Aspen One held its first-ever community town hall Tuesday following several presentations the company gave to local governments in recent months on the state of the ski industry. The gathering also comes after a number of letters to local newspaper editors critiqued company decisions.
SkiCo leaders said they want to take the resort to the “next level” — gradually moving away from the town's counter culture riders and dirt bag skiers of a bygone era. Some attendees were skeptical.
A portion of the conversation focused on longtime Aspen local Ron Morehead. He manages Four Mountain Sports, and for four decades, he wore shorts to work every day — no matter the weather.
But last ski season, Aspen Skiing Company told employees they had to adhere to a stricter dress code, including wearing pants during the winter season.
The community rallied around Morehead, affectionately known as “Stump,” and stickers began appearing around Aspen that read “Stump Got Stumped.”
Morehead was at Tuesday’s town hall and asked about the policy change.
“I've been wearing shorts to work in winter, summer, spring, fall for probably 35 to 40 years,” he said. “I just would like to see if there's any particular reason, because I've always done it in good taste. And my customers, both locals and guests, have enjoyed it.”
Aspen One CEO Dave Tanner said that he respected Stump's individuality, but his more casual attire did not reflect the future of the company.
“This isn't about you, and I think that's the most important thing,” he said. “A group of leaders comes and says, ‘Look, we want to look better. We want to look more professional. We want to take this to the next level.’ That's something I can get behind, and that's what we did.”
Tanner said employees will also get new uniforms this winter, which will be unveiled soon.
Community members also asked about changes to pass prices and on-mountain infrastructure Tuesday.
Aspen Skiing Company got rid of its one-day-a-week pass but announced new discounted rates for Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley teachers. One option — the Premier Pass — increased $95 during this year’s spring sale.
A couple of community members complained that season pass prices continue to increase year over year, drawing some cheers from the crowd.
These rate changes come as skiing demographics are trending older, according to SkiCo executives. One community member asked how the company plans to attract younger skiers to the mountain if pass prices keep increasing.
SkiCo CEO Geoff Buccheister said that they provide other free or discounted programs. Kids under six years old can ski for free. The magic carpet at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola is also free, and the skiing company supports scholarships for Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard athletes.
“There are many ways we discount for students, for kids, for families to create that accessibility,” Buccheister said. “So there are many ways to access our mountains at lower price points, both for locals and for destination guests.”
Another local asked the executives why they removed Aspen Mountain’s Lift 1A this year when they do not have a plan to replace it immediately next season.
Tanner said that Aspen One is in a “four-way dance” with the two development groups on the project and the city of Aspen. For construction at Chalet Alpina to begin, Aspen One had to remove Lift 1A this summer.
“Believe me, we want to get that side of the mountain up and running as fast as humanly possible,” Tanner said. “But we don't control it, and so to pave the way for the construction, the lift needed to come down.”
The skiing company also began building the new Nell Bell chairlift this summer. Operations wrapped up Tuesday of this week.
Buchheister said the new Nell Bell lift was built quickly because it has to be up and running before the 2026/2027 ski season. It is in a heavily skied area on the mountain.
Aspen Mountain and the Snowmass Ski Area will open on Nov. 28. Buttermilk Mountain and Aspen Highlands are slated to open on Dec. 12. The skiing company plans to host more town halls in the future.
