News from Aspen Snowmass for the 2021-22 Winter Season 

ASPEN SNOWMASS, Colo. – Oct. 26, 2021 – As winter approaches, Aspen Snowmass prepares for its 75th Anniversary season celebrating a legacy of heritage and innovation since 1946. Guests can experience a number of events and activations centered around the 75th, a complete renovation of the Limelight Hotel Aspen, the debut of the new Alpin Room restaurant on Snowmass, a return to a full events schedule, a new line of ASPENX consumer outerwear, and new lift ticket art and on-mountain art installations.  

 The following details what’s new at Aspen Snowmass for the coming winter 2021/22 season.    

Aspen Snowmass Celebrates 75th Anniversary  

Aspen Snowmass celebrates 75 years of skiing and riding this winter. This historic milestone will honor the heritage and history of skiing in Aspen as well as provide a look forward to the future of skiing. The season will highlight how innovation in ski racing, sustainability, athletic achievement, inclusion, art, and other areas have led to future possibilities in each of these areas.   

On Jan. 11, 2022, Aspen Snowmass will celebrate 75 years of skiing on Aspen Mountain with a celebration at the base of Lift 1a, the Shadow Mountain lift. In 1947, the original Lift 1 was the first chairlift to open on Aspen Mountain, and at the time, was the longest chairlift in the world. Aspen Snowmass is partnering with Pop-Up Magazine to co-host three consecutive nights of shows at the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Jan. 9-11, 2022. The event will feature mixed-media storytelling, that will emphasize Aspen Snowmass’s heritage, sustainability and inclusion in a “live magazine” format. Toasting to the 75th anniversary, a specialty Aspen 75 cocktail, a spin-off of the original French 75, will be available for $7.50 in all on-mountain restaurants. The Aspen 75 will also be available in The Little Nell. 

 The Alpin Room Restaurant Debuts on Snowmass  

Originally slated to open last winter, the new Alpin Room restaurant pays homage to the ski culture of the Alps and introduces a menu that draws influence from the great mountain dining traditions of the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps. Shared plates include warm popovers served with butter and jam, the “Tartiflette,” a fondue-like combination of cheese, potatoes, and smokey bacon or the Choucroute Garnie with beer braised bratwurst, crisp pork belly, all beef frankfurter, sauerkraut and Bavarian mustard. Next try the chicken schnitzel with  frisée salad or the Parisian gnocchi with simple tomato sauce, farmer's cheese and savoy spinach. Top off lunch with house-baked desserts such as black forest tart or cinnamon carrot cake. An extensive wine list, beer options and cocktails complement the new menu. Alpin Room will also be open for breakfast and is located in the High Alpine restaurant. As in all of the Aspen Snowmass on-mountain restaurants, Alpin Room provides food choices that are sourced from a local network of sustainable farmers and partners. 

ASPENX Clothing Line and Retail Store  

Aspen Snowmass introduces its first line of custom-built, innovative, premium, outerwear pieces – ASPENX– evolved from the newly designed and produced Aspen Snowmass employee uniforms. Guests and employees can now benefit from outerwear pieces designed and engineered to withstand the demands of mountain professionals who spend every day on the slopes and in the elements. Aspen Snowmass is the first ski resort operator to create custom uniforms for the entire staff. The Ajax Jacket, Pant and Insulator will be available for purchase at the new ASPENX retail space opening in Gondola Plaza, at select Four Mountain Sports stores and online at www.aspenx.com later this winter.  

Limelight Aspen Remodel  

The Little Nell Hotel Group is pleased to announce that its flagship Limelight Hotel, the Limelight Hotel Aspen, has undergone a renovation in advance of the 2021/2022 winter season.  The top-to-bottom renovation will enhance all of the hotel’s public spaces including a new arrival experience with the relocation of the reception desk and surrounding retail space, the addition of a Kids Club area, expanded seating for dining, as well as a relocation of the stage area in the Lounge to better accommodate events, as well as all 126 guestrooms and suites, and their bathrooms.  The renovation design, by Stonehill Taylor, a New York City-based luxury design firm, will inject the iconic, original Limelight property with a new level of vibrancy as well as high-quality furnishings and finishes.  The renovated product will complement the newest Limelight locations: Limelight Ketchum in Ketchum, Idaho, and Limelight Snowmass, in Snowmass, Colo., which opened in 2016 and 2018, respectively.  

2021-22 Winter Season Lift Ticket Art  

Aspen Snowmass announces the works of renowned artist Paola Pivi to be featured on the 2021-22 winter lift tickets and passes.  This marks the 17th consecutive year that Aspen Snowmass’s ArtUP program brings acclaimed artists to Aspen to design a limited-edition lift ticket and an opportunity to connect with local and global communities through workshops, lectures, and on-mountain experiences.  In addition, Pivi will have several installations across the four mountains of Aspen Snowmass.  Pivi’s playful creations feature colorful, urethane sculptures of polar bears covered in feathers in various realistic and human-like positions. Pivi’s work will also be featured on limited collection Aspen Snowmass merchandise including apparel and accessories.  

 Aspen Snowmass to Host 2022 NASTAR National Championships and Offer Free Daily NASTAR Racing All Season Long 

Aspen Snowmass will host the 2022 NASTAR National Championships at Snowmass April 4-9, 2022. NASTAR is a youth feeder program for the U.S. Ski Team, and U.S. Ski Team athletes set the pace for NASTAR.  More than 50,000 racers will compete at 100 resorts across the country to qualify for a spot at the National Championships. Recreational racers compete within their age and ability group to earn a National Championship title and place in the final, Race of Champions. Aspen Snowmass will also offer free NASTAR racing to the public on its courses in both Aspen and Snowmass all season long. 

Sustainability 

Aspen Snowmass has released a report that tells the story of how alongside its partners – Oxbow’s Elk Creek Mine, Holy Cross Energy, and Vessels Carbon Solutions – turned a coal mine in Somerset, Colorado into a clean-energy production facility. It also documents how much electricity has been generated since the project began, how much harmful methane has been destroyed, and how much revenue the project generates annually. By converting waste methane into energy, the Elk Creek Mine produces three megawatts of base load power, which is as much energy as Aspen Snowmass uses annually at all four of its resorts, including hotels and restaurants. The electricity generated and the carbon offsets flow into the utility grid, not to Aspen Snowmass directly, greening the entire regional grid. 

Aspen Snowmass App 

The updated Aspen Snowmass App allows users to access all of the information and functionality of the ticket office all in the palm of their hand. The App helps guests purchase lessons and rentals, gives access to express lift ticket reload, helps sign digital waivers, gives access to App rewards and Passholder Benefits, like friends and family vouchers, gives real-time updates on parking and base line wait times, and provides access to Lesson QR Codes, Rental QR Codes, and Aspen Card QR codes. This all supplies an easy way for guests to have less points of contact while visiting Aspen Snowmass and maximizes a guest's time spent on the hill. The Aspen Snowmass App will serve as the in-resort information hub while offering favorite features from years past including tracking skier days and Bowl laps, snow reports, weather updates, parking lot status, rewards and more.   

United Airlines Adds New Nonstop Flights from Orange County, California; American Adds Austin, Texas  

From December 16 through March 26, United will now offer a new daily, nonstop flight between Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and Aspen. With the latest additions of Orange County, and Austin, which was added this summer, along with Delta’s restored service from Atlanta and Los Angeles, Aspen now has direct air service to and from 10 cities.  

Winter Operating Dates 

Aspen Mountain - Opening: Nov. 25, 2021 - Closing: Apr. 17, 2022 

Aspen Highlands - Opening: Dec. 11, 2021 - Closing: Apr. 10, 2022 

Buttermilk - Opening: Dec. 11, 2021 - Closing: Apr. 3, 2022 

Snowmass - Opening: Nov. 25, 2021 - Closing: Apr. 17, 2022