Snowmass
Village lies about 10 miles west of Aspen. It was incorporated in
1967 and has a permanent population of about 1500 residents.We moved
to Snowmass Village in June of 2004. We knew we wanted to be here
in the winter to ski but what we didn't realize was how beautiful
it was in the summer and fall and how much there was to do. We
live in the Woodbridge Condominiums, in a 2 BR, 2nd story unit.
The complex has a pool (heated in the winter) and jacuzzi and a
laundry facility which is right across from our unit. There is a
free shuttle bus which runs every 20 minutes to take us to the grocery
store/post office or the mountain for skiing or hiking.
We
have a great view of the ski area from our living room window. There's
a creek that runs just below us and a short, but pretty trail (the
Mayfly Trail) that runs along side it. There
are numerous hiking and biking trails that crisscross the Snowmass
Ski Area. One of our favorites is the Ditch Trail which leads to
awesome views of the Snowmass Valley and Mt. Daly.
In the summer, the hillsides are covered with wildflowers.
A
chairlift takes passengers and mountain bikes up the mountain for
hiking or biking.Every week, there are free concerts at the base
of the mountain. Everyone brings blankets/chairs and picnics to
listen to the music.
The
trails around Snowmass are even more beautiful in the fall when
the Aspen trees turn to gold.
Besides
trails for mountain biking, there are numerous bike paths in the
area - both paved and dirt. One of our favorites is the Rio Grande
Trail which runs along the Roaring Fork River from Aspen all the
way to Basalt.
Near Aspen along the trail is the John Denver Sanctuary. This is
a beautiful spot overlooking the river.The
words to some of his songs are engraved on the granite boulders
that cover the hillside
.
The
Snowmass Golf Course is one of several in the area. It is very challenging
and offers fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.
Just remember that the town of Snowmass Village lies at 9000 ft
above sea level with the top of the mountain over 11,000 ft. The
good news is that golf balls go further at this altitude. The bad
news is that it takes a while for our bodies to adjust to the thinner
air while doing any kind of exercise.
In
the fall, there is a Balloon Festival. Every morning the colorful
balloons lift off over the golf course. The
town also holds an Extreme Golf Tournament. A course is laid out
on the mountain and golfers tee off in the dirt, trying to place
their ball in the "hole" which is a circle drawn on the
grass further down the hill. Part of the challenge is also to find
your ball in the trees and grass that cover the hillside!
Richmond
Ridge, along the top of Aspen Mountain offers great views of Independence
Pass - a perfect place for a picnic. You can get there via the Gondola
or 4 wheel drive vehicles.
Of course there are plenty of places to go fishing around the Snowmass/Aspen
area. The many Gold Medal rivers like the Roaring Fork and the Crystal
Rivers offer the challenge of fly fishing for Trout. While Ruedi
Reservoir offers a place to launch a boat or fish from shore.
To learn about other activities in the immediate area, see descriptions
for Glenwood Springs, the
Maroon Bells, Independence
Pass and Redstone. See
Aspen and Snowmass in Winter
for information about wintertime activities.
To view more photos from this area click here:
Snowmass/Aspen Photo Gallery
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