Happy X Games weekend from Aspen Snowmass! We received some much-needed snow across all four mountains over the last week, and we are ready for the action! Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, this year’s X Games will be different than years past. This year’s events will focus entirely on the athletes and the competition at Buttermilk. Fans have the opportunity to enjoy this year’s event completely virtual. Read on to review the history and evolution of X Games, highlights from past events, and why X Games have become a favorite event for locals, spectators, and competitors.
ESPN’s Winter X Games first debuted at Buttermilk Mountain in the Winter of 2002, and has been a January staple in Aspen Snowmass ever since. This year marks the 20th anniversary of X Games in Aspen. When X Games first came to town, there were around 40,000 spectators over the entire weekend. Local schools took the long weekend off, and students took field trips with their class to the competition venue at the base of Buttermilk Mountain. While the local kids aren’t getting time off from school or busing to Buttermilk this year, X Games has evolved and the show will go on, just from the comfort of our homes, like many events this year. The Games normally command tens of thousands of fans daily, but not this year. Recent evolution in X Games programming include X Fest, a village of sponsors and vendors at the base of the Super Pipe, where we have hosted our Chris Klug Foundation booth in past years together with our volunteers. The biggest attraction, besides the competition, are the concerts at the base of Buttermilk. Past performances include The Chainsmokers, Rapper Lil Wayne, and DJ Calvin Harris. I joke that X games used to an action sports fest with a little music. The past years it became a weekend long concert with some action sports.
With what’s happening in our world today, there will be no concerts or X Fest village this year. X Games 2021 is going back to the original attraction, and will entirely focus on the competition and the athletes. Shawn White, The Flying Tomato, is making his return to X Games this weekend along with Chloe Kim? Shaun White dazzled in X Games Snowboard Superpipe contests in years past by revolutionizing freestyle snowboarding, and wowing crowds in the process. Only 500 executives, producers, and event staff are allowed on the grounds, including about 100 athletes. With Canadian snowboarder Mark Morrison, the most decorated X Games athlete, out due to Covid-19, all eyes are on Aspen local freeskier Alex Ferreira who is going for his third consecutive X Games Gold Medal. Ferreira is not the only local skier to compete. Basalt native Torin Yater-Wallace first took the X Games stage in 2011 and has won four medals since. Good luck Torin and Alex. We will be cheering you both on this weekend!
Looking back on how the Winter X Games has evolved in Aspen Snowmass, it’s easy to be amazed at the weekend-long event jam-packed with winter fun. X Games is celebrating 20 years in Aspen, and will definitely be a memorable anniversary. Here are a few reminders and tips to enjoy X Games safely this year.
Have a fun and safe X Games weekend! Remember, the best place to watch the competition and get in on the action is at home. No masks, no social distancing, and no cold feet from the comfort of your couch!
@aspenbucketlist / Instagram
The 2019/2020 ski season is so close we can hardly stand it! Aspen and Snowmass open on Thursday, November 28 and Highlands and Buttermilk open on December 7. With more than one million photos tagged #aspen on Instagram and innumerable international media outlets also circulating editors’ picks around the Internet, pre-planning to make the most of your time in Aspen/Snowmass and the Roaring Fork Valley is a daunting challenge.
Enter Aspen Bucket List — an Instagram account curated by an Aspen native, who’s called the Roaring Fork Valley home their entire life. While we can’t reveal their identity, they launched @aspenbucketlist on June 1, 2017 and have since amassed 26,000 followers for stunning photography, insider pro-tips, local knowledge, exclusive partner offers, and more.
Powered by Bucket Listers, a national network of city guides around the world, its local account manager is a friend of founder and CEO Andy Lederman, who started the digital company in Chicago in 2016. Self-described as “the world’s largest adventure club,” each city’s official Bucket List is compiled with reliable, bucket list-worthy events and experiences that admins personally experience to give their stamp of approval. This strategy has garnered 10 million explorers that now follow their lead in more than 15 cities through social media, online, and email newsletters to take their own adventures.
So to help you narrow down your itinerary for the season ahead, we turned to Aspen Bucket List to share their top 10 picks for the ultimate winter in Aspen. And if you’re not already following, find Aspen Bucket List on Instagram @aspebucketlist and tag them in your posts for a chance to be featured using #aspenbucketlist.
1. Ski Highland Bowl
For anyone who's a good enough skier or snowboarder, a powder day Bowl lap (or three) is a must. aspensnowmass.com
2. Winter X Games
Attending X Games or just being in town during the long-running annual competition is a definite winter Bucket List event to attend. The energy around town is infectious. Aspen is alive with extreme things to do around every corner — from seeing live music slopeside to parties celebrating athletes at the Sundeck to watching the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe live (an Aspen Bucket List personal favorite). xgames.com
3. Uphill Traffic
Skinning, aka “uphilling,” at any of the four mountains on an early morning or late afternoon is so fun and gratifying. Start with Tiehack on Buttermilk and progress from there. Dinners at the Cliffhouse on top of Buttermilk are an added bonus and happen periodically throughout the winter on full moon nights. aspensnowmass.com
4. Hike to Weller Lake
Drive to the bottom of Independence Pass and hike with your favorite pal or pet up the road to the Weller Lake trail. Go up to the lake and back while enjoying all of the beauty and serenity that Indy Pass has to offer during the winter months. independentpass.org
5. Snowmobile to the Maroon Bells
You absolutely can't beat the Bells in the winter. Ask a buddy with a sled or book a guided tour with TLazy7 to see the spectacular views without the crowds. tlazy7.com
6. Dine at Pine Creek Cookhouse
This experience is nothing short of incredible. Cross-country ski, walk, snowshoe, or ride a horse-drawn carriage to the Pine Creek Cookhouse in Ashcroft — just about a 15 minute drive from downtown Aspen. Find 5-star everything from the food to the views to the service. And tell 'em @aspenbucketlist sent ya. pinecreekcookhouse.com
7. Aspen Powder Tours
Check out the backcountry terrain on the backside of Ajax and ski powder all day long via snowcat service. Great turns, good vibes, and a private experience that you'll never forget. aspensnowmass.com
8. Wintersköl
Held January 9-12, 2020, this classic Aspen tradition turns downtown into a spirited celebration of the Nordic lifestyle with a parade, fireworks, ice sculpting, and more. aspenchamber.org
9. Dinner at Maru
There’s nothing like fresh sushi and hot saké after a long day in the mountains. Check out Maru, a locally owned hot spot with the highest quality ingredients in town. Chef Taylor Hale brings decades of experience and passion to his food set in a local’s atmosphere. maruaspen.com
10. Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs
For a relaxing day off, or to warm up your bones after completing items #1 — #9 on our Aspen Bucket List, take a drive down to Carbondale and check out Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs. Rejuvenate the body in their private pools along the Crystal River. Differing temperatures provide everyone with a perfect place to decompress and soak in the views. Make sure to make a reservation. avalancheranch.com
It’s that time of the year again! Town is packed, and for good reason. Starting today, watch the best winter sports athletes in the world compete for their chance to take home the gold in the 2019 Winter X Games at Buttermilk Mountain. In addition to the competitions, there will be live performances by Lil’ Wayne, Louis The Child, The Chainsmokers, and Kygo! Walk around the X Games interactive village in-between events for the chance to get merchandise, free swag, and information about events. As local competitor Alex Ferreira likes to say, it truly is the super bowl of skiing! In addition to X Games events, there’s a Historic Pub Crawl, a Historic Hotel Jerome tour, Historic Ski tours of Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands, a Friday Morning Uphill Breakfast on Buttermilk, and tours at the Aspen Art Museum. What a weekend to be in Aspen! Happy X Games from all of us at Klug Properties!
Winter X Games returns to Aspen this week beginning on Thursday, January 22 - Sunday, January 25! Check out the premier winter action sports athletes, music and festival. Live musical performances at the base of Buttermilk Mountain this week include Chromeo, Snoop Dogg, Skrillex and Wiz Khalifa. I will be supporting the Unified Special Olympics Snowboard Race at Winter X Games on Thursday afternoon, and volunteering this weekend at our Chris Klug Foundation booth promoting organ donation at the Team ESPN Tent. I hope to see you there!
We've already seen five sales over ten million dollars in 2015! The upper end of the Roaring Fork Valley Real Estate Market continues to strengthen, following twenty-six 10-million plus sales last year. The Cooper Street Pier Penthouse at 508 E Cooper Avenue in Aspen closed on January 14, 2015 for $13,200,000, $2,680.75 sold price per sq. ft. Built in 2012 with 360 degree views, this three level, 4,924 sq. ft., four bedroom penthouse is located one block from Gondola Plaza. Another notable sale last week was the 128 acre Cato Ranch in Little Woody Creek, which sold for 23.5 million. Below is a summary of real estate sales for January 12-18, 2015. Happy Winter X Games! I hope to see you at Buttermilk Mountain later this week. Stay tuned here for weekly real estate updates.
Chris Klug
Aspen
Highest Sale: 508 E. Cooper Ave. Sold Price: $13,200,000 List Price: $14,500,000 Sold Price $/SF: $2,680
Lowest Sale: 602 W. Hallam Street
Sold Price: $6,550,000
List Price: $6,999,000
Sold Price $/SF:
Total Sales YTD: 8 sold listings
Avg. List Price $/SF: $1,378.00
Avg. Sold $/SF: $1,235.46
Sold Volume: $54,905,000
Snowmass
Highest Sale: 130 Wood Road Unit 641 Sold Price: $1,950,000 List Price: $1,985,000 Sold Price $/SF: $1,325.63 Lowest Sale: 130 Wood Road Unit 224 Sold Price: $232,000 List Price: $233,000 Sold Price $/SF: $596.40 Total Sales YTD: 3 sold listings Avg. List Price $/SF: $937.17 Avg. Sold $/SF: $928.38 Sold Volume: $3,380,000
Happy Winter X Games! Aspen, CO is once again full with X Games athletes, media, industry friends, and visitors. It is so exciting to drive by Buttermilk Mountain at night the past days and see it light up with athletes training and preparing for action starting today. I was at Buttermilk this morning helping set-up our <a href="http://www.chrisklugfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Chris Klug Foundation</a> booth in the Team ESPN<!--more--> Tent in the sponsors village. Last year we spoke directly with seven thousand people about organ donation and passed out lime green Donor Dudes sunglasses and swag. Stop by our booth this year to check out the Donor Dude. Our friend <a href="http://www.glippco.com/" target="_blank">Greg Lipp</a> created an interactive Donor Dude to promote organ donation.
I attended an Aspen Board of Realtors luncheon yesterday with Ted Jones PhD. Sr. VP and Chief Economist for Stewart Title as the keynote speaker. He was very bullish on the local Aspen real estate market. His opinion was that the stock market was overvalued and that the bottom is behind us in the Aspen Real Estate Market. He stressed that jobs are the key to recovery. As job numbers go up, real estate will also rise. We've had two years of housing numbers on the increase in Aspen. He felt 2009 was the best time to buy in Aspen. I personally feel there are some great values and choices for buyers today. According to Dr. Jones essential to a sustained recovery is a national political landscape that will work together to come up with a long-term plan for the national debt crisis.
I toured a couple of new listings this morning that I wanted to share with you. 727 Creek Tree Condos Unit 727 listed by Frias Properties is a four bedroom, three bath riverfront town home across from Herron Park in downtown Aspen. The unit is dated, but has great southern exposure and views of Aspen Mountain on the banks of the Roaring Fork River with a carport and only four units in complex for $2,999,000. I also looked at 777 South Ute Ave. Units 1 & 1A listed by BJ Adams & Co. It seems absurdly priced at $8,198,000, but with five bedrooms, four bath, a roof top deck with Jacuzzi, an elevator, an 800 square foot bonus room with pool table and work out equipment, three underground parking spaces in the downtown core, two blocks from the Silver Queen Gondola and a short walk to the Aspen Club on the East Aspen trail it's unique. For $1,655 a month in HOA dues you get to take advantage of the Aspen Alps amenities and shuttle. Unit 2 is also available next door for $1,795,000, creating a seven bedroom, seven thousand square foot compound.
I'm here full-time working and playing and being a new dad. I hope to see you out at the X Games this weekend. Stop by our CKF booth and say hi. Call or email me anytime to discus the Aspen market in more detail. Thanks for checking out my site; I hope it was helpful. Enjoy your weekend!
CK
