Aspen Highlands
| Aspen Highlands | |
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Summit of Aspen Highlands and the backside of the Highland Bowl from Buttermilk Mountain
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| Location | Pitkin County, Colorado, United States |
| Nearest city | Aspen, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°10′52″N 106°51′23″W / 39.18111°N 106.85639°W |
| Vertical | 3,638 feet (1,109 m) |
| Top elevation | 11,678 feet (3,559 m) |
| Base elevation | 8,040 feet (2,450 m) |
| Skiable area | 1,010 acres (4.1 km2) |
| Runs | 118 total 18% beginner 30% intermediate 16% advanced 36% expert |
| Longest run | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
| Lift system | 5 total (3 high-speed quad chairs, 2 triple chairs) |
| Terrain parks | 0 |
| Snowfall | 300 in/year (7.62 m/year) |
| Website | http://www.aspensnowmass.com |
Aspen Highlands is a skiing mountain in Aspen, Colorado. It is famous for the Highland Bowl, which provides what some consider some of the most intense skiing in the state. The lift system has recently been redone and provides quick transport around the mountain.
Aspen Highlands was founded and the land developed in 1958 by Aspen legend Whip Jones. In 1993 Jones donated it to his Alma Mater, Harvard University. Harvard sold the resort to Houston, Texas developer Gerald D. Hines for $18.3 million. It later became part of the Aspen Skiing Company.
Aspen Highlands has become most famous for the Highland Bowl and other experts only terrain. However, the Bowl wasn't completely opened until 2002. Most of the mountain's terrain flows off of the narrow ridge extending from Highland Peak.
Rolling wide beginner and intermediate trails through thick lodgepole pine forest constitute most of the mid-to-lower mountain terrain. The very bottom of the mountain is dominated by the Thunderbowl, an expansive steep intermediate run that normally hosts most of the ski competitions on the mountain. The lower mountain also contains challenging expert runs such Lower Stein and P-Chutes. It is served by the Exhibition and Thunderbowl lifts. The Mid-Mountain area is anchored by the 60s era Merry-Go-Round restaurant, with a large, south-facing deck. The Merry-Go-Round also serves as the hub of the major chairlifts on mountain. The Cloud Nine lift serves primarily intermediate and difficult runs on the mid-mountain as well as Scarlett's, a notorious mogul run. The summit of Cloud Nine lift is the location of Cloud Nine Bistro, views of the Maroon Bells.
What attracts most skiers to Highlands is the dramatic, just-above-timberline summit of the mountain. The upper mountain is primarily served by the Loge Peak high speed quad originating at the Merry-Go-Round. The ridge that extends down from Loge Peak (the lift-served summit) has only one intermediate run, Broadway, which follows the ridge spine. On either side, Steeplechase and the No Name Bowl fall away at precipitous angles. Views of the Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak, Hayden Mountain, and the Highland Bowl greet skiers at the summit.
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Wikipedia