Site search
sponsored by
| Welcome, Guest |
|
| LOGIN | Become a Member | What's This? |
Please enter the following information:
| Email or Screen Name: | |
| Password: | |
| Remember Me | |
|
Forgot Password?
Didn't receive your verification email? Become a Member |
|
Classifieds
Nov. 27 saw in the turkeys, the stuffing and the season’s first skiers. Although retailers reported a slower opening weekend than last year, the new restaurants had a promising start and spirits were high and hopeful.
Mountain conditions
Ski lifts revved Thursday morning on a rather snow-barren Snowmass mountain. But true to tradition, once the mountain opened up the snow started falling. By Friday morning five inches of powder had covered Snowmass, Saturday saw another four inches and Sunday another two.
Snowmass opened Thanksgiving Day with seven trails, 93 acres of terrain and more than 2,100 feet of vertical. The Village Express ran to the top of Sam’s Knob with skiing and riding down Max Park, Lunchline, Dawdler Bowl, Upper Scooper, Lower Hal’s and Fanny Hill. For the thrill-seekers, a pocket park with six to eight intermediate and advanced hits was set up just below the water plant.
This week, Skico is now offering 97 acres of skiable mountain. They had hoped to open the Big Burn, but high winds Saturday and Sunday scattered snow and kept groomers away. According to Jeff Hanle, director of public relations at the Aspen Skiing Co., Snowcats are currently working up top to get the Big Burn ready as soon as possible.
“It was a good day,” said Hanle of Nov. 27. “There was a perfect number of skiers, the slopes were not overcrowded.” He noted the new activity in Base Village and the overall good vibe that infused opening weekend. “We’re looking for the momentum to continue,” stated Hanle.
Retail reports
Some stores had more optimism to report than others. Aspen Sports experienced a steady flow of business Wednesday and Thursday as visitors flowed into town, but windy weather scared people away for the remainder of the weekend.
Christy Sports’ manager Drew Ingardia had a bleaker view of opening day. “It was dead everywhere,” he said. “It was the slowest Thanksgiving opening ever, and I’ve been in the ski industry for over 10 years.”
Steve Hill, general manager for Four Mountain Sports, also noticed the a slight decline in foot traffic, but assured that this opening weekend was only “slightly lighter than last year, but not by much.”
Instead of anxiously biting their lip and sitting on their hands, the store has taken the entrepreneurial road and brought a new program online: Four Mountain Sports Tech Crew. Members of their staff will be positioned around the mountain, poised to offer on-mountain tune-ups, an industry-first. They will also act as a type of ski fashion police; at the sight of old gear and a missing helmet, Four Mountain staffers will hand out 20 percent discount cards from their store.
“We are being pro-active,” said Hill. “This is not a hard sell, this is a helping service. First and foremost it is a guest-experience enhancement. We know it’s going to be tough all winter, but we’re ploughing forward.”
New restaurants
Sneaky’s Tavern, serving stews, salads and bistro-style comfort foods, got the party started Thanksgiving day. The smell of paint is still fresh, but the aromas wafting from the kitchens over the weekend must have been stronger; General Manager Frank Fasanella reported with a smile that there was a 30 minutes to an hour wait every day. Dinner was slower, but the bar was hopping throughout the night.
“We were a bit skeptical, but the turnout shows that people are still coming. The guests’ reactions were warm and welcoming,” said Fasanella.
The Sweet Life also saw a great turnout, with a long line of chilly skiers eager for hot chocolate and lattes. The lower level of the candy shop, which churns out hot drinks, ice-cream and other sweet treats, opened on Friday. The upper level, where hungry skiers and snowboarders can get s’mores, hot dogs, fries, hot sandwiches and more, officially opened on Sunday. In celebration, they offered free lunch to the 80 people who dropped by.
For the full-length article, pick up a copy of the Snowmass Sun this Wednesday.
Mountain conditions
Ski lifts revved Thursday morning on a rather snow-barren Snowmass mountain. But true to tradition, once the mountain opened up the snow started falling. By Friday morning five inches of powder had covered Snowmass, Saturday saw another four inches and Sunday another two.
Snowmass opened Thanksgiving Day with seven trails, 93 acres of terrain and more than 2,100 feet of vertical. The Village Express ran to the top of Sam’s Knob with skiing and riding down Max Park, Lunchline, Dawdler Bowl, Upper Scooper, Lower Hal’s and Fanny Hill. For the thrill-seekers, a pocket park with six to eight intermediate and advanced hits was set up just below the water plant.
This week, Skico is now offering 97 acres of skiable mountain. They had hoped to open the Big Burn, but high winds Saturday and Sunday scattered snow and kept groomers away. According to Jeff Hanle, director of public relations at the Aspen Skiing Co., Snowcats are currently working up top to get the Big Burn ready as soon as possible.
“It was a good day,” said Hanle of Nov. 27. “There was a perfect number of skiers, the slopes were not overcrowded.” He noted the new activity in Base Village and the overall good vibe that infused opening weekend. “We’re looking for the momentum to continue,” stated Hanle.
Retail reports
Some stores had more optimism to report than others. Aspen Sports experienced a steady flow of business Wednesday and Thursday as visitors flowed into town, but windy weather scared people away for the remainder of the weekend.
Christy Sports’ manager Drew Ingardia had a bleaker view of opening day. “It was dead everywhere,” he said. “It was the slowest Thanksgiving opening ever, and I’ve been in the ski industry for over 10 years.”
Steve Hill, general manager for Four Mountain Sports, also noticed the a slight decline in foot traffic, but assured that this opening weekend was only “slightly lighter than last year, but not by much.”
Instead of anxiously biting their lip and sitting on their hands, the store has taken the entrepreneurial road and brought a new program online: Four Mountain Sports Tech Crew. Members of their staff will be positioned around the mountain, poised to offer on-mountain tune-ups, an industry-first. They will also act as a type of ski fashion police; at the sight of old gear and a missing helmet, Four Mountain staffers will hand out 20 percent discount cards from their store.
“We are being pro-active,” said Hill. “This is not a hard sell, this is a helping service. First and foremost it is a guest-experience enhancement. We know it’s going to be tough all winter, but we’re ploughing forward.”
New restaurants
Sneaky’s Tavern, serving stews, salads and bistro-style comfort foods, got the party started Thanksgiving day. The smell of paint is still fresh, but the aromas wafting from the kitchens over the weekend must have been stronger; General Manager Frank Fasanella reported with a smile that there was a 30 minutes to an hour wait every day. Dinner was slower, but the bar was hopping throughout the night.
“We were a bit skeptical, but the turnout shows that people are still coming. The guests’ reactions were warm and welcoming,” said Fasanella.
The Sweet Life also saw a great turnout, with a long line of chilly skiers eager for hot chocolate and lattes. The lower level of the candy shop, which churns out hot drinks, ice-cream and other sweet treats, opened on Friday. The upper level, where hungry skiers and snowboarders can get s’mores, hot dogs, fries, hot sandwiches and more, officially opened on Sunday. In celebration, they offered free lunch to the 80 people who dropped by.
For the full-length article, pick up a copy of the Snowmass Sun this Wednesday.
GET MORE NEWS
