Aspen Skiing Company

This winter in Aspen will look a lot less international. Every year, more than 800 seasonal workers come to the Roaring Fork Valley as part of the J-1 visa program. After the Trump administration put a hold on the cultural exchange program in June, local businesses are scrambling to hire enough people for peak season, and hopeful workers are left stuck abroad.

The scheduled start of the Colorado ski season is only about three months away – and with snow falling on the tops of nearby peaks just this week, it’s hard not to wonder what a winter on the slopes is going to look like during a pandemic. 

For a ski rental shop at the base of Aspen Mountain, winter means big business when the resort opens. But right now, it’s pretty hard to say exactly what challenges will come with a mid-pandemic ski season.

Aspen Skiing Company is giving credit to 2019-2020 passholders after this winter’s season was cut short due to COVID-19. Passholders can receive up to $250 in credit for a non-chamber premier pass, but credit value is tiered for different passes, according to a release.

Colorado’s ski resorts are closed by order of the Governor, but some adventurous residents are still “uphilling” by hiking or skinning up the slopes. On Friday, Vail Resorts shut down uphill access at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte. Sunlight Mountain in Glenwood Springs did the same Sunday.

The Valley Health Alliance is a group of six of the largest employers in the Roaring Fork Valley. They've joined together to lower healthcare costs for employees and their dependents -- currently, about 6,000 people.

This Fall, The Aspen Skiing Company's (Skico) proposal to expand skiing into the Pandora area of Aspen Mountain was halted when county commissioners said no to a zoning change for the project. But Aspen Journalism’s Environmental Editor Elizabeth Stewart-Severy says Skico is asking to go back to the planning commission stage to try and keep the project alive.

The Aspen Skiing Company announced a brand-new music festival at Buttermilk last week. "The Apres" will bring three days of performances from Umphrey’s McGee and The String Cheese Incident to town later this spring.  

Aspen Skiing Company expects top-to-bottom skiing when Aspen Mountain opens Saturday.

This is Air Time, extended conversations with interesting people.

Aspen Skiing Company announced Wednesday that it is once again stepping into the political arena with its latest advertising campaign; this season’s marketing focuses on climate change.

After a slow start to last ski season, Aspen Skiing Company wants to continue to develop its snowmaking capacity.

  Each year, the Aspen Chamber Resort Association holds a community breakfast to look back at the winter season and forward to new business and tourism projects.

The Aspen Skiing Company will present its long-term plan for Aspen Mountain to the public Wednesday night.

Aspen Skiing Company canceled the Full Moon Dinner that was scheduled at Buttermilk’s Cliffhouse Restaurant on Tuesday, as safety concerns are growing on area mountains.

Aspen Skiing Company’s Environment Foundation announced yesterday that, in its 20th year, it’s giving out more than $90,000 in grants.

Aspen Skiing Company vice president of sustainability Auden Schendler is getting recognition in the industry for his work on climate awareness.

This week, we look back at the defining news events of 2017.

December is ski season, with or without much natural snow. Aspen Skiing Company has relied on man-made snow to open local ski areas, but this comes with a cost.

This week, service members and veterans will gather in Aspen and Snowmass for Challenge America’s first-ever Military Ski Week.

The lineup for Aspen Skiing Company’s Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series was announced this week.

Aspen Skiing Company's brand-new philanthropic venture, the Caring for Community Fund, awarded $35,000 to 10 local organizations this week. Many of its recipients work throughout the Roaring Fork Valley to provide mental health services.

Aspen Skiing Company plans to open Aspen Mountain and Snowmass for limited skiing on Thanksgiving Day, but there’s not much snow.