Closing day weekends are always a bittersweet transition from winter to spring as we look back and celebrate a ski season well-spent. With four mountains all throwing their own farewell parties there is no shortage of festivities to enjoy. The lifts might be stopping, but the ski and après cultures stay alive and well throughout April. Use this post as a guide to pick which closing day festivities you and your family/friends should attend. Maybe it’s all four!
Buttermilk Closing Day – April 3, 2022
If a family friendly day full of enough bacon to hold you over until next ski season sounds like your speed, you won’t want to miss Buttermilk’s closing day. Buttermilk likes to celebrate Bacon Appreciation Day by having savory, salty and sweet snacks all over the mountain from the Cliffhouse down to Bumps, almost all of them including bacon! They also host an uphill race starting at 8am if you feel like you need to earn not just your turns but also your bacon. Buttermilk is always the first mountain to close.
Highlands Closing Day – April 10, 2022
Undoubtedly the most popular of the closing day ceremonies. Highlands closing day is a must-go for those wishing to send winter off like a true Aspen local. Start the day by hiking the bowl one last time to be met by ski patrollers barbecuing at the top. After enjoying a hotdog and a bowl lap, head over to Cloud Nine where you can say goodbye to the hottest après scene in Colorado until next season. On your way down from Cloud Nine, stop by ‘Picnic Point’ just below the Cloud Nine lift where plenty of skiers/riders enjoy camaraderie and the views towards Pyramid Peak and Maroon Bells. Finally, and most notably, make your way to the Alehouse at the base to dance the winter away at one of the most iconic annual parties in Aspen. This portion of Highlands closing day is recommended for those 21 and up as the scene always gets rowdy with a live DJ and drinks all around. Be sure to where a costume! This year is 80’s themed and awards will be given to those sporting the best get-ups.
Snowmass Closing Day – April 17, 2022
Originally, Snowmass and Aspen Mountain were both set to close on April 17th, but with the late snowfall in March, Aspen Mountain will be staying open a week later than planned meaning you can attend both Snowmass and Ajax closing parties. What a treat! Snowmass will be hosting events all weekend from Elk Camp down to Base Village. You’ll be able to enjoy snow volleyball, DJ’s all over the mountain and a swimwear themed top-to-bottom run to close out the day on the 17th. The whole family can enjoy closing weekend at Snowmass!
Ajax Closing Day – April 24, 2022
As previously mentioned, and thanks to the extra snowfall this spring, Aspen Mountain will be closing on the 24th, one week later than planned. Hooray for an extra week of skiing! If you want to close out your season in the most ‘Aspen’ way possible, you must attend the Ajax closing party at the birthplace of Aspen skiing. Don’t miss the hilarious and sometimes dangerous “Bump Off” as locals gather at Ridge of Bell at 1 pm for an all-out race down the mogul field under the gondola. You can either join in on the race yourself or watch from Gent’s Ridge as skiers/riders hurl themselves down the bumps. Some make it, some yard sale trying – either way it is a spectacle to behold! DJ’s will be present at the Sundeck and at both Chica’s and Ajax Tavern at the base. Don’t throw away your costumes from Highlands, as there will be a contest at the Sundeck as well.
If you manage to make it to all four closing parties, good for you! A small percentage of locals have the stamina to do so. However you choose to celebrate the mountains closing, we hope you have a blast and stay safe doing so. Here’s to a great summer ahead!
Aspen’s annual “toast to winter,” dates to a quiet January in 1951 when locals decided to celebrate Aspen’s unique alpine lifestyle with an eclectic weekend of festivities. The four-day celebration features on-mountain activities, snow sculptures, a torchlight descent down Aspen Mountain, fireworks and more. One could spend the next four days attending events from 8:00 am to 12:00 am, but we would like to highlight a few of our favorites for you!
Apple Strudel Downhill – Highlands – Friday, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
This race, where everybody wins, started in 1988 when Gretl Uhl began making apple strudel at the Merry Go Round Restaurant. It became a fun race held during Winterskol on the Apple Strudel Run at Aspen Highlands. Follow the signs from top of Exhibition Lift, past the Merry Go Round Restaurant to top of Apple Strudel Run to enter race. No pre-registration necessary! Join the race on Friday, January 14th from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, run the course, then join the other racers at the finish line for strudel and hot chocolate.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center Kidsculpt – Aspen – Friday, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Looking to entertain the kids instead? Kidsculpt is a lively snow sculpting competition as part of Wintersköl festival. With a little teamwork and a few good pairs of mittens, kids work together to transform their four square foot snow cubes into freestanding creations. Snow sculptures available for viewing throughout the weekend.
Location: Mill Street Mall adjacent to Wagner Park. In Aspen
Anderson Ranch Arts Center, 970.923.3181 or andersonranch.org
Snowmass Luminescence – Snowmass – Daily After Dusk
When the lifts close at Snowmass, things really light up. Snowmass Luminescence, an interactive art and light display presented by Snowmass Tourism and Aspen Snowmass, immerses guests and community members in a dazzling world of light and art. Skip the Skittles Gondola ride between the Snowmass Mall and Base Village and instead, stroll through The Tunnel, an interactive series of LED illuminated walkways and arches that will ignite the senses.
JAS Café, Diego Figueiredo with special guest Adrian Cunningham – Aspen – Friday/Saturday, 7:00 pm and 9:15 pm
Grammy Nominated Diego Figueiredo (pronounced fig-a-ray-doe) is considered one of the most talented guitar players in the world today. He is the winner of several important competitions including the Montreux Jazz Competition and the VISA Prize. Diego has released over twenty albums to date, three DVD’s, and several instructional books. His music is a fusion between Jazz, Bossa Nova and Classical. Diego’s unique interpretations, along with his phenomenal technique and emotion, has created an explosion of adoring fans and concert goers. Diego has performed in over forty countries around the world.
Tickets: https://www.axs.com/series/13427/jas-cafe-winter-series-tickets?skin=jasaspen
Torchlight Descent & Wintersköl Fireworks – Aspen – Saturday, 8:00 pm
This iconic event is the pièce de résitance of Wintersköl! Seeing a line of torchlight skiers descending the face of Ajax is a magical experience only to be made even more memorable by the fireworks to follow. If there is one event to see this weekend, this is it!
Wintersköl Snow Sculptures – Aspen – All Day, Every Day
Finally, stop by the fountain at the end of Hyman Street Mall all weekend to see incredible, live artwork. The Aspen Chamber Resort Association presents snow sculptures created by local artist Thomas Barlow. Two 8’ x 8’ snow blocks will be carved into works of art beginning on Thursday, January 13th. The 2022 installations are inspired by the “Wintersköl 2022 – Positive Altitude”. We hope you enjoy this historic weekend in Aspen/Snowmass. See you out there!
Klug Properties is proud to be a sponsor of Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Après Holiday Open House on Wednesday, December 26th from 3:30-6:30 PM. We hope to see you there! ACES is a non-profit environmental science education center with four sites in the Roaring Fork Valley. ACES provides programs in environmental science and ecological literacy for everyone from school children, to leaders and decision makers, working to build a community of knowledgeable, motivated and capable environmental stewards. ACES' mission, "Educating for Environmental Responsibility," has guided programming since 1968.
Check out Aspen’s thrilling and entertaining Colorado experience, the rodeo. The Snowmass Rodeo is located at the Rodeo grounds in Snowmass Village. It’s an incredibly fun family event that takes place rain or shine every Wednesday evening during the summer. The event features local cowboys and cowgirls roping calves, riding bucking broncs and bulls, and cowgirls darting around barrels maneuvering only inches away and winning by hundredths of a second.
Cheer local, Nile Thompson (Seen Below), an Aspen High School graduate who is crazy enough to pick up the dangerous, and demanding sport of bronc riding. Come and see the skillful precision of roping, and menacing bucks and pounces of 2,000 lb. bulls. Entertain the kids in the calf scramble, where children between the ages of 4 - 10 chase ribbons on calves tails through the thick dirt. Or for the little buckaroos, there is Mutton Busting, a hilarious event where kids can try and ride sheep for the few seconds they can. Grab your boots and hat, have a Coors, and enjoy the show because Wednesday is the day to cowboy up!
The event starts at 7:00 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. Adults and general admission are $20.00. Youth (11-15) are $15.00. Adults VIP $25.00, and youth 11-15 VIP are $20.00.
The USA Pro Challenge returns to Aspen today! Many street are close, so grab a We Cycle bicycle from a community bike sharing station and move through town with ease! It's fun and easy. Join the movement.
The cyclists ride from Copper Mountain over Independence Pass finishing in downtown Aspen. They start at 11:15 am and finish here in Aspen around 2:45-4:30 pm. Keep your eyes peeled for Aspen local, Tejay van Gardener, 2014 stage 3 winner! Also keep your eyes peeled for the sprints: Leadville to Twin Lakes and Independence Pass to Aspen, both will be exciting to watch. Don't forget to stop by our CKF tent located in front of White House Tavern. We would love to see you! We will be celebrating in Aspen this afternoon with plenty of music, parties, vendors and fun. Enjoy!
Tomorrow morning the racers take off, heading back over Independence Pass to Breckenridge.
Happy Friday!
Aspen is still in full summer swing, hotels are at 100% occupancy with visitors and adventurers here to enjoy the outdoors as well as music, art and activities. We’ve had lots of sunshine and perfect temperatures this week. I have been taking advantage of the summer by hosting many open house luncheons and lots of showings. Showing activity has really ramped up the past two weeks. This week was the busiest week of summer for me in terms of showings. I am excited to share an awesome new listing that I just launched, Timber Ridge 1-E.
We’ve had a strong start to August sales with another nearly $3,000 a sq. ft. sale at 250 Willoughby Way, a 9,196 sq. ft. brand new contemporary home on Red Mountain that traded this week for $26,723,833, $2,906 sold price per sq. ft and it’s uncompleted. 150 Difficult Lane also closed this week in Morningstar for 10.6 million, just over $2,000 a sq. ft. This was one of my favorite homes, a beautiful contemporary Zone 4 designed home on 2.25 acres overlooking the Roaring Fork River and Difficult wetlands with east facing views of Sunshine and New York Peaks. Here’s a look at August real estate activity in Aspen Snowmass and upcoming events. I listed this week Unit 1-E at Timber Ridge; I’ve already had a few great showings and a very busy open house. A complete Rowland + Broughton contemporary remodel was done to this spacious one-bedroom Aspen Condominium. I love the clever use of space - a Rowland + Broughton signature characteristic. It’s located at the base of South Aspen Street with easy ski access to Lift 1A – home of World Cup Ski Racing in Aspen, and the 2017 World Cup Finals. This 680 sq. ft. condo has bamboo flooring throughout, and Carrera Marble countertops and cherry cabinetry finishes in the kitchen. It’s sold furnished with modern Room and Board appointments. Low HOA dues, strong rental history with no short-term restrictions, and pets allowed for owners make this a versatile property that’s walking distance to everything Aspen.
Tomorrow I am racing in my sixth Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race. I’m proud to be racing with seventeen teammates in support of Chris Klug Foundation and organ and tissue donation awareness. We are raising funds and awareness to help the 123,000 people awaiting a life-saving transplant across our country today. I’m still doing some last minute fund raising if you want to support Team CKF, https://www.crowdrise.com/2015Leadville100MTBTeamCKF/fundraiser/chrisklug
My goal is to break eight hours and show the world what’s possible after a liver transplant. I celebrated fifteen years last week since my liver transplant at University Hospital in Denver. Tomorrow I race in honor of my donor family and to show the world what’s possible after a transplant.
The Ride for the Cure is also happening in Aspen tomorrow which tours some of the road biking classics in Aspen: Maroon Bells, Castle Creek, Owl Creek, Snowmass Creek and Capital Creek and back over McLain Flats. It’s a great ride for a good cause. The USA Pro Challenge returns to Aspen next week. On Wednesday, August 19th cyclist ride from Copper Mountain over Independence Pass finishing in downtown Aspen. Don’t plan any downtown Aspen showings that day because town will be shut down for a giant cycling party. Thursday racers head back over the pass out of town. Next weekend is the final weekend of the Aspen Music Festival. Throwing a blanket on the outside lawn with my family and enjoying a drink is a favorite summertime tradition. Also I’d recommend checking out the new Hummingbird mountain bike trail in Hunter Creek Valley. The wildflowers are beautiful in the high country now too. Have a fun weekend. Call or email anytime if I can be of help in anyway. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Thank you,
Chris Klug
