SNOWMASS
Too massive to be adequately explored in a single day, Snowmass demands repeat trips. And who wouldn't want to revisit over 3,000 acres of cruisers, steeps, terrain parks and halfpipes, splayed upon a Rocky Mountain massif with a vertical drop of 4,406 feet? With 22 lifts and 88 trails, Snowmass defies belief.
Base elevation: 8,104 ft./2,473 m
Summit elevation: 12,510 ft./3,813 m
Vertical rise: 4,406 ft./1,343 m
Terrain: 3,128 acres/1,266 hectares
Number of trails: 88
Miles/km of trails: 137 miles/220 km
Longest run: 5.3 miles/8.5 km
Steepest runs: Gowdy's and AMF - slope angle of 40 degrees
Types of trails: easiest: 6%, more difficult: 50%, most difficult: 12%, expert: 32%
Annual snowfall: 300 inches/762 cm
Snowmaking: 185 acres/75 hectares
Lifts: 22 Total - 18 primary - 1 eight-passenger gondola, 1 high-speed six passenger chairlift, 1 six-passenger pulse gondola (enclosed), 6 high-speed quads, 3 doubles, 3 magic carpets, 2 ski/snowboard school lifts; 4 secondary - 1 double (Sheer Bliss), 1 triple (Naked Lady), 2 platter pulls (Cirque and Scooper)
Lift capacity: 28,981 riders/hour
Uncrowded slopes: On average 2 people per acre/5 people per hectare
Best known for: Wide-open, groomed cruising and family-friendly activities. Snowmass has long been rated one of the best family ski areas in North America.
Best-kept secret: The daily "Noon Groom," a freshly groomed run that reopens at noon. Also, breakfast at Gwyn's High Alpine can't be beat.
What's new: 8-passenger Elk Camp Gondola
Location: Within the White River National Forest, adjacent to Snowmass Village and 9 miles from downtown Aspen
Parks and pipes: 3 terrain parks (Pipeline, Makaha and Scooper), 1 superpipe and 1 minipipe
Lodging: 14,766 pillows within a 10-mile radius. (95% ski-in/ski-out).
Rental/Retail: Four-Mountain Sports at Two Creeks and Four-Mountain Sports/D & E Ski and Snowboard Shop on the Snowmass Village Mall
Restaurants: 8 Total - Cirque Bar & Grill, Caf‚ Suzanne, Gwyn's High Alpine, Lynn Britt Cabin (snowcat dinner rides), Burlingame Cabin (snowcat dinner rides), Two Creeks Mexican Caf‚, Ullrhof, Up 4 Pizza.
Aspen
Ski Trips