Resort Profile: Aspen Mountain (Ajax)
Aspen Mountain is best known for its great location in the heart of Aspen; you can literally board down for lunch and shopping. Aspen Mountain, also called “Ajax,” is the flagship mountain of the larger Aspen/Snowmass resort complex, offering excellent intermediate to expert terrain that includes steep and bump runs for the adventurous snowboarder, such as the Elevator Shaft section of the Silver Queen run, with a slope angle of 42 degrees.
The host of trails at Aspen Mountain range on the more challenging side, with 0% ranked as easy, 48% at difficult, 26% as most difficult, and 26% at the expert level. This may account for its at times uncrowded nature, with an average of 3 people per acre at any given time. This area is also privy to an extended season, opening in late November (conditions permitting) and hosting final runs in mid April. Insider sources cite the best kept secret as the groomed, intermediate cruising runs underneath Ruthie’s and Ajax Express lifts, locally referred to as the “shrines” atop the Mountain.
As the fame of Aspen Colorado with its beautiful scenery and fascinating ski popularity grows, more and more visitors are finding their way into the valley. The mild summers add river rafting and horseback riding to the allure of hunting and fishing in the Aspen Valley. The four major ski areas that rise up from the valley in downtown Aspen have made it world famous for excellence in winter sports.
Location: Aspen, Colorado
Trails: 76
Lifts: 8 (1 gondola, 2 high-speed detachable, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 doubles)
Uphill Capacity: 10,755/hr
Acres: 673
Snowmaking Coverage:
31% (210 acres)
Summit Elevation: 11,212 ft. / 3,417 m
Base Elevation: 7,945 ft. / 2422 m
Vertical Drop: 3,267 ft. / 996 m
Longest Trail: 3 mi / 4.83 km
Terrain Parks: 0
Halfpipe(s): 0
Average Snowfall: 300 inches / 762 cm annually
Night Skiing: No