Colorado

The Best Place to Live, Work, and Play

Aspen: A World Class Life Style

Rejuvenation is what Aspen is all about. Crystal clear sunny skies and a natural environment will inspire you; the joy of living life in Colorado to the fullest. Aspen invites you to explore all aspects of nature -- from a peaceful hike through a field of wild flowers to a electrifying repel down a face of granite, from a serene spin in a baloon to a breathtaking tandom descent in a paraglider, from a mellow mountain bike ride down a mountain road to an awesome jeep trip over a 12,000 ft. pass, from the exhilerating adrenalin rush of white water rafting or a world class ski run to the meditative oneness of a breath taking sunset.

Ski season is scheduled to begin on Thanksgiving or earlier "weather permitting." You can also join in on the Aspen FilmFest and share your thoughts on the films and read the reviews of others. The Red Brick Arts Center features a stunning exhibition of Aspen's world famous photographers. Aspen abounds with the magnificence of human achievements in music, art, dance, science and the humanities.

Archaeologists recently discovered that ancient people made their homes in the mountains near Aspen, Colorado 8,000 years ago. Ute Indian tradition says that these "Shining Mountains"' have always been their homeland. First silver, and later near-perfect snow conditions enticed more recent settlers to the Roaring Fork Valley.

When prospectors crossed the Continental Divide into the Ute's summer hunting territory they discovered one of the richest silver lodes the world has ever known. They named their camp Ute City, but by spring the name had been changed to Aspen. Aspen had the winning combination of rich silver ores, two competing railroads, and ample investment from wealthy Victorian capitalists. Aspen quickly became an urban, industrialized community with impressive architecture.

By 1890 the production of Aspen's silver fields made it the nation's largest single producer. By 1893 Aspen's 12,000 residents had six newspapers, four schools, three banks, electric lights, a modern hospital, two theaters, an opera house, and a very small brothel district. Aspen's fortunes fell with the U.S. government's return to the gold standard in 1893. Ironically, one of the largest nuggets of native silver ever found was mined in 1894 in Aspen, weighing in at almost 2,200 pounds. With minimal commercial silver markets, Aspen survived as a rural county seat and ranching center as mining declined.

Just 700 people called Aspen home in 1935, when international outdoorsmen came to the Roaring Fork Valley in search of the ideal location for a ski resort. They hired the famous Swiss avalanche expert Andre Roch to develop a ski area, but had to cancel their plans with the outbreak of World War II. Meanwhile, Andre Roch and the enthusiastic Aspen Ski Club cut a race course on Aspen Mountain, served by a "boat tow"--two massive sleds pulled up the hill by an old mine hoist and a gas motor.


In 1947 Aspen Mountain opened with the world's longest ski lift. In 1949, the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation was held in Aspen, celebrating the great humanist's 200th birthday with international leaders, artists, and musicians. Aspen's role as a cultural center was assured by the music, art, dance, theater, and international studies programs which developed from the Convocation. The very next year, Aspen became the first ski resort in America to host an international competition, precursor of today's World Cup races.

Three more mountains--Buttermilk (1958), Aspen Highlands (1958), and Snowmass (1968)--added to Aspen's reputation as a premiere international resort, and Aspen flourished in summertime with the combination of climate, recreation, history, and culture. The unanticipated growth of an appealing community based on world-class skiing and culture spurred a divided local population to turn to zoning and later to adopt growth control measures.