This event was recorded on December 8, 2023, at Explore Booksellers, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
Aspen Journey - Past to Present traces the story of the transformation of a pure and pristine valley into a 21st-century mecca for culture and powder skiing. Dalton sees the story of Aspen is by far the most interesting history of small Colorado towns that began as mining communities and transformed into 20th-century resort destinations.
There were always believers in Aspen's future as a ski destination. The involvement of the men from the 10th Mountain Division had a great influence on the development of the ski industry, both in Aspen and the state of Colorado. Training at Camp Hale, these men often visited Aspen to ski. Many set their sights on Aspen as a place to settle after WWII. A number of these men were responsible for significant businesses that shaped the early days of Aspen as a ski resort.
The discovery of Aspen by Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke as the perfect site for their plan to create a cultural center led to the birth of institutions like the Aspen Music School and the Aspen Institute. They realized that the summer needed the balance of the winter business in order for the town to thrive, and so Walter Paepcke founded the Aspen Skiing Company, taking Friedl Pfeifer, an Austrian skiing champion and member of the 10th Mountain Division, as his partner.
Aspen was up and running, rising to mythic proportions between powder snow, ski racers, and cultural institutions. It emerged as a 20th-century resort town with fast growth and business development, and all of the problems that come from the collision of community values.
The book contains an assortment of graphics, including antique prints, historical photos, old paper memorabilia, and vintage postcards. Susan worked with the Aspen Historical Society to choose the best images out of a great number of photos to illustrate the Aspen story. She also sourced images from private collections, the Denver Library, and today’s photographers. This book about Aspen is intended as a table-top visual history. The text is not tedious and it is meant to be enjoyed casually. Even without reading the text, readers will come away from flipping through the pages and scanning the sidebars with a good idea of Aspen history.