Nestled perfectly in the heart of the Rocky Mountains as if plucked straight from the mountain chalets of the Swiss Alps and placed in the heart of Colorado by the hand of God himself, Aspen is an idyllic, fairytale-esque ski resort town with modern conveniences like fine dining and a network of shuttle buses outfitted with externally mounted ski racks to get you where you need to go. It was a delight to spend a long February weekend in this picturesque skiing paradise, with its world class, perfectly manicured slopes that carve through the domineering Rockies, soaringly high altitudes and even higher-end window shopping, abundant smells of wood-burning fires, opulent après-ski options, and, of course, the tall, slender, and ethereally beautiful ghostly-white quaking Aspen trees for which the area is named.
With something for beginners and experts alike, the Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort offers plenty of green-level runs that feel miles wide and beginner-friendly bunny hill training grounds; steep, challenging blues; and, of course, thrilling black diamonds and moguls that will put adept skiers skills to the test. In the coldest winter months, heated gondolas give you a perfect vehicle to chill and enjoy the majestic scenery, perhaps while sipping an alcoholic beverage or indulging in other forms of (legal) recreational fun — shoutout to the guy who offered me a pre-mixed Aperol Spritz and shrooms on the gondola (one of which I declined).
There’s truly something magical about skiing/snowboarding in a pristine setting like the Colorado Rockies, especially for those of us who love the outdoors. It’s akin to a combination of extreme, high-octane adventure sports with miles of scenic, easygoing hiking through the interior of a National Park. In our fast-paced, tech-driven modern world that never seems to take a breath or slow down, skiing is a breath of fresh air, literally. Skiers are focused on the next traverse, the next run, the next detour, which route to take down the mountain, the unmatched beauty of the surrounding mountain vista, and the crisp, fresh mountain air. Planning for next week’s work event, answering an email, scrolling twitter, and any other everyday menial task become distant memories; for a couple hours, you’re a free bird.
After burning an abnormal amount of calories traversing the slopes, there’s not much in this world the beats taking a pre-après-ski mid-afternoon break at one of the ski resorts’ many bars, restaurants, and casual eateries, such as Snowmass’s mid-mountain Elk Camp, indulging in a crisp light beer that’s as cold as the Rockies, and a hot, freshly-crafted bowl of surprisingly stellar chili or slice of ginormous pizza complete with all the fixings.
The Snowmass ski resort area, connected by a network of gondolas, is just as fantastic as its skiing, with heated outdoor bar areas (one of which we visited that happened to host the incomparable Deadmau5 the day before we arrived), shopping areas with pro ski shops, a high-end Mexican restaurant from one of the Upper East Side’s very own, Chef Richard Sandoval’s group of restaurants, lodgings, opulent mountain-side condos, heated pools and jacuzzis, and even outdoor electric fire-places perfect for free post-slope s’mores.
After each long and phenomenal day of skiing, we returned to the idyllic town of Aspen, where we stayed a stone’s throw away from Aspen’s “Ajax” Mountain at the Aspen Square Hotel. Aspen feels almost like a posh, wild west mini-Manhattan, as if SoHo got dropped delicately inside a holiday-themed snow globe. The food scene offers plenty of options, with NYC dining exports like Matsuhisa (from the Nobu family of restaurants by Nobu Matsuhisa), Wayan, and Rubirosa, just to name a few. The dining scene is now one of the many highlights of a trip to Aspen. We ate at Clark’s Oyster Bar, Las Montañas, Matsuhisa, and a town-favorite, The White House Tavern.
Clark’s is the spot for fresh seafood, from East Coast Oysters to crabcakes bursting at the seams with lump crab meat. Las Montañas has delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, the highlight being the dipper combo of fresh guacamole, gooey queso, and spicy homemade salsa. Also, be sure not to miss the chicken tomatillo enchiladas or the lamb barbacoa quesadillas, our table’s favorites. Matsuhisa was nearly identical to the experience at Nobu: impossibly fresh fish (a true feat in the middle of landlocked Colorado) with an Indonesian-Japanese fusion flare. The can’t miss dishes were the miso cod, crispy rice spicy tuna, and yellowtail with ponzu and blistered brussels sprouts. Finally, the White House Tavern is your classic, all-American bar and grill, with chips, dips, fries, and juicy chicken sandwiches. The town is also replete with high-end designer shops like Gucci, Prada, Moncler, and many others. Be careful, it’s an easy place to go broke in, with hotels running from $2K per night on the low end.
For a nightcap, head over to the historic Hotel Jerome, a luxury hotel with an old timey Western frontier feel, with artfully crafted drinks and perfectly synchronized cabincore decor with Native American, art deco, and Wild West flourishes. After basking in the drinks and the ambience, take home some delicious bakery items and grab a scoop of world-class gelato at Paradise Bakery (yes, even if it’s cold; just trust us), light up a cozy fire at home (ideally only if you have a fireplace), or soak your tired ski-legs in the hot tub and call it a night.
In summation: what a wonderful trip! The elegance and exclusiveness of Aspen, combined with it’s top-tier ski offerings, world-class dining, out of this world scenery, and designer shops makes it a must-visit destination for skiers, Instagram models, and outdoorsmen alike. We’ll be back as soon as we can to bask in its purple mountain majesties once more.
P.S. – if you hate flying, probably avoid going to Aspen at all costs; you are guaranteed a tiny plane, patches of rough turbulence, and a difficult landing that crests a large mountain and descends fairly quickly.
