Late fall and early winter in Aspen:
October and November are both beautiful and quiet months in the Roaring Fork Valley. In early October the fall colors are at their peak, and as they fade through the month they are replaced by the sparkling frosts and first snows that herald the arriving winter. The scenes of bare aspen trunks, red willows, and scattered patches of white are equally stunning. As you’ll see, there is also no shortage of things to do:
Aspen’s October calendar is packed with cultural events, such as “Brats, Beer and Bluegrass” at the Aspen Art Museum (October 7th, 5:30PM). A full list of scheduled events for October and November can be found at the Aspen Chamber of Commerce website. Throughout October and November the fishing on the Roaring Fork and other local rivers is still going strong thanks to continuing hatches of caddis and olives, and the Rio Grande Trail that runs from Aspen to Glenwood Springs remains open and accessible to walkers and cyclists.
Ajax and Snowmass both open their slopes to skier traffic on the 26th of November, with Ajax hosting the ‘Aspen Winternational’ women’s World Cup alpine events over the following weekend (the schedule of events can be seen here). The who’s who of women’s alpine racing will attend, and the likes of Tina Maze, Lindsey Vaughn, and Mikaela Schiffrin are best watched hurtling across the finish line from around the base of Lift 1A. What better way to spend a Thanksgiving than in the mountains, skiing, with world-class events to attend?
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