Aspen Highlands: How to Ski Highland Bowl
ASPEN HIGHLANDS
Highlands, as it’s known in local shorthand, was established in 1958 by maverick owner Whip Jones, before SkiCo brought it into the fold in 1993. Long, gladed trails plunge off both sides of the mountain’s spine, but the area’s showcase terrain is its namesake bowl, which offers some of Colorado’s steepest runs. But it’s not all double-blacks; approachable intermediate trails wind down the mid- and lower mountain. For green runs, however, you’ll need to look elsewhere (as in Buttermilk). In addition to challenging skiing, Highlands is known for its rowdy closing party in early April, when thousands of costumed revelers gather at the base to toast another season goodbye.
The Bowl, as it’s commonly known, is not just a ski run, it’s an experience. With some 20 above-tree-line runs and an incomparable view of the Maroon Bells from its 12,392-foot summit, you won’t ski anything else like it in Colorado. The approximately 2,000-vertical-foot descent rivals the longest summit-to-base-area route at many ski areas. Here’s what to know before heading up there.
• Slope pitches average in the high 30 degrees, so calling the Bowl steep is an understatement. An unprepared skier sliding headfirst down several hundred feet is unnerving for the slider and spectators alike. Make sure your skills are beyond solid before dropping in.
• The only way to access the Bowl is by hiking an exposed ridgeline for as much as 800 vertical feet from Loge Peak. Most days, a free snowcat shuttle can shave off some of the distance, but even then, expect to hike at least a half hour or more, depending on your fitness and lung capacity (in other words, if you just arrived from sea level, this may not be your optimal first-day route).
• If you don’t have a backpack that can accommodate your gear, purchase a $10 Bowl strap at ski patrol HQ atop Loge and add their number (970-544-3052) to your phone’s contacts should you run into trouble and need to summon a patroller.
• Consider the effects of weather in this high-alpine environment. If you see plumes of snow gusting off the Bowl’s ridge or if visibility is low, pick another time.
• Many people head right for the top, understandably, but don’t feel like you have to follow suit: sometimes the best skiing is in lower runs like Ballroom or Boxcar.
• That said, the north-facing G Zones often hold the best snow for days after a storm.
• Give a moment of thanks to the ski patrollers who vigilantly mitigate avalanche risk in the Bowl, and the volunteer boot-packers who tromp up and down the terrain pre-season, consolidating the snow base to help with avy control.
As on Aspen Mountain, most skiers go high on powder days (the Bowl and Temerity emit hard-to-ignore siren calls). That means lower-mountain runs off the Thunderbowl lift often hold powder late into the day after a storm. Dial in your powder legs on Golden Horn and Thunderbowl, which together make up a long, steep intermediate run. Up the ante on the expert Sepparator or Bob’s Glades and Upper Stein, both approachable double-blacks. If you’re skilled at navigating tight trees and precipitous drops, you’ll be rewarded on adventurous runs like Lower Golden Horn and the P-Chutes—but watch out for roots and rocks lurking under the snow.
For all the talk about Aspen Highland’s quad-burning steeps, the mountain also has some super-fun cruisers. Intermediate runs like Exhibition, Red Onion, and Apple Strudel—all accessed by the Exhibition lift—offer relatively moderate, consistent descents, punctuated with a couple of steeper pitches. Farther up, the Cloud Nine chair serves the groomed blue trails Meadows, Kandahar, and Gunbarrel, all great for fast cruising (and first-run-of-the-day warmups). Of course, Golden Horn and Thunderbowl—the training venue for both local racers and, occasionally, World Cup stars—can’t be beat for high-speed carving.
Every afternoon shortly after 2 p.m., Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, the quaint, Euro-inspired lunch spot located in a former ski patrol HQ, morphs into a raucous dance party, and the Champagne spraying resembles a baseball locker room after a World Series win. Unlike baseball’s bubbly, however, this is pricey Veuve Clicquot, and the bistro allegedly sells more bottles of it annually than any other place in the country. Once the party starts, don’t expect to stay dry; most women strip down to their sports bras and guys go shirtless. Even the DJ is safely encased in a clear booth. (Pro tip: Ask for a plastic bag when you arrive and stash your jacket, helmet, goggles, gloves, and anything else you don’t want to get soaking wet in it.) The revelry wraps around 3:30, along with an announcement for “last song” (just like prom). Then the real entertainment begins: watching everyone try to get down the mountain.
Reaching runs like Hyde Park, Mushroom, and Canopy Cruiser requires a traverse across the top of Temerity. But not just any old traverse. The ski patrol sets a track and asks skiers and boarders to stick to it, so show some respect (and common sense) and stay in the designated lane.
By: Cindy HirshfeldI Aspen Sojourner I December 11, 2024