Skiing/Eating
Ajax I love this mountain because it’s so easy if you’re staying in town! Ajax can start to feel small if you’re more of an expert, but lunch at Bonnies is a must! Get a Bloody Mary or their mulled wine and a slice of their apple strudel.
Highlands is the prettiest mountain. It feels like you’re in whimsical woods. Extra special to go to after a lot of snow because the trees look gorgeous. I love the pizzas at Highlands Alehouse located at the base of the mountain. I also feel nervous mentioning this BUT if you consider yourself an advanced or expert skier and are in good shape hiking the bowl is such an incredible experience. It is SO challenging; you carry your skis/board on your back (make sure to get straps) and you start by hiking up the mountain in thin air at above 10,000 ft. Once you make it to the peak there are EPIC views!
Snowmass is great for a full day and all-level skiing. Big mountain with a ton of lifts, and a lot of different terrain. This is my favorite if you want a full on ski day. Potentially my favorite run of all time is Powerline. Not for beginners, but so fun if you like wide trees!
Cloud 9 It’s hard for me to recommend this because it’s just so over priced and glutinous but with that in mind, it’s really fun! You have to be a decent skier to party here because you have to ski down, but if you like champagne showers, you will be very happy here!!
Biking
I go back and forth between a regular bike and an E-bike. Just remember doing anything at altitude is harder, and for me, biking is majorly affected.
Fun ride with a reward: Rio Grand Trail If you want to get in a good ride with a great midway reward, Rio Grand is your ride. Its a fun ride that you can access right in town and the restaurant at the end is SO fun. Woody Creek Tavern is awesome. Think silly lights, funky booths, Polaroid walls, weird taxidermy, and the best (strongest) margaritas! Its really fun, I would recommend for a lunch even if you don’t bike.
Challenge with a view: Maroon Bells I am not going to lie to you, this is a hard ride. I have to remind myself “just keep peddling” a lot, but the view at the top really is epic. This is where I alternate with an E-bike. Doing this with a boost is so glorious; you get to take in all the views, and get a little challenge without feeling like youre going to die. If you’re in shape and looking for a challenge, this will challenge you. Feeling extra crazy? My dad likes to stack this with another challenging ride Castle Creek.
Hiking
Lower Hunter Creek is accessible from town and the best easy hike. Everyone can do this, fun to bring dogs and no car needed if you’re staying in town.
Cathedral Lake is hard but rewarding. There are some challenging parts and you might want to turn around at points but it’s worth it and going down is much shorter than going up. If you do it in summer you can cold plunge in the lake the top. Pack a beer and a protein bar to celebrate at the top!
Workouts
O2 Aspen is a gorgeous studio with a little view of the mountain. They have reformer Pilates, lightly heated yoga, and sculpt classes—bonus: A cute boutique on the first floor.
Aspen Shakti is such a beautiful yoga studio and all of the teachers are the real deal. It’s warm but not hot, I always leave here feeling so good.
Restaurants
Meat and Cheese This is my top lunch in Aspen. Get the Vietnamese noodle salad and the Banh Mi sandwich.
White House Tavern Get the macho salad, Fried Chicken Sandwich, and a side of fries.
Clarks This is great for lunch or dinner but I prefer lunch. Oysters are great, shoestring fries are a must, and their catch of the day is always great and options to have it prepared a bunch of different ways.
Woody Creek Tavern Do not leave here without trying their margarita. Best after biking the Rio Grand Trail.
CATCH Steak I didn’t want to love this as much as I did. They won me over immediately with one of the best dirty martinis of my life, and the steaks really sealed the deal. I also recommend trying the Blue King Roll and the Waffle fries.
Hickory House BBQ dreams come true! I fucking love this place. The opposite of pretentious, incrdibllllle bbq, and a break from the hoity-toidynes of Aspen. The ribs, beans, Cole slaw, and bbq sauce are my love language.
Duemani I love it here. Its considered coastal Mediterranean and anything seafood here is going to be incredible. The curds are awesome, crab tostadas are delicious, their branzino is amazing, and also somehow have one of the best Tomahawk steaks ive ever gotten. Go here with a group and get the branzino and tomahawk for the table, everyone will be very happy.
Tips
If you go in the summer look up the “Carbondale rodeo” it’s so fun and so legit!
This foot massage place is INCREDIBLE after a ski day and the most affordable thing in town.
I love the consignment shop “The Little Bird,” all the fancy Aspen ladies drop off their clothes here and it’s like a little treasure chest.
If you want the hardest workout of your life you can hike Aspen mountain in the summer, eat at The Sundeck restaurant at the top, and take the gondola down. Your legs will thank you.
Some favorite Ski Brands
Lange boots, Black Pearl skis, SmartWool socks, Erin Snow sets, FP Movement, Goldbergh, Obermeyer, Love Shack Fancy
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