Industry News
Operating Dates also Announced, with Aspen Mountain and Snowmass Opening November 23, 2023
The winter season in Aspen Snowmass approaches in fewer than 70 days, with Opening Day scheduled for Thursday, November 23. With the unveiling of a major new terrain expansion on Aspen Mountain, and the return of World Cup ski racing to our slopes, Aspen Snowmass anticipates the coming winter season with big things on the horizon. The following details what’s new and noteworthy at Aspen Snowmass for the coming 2023-24 winter season.
Aspen Mountain Terrain Expansion: Hero’s
This winter, Aspen Snowmass will unveil a new high-speed quad chairlift and terrain expansion on Aspen Mountain, increasing skiable acreage by more than 20% on the resort’s flagship mountain. With 1,220 vertical feet and more than 150 acres of new chutes, glades and trails, this expansion will be Aspen Mountain’s first significant addition since the opening of the Silver Queen Gondola in 1985. The new terrain and lift will be called Hero’s, to honor all those who have made an impact on Aspen Mountain and helped bring this project to life– most impactfully Jim Crown, whose vision and leadership helped bring this ambitious expansion to reality.
- Related: Aspen Mountain, CO, Rebrands Pandora Terrain Expansion as ‘Hero’s’ in Tribute to Community Figures
Not only does the addition diversify Aspen Mountain’s terrain mix and offer more skiing on the upper portion of the mountain, but it also acts as a functional hedge against future climate-challenged ski seasons: with its north-facing, high elevation terrain (all above 10,000 ft.) This area is ideal for holding snow in seasons when natural snowfall is less plentiful. The terrain and lift will open this winter when conditions allow.
2024 Stifel Aspen Winternational
For the culmination of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup circuit in the U.S., Aspen Snowmass will host men’s tech races for the 2024 Stifel Aspen Winternational on March 1-3, 2024. International racers will compete in slalom and giant slalom on Aspen Mountain, and Aspen Snowmass will host spectating, ceremonies and events surrounding the races as part of the Winternational celebration. Aspen Snowmass has hosted more than 100 World Cup races for both men and women over the years, including the World Cup Finals in 2017 and the Stifel America’s Downhill™ downhill and super-G races last season. The Winternational event has been a cornerstone of Aspen World Cup ski racing since 1981, and this season’s event will mark the return of the wintertime festival tradition.
ArtUP Partnership Announced: Claudia Comte
Aspen Snowmass announces the works of renowned artist Claudia Comte to be featured on the 2023-24 winter lift tickets and passes. This season marks the 19th consecutive year of Aspen Snowmass’s Art in Unexpected Places (ArtUP) program, which brings acclaimed artists to Aspen to design a limited-edition lift ticket and an opportunity to connect with Aspen’s local and global communities. Five of Comte’s recent works will be displayed on this season’s lift tickets.
Alpin Room Welcomes New Chef, Menu and Vibe
Snowmass’ Alpin Room welcomes Chef Emily Oyer, former Executive Sous Chef at Cloud Nine, to take the helm and reimagine the restaurant’s menu and personality. Chef Oyer is a Food Network-featured chef who won Chopped in 2021 and competed on Beat Bobby Flay in 2022. Chef Oyer views food as a means for connection, and aims to bring a new warmth, energy and community to the ski-in-ski-out fine dining restaurant.
Tucked away in the heart of Snowmass, the Alpin Room opened in winter 2021 and offers a thoughtful, handcrafted reimagination of Alsatian home cooking at high elevation. Chef Emily Oyer’s fresh take on the Alps-inspired cuisine will feature approachable comfort food with an elevated twist, and a focus on locally-sourced ingredients.
25th Anniversary of Sustainability Report
This year will mark the 25th anniversary of Aspen Skiing Company’s Sustainability Report, which has tracked the resort’s environmental progress as well as climate policy action since 1999. “Over the years, our work changed focus from how we were doing operationally, to how we were influencing bigger changes in the world, particularly on climate change,” said Auden Schendler, Aspen Skiing Company SVP of Sustainability. “This year’s report pushes that thinking further, both visually and intellectually.” The report, which aims to be a resource not only for company employees and resort guests but also the ski and outdoor industry as a whole, is scheduled to be released early this winter.
Tiny Homes Employee Housing Project Expands
As local housing for employees continues to be a major issue in many ski towns, Aspen Skiing Company is expanding its employee housing portfolio for this winter season by adding a new generation of innovative tiny homes to its campus at the Aspen Basalt Campground. These custom-designed 2-bedroom units are highly energy and space efficient, featuring all-electric utility service as well as integrating built-in storage and creative touches throughout to allow for high livability and privacy in a very small footprint. A total of 52 bedrooms across 26 new units will be added to the existing tiny home campus, which will now house a total of 172 beds and 68 tiny homes for Aspen Skiing Company employees.
The company is also expanding its new Tenants for Turns program, which helps to provide additional housing options to employees by incentivizing local residents with an extra bedroom or unit to rent to employees by providing landlords a ski pass or lift tickets.
Stay In the Know
New for the 2023-2024 winter season, push notifications will be available through the Aspen Snowmass app. Enable push notifications at the start of the season for morning powder alerts, important mountain updates, and information about special on-mountain happenings. Enable tracking for the best experience and to enjoy enhanced skier and rider daily and season-long stats including vertical feet, Highland Bowl laps, mileage, top trails, lifts taken, and more.
Winter Operating Dates
Aspen Mountain
- Opening: Nov. 23, 2023
- Closing: April 21, 2024
Aspen Highlands
- Opening: Dec 9, 2023
- Closing: April 7, 2024
Buttermilk
- Opening: Dec 9, 2023
- Closing: March 31, 2024
Snowmass
- Opening: Nov 23, 2023
- Closing: April 14, 2024
