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Aspen's four mountains are run by the Aspen
Ski Co (tel 970/925-1220 or 1-800/525-6200,
); call 1/888-ASPENSNO for conditions. The
mogul-packed monster of Aspen Mountain ,
looming over downtown, is for experienced
skiers only; Buttermilk is great for beginners,
with an excellent ski school that offers
a three-day guaranteed "Learn to Snowboard"
program; the wide-open runs of Snowmass ,
though mostly for intermediate skiers, feature
some testing routes. Aspen Highlands has
some new high-speed lifts and offers excellent
extreme skiing terrain.
Daily lift tickets for all mountains cost
$45 (up to 27 years) or $65 (27 years and
older). Rental of skis, boots and poles usually
costs around $18 a day - you can also rent
snowshoes in which to trek up and down the
mountains. However, the town's best value
has to be its fifty miles of groomed Nordic
ski trails - one of the most extensive free
cross-country trail networks in the US.
Cycling is the main summer pursuit; The Hub,
315 E Hyman Ave (tel 970/925-7970), has a
wide range of bikes, while Timberline, 204
S Galena St (tel 970/925-9237), is the cheapest
for mountain bikes, and also organizes tours.
The Roaring Fork River , surging out of the
Sawatch range, is excellent for kayaking
and rafting, but sections can be dangerous
and every summer sees a few fatalities. Blazing
Paddles ($55 for a half-day float trip; tel
970/925-5651) is not the lowest-priced company,
but it does have a good safety record.
If you fancy walking in the mountains, the
Silver Queen gondola climbs from 601 Dean
St to the summit of Ajax (daily 10am-4pm;
$18), where guided nature walks set off on
the hour from 11am to 3pm. Occasional free
lunchtime concerts and talks are held up
here, and there's a good restaurant. Even
more alluring is the landscape around the
twin purple-gray peaks of the Maroon Bells
, fifteen miles southwest, soaring above
the dark-blue Maroon Lake. The road is closed
between 8.30am and 5pm, except for overnight
campers with permits, travelers with disabilities
and RFTA buses, which leave daily from the
Rubey Park transit center (every 30min 9am-4.30pm;
$5 round-trip, or $19 combination ticket
with gondola ride). Details on hiking are
available from the ranger station