New Half Pipe, Highlands Bowl Tours, Ski Pass Updates, Oh My!
We now have less than 2 weeks to go before the Aspen Skiing Company fires up their chairs for the 2010 – 2011 season. Reading on Snowforecast.com, I was interested to know that the “La Niña” effect expected for this season is to produce more moisture than normal which will hopefully equate to a higher than average snowfall, fingers crossed! With an average of 300 inches a year it’s not like we really need more but it’s always great!
Weather is looking great for our Thanksgiving Day opening, with 6 further inches of snowfall this week and a drop in temperatures meaning the snow canons are fired up and giving Mother Nature a helping hand.
Some exciting new initiatives this season for Aspen/Snowmass include the ability to link your credit card to your hands free ski pass in order to make purchases at on-mountain restaurants, ski school etc. No longer do you need to worry about losing your wallet or purse in knee deep snow! For the aspiring freestyler this year, new to Snowmass ski area, is a 12 foot progression Half-Pipe in addition to the 18 foot Pipe and the 22 foot X‑Games Half-Pipe on Buttermilk ski area. For those not so interested in the terrain park, but may like to try the ‘Big Mountain’ experience, Aspen Highlands has introduced free tours on the world famous Highlands Bowl. Ski Company ambassadors will be hosting free tours of the backcountry style terrain 11am on Wednesdays. This would be the perfect opportunity to demo Ski Butler’s new rocker style powder skis from Rossignol. If you have found yourself enjoying Aspen’s nightlife a little too much and getting up a little late, no sweat, for the first time this spring one of Aspen’s 4 mountains will remain open until 6pm every subsequent Friday starting March 18!
This season is also going to be one of the longest season’s to date, extending for 3 extra weeks through April 24, Aspen Highlands will remain open, getting the most of that spring slush!
Another recent initiative by the Aspen Skiing Company is their helmet policy. All qualified instructors and students under 12 years old are required to wear helmets. The crew here at Ski Butlers Aspen/Snowmass also choose to wear helmets for the many benefits they provide whilst skiing and snowboarding, not just protection but extra warmth and the elimination of goggle fogging. We have just unwrapped brand new helmets from Smith, available for rent, they are super light, super stylish, and have come a long way from years back. Choosing to wear a helmet really is a no brainer!
Here’s to a fantastic fun filled and safe ski season!
