Did you know?

Aspen has been selected as the host for 2017 World Cup Finals. Taking place between March 15^th and 19^th of this coming season, this will be the first return of the event to North America since 1997, and the first time that Aspen plays host to world-cup level men’s alpine racing since 2001. While the World Cup Finals have never been in Aspen before, the first World Cup Championships to be held outside of Europe took place in Aspen way back in 1948.

The author was fortunate enough to watch some of the national teams training in Chile a month ago, and we in the states have a lot to cheer for this season. The American women were there, and boy… do they look strong. Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsay Vaughn continue to push the limits of alpine racing; and despite a ghastly crash Lindsay is looking fit and poised to break more records this season. Laurenne Ross was absolutely dominating the Super G training track. The narrative can change a lot between now and March, but I for one wouldn’t miss this event for the world.

More info from the Aspen Snowmass page: https://www.aspensnowmass.com/while-you-are-here/events/2017-audi-fis-world-cup-finals

As part of the hosting deal the FIS put significant pressure on Aspen Ski Company to upgrade the lift infrastructure on the Lift 1A side of Aspen Mountain. There has been a lot of talk about what exactly that is going to mean, but it looks as if several things are in the works. Ground has been broken on the construction of a block of new townhomes. There is a plan in place to replace the 1975 double chairlift with a new detachable quad, but the starting of that project hinges on the approval of the building of the new Gorsuch Haus, a planned 60-room luxury lodge that is battling for permissions. Exactly what will happen at Lift 1A is still anybody’s guess, but it should breathe new life into the resort by improving access to that under-utilized side of the mountain, and by creating another fun place for a little après!

Now is the time to book for March, so if you want to join us for the 2017 Alpine World Cup Finals please check out the availability on this website, or e-mail [email protected]

Planning your winter trip to Aspen? There are so many things to do. Aspen Ski Company has put together a great resource on the Aspen Snowmass web-page for an overview of winter activities on and off the slopes:

https://www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-stay/winter-activities

We particularly recommend Ullr nights for families with kids, and snow-cat dinners at Cloud 9 for couples are very cool. As always, Aspen Snowmass proves itself not only the best winter destination for skiers & snowboarders, but also for kids, shoppers, gourmands, music lovers, art fans, and more.