Mass appeal

Long-overdue improvements to Snowmass bound to be a treat

Catherine Lutz, Special to the News

Published December 20, 2005 at midnight

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With the approval last winter of a massive new base village, Snowmass (the mountain and the town) has been kick-started into a decade-long transformation, one that is long overdue but was resisted by many locals.

Snowmass doesn't have the prestige of its glamorous neighbor, and doesn't necessarily want it, or the rugged, extreme aura that surrounds Aspen Highlands (even though Snowmass has more double diamond terrain - nearly one-third of its 3,128 acres - than any ski area in the country).

Even though 70 percent of all Aspen/Snowmass visitors ski Snowmass, it always has been the sleeping giant of the four Aspen area mountains - Buttermilk carved out its identity as the home of the Winter X Games - and a lot of locals like it that way.

Its small-town charm and friendliness differentiates it from big corporate resorts. But because Snowmass' future has hung in limbo through a spate of failed base village proposals - and the current one spent nearly four years in the approval process - a wait-and-see attitude has prevented much needed improvements to the village and mountain.

The first chapter in Snowmass' transformation this season is a new six-pack chairlift, which whisks skiers from the Fanny Hill base area to the top of Sam's Knob, one of four high points on the ski area, in 10 minutes.

Another lift, a 2-minute gondola, is set to open for the holidays, although it'll access only a small section of beginner terrain.

The Aspen Skiing Co. is investing the lion's share of $40 million worth mountain improvements within the first few years of base village construction. In all, six new lifts are going in; another handful of existing lifts are being replaced or improved.

The desired result is the mass of a mountain becomes easier to navigate - a common complaint now is that it takes too long to move from one part of the mountain to another.

"The whole thing put together is a coordinated package," Snowmass general manager Doug Mackenzie said. "The whole mountain will be better, transport will be quicker to where we want."

The planned improvements generally are a hit with locals and local businesses.

"(Improving the) mountain is the first step, the first thing that needs to improve," local restaurant owner Robby Pastore said. "Our mountain needs more exposure; then once people see that . . . business will increase as a result."

The six-pack, aside from having more capacity to carry skiers out of the base, cuts in half the ride time to the Big Burn summit and on two lifts instead of three. A midway unload station allows beginners access easy groomed runs on the lower half of the mountain.

"It's a wonderful, quick way to get to the top of the Knob," longtime Snowmass resident Jeff Tippett said. "There may be a few more people skiing there than in the past, but most people go to the Big Burn, anyway."

But there is some concern about congestion, particularly during holidays and busy weekends. Only one major lift out of the base means long lines and a design flaw, discovered at the last minute, means the six-pack cannot operate at full speed until a new lift tower is installed.

Next season, an eight-passenger gondola will be in place to access Elk Camp, the midmountain flats on Snowmass' east side that will be transformed into a recreational and beginners' area. This arrangement will distribute skiers and riders equally to both sides of the mountain and alleviate congestion on Fanny Hill, the ski area's primary egress.

"In the past Fanny Hill was like a pinball game, with people of all abilities coming down," Mackenzie said.

Providing a higher elevation area for beginners also will eliminate the challenging slushfest that was Fanny Hill in March and April.

A few other bumps on the mountain must be smoothed out. There's one fewer on-mountain restaurant; the popular Sam's Knob restaurant was demolished during the summer to make way for a new one, which might be ready by next year.

"It was such a nice cozy place," said longtime Snowmass visitor Franz Fischer of New Jersey.

He and others say it will mean more crowds at the other eateries.

A lot of locals are concerned about parking; two lots were eliminated when the excavation of the base area began during the summer and Snowmass already was notorious for filling its nearby lots quickly during peak times.

But part of one lot is scheduled to be temporarily reinstated, and officials downplay the parking issue, saying it hardly affects visitors, who take a free shuttle from Aspen or stay in slopeside lodging. Snowmass boasts 95 percent ski-in, ski- out accommodations.

"It's growing pains this year, but next year, they'll have it worked out," said local snowboarder Adam Dillard, a six-year Aspen resident. "The time you'll notice it most is Christmas."

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