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Aspen

When your thinking about a ski vacation in the Rockies one place stands out above all else. Aspen. Its really the quintessential mountain skiing destination in the United States. For those of you who already decided that Aspen is where you taking your next vacation, congratulations. For the rest of you I hope this article will help you decide. For the most part this will be an informative article about the services and facilities and not my description of Aspen.

Located in the Pitkin County of Colorado Aspen’s ski area is just outside the town of Aspen. The resort actually consists of four mountains and their peaks, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk. These peaks are not interconnected however there is a shuttle service that runs base to base for fairly easy access.  Aspen Mountain is actually a bit small compared to other ski resorts especially nearby Vail. It has a total of 673 Skiable acres at a base elevation of 7,945 feet and a top elevation of 11,212 feet, which is a respectable vertical change. The 673 acres covers 76 ski runs, the longest of which is 3 miles. The runs are split for 26% for experts, 26% for advanced and 48% intermediate. So Aspen may not be the best place to go if your just learning to ski or ride, of course they do have excellent ski teachers and a learning area. With an annually snowfall of around 300 inches expect lots of great snow and fresh powder. The ski lifts are state of the art with 8 total lifts: 1 gondola, 1 high speed quad chair, 1 high speed double, 1 quad, 2 double chars and 2 secondary lifts.

Remember to have fun and relax, Aspen is a one of a kind experience.

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Four Locals take a break from the grind to enjoy early spring conditions on the last day of February. Get a last minute deal today to Aspen Snowmass at www.stayaspensnowmass.com/lmls

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Ski tans are in and skiing is big business. Last year, just the State of Colorado enjoyed a record 12.53 million skiing days and took in some 2.5 billion dollars, and they are expecting even more this skiing season. That is big and still growing.

This winter there will be millions of healthy, athletic, beautiful people sporting ski tans during the winter skiing season. The rich and famous spend small fortunes to ski at exotic locations such as Aspen. And, when they return home they show off those magnificent ski tans to the envious pale people.

Wouldn’t you like to belong to the upper class and show off your personal Aspen ski tan to your friends this winter?

Just where did this tanned skin envy come from?

Less than a century ago – pale skin was upheld as the mark of the upper class. Pale skin then separated the elite from dark tanned farm workers and outdoor laborers. After all, one needed to be rich in order not to have to be employed working in the sun. Then in the post war 50’s, wealthier families began vacationing in the sun belt and returning home with beautiful tans. This changed the acceptance from pale to bronzed skin. Now wealthy means having enough money and leisure time to relax on a beach sun tanning while the pale folks labor away indoors as retail, manufacturing and office workers.

In the late seventies, tanning beds came to America and the indoor tanning business exploded into a multi-billion dollar business. Tanning Salons are now seemingly outnumbered in locations only by fast food venues and convenience stores. There is no question that people enjoy getting their tans in the relaxing and much safer tanning beds of the new millennium. To drive this viewpoint home, scantily clad, full body tanned advertising models can be seen in all the media.

Full body tans are wonderful for those who have the time and expendable resources to go to and enjoy their favorite tanning salon or spa.

Others want to belong and want to look just as beautiful as anyone around them. But, they have to go to work to earn their income. When all the world sees them in their fully clothed working mode, their beautiful ski tan serves them just as well as a covered up full body tan. Their peers are still as jealous and full of envy as if the ski tan were a full bodied tan.

When others ask about their Apen ski tan, they just tell them “Thank You.” And then they explain that Aspen is nestled high in the Elk Mountains branch of the Rockies and for good reason – has long been known as the playpen of the rich and famous. Aspen and its sister town of Snowmass Village service four major ski areas (Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk.) The average snowfall for the area is 200 inches.

Aspen Mountain rises above the town of Aspen, with a top elevation of 11,215 feet; a vertical drop of 3,267 feet; 673 acres of skiable area, with 76 runs and 8 lifts including one cable car line. Aspen Mountain is the premiere ski resort in the Aspen area, catering to advanced skiers with difficult runs. (Terrain:: No beginner trails; intermediate, 48 percent; expert, 52 percent.)

Aspen Highlands has 790 acres of skiable area with a vertical drop of 3,635 feet. There are 131 runs and 5 lifts. (Terrain: beginners, 18 percent; intermediate, 30 percent; expert 52 percent.)

Buttermilk is a small resort in the Aspen-Snowmass resort complex. Buttermilk Ski Resort has 420 acres of skiable area with a vertical drop of 2,030 feet, 41 runs and 7 lifts. Buttermilk caters heavily to snowboarders Buttermilk as the world’s longest terrain park with two full miles of features including a super pipe, more than 30 rails, and a beginner sections.

Also, Buttermilk heavily caters to beginner skiers with slopes that are friendly to newcomers to the sport, and is home to a world-renowned ski school. (Terrain: beginners, 35 percent; intermediate 39 percent; expert 26 percent.)

Snowmass ranks among the top 10 resorts in America in size, and it’s the second-largest in Colorado (after Vail). It covers more than 3,100 acres of skiable area with a vertical drop of 4,406 feet the longest vertical drop in the United States, 84 runs and 20 lifts.

Snowmass also offers Cross-country skiing, the first run of the day tours, naturalist-guided ski/snowboard tours, powder tours and naturalist-guided snowshoe tours.

For those into extreme skiing there is the Grand Traverse beginning in Crested Butte, Colorado.
There one can ski over the mountains to Aspen on a perilous 12-hour journey risking avalanches and total exhaustion.

The Aspen ski area is located about 220 miles West from Denver on Interstate 70 and is among the most popular ski destinations in the entire West becoming celebrity central in winter . The surrounding peaks are some of Colorado’s most breath taking and picturesque.

Christmas in Aspen is especially wonderful! There are plenty of shopping opportunities to pick up that last minute gift Plus there are many retail outlets and Ashcroft Ghost Town, Silver Circle Ice Skating Rink and even Sun Dog Athletics snowshoeing.

While Aspen has much to offer skiers, as well as those who enjoy the night life in a ski town, they should expect lots of crowds and lift lines on the slopes. This is the playpen of the rich and
famous, and many people choose this ski vacation spot simply for that reason as well as for the great runs, nightlife and beautiful ski tans.

With over 100 restaurants and many outdoor decks, one can obtain a beautiful ski tan while enjoying a fine meal outdoors.

The best news of all, you do not even have to go to Aspen to get your Aspen ski tan. For less than the round trip airfare, you may well be able to purchase your own sun lamp and use it as a facial tanner in the comfort, safety and security of your own home to obtain your beautiful ski tan.
And, not for just a weekend – for many years.

Think of your new beautiful Aspen ski tan just like you do your hair coloring, only your beautician needs to know.

Happy Ski Tanning!!!

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Don’t you just love the sound of your skis clicking into your bindings and the squeaky sound of ski wax on Colorado snow? There is something so invigorating about gearing up for a day of skiing or snowboarding. Read tips and information for selecting the perfect ski and snowboard equipment for your Aspen, Colorado vacation.

Many visitors find that ordering Aspen ski and snowboard rentals online in advance saves them a lot of time by not having to wait in line. The following information will also help guide you through selecting the ideal gear for your Aspen, CO vacation.

First, when selecting Aspen ski rental and equipment, you need to sort out what type of terrain you will be skiing, what are the current conditions like and the all important question “What type of skier are you”? These factors will determine a number of things when it comes to fitting your Aspen ski rentals.

As most avid skiers know, today’s equipment is far superior to yesterdays gear. With this advancement in technology, renting the ideal Aspen ski equipment can seem like a daunting task. You will most likely need to get fitted for boots, skis and poles. Some say, a proper fitting ski boot is the most important part of progressing in your skier ability.

Getting fitted for ski boots

Comfort isn’t king when it comes to renting ski boots. To improve your skiing ability and to progress to the next level, it is imperative to rent boots that support every inch of your feet. You want to prevent having what is known as sloppy feet. Sloppy feet happens when there is too much room in your boots which will lesson the amount of control you have on your skis. You obviously don’t want to strangle your feet so you can’t feel them, but you definitely need your boots to be tight. This will maximize your sensitivity to the terrain and increase your control.

Often times, ski rental shops in Aspen will size your poles for you, but if you’re an advanced skier, you might want to be aware of a couple of things. The ideal pole size changes with what type of terrain you prefer to ski. If you’re a big fan of ripping up fresh corduroy then you need to get a standard sized pole. You can measure what size pole you need by turning the ski pole upside down and grabbing directly under the basket. If the pole is correctly fitted, you’re arm should be bent at a 90 degree angle.

On the other hand, if skiing zipper line bumps is your thing, make sure you get smaller poles so you can plant correctly while bashing those bumps. Get the poles to long and planting on the mogul will push your shoulders back which will cause you to either be kicked to the back seat or redirect your skis. Since you want your upper body to be “quiet”, short poles will enable you to simply flick the top of the mogul while skiing through the line.

Skis are the number one question when renting gear for your Aspen, Colorado ski vacation. Common questions include:

1)How long should my skis be?

Length of skis depend on your skier ability. If your standing up, ideal ski lengths for beginner to intermediate skiers tend to fall anywhere between your upper chest and nose. For advanced skiers who tend to seek powder stashes, skis are generally longer to support their body weight while in the deep snow.

2)What’s the difference between powder skis and groomer skis?

Floating in Aspen, Colorado’s deep powder stashes is what a ski vacation is all about. In order to ski powder, it is essential you have skis wide enough to carry you on top of the snow. If you are on narrow racing skis, you will tend to sink too deep. Thiis will turn your powder day into a long leg workout. On the other hand, if you’re into carving flawless turns in Colorado cordoroy, then you need to rent skis that are a little narrower which will hold the line tighter while leaning into your turns.

3)What does parabolic mean?

Parabolic skis have revolutionized the ski industry. They have enabled beginner skiers to advance to intermediate while intermediate skiers have enjoyed tackling advanced terrain. Basically, parabolic skis enable for quick edge to edge turning radius. Simply pivot your knees, put the skis on edge, and they do the rest of the work for you.

4)What’s the difference between a flexible vs. stiff ski

Stiff skis are great for holding an edge on hard packed snow. They also allow a skier to ski faster without the skis from loosing an edge. Flexible skis are great for blasting through the crud and blazing over moguls.

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