Aspen, CO: March 10, 2022

ChrisC

ChrisC

Well-known member
I think it is great flying into Aspen.....except when it does not happen. The pilot tried to land, but it was scary. The clouds never lifted, it was bumpy......a no go. So Grand Junction. I was surprised how some of the Aspenites had never been diverted. Me: we will get a bus to the airport.

I likely have been diverted 10+ times to/from Telluride.

Anyways, I was not 100% when getting into Aspen. But that meant snow, and even more the following day. I would say 15-20" over this storm system.

Oh, lift tickets...... I had a friend's Ikon pass. Let's not talk about that. This trip got planned while in British Columbia. If Telluride, lift tickets 0-0, Aspen lift ticket $500-600. Anyways knew this going into the trip, so just a cost of doing business.

I have become a last-minute guy..... skiing when things are good.

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Grand Junction to Aspen

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i'm getting to like Aspen better:

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Traynor Ridge

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Walking around Aspen

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I have started liking Aspen more. The town is packed, but no lift lines on the mountain.
 

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Aspen is remarkably free from congestion, on the slopes that is. We were there Jan. 1-8 in 2014, a good test for crowds. But you better make your restaurant reservations in advance!
 
Yes, town itself is over-packed for sure and the drive up and down 82 is not fun at all in recent years. I'm still not much a n Ajax fan. Some decent terrain, but lots of ridge/gully stuff too. and not the greatest snow depth to cover some of the better steeps. I'll take Highlands and to some degree Snowmass over Ajax personally.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
Is the airline on the hook to transport passengers from Grand Junction back to Aspen? The only time I've been diverted was to JFK instead of EWR.


Free lift tix tend to have that effect! :icon-lol:
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Yeah, diversion in small ski airports tends to be covered by the airlines. At least Telluride and Aspen - the worst airports in Colorado.

I have been diverted dozens of times from Telluride to Montrose. It's always a free shuttle. Hence, airlines stopped flying into Telluride in the early 2010s.

First, it would overwhelm a rental car counter for one-way rentals to have 50 parties show up. Second, these are people who complain. Just get a nice bus and drop everyone at the airport. Sucks for people who have illegal 'Service Dogs" and now need to stick them on a bus for 2.5 hours, but they took that chance.

For me, coming from SF or Miami - I have done this many times. Sucks. What's worst - I can lose the battle going home - and it means a redeye.
 
Tony Crocker said:
Aspen is remarkably free from congestion, on the slopes that is. We were there Jan. 1-8 in 2014, a good test for crowds. But you better make your restaurant reservations in advance!
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Aspen turns knots in my stomach - but yeah, there are few lines on any of the ski mountains. Maybe the base of Snowmass.

The town is Hollywood - not really relevant for ski talk. I lurk around the periphery - but you can get decent meals ($-$$) at White House Tavern, Hotel Jerome, others....
 
EMSC said:
Yes, town itself is over-packed for sure and the drive up and down 82 is not fun at all in recent years. I'm still not much a n Ajax fan. Some decent terrain, but lots of ridge/gully stuff too. and not the greatest snow depth to cover some of the better steeps. I'll take Highlands and to some degree Snowmass over Ajax personally.
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Agree.

I look at the traffic on 82 - yikes! Same as any city/suburb almost.

I do appreciate Telluride from a more urban Aspen experience.
 
Several excellent restaurants in Aspen offer bar menus for very good value. I do not recall specifics as my last visit was in 2015.
 
ChrisC said:
I think it is great flying into Aspen.....except when it does not happen. The pilot tried to land, but it was scary. The clouds never lifted, it was bumpy......a no go. So Grand Junction. I was surprised how some of the Aspenites had never been diverted. Me: we will get a bus to the airport.

I likely have been diverted 10+ times to/from Telluride.

Anyways, I was not 100% when getting into Aspen. But that meant snow, and even more the following day. I would say 15-20" over this storm system.

Oh, lift tickets...... I had a friend's Ikon pass. Let's not talk about that. This trip got planned while in British Columbia. If Telluride, lift tickets 0-0, Aspen lift ticket $500-600. Anyways knew this going into the trip, so just a cost of doing business.

I have become a last-minute guy..... skiing when things are good.

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Grand Junction to Aspen

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i'm getting to like Aspen better:

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Traynor Ridge

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Walking around Aspen

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I have started liking Aspen more. The town is packed, but no lift lines on the mountain.
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What is the best thing about Aspen? Why go to the effort to ski it?
 
Harvey said:
What is the best thing about Aspen? Why go to the effort to ski it?
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Aspen is the first out-of-state resort I ever skied, in 1980. It is frequently recommended by me and others on ski forums when inquiries are made about destination resorts in the western US.
1) Diversity of terrain for a group with mixed abilities, though that is best realized skiing separate mountains.
a) Buttermilk is mostly dedicated to beginners and also concentrates the terrain park scene.
b) Snowmass is a large intermediate favorite, gets at least 60% of total Aspen group skier visits. Its steeper terrain is hard to lap, which is a virtue on powder days.
c) Ajax and Highlands are both advanced weighted. Temerity at Highlands is as demanding a terrain pod as I've seen anywhere. Highlands Bowl is a must if your lungs are up to a 30 minute hike at 12K feet.
2) Much better crowd control than nearly any other high profile resort.
3) Dining and apres ski options are first class.
4) Public transit is excellent; you don't need a car to get around.
5) The airport has the most direct flights of any remote ski town. Remote is the reason crowds are reasonable.
6) While it's expensive to stay in the town of Aspen, condos at Snowmass can be reasonably priced as we found in 2014.

As for Harvey, I'd go stir crazy skiing the same place all season long for multiple years, even if it was Alta like former admin. So I'd recommend he expand his ski horizons some. I certainly wouldn't recommend Aspen for him as he doesn't like the vibe of high profile glitzy resorts. But there's a long list of places in western Canada and the interior Northwest he would appreciate. He could also tag along with some of James' choices in the Alps.
 
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Good detailed answer Tony thanks.

It's true I don't care much about variety, or skiing outside of NY/VT. I can't really explain it, I've never been normal in that way, and some other ways too. (Still not sure in a "normal contest" I might beat you TC ;)!)

If I go out west, it will be after I retire (2-3 years) and it won't be Aspen. I'm interested in Bohemia, Pow Mow, Wolf Creek. One thing is I hate air travel. Just not my thing.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
We're still trying, without success thus far, to have Harv cross the border into the Eastern Townships. :eusa-snooty:
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Will definitely ski QC when we move to NY. Mrs Road is counting on it.

Right now, if I feel like driving crazy distances for better snow, VT makes more sense.
 
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