The best way to get to know Aspen Snowmass and its breathtaking scenery is with a guided mountain experience this winter.
There are many unique ways to do it too. Take a private snowcat tour on Aspen Mountain or start the day with an exclusive ‘first tracks’ morning run with patrollers and instructors.
ACES Snowshoe Tours
Throughout the winter season, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) offers daily guided tours led by knowledgeable guides in both Aspen and Snowmass Village. Departing from the top of the Silver Queen Gondola on Aspen Mountain and from Elk Camp in Snowmass, you can take part in a two-hour guided snowshoe tour. Learn all about the Rocky Mountains’ winter ecology and wildlife. Purchase tickets online or at an Aspen Skiing Company ticket office.
Aspen Mountain Snowcat Powder Tours
Avoid the crowds with a private snowcat powder tour. Perfect for those who want to ski on untouched pockets of powder, you will be taken up the mountain in a snowcat (piste basher) to reach otherwise inaccessible terrain. Fueled by a gourmet lunch amid spectacular mountain views, you will make fresh tracks across Aspen Mountain. Each tour averages 10-12 untouched runs on intermediate to advanced terrain.
Ambassador Tours
If it is your first time visiting any of the four mountains in Aspen Snowmass, there is no better way to get acquainted than with a guided ambassador tour. Primarily serving as an introduction or refresher to the mountain, free orientation tours occur every day on Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Snowmass and Highlands. Ambassadors provide invaluable insights into the resort, information on terrain and provide a fresh cup of coffee to get you going in the morning. On Tuesdays until March, the ambassadors offer a special programme called Over The Hillers, geared towards skiers and snowboarders over 50 who want to ski together for the day and make new friends. Tours are free.
First Tracks
Join the patrollers and instructors of Aspen Snowmass and head up the hill for the ‘first tracks’ of the day. Glide down the mountain on freshly groomed corduroy pistes or wind through the trees on soft fluffy powder. First tracks offer the chance to experience the unspoiled tranquillity of the Elk Mountain range, a great way to start your day in the fresh alpine air. Tours are free on Snowmass, and offered free on Aspen Mountain to those having private lessons or staying at the Limelight or The Little Nell.
Cross Country Ski Tours
Try something new this winter with a guided cross country ski tour. Tailoring tours to all abilities and interests, you can glide your way through the network of trails from a tough workout up to the Aspen High School or an easy cruise with views of Pyramid Peak at the Aspen Cross Country Center. The Aspen Snowmass Nordic Trail System is one of the largest free trail systems in the country connecting the communities of Aspen Snowmass, Snowmass Village and Basalt with more than 60 miles of free cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.
