Bounding down Hanging Valley with the powder boiling over your shoulders and the slope plunging like a mine shaft is a reminder of how misleading stereotypes can be. When Snowmass first opened in 1967, it became almost instantly known as one of the world’s premier family ski resorts, and once again this year readers rate it Top Five in Grooming, Lifts and Family Programs, a significant trifecta. Not surprisingly, many are quick to typecast Snowmass as strictly blue and bland, for both terrain and nightlife. That’s been fine by the locals who have kept most of the serious goods to themselves. Eventually, though, readers caught on. “Best in all of USA!” rave many, and “You can’t beat the remarkable variety and sheer mass of slopes available,” is one of the more frequent comments. Those slopes include “gnarly steep terrain and runs that seem to go on forever.” It’s why top Aspen pros such as Gretchen Bleiler and Chris Davenport are regulars. Now the dining and bars have received a big boost as well (“new village is great”) with last season’s addition of Sneaky’s Tavern and restaurant, Sweet Life diner and Liquid Sky nightclub. “Lots of improvements recently.” Though work on parts of the new Base Village have stalled during the slow economy, major portions are open and contributing to increasing numbers who call Snowmass “simply the best all-around experience.” Nearby Buttermilk, Highlands and Aspen Mountain also add to the equation, as does Aspen itself, the ultimate ski town answer to any question about après, dining and off-hill activities. Those all-star amenities, an unmatched climate of flawless blue skies and big snowy nights, the always colorful human elements (“the people are wonderful”) and the ongoing community culture of “attention to guests” keep skiers returning. Even though some readers call Snowmass “hard to get to” and “spendy,” most are readily willing to trade that to enjoy a “wonderful ski resort.”
/ What’s New / Hands-free lift-ticket checking. The Aspen Resorts will go 100 percent radio-frequency ticket-check (embedded electronic chip) this season, so no more fumbling as you move through liftlines; The Viceroy Snowmass opens in November—the high-end hotel chain’s first footprint in ski country. The hotel will anchor the new $1 billion base village, with 152 guest rooms, 7,000-square-foot spa, a fine dining restaurant and cafe.
/ Mandatory Run / A 4,400-vertical-foot nonstop from the Cirque lift, down the Wall all the way to Two Creeks base
/ Local Tip / Parking is free after noon in the Two Creeks, Divide and marked Upper Village lots.
Photo by Jeremy Swanson
