|
| |
| |
|
ASPEN |
| |
Coffee-table magazines might have you believe that a tollgate
outside ASPEN only admits film stars and the super-rich. This elite ski
resort , two hundred miles west of Denver via Leadville, is indeed home
to the likes of Cher, Jack Nicholson and Goldie Hawn, but it can be an
affordable and very appealing place for anyone visit in summer - unless
you're on an absolute shoestring budget. Visiting in winter requires
more cash, though you can save money by commuting to the slopes from
Glenwood Springs, less than fifty miles away.
From inauspicious beginnings in 1879, this pristine mountain-locked town
developed slowly, thanks to its remote location, to become one of the
world's top silver producers. By the time the silver market crashed
fourteen years later, it had acquired tasteful residential palaces,
grand hotels and an opera house. In the 1930s, when the population
slumped below seven hundred, it was, ironically, the anti-poverty WPA
program that gave the struggling community the cash to build its first
crude ski lift in 1936. Entrepreneurs seized the opportunity presented
by the varied terrain and plentiful snow, and the first chairlift was
dedicated on Aspen Mountain (now known as Ajax ) in 1947. Skiing has
since spread to three more mountains - Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and
Buttermilk Mountain, and the jet set arrived in force during the 1960s.
Development is a burning political issue: tight architectural
constraints have been placed on businesses ( McDonald's is forbidden to
have a neon sign), but the last decade has seen yet more Scandinavian-style
lodges, condo blocks and giant houses that remain empty for most of the
year.
The town and the mountains
Despite the virtually limitless recreation opportunities in the
surrounding mountains, there's not all that much to do in Aspen itself.
Even so, sitting around the town's leafy pedestrianized streets,
watching the world go by, or browsing in the chichi stores and galleries
is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. In summer, the Aspen
Historical Society Museum, 620 W Bleeker St (tel 970/925-3721), offers
walking tours of Aspen and nearby ghost towns. The Aspen Art Museum at
590 N Mill St (tel 970/925-8050) holds changing exhibits, lectures and
special events; Aspen Center for Environmental Studies , 100 S Puppy
Smith St (tel 970/925-5756), is a wildlife sanctuary, which gives guided
nature tours of some of the taller peaks in the Elk Mountain Range.
Aspen's four mountains are run by the Aspen Ski Co (tel 970/925-1220 or
1-800/525-6200, ); call 1/888-ASPENSNO for conditions. The mogul-packed
monster of Aspen Mountain , looming over downtown, is for experienced
skiers only; Buttermilk is great for beginners, with an excellent ski
school that offers a three-day guaranteed "Learn to Snowboard" program;
the wide-open runs of Snowmass , though mostly for intermediate skiers,
feature some testing routes. Aspen Highlands has some new high-speed
lifts and offers excellent extreme skiing terrain. Daily lift tickets
for all mountains cost $45 (up to 27 years) or $65 (27 years and older).
Rental of skis, boots and poles usually costs around $18 a day - you can
also rent snowshoes in which to trek up and down the mountains. However,
the town's best value has to be its fifty miles of groomed Nordic ski
trails - one of the most extensive free cross-country trail networks in
the US.
Cycling is the main summer pursuit; The Hub, 315 E Hyman Ave (tel
970/925-7970), has a wide range of bikes, while Timberline, 204 S Galena
St (tel 970/925-9237), is the cheapest for mountain bikes, and also
organizes tours. The Roaring Fork River , surging out of the Sawatch
range, is excellent for kayaking and rafting, but sections can be
dangerous and every summer sees a few fatalities. Blazing Paddles ($55
for a half-day float trip; tel 970/925-5651) is not the lowest-priced
company, but it does have a good safety record.
If you fancy walking in the mountains, the Silver Queen gondola climbs
from 601 Dean St to the summit of Ajax (daily 10am-4pm; $18), where
guided nature walks set off on the hour from 11am to 3pm. Occasional
free lunchtime concerts and talks are held up here, and there's a good
restaurant. Even more alluring is the landscape around the twin purple-gray
peaks of the Maroon Bells , fifteen miles southwest, soaring above the
dark-blue Maroon Lake. The road is closed between 8.30am and 5pm, except
for overnight campers with permits, travelers with disabilities and RFTA
buses, which leave daily from the Rubey Park transit center (every 30min
9am-4.30pm; $5 round-trip, or $19 combination ticket with gondola ride).
Details on hiking are available from the ranger station .
|
Vacation Rentals in Aspen |
|
|
|
|
|
from $169.73
USD