For each of the past three mid-winter breaks, this one included, as soon as I set ski on trail, I am quickly reminded of how much I enjoy skiing. I grew up skiing on the east cost, which is a far cry from skiing out west, but I did it often enough that skiing feels very natural to me. It is the one sport I personally know where the age that you begin defines how you ski later on in life. When you start young, you have no fear. The vertical distance that you fall is negligible. And that early comfort on skis allows you to improve more quickly. To me, starting to ski as a child was a gift, one that I want to give our daughter.
My husband did not start skiing until well into adulthood. He grew up poor, and it wasn’t a very accessible sport for him. He skis for me and our daughter, but he is a nervous skier, and understandably so! At 6’4”, he’s like a giraffe with sticks strapped to his feet sliding down a mountain. The vertical fall distance and non-zero chance of injury is very real.
On this trip, our daughter skied her first, long green trail with us, plus a little bit of blue! Her skill level is not yet as good as my husband’s, but she’s fearless, likes speed, and will soon surpass his abilities. I was a little nervous following her, afraid she would knock into another person or get a little too close to the edge. (Turns out, she can easily turn and slow down on command. She just chooses not to.)
Aspen is a wonderful place to ski
With four mountains in the area (Buttermilk, Snowmass, Aspen, Highlands), I can see how locals look no further to ski — there’s no need. The mountains are rarely crowded (high price, lower demand) and offer a diversity of terrain for beginners ranging up to experts; the ski schools are unparalleled; and there are free and frequent shuttle buses connecting all the resorts and villages.
Buttermilk — the easiest and smallest mountain
Buttermilk is a great beginner’s mountain. This is where I skied the most with my husband and daughter. It’s also where she went to ski school, though Snowmass offers a ski school too (same company, different location).
There’s a variety of green trails along Summit Express and Buttermilk West chairlifts. Homestead Road is pretty much a catwalk that zigzags all the way down if you’re looking for the flattest route. And there are these cute little paths for kids to ski through trees, called out by large cartoon cutouts. One of these days, I’ll take Ava.
If you like leisurely lunches, Home Team BBQ is a fantastic restaurant at the base of the mountain. There aren’t many dining options at Buttermilk, but we do prefer Home Team BBQ over the typical mountain lodge restaurants. .
Snowmass — the biggest mountain
Snowmass is the largest resort and has trails for everyone. I was fortunate to get to ski with a local friend-of-friend who took me to the most powdery parts (20 inches of fresh snow!). We did a lot of tree skiing, which I would not have done on my own (too scared of breaking my body against a tree). This friend is a total badass though — like very successful and pretty, but also nonconformist and proudly missing a tooth. The nice thing about skiing with people better than you is that they push you to be better — trying different terrain, testing your physical limits, perfecting your form. I do think I am a better skier after skiing with her.
There’s a beginner’s area / bunny slope at Elk Camp which sits at the top of the Elk Camp Gondola. It’s a nice place to spend half a day, but it got boring after awhile. Thankfully, that area also has the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster (luge)!
Up to 2 people can sit in a luge. Like a roller coaster, you are brought up on tracks a vertical of 400 ft. And then you ride down 5,800 ft of track — push the lever forward to go fast, pull back to slow down. Let me tell you, it’s hard to go at max speed when you have the option to slow down. Ava was super into it though. We got nauseous after the 3rd time. We asked that they record the selfie videos during the ride, but then forgot to check out our videos later.
There’s also tubing up there, which fell a little flat for me when compared to our experience in Whistler. It’s a short ride, and younger kids who weigh less won’t make it even close to the end.
One tip: the tubing spot is actually located 3/4 of the way up Meadows Lift. If you can, take the Meadows Lift up with your skis on. Then ski part-way down and stay to the right to get to the tubing spot. Otw, it’s a pain in the butt to take the lower Magic Carpet half way up and then walk (and carry kid as we had to) the rest of the way up.
Aspen and Highlands — for the advanced skiiers
There are no green trails on Aspen Mountain. Even the easiest blue is fairly steep with few stopping points to take a breather. I didn’t make it to Aspen Mountain this time — I would have made it a point to in the past, but now that Ava can ski with us, I’m ok with foregoing this solo thrill to spend more time skiing with family.
Sundeck restaurant at the top of the Silver Peak Gondola offers amazing views on a clear day. On our previous trip, we took the gondola up together and had lunch up there. They rode the gondola back, while I skied down.
I haven’t been to Highlands, thought I hear it’s a pretty technical mountain for advanced skiers. Also, if you want to ski the Highland Bowl, you will have to hike across a narrow ridge for 45 minutes until you reach the top. No thank you. You lost me at “hike”. But great for those who can and want to do this!
Where To Stay: Snowmass vs Downtown Aspen
Snowmass Village
Two years ago, we stayed in Snowmass Village at the Viewline Resort which had been renovated the year prior. The location is great. It’s a ski in/ski out hotel on a mountain suitable for all types of skiers. And it’s in Snowmass Village which has so much to offer families.
The hotel used to have this awesome drop-off Kids Club that provided childcare and meals until late hours, but sadly, I just saw a Google Review that mentioned it’s no longer there.
Things to do in Snowmass Village:
Limelight Hotel Lounge - a dual-purpose restaurant lounge and kids entertainment area. The space can get loud, but there’s a kids menu and lots of adult food options. Adjacent, there’s a kids area with puzzles, computers and games. And a free climbing wall (reservations required)!
Outdoor Skating Rink - located in front of Limelight, this skating rink has free skate rentals and these cute seal
Skating with the dolphins after skiing Game Lounge and Selfie Den - we stumbled upon this place while trying to kill 20 minutes before our dinner reservation. A bit random, but entertaining enough for the time we had.
Bowling - we didn’t end up having time to go here, but if you take a day off from skiing, here’s a good backup option
Free S’mores - 3pm every day in the village, but be prepared for a line
Restaurants
Slice of Italy - one of the few restaurants open for lunch at the base. The bologna pizza and surprisingly the mussels were great.
Kenichi Snowmass- better-than-we-expected-compared-with-NYC Japanese
The Stew Pot - comforting stews in a casual spot, easy to get a quick bite après Après-ski.
In hindsight, Snowmass was a hit for us, particularly having a young child.
Downtown Aspen
This trip, we stayed at the St Regis Aspen . It’s a lovely hotel and what you would expect from any St Regis.
We booked this hotel with points, or it would have been priice-y. It’s steps away from the RFTA Rubey Park bus station where you can catch free buses to any of the mountains. (There aren’t a lot of Ubers; aside from having your own car, buses are probably the most convenient.) Since we didn’t ski Aspen Mountain, we took the bus everyday. 15 min to Buttermilk, 30 to Snowmass.
Side note: our daughter discovered this stationery office supply kit in the desk drawer. She brought it to every restaurant we ate at, and she wrote mini books using the mini post-its, mini tape and mini pencil. Good one, St Regis!
Downtown Aspen is bougey. I saw a woman wearing a fur coat, while carrying another fur coat on one arm and holding her Rimowa suitcase and LV duffle.
The shops here include Moncler, Loro Piano, Kemo Sabe — very long line for the lux cowboy hats that many woman were wearing —, and there are plenty of nice and expensive restaurants. Some of the more low-key restaurants are below:
The White House Tavern - unexpectedly well designed and cozy with good friend chicken sandwiches. It can get busy, so you might want to put your name down first.
The Living Room at The Little Nell - very crowded during apres ski, but come a little later and order off the Bar Menu of Element 47.
Mi Chola - Mexican food, easy to get a table. But sadly closing in September 2025 :(.
Why I would be a ski bum CP Burger - we didn’t get to eat here, but it was recommended by our friend who lives in Aspen. There’s also a skating rink right next to it!
Paradise Bakery and Cafe - long lines every night, but they move fast. Get the gelato and chocolate chip cookies (or the chippers — mini cookies — for just a taste).
Sway Thai - very popular and hard to get a rez. I thought it was decent, but my husband was not a fan.
Downtown Aspen Activites
Outdoor Ice Skating - right next to CP Burger
Brunch - a store about brunch-wear that makes you s’mores and doles out shots while you shop. My husband and daughter ended up getting matching Eggo shoes. Loved the branding of this place.
Check out this s’mores spread 
The aforementioned matching slippers Aspen Fire HQ and Museum - this looked cool, and our friend recommended we drop in to check it out. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go.
Giant Piles of Snow - our kid loved scaling the mountains of snow formed by the snow plows after the snowstorm. And then sliding down. We brought waterproof pants and gloves wherever we went for this purpose.
Staying in Downtown Aspen would have been more fun had we all been able to ski Aspen Mountain. Instead, we spent 30-60 minutes each day getting to/from the mountains more suitable to our ski levels. Not terrible, but it didn’t leave a lot of time to just chill out after skiing.
Also, if you’re not into the scene and exuberant display of wealth, I would opt for Snowmass. It didn’t help that we arrived during President’s Day Weekend, when Alesso was performing at the hotel.
Fun Facts About Aspen
Learned a few interesting things while we were there:
Aspen doesn’t salt the roads for environmental reasons. But this means the roads get really slippery.
A dozen eggs costs $33, due to: 1) high cost of transporting goods to Aspen, 2) bird flu and 3) a Colorado law that mandates all eggs sold be from cage-free hens.
There’s a trail in Buttermilk called Klaus’ Way. It’s named after Klaus Obermeyer of the ski outerwear company. He’s 105 and lives in Aspen.
Aspen trees are everywhere, identifiable by their white bark. They grow in clusters, connected by underground roots. They are fire-resistant and don’t burn easily. And their white bark was used by indigenous people for its aspirin-like anti-inflammatory properties.
See ya next time, Aspen!
Jenn & Kim