2009 Summit for Life
The 4th Annual Summit for Life took place in Aspen, Colorado last night.
Olympic Athlete Chris Klug and his foundation, The Chris Klug Foundation hosted it. In most places a 2 1/2 mile hike, at night, in December---with a 3,267 ft vertical rise would be considered crazy. In Aspen --- it's "a decent work-out".
AspenSpin.com has covered all four previous Summit for Life events. We support CKF's mission of raising awareness for Organ and Tissue donation. This year over 350 people hiked Aspen Mountain during Summit for Life. AspenSpin.com has helped CKF raise over $10,000 via our on-line affliation with Charity Buzz. You can register for organ donation yourself and/or donate to the cause by clicking CHRIS KLUG FOUNDATION.
You can see our BEST PIX by clicking DONER DUDES.
Aspen Highlands Opening Day
Aspen Highlands; We love it!!
AH is known as the "locals mountain". Whether you're a granola chomping, up-hill hiking-free healer held together by duct tape or a Kjus wearing, Range Rover driving master of the universe, paying $13 to park---u gotta luv Aspen Highlands. You can hike the bowl or ski the groomers---or ---do both, its your choice. You can carry your own PB & J or fine dine at Cloud Nine, you decide. Aspen Highlands has it all.
The crowd was surprisingly light on opening day, but the amount of terrain open for skiing is impressive. HIGHLAND BOWL--OPEN. OLYMPIC BOWL --OPEN. 750 acres of skiable freshness. More POW on the way. Aspen Highlands "kills it".
Aspen Social Register
The Aspen social scene is already in full swing. Ski season 2009/10 is just getting started but our party docket is packed tight. AspenSpin has been skiing every day and partying every night---- it's a tough job---but somebody's gotta do it.
Wednesday we caught the rope drop on the FACE of BELL. It was a free-for-all on the cat-track as the first-time FRESHIES were made available to those brave enough to confront the sub-zero temps on Ajax. 3 laps in the previously untouched virgin snow was good for the head. Today (Thursday) we are fired up for the POWDER POSSE at Aspen Highlands. Hard-core riders can get the jump on the deep POW at AH-- just by showing up at 8.30 a.m. You don't even need a ski pass----- but come prepared to earn your turns as the ski patrol dictates the action. The POWDER POSSE along with the boot-packers crew will help get Aspen Highlands Bowl prepared for opening day.
Sandwiched in between POWDER DAYS, The Aspen Chamber Resort Association held their annual Holiday Party at the Limelight Lodge. On the same night AYPA (Aspen Young Professionals Association) hosted their Holiday Party. The POW Days, the parties---its starting to feel a lot like festivus.
Book it.
Let's do this. The 2009/10 ski season is under way. We got our first POWDER DAY of the seaz, , yeah...sure it counts. We're hoping for the Lionel Richie snow----ALL NIGHT LONG.
Tonight we attended the annual Cookie Swap / Aspen Authors night at the Aspen Historical Society. Two very interesting additions to the local author line-up are David C. Woods and Candy Bridgman.
David's SANCTUARIES in the SNOW covers all the Shrines in Aspen/Snowmass. Mr. Wood did pain-staking research about all the shrines. Wood does not give accurate directions to the shrines (you need to find them yourself) but he's got his facts right. All proceeds go to charity.
Candy's Book ASPEN's ROCKY BEAR is a children's book with practical info. about Aspen's local bear population. The story is fascinating and the photos are awesome.
Buy the books, click here. SHRINES ROCKY BEAR