Aspen Snowmass

One of my favorite things to do on earth is skiing. I’m so blessed to be living in Colorado, one of the best places on earth to do so. Every year, I try to splurge and visit Aspen Snowmass, one of my most favorite and magical places on earth. It’s like no place I’ve ever been. Its beauty, range of terrain, and sheer size blow my mind every time I visit, and my trip last winter was no different.

The Calm Before The Storm

Skiing involves a lot of luck, especially when planning a trip months ahead of time. You never know when a storm is going to hit, and sometimes you get the short end of the stick. I was scheduled to stay 5 nights at a slopeside hotel (one of the cheapest I could find on the mountain haha). The first couple of days were looking bleak, and the weather was dry. Even with the lack of fresh snow, there was plenty to explore and check out.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Maroon Bells. This is a pair of 14,000-foot peaks that are the most photographed in the world. I had a clear view from one of the lifts as I scooted around the resort. The view was truly breathtaking and made me so thankful to be able to experience it. I skied around the Indian Peaks area groomers, just enjoying the day and views, even though the snow was hard and icy.

The second day I decided to explore some new terrain and challenge myself at the same time. I took a tow rope to the very top of the mountain to the legendary Cirque area. The area was expert-only terrain, and I spent pretty much the whole day there. I rarely ever saw anyone else on these runs, which made me overly cautious, but it was a great time to reflect and take in the beautiful landscape before my eyes.

The third day, my legs were burning from the Cirque terrain the day before, so I decided to stay closer to the base, but I still wanted to challenge myself. I was really lucky to find some steep and very technical tree runs, and I literally spent the whole day on the same run. It was so much fun, and I was happy with myself that I was able to conquer this terrain. The runs were icy and full of moguls, making the turns hard and rigid, but it was a genuinely great experience to put my headphones in, pump some of my favorite music, and truly live in the moment.

Bring On The Powder

While the first three days were wonderful, the snow wasn’t great. It had been dry for a week beforehand, so the majority of runs were snow-packed and icy, not ideal. After the third night, my powder prayers were answered with a fresh 15 inches of snow. Skiing on soft new snow is hard to explain. The turns are a lot softer and smoother, and the Colorado snow, with low moisture, truly forms almost a powder cloud that’s a delight to power through with much easier turns than the day before.

I truly love skiing through the trees after a fresh snow. The trees protect the snow from the wind, and it piles up wonderfully. I looked back over the years, and every year I’ve gotten better and better, everything seemed to have built up to that moment. I was blasting my music at full volume and loving life. This is what you want to see after a fresh night of snow. Absolutely amazing, and I’m blessed to be able to experience these things.

After a full couple days of fresh powder, I left Aspen with tired legs and feeling grateful that I live in such a wonderful place. People think of Aspen as being for the rich and famous, but the wilderness and wildlife are truly unmatched and make it one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you ever have an opportunity, I highly recommend a visit no matter what time of year it is, you won’t regret it..