Industry News
For the first time in its history, Aspen Mountain, CO (Ajax) will have top-to-bottom snowmaking capabilities.
Aspen Mountain originally installed its snowmaking system in 1981 after some low snow years, especially the winter of 1976-77. The snowmaking system covered 172 acres of terrain on the lower two thirds of the mountain, but the missing link has finally been completed.
Over the summer, 20 acres of snowmaking infrastructure was added to the Silver Bell Trail. Along with Silver Bell, Aspen will be able to move snowmaking fan guns over to Upper Copper Trail, providing expanded terrain capabilities and flexibility. Previously, the snowmaking infrastructure ended at 10,600 feet on the Deer Park Trail, but with the recent 20-acre addition, snow can be made top-to-bottom.
With the addition of the new snowmaking infrastructure, Aspen Mountain will be able to open terrain earlier, with increased confidence.
Along with the 20-acre snowmaking addition, crews were hard at work building out additional infrastructure on the mountain. A 3-million-gallon snowmaking pond has been built at the base of the Gent’s Ridge chairlift, providing easier access for the new snowmaking infrastructure on Silver Bell.
Thinking ahead, Aspen has approval for 53 additional acres of snowmaking infrastructure. The next area they plan on focusing on is the Dipsy Doodle trail, another upper third section of the mountain that will connect where Silver Bell and Deer Park intersect. However, the exact timing on when this next phase of snowmaking infrastructure will be built is still up in the air.
Snowmaking has begun at Aspen for the winter 20/21 season, and fresh snow is in the forecast. Aspen is scheduled to open for the season November 26, 2020.
