitting chutes, to gladed runs to wide open powder fields. It could take a lifetime to ski every single possible line in just this single area.
Local, Steve Karczewski, competed in the Colorado Freeride Championships when they were held right in the middle of the Hanging Valley Wall. If that doesn’t speak to the caliber of the terrain, we don’t know what does. And where does he ski on any given day? “When I want to lose myself and find some good turns, I hop into Weird Woods. It’s like a “Choose your own Adventure” in there,” says Steve.
Around to the right of the Hanging Valley Wall, is the Cirque Lift. It’s an old poma that elevates skiers to the highest point of all four mountains, 12,510 feet. From there, high above tree line, the Cirque stretches in both directions around a bowl loaded with every kind of extreme terrain you could want. And, snow. Lots and lot of snow. This is one of the many massive ‘nooks’ where snow has a tendency to unapologetically pile up. The top of the Headwall rolls away into a sheer open face, punctuated with snow covered rocks. The next set of entrances offer a series of technical chutes, splitting cliff bands and offering varying cliff drops to those in need of some air time. Don’t be fooled by a lower gate, the Burn Cliffs wait at the bottom of the Cirque with mandatory air time to launch into gladed forest turns.
Snowmass photographer Tamara Susa gets her favorite shots there. “Rock island is one of my favorite places to shoot because of all the cliff drops and pillow lines. Gowdy’s off the cirque is the steepest run on the mountain, with amazing views of the cirque and the valley.”
Maybe cliffs aren’t for you. And that’s a-okay! Just head over to the other side of the mountain for a second serving of exciting terrain. Powderhorn, is a double black that runs from the top of Sam’s Knob all the way to the bottom of Campground. The steep pitch and challenging bumps make this a mogul lovers paradise. On a bluebird day, this marathon run has stunning views of Mt. Daly from top to bottom. Likewise Garret’s Gulch and Powerline are hidden gems for experts, just off the more traveled blue runs of Big Burn Lift.
Whether you are on the lookout for fresh, bowl powder turns, steeps, or drops, Snowmass has it all. Just remember, it’s not just expert runs… at Snowmass it’s terrain. And plenty of it.
Jordan Curet
Snowmass Mountain Mission: Summer Season May 28th-October 2nd, 2022 To showcase the best of...
Snowmass Mountain Mission: Summer Season May 28th-October 2nd, 2022
To showcase the best of Snowmass, guests and locals are invited to partake in a series of winter long self-guided experiences – activities guests can do at any time, at their own pace. The Snowmass Mountain Mission is a village-wide scavenger hunt designed to challenge your creativity, test your Snowmass knowledge, and enhance your selfie skills.
Each question is assigned a point value. If you reach 3,000 points, you win a Snowmass Buff! Keep playing to finish the game. 6,000 points marks the grand prize! Play against your friends and other Snowmass trivia nuts – be sure to check the leaderboard often.
Have you played before?! Check out the Snowmass Art Walk using this same app!
Get out and enjoy all that Snowmass has to offer and of course, don’t forget to tag @Snowmass #Snowmass. Good Luck!
Scavenger Hunt App How To
2. Enter an email, username and password, and the event code:
snowmasswinter
3. Challenge your friends, family and tribe. See you on the leaderboard!
Your tickets are booked, rooms reserved, you’ve found yourself on a ski vacation with your...
Your tickets are booked, rooms reserved, you’ve found yourself on a ski vacation with your tribe… and you don’t ski. Whether it’s an aversion to heights and chairlifts or your knees have had enough downhill for one lifetime, there is no need to feel left out! A ski vacation without the skis – or snowboard – is just as much fun and a lot less exhausting lugging around all that heavy gear. Sometimes the best adventures are off the mountain anyway.
Looking for an up-close experience with the nature of Colorado? The naturalists of Aspen Center for Environment Studies (ACES) lead daily snowshoe tours along the mountain waterways and through the forests of Snowmass. Tours are offered at 10:00am and 1:00pm at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola and start at $56. The Breathtaker Alpine Coaster is also at the top of the Gondola for those with a need for speed.
Ok, so you aren’t into the style of skiing that requires a chairlift but maybe flat land skiing is in the cards. Snowmass is home to one of the largest free groomed cross-country ski systems in North America. Over 60 miles of trails for all levels wind out from the Snowmass Cross Country Center on the Snowmass Golf course. The center also shares a space with the best place to fuel or replenish your day on the track, Black Saddle Bar & Grille. If you are in need of rentals, cross country ski equipment can be rented at the Aspen Cross Country Center.
You may have opted out of skiing but you don’t have to opt out of on-mountain lunch plans. Elk Camp Restaurant, High Alpine, and Alpin Room are three on-mountain restaurants accessible without skis, via the lift. Elk Camp Restaurant and High Alpine offer market-style food and beverage options, while Alpin Room offers a sit-down experience
Twice a month at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola, the mountain comes alive for Ullr Nights. The restaurant serves locally sourced meals alongside live music, while outside there is tubing, s’mores, snow biking and the Breathtaker Coaster. Gondola tickets are $12 for Ullr Nights, while food and activities can be purchased à la carte.
Located in Snowmass Base Village is The Rink. Open daily from noon-9pm, The Rink features not just run of the mill ice skating, but themed skating nights and free curling series, Game of Stones. The Rink is surrounded by cozy fireplaces, perfect for s’mores, which you can get free at 3:30pm every day at the branded s’mores carts. Above it all at The Rink towers Colorado’s largest indoor climbing wall at Limelight Snowmass. Guests of all ages at can test their skills on the wall, which features an auto-belay system with three different lanes and six routes of varying degrees of difficulty. For happy hour specials and live music to round it all out, check out Limelight Hotel and The Collective.
If the weather rolls in and you are looking for some time inside, there are great art classes and speaker series available down the road at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. This historic campus is a premier destination for art making, workshops, lectures even a free tour around the studios or lunch among the artists in the Café. For a more casual creative setting check out Cocktails and Collage or Painting Peaks at Straight Line Studio Thursday nights in Base Village. And don’t miss the eclectic speaker series at the Collective. Throughout the year, local organizations such as Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Pitkin County Library, the Thunder River Theatre Company, Aspen Film, and more, round out The Collective’s programming, each presented free or for a nominal fee.
No trip to a Snowmass is complete without a little self-care. There are several spa options, yoga classes at Viceroy Snowmass and the Snowmass Recreation Center. Be sure to find some time in your busy schedule to sit back and relax in the mountains.
While our resort is world-renowned for the on-mountain activities, sometimes time out of ski boots is even more memorable. Your skiing companions may even be jealous of all your non-skiing activities and take a day off the slopes to enjoy all Snowmass has to offer.
Choosing where to take your children on a ski vacation can be difficult. But in Snowmass, with kid-specific terrain, convenient lodging and transportation, an award winning ski and snowboard school, loads of off-mountain activities and on-mountain food options that the kiddos love, the decision to spend time here with your family is easy. Here are the top 5 reasons Snowmass is perfect for kids:
Snowmass offers over 3,300 acres of incredible terrain, including a bounty of beginner slopes designed to help skiers and riders learn faster. The green runs are wide open, perfectly pitched, and allow for quick repeatable experiences (Assay Hill). Also, there are tons of kids’ tree trails that bring the sensation of exploration to the youngest of adventurers. While 48% of the mountain is rated blue (more difficult), Snowmass has some of the most forgiving black and double black runs that make the most challenging slopes an accessible experience, theirs for the taking.
There is no better way to enjoy a ski vacation than to have the family staying right next to the slopes. Also, Snowmass’ free shuttle service is fast, frequent, and incredibly easy. Slopeside lodging means two things. First, this means at the beginning and end of the day, you don’t have to haul your gear plus your kids’ gear to the slopes. Second, not having to drive means more time connecting with the family.
The Ski and Snowboard School at Snowmass can ensure a kid’s experience is second to none. Don’t want to split up the crew? Consider booking a family private lesson. The instructors and guides will ensure that your family has the best experience possible, together.
Sometimes, a day off the slopes can do a kid a world of good. The Snowmass Recreation Center has a gym, climbing wall, heated outdoor pools, and a hot tub to provide some off-the-slopes fun. Plenty of kid-friendly events and activities. Need more? Go tubing and ride the Breathtaker Coaster at Elk Camp. Go bowling at Slopeside Lanes. Enjoy free ice skating at one of two ice rinks: Base Village and the Snowmass Recreation Center. Try out cross country skiing at the Snowmass Cross Country Center. Take a turn on the new indoor rock climbing wall at the Limelight Snowmass. You will definitely have more options than time.
Nothing perks up a little skier like a warm lunch or a quick snack, and at Snowmass, on-mountain dining for kids is both delicious and affordable. All of Snowmass’ on-mountain restaurants have Kids’ Combos, and you’ll find free hot cider at the top of the Sam’s Knob and Village Express lifts! Looking for kid-friendly après? Check out Snowmass S’mores, free s’mores available at 3:30pm every day in Base Village and on the Snowmass Mall.
Written by Jon Delk
Learn More Ski Vacation… Hold the SkisDon’t call it a run… at Snowmass we call it terrain.
Snowmass might have the reputation as an intermediate, family-friendly resort, but we want to let you in on our best kept secret: 30% of Snowmass is classified as black/double black diamond, expert terrain. Add 300 inches of annual snowfall into the mix and you find yourself in some of the best double black skiing/snowboarding the state of Colorado has to offer.
If you consider yourself an expert skier/rider, you know what a black diamond run looks like. It’s a steep pitch with the occasional unique fall line that is accessible to hot lap via the same chairlift. And while those “runs” are fun, they don’t quite feel like expert “terrain”. Here, expert terrain is actual terrain. It keeps you on your toes, offers a new line, entry and exit point with every lap. It’s a ‘build your own adventure’ of actual snowy adventure. And, it makes you feel like you ducked the rope into untouched side-country goodness. The thing is, at Snowmass, that’s part of the 1,000 acres of inbounds, expert terrain. We’re here to challenge the way you think about expert terrain. It’s time to explore the high alpine secrets of Snowmass and change what you thought you loved about the expert area of a ski resort.
Take the Hanging Valley Wall. It’s not just one run, instead it’s a compilation of nearly 23 named ‘runs’, and that doesn’t include the local’s secret stashes with names that don’t make the trail map. With such an expansive area, conditions range from cliff band splitting chutes, to gladed runs to wide open powder fields. It could take a lifetime to ski every single possible line in just this single area.
Local, Steve Karczewski, competed in the Colorado Freeride Championships when they were held right in the middle of the Hanging Valley Wall. If that doesn’t speak to the caliber of the terrain, we don’t know what does. And where does he ski on any given day? “When I want to lose myself and find some good turns, I hop into Weird Woods. It’s like a “Choose your own Adventure” in there,” says Steve.
Around to the right of the Hanging Valley Wall, is the Cirque Lift. It’s an old poma that elevates skiers to the highest point of all four mountains, 12,510 feet. From there, high above tree line, the Cirque stretches in both directions around a bowl loaded with every kind of extreme terrain you could want. And, snow. Lots and lot of snow. This is one of the many massive ‘nooks’ where snow has a tendency to unapologetically pile up. The top of the Headwall rolls away into a sheer open face, punctuated with snow covered rocks. The next set of entrances offer a series of technical chutes, splitting cliff bands and offering varying cliff drops to those in need of some air time. Don’t be fooled by a lower gate, the Burn Cliffs wait at the bottom of the Cirque with mandatory air time to launch into gladed forest turns.
Snowmass photographer Tamara Susa gets her favorite shots there. “Rock island is one of my favorite places to shoot because of all the cliff drops and pillow lines. Gowdy’s off the cirque is the steepest run on the mountain, with amazing views of the cirque and the valley.”
Maybe cliffs aren’t for you. And that’s a-okay! Just head over to the other side of the mountain for a second serving of exciting terrain. Powderhorn, is a double black that runs from the top of Sam’s Knob all the way to the bottom of Campground. The steep pitch and challenging bumps make this a mogul lovers paradise. On a bluebird day, this marathon run has stunning views of Mt. Daly from top to bottom. Likewise Garret’s Gulch and Powerline are hidden gems for experts, just off the more traveled blue runs of Big Burn Lift.
Whether you are on the lookout for fresh, bowl powder turns, steeps, or drops, Snowmass has it all. Just remember, it’s not just expert runs… at Snowmass it’s terrain. And plenty of it.
Jordan Curet
Learn More Ski Vacation… Hold the Skis
Snowmass Mountain Mission: Summer Season May 28th-October 2nd, 2022
To showcase the best of Snowmass, guests and locals are invited to partake in a series of winter long self-guided experiences – activities guests can do at any time, at their own pace. The Snowmass Mountain Mission is a village-wide scavenger hunt designed to challenge your creativity, test your Snowmass knowledge, and enhance your selfie skills.
Each question is assigned a point value. If you reach 3,000 points, you win a Snowmass Buff! Keep playing to finish the game. 6,000 points marks the grand prize! Play against your friends and other Snowmass trivia nuts – be sure to check the leaderboard often.
Have you played before?! Check out the Snowmass Art Walk using this same app!
Get out and enjoy all that Snowmass has to offer and of course, don’t forget to tag @Snowmass #Snowmass. Good Luck!
Scavenger Hunt App How To
2. Enter an email, username and password, and the event code:
snowmasswinter
3. Challenge your friends, family and tribe. See you on the leaderboard!
Learn More Ski Vacation… Hold the Skis
Your tickets are booked, rooms reserved, you’ve found yourself on a ski vacation with your tribe… and you don’t ski. Whether it’s an aversion to heights and chairlifts or your knees have had enough downhill for one lifetime, there is no need to feel left out! A ski vacation without the skis – or snowboard – is just as much fun and a lot less exhausting lugging around all that heavy gear. Sometimes the best adventures are off the mountain anyway.
Looking for an up-close experience with the nature of Colorado? The naturalists of Aspen Center for Environment Studies (ACES) lead daily snowshoe tours along the mountain waterways and through the forests of Snowmass. Tours are offered at 10:00am and 1:00pm at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola and start at $56. The Breathtaker Alpine Coaster is also at the top of the Gondola for those with a need for speed.
Ok, so you aren’t into the style of skiing that requires a chairlift but maybe flat land skiing is in the cards. Snowmass is home to one of the largest free groomed cross-country ski systems in North America. Over 60 miles of trails for all levels wind out from the Snowmass Cross Country Center on the Snowmass Golf course. The center also shares a space with the best place to fuel or replenish your day on the track, Black Saddle Bar & Grille. If you are in need of rentals, cross country ski equipment can be rented at the Aspen Cross Country Center.
You may have opted out of skiing but you don’t have to opt out of on-mountain lunch plans. Elk Camp Restaurant, High Alpine, and Alpin Room are three on-mountain restaurants accessible without skis, via the lift. Elk Camp Restaurant and High Alpine offer market-style food and beverage options, while Alpin Room offers a sit-down experience
Twice a month at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola, the mountain comes alive for Ullr Nights. The restaurant serves locally sourced meals alongside live music, while outside there is tubing, s’mores, snow biking and the Breathtaker Coaster. Gondola tickets are $12 for Ullr Nights, while food and activities can be purchased à la carte.
Located in Snowmass Base Village is The Rink. Open daily from noon-9pm, The Rink features not just run of the mill ice skating, but themed skating nights and free curling series, Game of Stones. The Rink is surrounded by cozy fireplaces, perfect for s’mores, which you can get free at 3:30pm every day at the branded s’mores carts. Above it all at The Rink towers Colorado’s largest indoor climbing wall at Limelight Snowmass. Guests of all ages at can test their skills on the wall, which features an auto-belay system with three different lanes and six routes of varying degrees of difficulty. For happy hour specials and live music to round it all out, check out Limelight Hotel and The Collective.
If the weather rolls in and you are looking for some time inside, there are great art classes and speaker series available down the road at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. This historic campus is a premier destination for art making, workshops, lectures even a free tour around the studios or lunch among the artists in the Café. For a more casual creative setting check out Cocktails and Collage or Painting Peaks at Straight Line Studio Thursday nights in Base Village. And don’t miss the eclectic speaker series at the Collective. Throughout the year, local organizations such as Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Pitkin County Library, the Thunder River Theatre Company, Aspen Film, and more, round out The Collective’s programming, each presented free or for a nominal fee.
No trip to a Snowmass is complete without a little self-care. There are several spa options, yoga classes at Viceroy Snowmass and the Snowmass Recreation Center. Be sure to find some time in your busy schedule to sit back and relax in the mountains.
While our resort is world-renowned for the on-mountain activities, sometimes time out of ski boots is even more memorable. Your skiing companions may even be jealous of all your non-skiing activities and take a day off the slopes to enjoy all Snowmass has to offer.
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