On a powder day, the untracked turns last all morning at Snowmass, at Buttermilk they last all day.
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Colorado Which Aspen areas for a 3 day trip?
- Thread starter John O
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My recommendation: do whatever you can to extend your trip one more day so that you can sample all four of the mountains. While I much prefer Highlands and Snowmass over Aspen Mountain (Ajax), there are lots of fun tree and mogul runs at Ajax which would keep you happy all day if you enjoy that type of terrain. I agree with what others have said about where to spend the day with your wife...both Buttermilk and Snowmass would work well. (If your wife has no trouble on blue runs, Highlands would also work as there is some outstanding blue/green terrain off the Exhibition and Cloud Nine lifts.) Buttermilk would for sure be the least crowded of the choices.
There is no green terrain at Highlands.
We've had this discussion/disagreement before. Up until a couple of years ago, there were lots of green runs at Highlands which have recently been made blue. However, the runs are the same and I still consider them to be very easy for a skier who comfortably skis blue runs at other Western resorts. Runs like Exhibition, Red Onion, Apple Strudel. (Heck...even Upper Robinson's is very easy after the first little (double fall line) pitch after getting off the Cloud Nine lift.)
My kids (who are beginners/lower intermediates) consider Highlands to be their favorite of the Aspen locations and I think it is very underrated for skiers of this level. @Mike King, I know you disagree with that opinion, but I stand by this statement. If a person can comfortably ski blues, then there is lots of stuff they would like at Highlands.
There's a reason the runs were reclassified. We teach NO beginner lessons at either Highlands or Aspen Mountain. Either Snowmass or Buttermilk will provide a much more enjoyable experience for a beginner.
Mike
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When they took out expedition 2, that forced beginners to have to ski all the way to the base on every run. The bottom half isn't much fun for beginners so the switch to blue makes some sense. However the top half are now very easy blues.
Yep. Like gunbarrel and heather bedlam? Sure, there are some lower pitched blues off of exhibition, but they also tend to be high traffic areas for folk back to the base. And it is easy to find yourself on blue terrain that is actually quite steep, like the two I mentioned or thunder bowl.
for a lower intermediate, you are much better off at Buttermilk or Snowmass, and there is more than enough terrain to keep your wife entertained for a week, let alone several days.
mike
for a lower intermediate, you are much better off at Buttermilk or Snowmass, and there is more than enough terrain to keep your wife entertained for a week, let alone several days.
mike
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If you decide to ski Ajax/Aspen mountain, I suggest your wife come up the gondola and meet you for lunch, assuming the weather is nice. The views are great - you can see Highlands bowl from the restaurant.
Silver Dip to Deer Park runs under Ajax Express are very mild blues. Really they feel like greens, but I guess they changed them to scare away true beginners. If you wander off them, it does get steep in a hurry. Your wife may be able to ski those easy blues (greens really) on Ajax. You can scout them out and maybe convince her to ski a second day with you at Ajax. Proposal:
Day 1 - Buttermilk or Snowmass with wife
Day 2 - Ski Ajax solo and scout the easy blues (Silver Dip and Deer Park), wife joins you on mountain for lunch if weather is good.
Day 3 - Highlands or Snowmass (or possible 2nd day with wife?)
Silver Dip to Deer Park runs under Ajax Express are very mild blues. Really they feel like greens, but I guess they changed them to scare away true beginners. If you wander off them, it does get steep in a hurry. Your wife may be able to ski those easy blues (greens really) on Ajax. You can scout them out and maybe convince her to ski a second day with you at Ajax. Proposal:
Day 1 - Buttermilk or Snowmass with wife
Day 2 - Ski Ajax solo and scout the easy blues (Silver Dip and Deer Park), wife joins you on mountain for lunch if weather is good.
Day 3 - Highlands or Snowmass (or possible 2nd day with wife?)
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Between Ajax and Highlands, I'll do Highlands every time. I'm sure there's plenty of good stuff at Ajax, but you won't find it in one day, or three. OTOH the bowl is the kind of experience that isn't found at most ski areas.
The choice between Buttermilk and Snowmass is different. I've never been to Buttermilk, but Snowmass has plenty of easier terrain, and you can work your way up to whatever you are comfortable with. OTOH the first time I skied there I had to drag The Woman Of My Dreams out of a jewelry store before we ever got lift tickets on our jackets, so there's that.
dm
The choice between Buttermilk and Snowmass is different. I've never been to Buttermilk, but Snowmass has plenty of easier terrain, and you can work your way up to whatever you are comfortable with. OTOH the first time I skied there I had to drag The Woman Of My Dreams out of a jewelry store before we ever got lift tickets on our jackets, so there's that.
dm
What makes Highlands bowl unique? Most ski areas I have been too (admittedly not that many) have some kind of alpine bowl(s) right?
No lift access, so RELATIVELY untracked. Also, the views are NUTZ! That's where my avatar pic is from.
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I think you'd be hard pressed to find another alpine bowl that has the snow conditions, steepness and length as Highlands. Some that are similar:
- Breck's horseshoe and imperial are steep but way shorter.
- Vail's Sundown is big but not nearly as steep
- Snowbird's cirque is steep but shorter
I think the fact that you have to hike - or take a short snowcat ride, then hike - to ski it, adds to it too. It's also very obvious because of the way the mountain is laid out - it's the only thing at the top - you head for the bowl, or ski back down from the lodge. There is lots of "hike-to" terrain at other resorts, but not as obvious, big, and stand-alone, as at other resorts I've been too.
Relatively untracked and great views are certainly attractive attributes, but not unique, for example Winter Park’s Cirque and Copper’s Tucker Mountain(until this year at least) had the same characteristics.
tucker is close but doesn't get as wind loaded and it doesn't have the giant views and huge traditional bowl shape. Highlands bowl is one of the best ski experiences in the country imho. Just hike at your own speed and ignore the mutant locals who practically run up the damn thing.
It's hard to describe the vastness of Highlands without being there. And the vert on the descent is for real. It goes, and goes, and goes.... A friend of mine who has lived and skied everywhere from Austria to Utah hiked it for the first time a few years back, and called me immediately. He was blown away. Like, completely blown away.
Photos don't do anything justice, but I'll try to find a few more. These are from several different days over the past 5 or 6 years. Sometimes people offer you cheese at the bottom! (that's not the bottom, actually, just the bottom of the bowl ... there is still quite a bit of skiing before the lift).
Photos don't do anything justice, but I'll try to find a few more. These are from several different days over the past 5 or 6 years. Sometimes people offer you cheese at the bottom! (that's not the bottom, actually, just the bottom of the bowl ... there is still quite a bit of skiing before the lift).
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I'll be at Aspen in the first few days of March next year. As an (advancing??) intermediate that likes to get out of my comfort zone a bit are there any lines that are a touch less 'extreme' than others in Highland Bowl? We were there over New Year a few years ago and it was closed the the couple of days we were at Highlands.
We're comfortable with steepish terrain as long as we can take our time if needed. Would the steepness of the bowl compare to the lines off the top of Mammoth (for example)? Obviously much longer but as far as gradient is concerned?
We're comfortable with steepish terrain as long as we can take our time if needed. Would the steepness of the bowl compare to the lines off the top of Mammoth (for example)? Obviously much longer but as far as gradient is concerned?
Oh man... there was a good thread on EpicSki about intermediates and being prepared to ski Highland Bowl... really great take and checklist of skills to consider... I'll see if I can find it in the Wayback Machine.
EDIT : Found it!
Is Highlands Bowl a realistic option for an intermediate to upper-intermediate skier?
@Bob Barnes post on page 3 was particular complete and good (Bob is a Highlands instructor):
https://web.archive.org/web/2015102...e-to-upper-intermediate-skier/60#post_1810571
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