Do’s and Don’ts I learned in Aspen

I just got back from a rad as ever trip to Aspen. It was my first time out there, but Aspen quickly taught me a few lessons I won’t soon be forgetting. This is what I now know what will work and what I should avoid for my next trip out there:

Do invite local friends living in the area to come hang with you on your vacation. My local pal was able to take me hiking to just the right areas to uncover some outstanding stashes of completely untouched powder. It’s good to hang with someone who knows their way around the mountain and, after the lifts shut down,  someone who knows the best place to grab a refreshing beverage and kick back. (Quick shout out to Hamer, what up!)

Don’t call last run on a windy day when you plan to hike the Hanging Valley Wall at Snowmass. It’s a well known fact in the snow industry that you NEVER call last run. An epic day should always be ended with either the lifts shutting down, the cops showing up, or with you and your buddies standing at the bottom of the mountain looking back up in conversation that includes phrases like “stomped it”, “gnarliest moment of my life” or  “ooowww!” But Hamer and I made the mistake of saying we would head up just one last time, which then resulted in the craziest whiteout I’ve ever been in when we got up top.

Do hike the Highland bowl. We had every intention of doing this, but Highland closed before we got over there. After words every local we talked to advised that that was the one thing we should have rode on our trip to Aspen. Next time…

Don’t miss the Highland end of the season party. There was a monster bash themed “Gaper Day” happening all day at Highland to celebrate its last day open. Out in Aspen that night people regaled stories of the day to us all night still dressed in their best gaper outfits, and the stories continued with every person we met for the rest of our trip. I might even consider making my travel plans around being out there for the Highland party next year.

Do meet a lifty that will bring you out to ride on the last employee day of Buttermilk. The best day of riding I had on this trip was the day I got to ride for free with the employees at Buttermilk. They had one chairlift running and we just hit the park all day with a giant crew of outstanding riders. It was unreal and inspiring to be riding with a crew like that. I could have been content just sitting back and watching what these guys were throwing down on their last day when they had the park all to themselves. That, plus free food and drinks after words.

Don’t tell everyone you meet on the bus you’re a stripper. (That’s an inside joke for Allie. If you know her be sure to ask her about it, if not, it’s about as funny as it sounds… Sorry Allie)

Allie livin up the pow

And at the end of it all Do hot tub the crap out of those sore, tired muscles. I was sure to ride till my body was jelly. We don’t get powder or parks like that back home so I had no choice but to make the most out of it while it was there. All the mountains at Aspen have some pretty intense features and are sure to offer everybody something they haven’t done before. I definitely hit some stuff that was above my head and scared the crap out of me a little, but looking back on it that’s what makes it all so great, even if my landings weren’t.