MOUNTAIN HIGH With the MOUNTAIN HIGH With the expansion of its iconic ski area, alongside new dining, hotel and wellness options, Aspen Snowmass is going large // By Larry Olmsted 80 NetJets
ONE BIG REASON why so many ski travelers love Aspen is that, year after year, the town offers a deep-rooted sense of familiarity. Trendy restaurants and upscale boutiques may come and go, but Aspen has essentially remained Aspen for decades, thanks to its unique trichotomy of in-town skiing, Old West mining town nostalgia and a standout culinary scene. This winter, Aspen turns the dial way up with very big news, yet without changing the special vibe people love so much. The iconic resort’s namesake mountain is debuting its biggest terrain expansion in more than half a century, while the town gets new lodging, spa, dining and entertainment offerings. It’s a win-win for the destination’s many fans: more skiing, more dining, more everything, but without a disruption of the status quo. One of four mountains comprising Aspen Snowmass resort (aspensnowmass.com), and the only one in the town, Aspen Mountain (aka Ajax) has always punched way above its weight – in terms of acreage it is one of the smallest “big” mountains in the world. That’s why the new Hero’s addition is making headlines, as it increases resort skiing by more than 20%, but more importantly, greatly diversifies the terrain by adding more than 60 hectares of new chutes, glades and trails, including Aspen’s first intermediate glades. The name honours many historical figures who have been local heroes, from ski patrollers to 10th Mountain Division veterans. As well as all the new trails, Hero’s lengthens and connects to some existing favourites for longer top-to-bottom skiing, and a new high-speed quad chair serves the area while greatly increasing capacity. Lodging can be tough to come by in Aspen, especially at peak periods; the last major new-build hotel in town was the Limelight (limelighthotels.com) in 2008. This winter sees the new Mollie Aspen (mollieaspen.com), a 68-room boutique hotel, opening right in the heart of things. It employs many natural materials, including wood and stone, and features spacious, residential-style rooms and suites. Eating and drinking venues include a rooftop bar that transforms into a nighttime lounge, and a lobby bar by famed New York craft cocktail pioneer Death & Co (deathandcompany.com). Among existing lodging, The Little Nell (thelittlenell.com), one of the world’s best ski-in/ski-out luxury hotels, has long been the cream of the crop. But this season the Nell is upping the ante with a brand new spa and fitness facility incorporating a state-of-the art gym and an “all-suite” design, meaning each treatment room has a private changing room with steam shower, while two also have saunas and resting areas. The spa menu is focused on recovery and restoration, with several signature treatments by renowned aesthetics and anti-inflammatory guru Dr Barbara Sturm. Following the release of the inaugural Colorado edition of the Michelin Guide, the town got its first “starred” restaurant, BOSQ Aspen (bosqaspen.com), which has an intense focus on local ingredients. BOSQ has been popular for years, but there’s a crop of all-new eateries around town this winter, including: Le Bateau (lebateauaspen.com), which serves French-inspired cuisine with a focus on coastal ingredients; the Alpine-themed Alpina (herehouse.club), for breakfast, lunch and après ski; an outpost of Austin, Texas’s Sway Thai (swaythai.com), serving modern Thai cuisine; and a tasting room for Colorado’s famous craft whiskey distillery, Stranahan’s (stranahans.com), on the Pedestrian Mall. Aspen has long been renowned for hosting high-profile sporting and cultural events, which this year are headlined by the Winter X Games (January 26-28). Also look out for the 73rd edition of Winter sköl, Aspen’s annual “toast to winter” (January 11-14), and the 47th year of the groundbreaking Aspen Gay Ski Week (January 14-21). Finally, this winter sees the return of the newest annual tradition, the second instalment of the Palm Tree Music Festival (February 23-24) with talent including The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Kygo, Labrinth, Drama and Harry Hudson. ON THE SLOPES DAN BAYER (LEFT), © MOLLIE ASPEN SKI HEAVEN Mollie Aspen’s bar Facing page: The Aspen Snowmass NetJets 81
