What to do in Aspen’s “Off Season”
Little Nell Head Concierge Carol Hooper hears this question a lot this time of year:
“What do you do in Aspen during the ‘off season’ before skiing starts?”
“Yes, there are fewer people and events going on in, but it’s also a really wonderful, quiet time to experience Aspen,” she says. “From hiking through fall colors to dining in Aspen restaurants for less, there’s a lot of benefits to being in town right now. Chances are if you sit at a bar, the person next to you is a local. Town is taking a collective breath, and the pace is downright calming.”
Carol has a few tips for those looking for ideas to spend fall days in Aspen, but if you still need some direction, you can find her at the Concierge Desk of The Little Nell.
The Great Outdoors
If you dress properly, this is a great time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. I recommend heading to the scenic Maroon Bells or up Castle Creek. Both have excellent trails and are perfect for road biking as well. (The Little Nell has bikes for rent and for borrowing.) Cruising (or walking) down the Rio Grande Trail is another favorite spot. It’s always fun to take a ride to the Woody Creek Tavern for margaritas and nachos. A quick hike up Smuggler or Hunter Creek trails are a great way to get outside for just an hour or two.
Also, fly fishing is an excellent fall activity. We’re still booking trips through our Little Nell Adventure Shop, and they can get you outfitted and fishing in no time.
Art
There are nearly 40 art galleries in the Aspen area, so you won’t have to go far to get a dose of art. Many are located right in the heart of downtown Aspen on the Cooper and Hyman pedestrian malls. Truly, just wander the downtown. You won’t go far without finding a gallery to explore.
Be sure to venture down Mill Street and across the river to the Aspen Art Museum. Housed in what was originally the first hydroelectric plant west of the Mississippi, this cutting edge museum now features free rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and lectures by acclaimed artists, curators, museum directors and exhibitors.
I also like to recommend guests take a walk or bike ride through the historic West End neighborhood. The Aspen Institute is home to Andy Goldsworthy’s “Stone River,” a rock wall that undulates across the campus through a reflective pool and through a building to the Roaring Fork River below. Artists’ work is also on display in buildings throughout the stunning campus.
Relax and Pamper Yourself
“Off season” can often mean sale season in Aspen, so it’s a great time to enjoy local and international luxury brand shopping. Some stores have reduced hours, but the majority are open for business and ready to welcome you.
Take the opportunity to enjoy lunch or an afternoon snack outside (Ajax Tavern patio is a favorite). On a warm fall day, there’s nothing better.
This is also a great time to pamper yourself a bit! Indulge in a spa service and relax.
Get a Dose of History
Head over to the Aspen Historical Society for a recap of Aspen’s past. This museum is in a Victorian home at 620 W. Bleeker. Another less-known site that is perfect for a fall walk (and a bit spooky for Halloween) is the Aspen Grove Cemetery. Located on the east edge of town, you must travel east on Cooper Ave., take a left on McSkimming and then a right onto Aspen Grove Rd. There’s little signage, so this is a bit of a secret spot. Shhhh!
There’s also a historic walking tour that focuses on the “Dark Side” of Aspen, perfect for a fall evening.
Of course there’s also events at The Wheeler Opera House and around town… really I could keep going! Fall is one of my favorite times in Aspen, and I hope you get to come and enjoy it at The Little Nell.
Hiking 14-ers: Mt. Massive
Little Nell Lead Adventure Specialist Kane Hudson is continuing his quest to hike all the peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet (known as “14-ers”). He recently hiked Mt. Massive, elevation 14,428 feet, which is the second tallest peak in Colorado.
- Hiking up Mt. Massive
I headed over Independence Pass recently for a try at another 14er – Mt. Massive.
Just south of Leadville, you take Highway 300 west to County Road 11. Follow 11 to the Mt. Massive trailhead, or you can stop at the Mt. Elbert trailhead for a try at the highest summit in Colorado.
We elected for Mt. Massive and got on the trail by 8 a.m. The hike up through the forest is picturesque with lots of opportunity for fall leef peeping. The trail heads north and turns back to the west while climbing over 4,500 feet. It’s a long haul, but the summit allows great views of Mt. Elbert and south to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.
The trip up to the summit and back is 13.3 miles, so it’s a long day and worth getting an early start. One benefit to hiking this mountain in the fall is a smaller chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Plus, you might see one of these guys along the way…
- Mountain Goat on Mt. Massive
Happy Trails,
Kane
Need help planning the perfect adventure? From guided day hikes to overnight horse pack trips, The Little Nell Adventure Center has you covered. Call 970-920-6315 or email adventurespecialist@thelittlenell.com to get started.
Hiking 14ers – The Collegiates
Our intrepid Lead Adventure Specialist, Kane Hudson, recently tackled a few of the Collegiate Peaks in his quest to hike all of the mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado (more commonly referred to as “14ers”). Here are his hiking notes/images from the trail…
Kane at the summit of Mt. Yale with a rubber chicken... because "sometimes you just need to remind yourself to not take things too seriously."
Mount Yale
I headed over to Buena Vista and enjoyed some great fall weather while climbing a couple other 14ers. The first mountain on the list was Mt. Yale. Mt. Yale is in the Collegiate Peak Wilderness and is 12 miles west of Buena Vista along the Cottonwood Pass Road. When I arrived at the Denny Creek Trailhead, the U.S. Forest Service was there with four pack mules and two additional riders headed up the trail to pack out who knows what. It wasn’t an injured hiker, I was assured. I couldn’t get ahead of the mules, so I carefully watched where I put my feet as I headed up the 4 mile, 4,300 ft climb to the summit.
The weather was fantastic, reaching nearly 70 degrees on the lower section of trail. The Denny Creek Trail is very wide, up until you reach the summit trail (well marked), from use of the horses and mules. After getting on to the Denny Gulch summit trail, the width narrows but is easily followed to the south ridge of Mt. Yale where you make your way up large boulders to the summit.
I retraced my way back down and reached the car. Then I headed straight to K’s Dairy Delite in Buena Vista for a double burger and vanilla shake. Even if you aren’t hiking Mt. Yale, a stop at K’s is a must really.
Mt. Princeton
The Collegiate Peaks monikers started in 1869 with Harvard and Yale. In 1877, William Libbey Jr. named Mt. Princeton after being the first to officially summit the mountain. There was a mine called Hortense at 12,000 ft near the summit long before this, so Professor Libbey may not have been first to be on the top of Mt. Princeton… but who is to question an Ivy league professor?
I tried to summit Mt. Princeton after my burger and shake in Buena Vista, but I was turned back by darkness. These shorter autumn days often end quicker than we think or want. I was on the trail, and I thought to be an hour or so from the summit and realized that this trail did not have an established route or any even footing for the last mile of the trail. I thought this situation might be too much for my skill set to be coming down this gauntlet in the dark. The summit route up Mt. Princeton is through a boulder field with many braided trails making their way to the top. Follow the best you can, while trying to stay on a previously traveled path.
I turned around, hiked back to the car, stretched out in the sleeping bag and waited for morning to try another attempt. The weather the next morning was even better than the previous day, and I made the 6 mile round trip in 3.5 hours. If you go to Mt. Princeton, bring a 4 wheel drive vehicle and leave the hiking sticks in the car. You can take a dirt road up to over 12,000 feet, and the hiking includes a lot of hand holds and boulder hopping. This would be a tough hike in wet weather for sure due to all the careful foot placement required along the long boulder field. Make sure you pick a clear day to attempt this 14-er.
Rocks up Mt. Princeton
Have fun out there, and be safe!
Need help organizing a Colorado/Aspen adventure? Contact Kane at The Little Nell Adventure Shop at 970-920-6315 or at adventurespecialist@thelittlenell.com.
Fall Adventures
Fall musings from The Little Nell’s Lead Adventure Specialist, Kane Hudson:
Autumn has officially started, and the weather has been perfect these last few days here in Aspen. If you can make the time for some fall foliage tours, Aspen would be a great hub for your travels. Here are a couple scenes from the valley yesterday:
I’ve been taking advantage of all this nice fall weather and hitting the trails for some amazing biking and hiking. My girlfriend Lynette and I recently decided to put away the hiking poles and grab the mountain bikes to ride the Monarch Crest Trail.
Lynette and I caught a shuttle from Poncha Springs, Colorado, to the top of Monarch Pass (I highly recommend this if you want to avoid shuttling several vehicles). We unloaded the bikes and headed up the single track to ride the Monarch Crest Trail.
The Monarch Crest Trail encompasses an 11 mile section of the Continental Divide Trail and links with sections of the Colorado Trail, Silver Creek Trail and Rainbow Trail. The Monarch Crest Trail climbs over 1,800 ft, but it DROPS over 5,600 ft on the 32 mile return to Poncha Springs. The ride provides over 30 miles of single track, and it’s stunning. I love Colorado this time of year.
Need help organizing a Colorado/Aspen adventure? Contact Kane at The Little Nell Adventure Shop at 970-920-6315 or at adventurespecialist@thelittlenell.com.
Hiking 14ers – Long’s Peak
Lead Adventure Specialist Kane Hudson is on a mission to hike several 14ers this late summer/early fall. He’s going to be sharing his journeys with us here and giving his tips for making it to the top. (Just in case you didn’t already know, a “fourteener” is a mountain peak that exceeds the 14,000-foot barrier. With 54 to its credit, Colorado has the most 14ers in the continental United States.)
I headed north to Rocky Mountain National Park and Long’s Peak.
Long’s is the highest mountain in Northern Colorado and is smack in the middle of mountainous beauty. This time of year in the park is postcard material. Colorado blue skies with white puffy clouds. Peaks dotted with snowfields make the most novice photographer an Ansel Adams.
The hike up Long’s is 15 miles, and the ranger station recommends being off the mountain’s saddle by noon. This adds up to an early start. People were starting the hike at midnight on the day I arrived, according to the trail register. I began my journey at 3:30 am.
Long’s is a great trail and is easily followed with your headlamp, so hiking in the dark isn’t much of a problem. The trail can get over 100 hikers a day, but the efforts the trail crew have put in with stone walkways really keep the impact of the crowds at a minimum. It was almost 6 am when I reached the boulder field. This is a open meadow with thousands of rocks, slabs and boulders dominating the scene. There is camping there with backcountry permits.
Then it was up a ridge, scrambling over boulders to the keyhole route. This is the main route to the summit and demands scrambling and a test of nerves. The keyhole route is exposed with areas that would allow for falls that would cause serious injuries or death.
Up next was the homestretch. This is another scramble up a steep wall to the summit. I did not wear a helmet or rope in for the hike and felt comfortable for the entire route. There are places that get your attention on this hike and should not be taken lightly. The summit is an awesome platform to view the park and allows for big vistas of the entire valley.
It is a cautious trip down, but with attentiveness and concentration, you return safely to the ranger station where you can tell them about your summit of Long’s Peak. It’s a great 14er.
Whoa there big fella!
A few staffers from The Little Nell (including Executive Chef Robert McCormick and Adventure Concierge Kane Hudson) were lucky enough to hit the trails earlier this week on an overnight horse pack trip. This trip, which can be booked through The Little Nell’s Adventure Program, is in a word: amazing.
We started the day a bit apprehensive. None of us had much experience riding a horse, but our guides were reassuring. And the horses were even more assuring. With sure footing and a calm demeanor, these impressive animals led us deep into the backcountry of the Snowmass Wilderness and up to the stunning vistas of Snowmass Lake (without us even having to break a sweat).
It’s roughly 9 miles to the lake from the trailhead, so 18 miles round trip. We visited the lake on Day 1, at our guide Chris’ suggestion. He’s a wise man. For these inexperienced riders (and inexperienced rears) Day 1 was the perfect time to take the extra miles to the lake before circling back to camp for the evening.
Tommy, our camp chef, was there waiting for us with trout he’d caught from the river — which he fried up and served alongside bruschetta, grapes, cheeses, olives, chocolate trail mix and delicious wines. We somehow made extra room in our bulging bellies for ribeye steak, ratatouille, and creamy polenta, followed by lemon poppyseed strawberry shortcake, all prepared (mostly) in advance by chef and his team at The Little Nell.
Telling stories around the dinner table turned into telling stories by the campfire, and before long, eyes drooped. We headed for our sleeping tents (complete with cots, fresh fleece-lined sleeping bags and pillows with little chocolate treats on top). Sleeping with the sound of the rushing river… so far from civilization… we didn’t stir until 9 a.m. when we awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. Huevos rancheros (what else?) was the perfect meal before leaving camp.
Before long, we were in the saddle and riding back to civilization. Kane, being the avid hiker that he is, opted for a trail run, showing us all up as we marveled at his energy. In sum: Great company. Great food. Great scenery. What else can you ask for in the Rocky Mountains?
Thanks to Chef Robert for all the great images. Want to see more of the story? Here’s a short video recap of our journey.
Women’s Pro Stage Race’s Big Finish
The ladies start the Aspen Snowmass Women's Pro Stage Race criterium in downtown Aspen on 8/24
The Aspen Snowmass Women’s Pro Stage Race presented by United Healthcare came to a big finish today with an hour-long race snaking through the downtown core of Aspen. The ladies put on an amazing show with incredibly fast laps, dramatic changes in who was leading the pack and a strong showing from a huge pool of talent. For the criterium stage, Canadian Anne Samplonius of NOW and Novartis for MS took the win, with Kristin Armstrong of Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 taking second and Lauren Hall of Colavita taking third.
Here’s Anne on her big win (and her new baby!)
And speaking of babies, did you know Kristin Armstrong just had a kid too? Kristin was the overall champ from the entire stage race (and the winner of yesterday’s Snowmass Circuit Race). She earned the most points of any rider. (Full race results will be posted at www.aspenwomensprorace.com.)
We are pretty much in awe of what these women can do.
And last but not least, we’d like to recognize Jessica Phillips of Team Ajax Tavern, who not only was a prime organizer of the race but also a racer herself. Here’s what Jessica had to say (post criterium) about putting on a race and giving it your all on the bike:
We are so proud to be a sponsor and hope this event comes back for a second year. Thanks to all the other sponsors, riders, volunteers and spectators for making this inaugural event such a success!
Biking Fever in Aspen
The winners of today's Snowmass Circuit Race, part of the Aspen Snowmass Women's Pro Stage Race Presented by United Healthcare.
We’ve so been enjoying all the biking fever in town this week. The Aspen Snowmass Women’s Pro Stage Race Presented by United Healthcare is running August 22-24. And tomorrow the men come over the mountain for the Queen Stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
Last night, we caught the Maroon Bells Time Trial with the Women’s Pro Stage Race. Colorado rider Kristin McGrath took the top spot in that race. Today, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong was the top rider. See what Kristin had to say about the race.
We can’t wait to see who will win tomorrow’s criterium around downtown Aspen. The race will start at 1:05 p.m. and should be incredible to watch if the earlier rides have been any indication.
For more race details, check out www.aspenwomensprorace.com, or follow the race on Twitter at #aspenwpro.
The Little Nell is proud to be a sponsor of this race!
The Big One – Running the Leadville 100
We’re wishing ultra-runner (and ultra-front desk manager here at The Little Nell) Dylan Bowman oodles of luck as he competes this weekend in the Leadville Trail 100. The race features one hundred miles of extreme Colorado Rockies terrain — from elevations of 9,200 to 12,600 feet. Dylan came in third last year (he started running just 18 months before that) and is a favorite for taking first this year. Win or lose, Dylan — good luck out there. We’re cheering for you!
Dylan at the finish line during last year's Leadville 100.
Leadville is finally upon us. This wonderful occasion has utterly consumed me ever since I successfully crossed the finish line last summer in my first attempt at the 100 mile distance. To say that I am nervous would not do justice to what I’ve been feeling leading up to this historic race. The emotion is much closer to absolute terror. Physically I feel very strong, fit, and rested. Still though, I’ve had an inexplicable bad feeling about this weekend and my ability to perform at a level that would make me competitive.
This is not meant to be a sandbagging comment. I’ve had the exact same feeling leading up to both 100 milers I’ve completed and both turned out much better than I could have ever expected. Those experiences have helped me to grow as an athlete and as a person and have left me as prepared as possible for the effort ahead of me. I have never felt more capable as a runner. I have never felt more comfortable embracing imminent suffering. I have never been more ready to perform.
My brother and I had an email exchange this morning where I relayed my feelings of fear. Wise as always, this was his response:
“Expectation leads to disappointment. just run your race. let the wave of your training and dedication carry you…whether it carries you to the hospital or the finish line has no bearing on your ability to shred and rage life. practice is nothing without non-attachment. the two fuel each other so that the journey can become the destination, so that the fruits of effort are no more important than the effort itself. or something. im looking forward to a good rage. let me know if you need a pacer for like a quarter mile.”
The yoga of ultrarunning put in a beautiful perspective. There is a fire in my belly. All I can do now is rise to the occasion and enjoy every step of the journey. Fire it up.
To read more about Dylan and his running, follow him on his personal blog here. To follow the race and race results, click here.
Stand Up Paddling in Aspen
Being an adventurous crew at The Little Nell, this week we decided to try Aspen’s newest sport: stand up paddling in the river.
This amazing core workout is not only a fun way to burn calories, but it’s also a great way to experience nature in Aspen. For our outing, we took to the calm waters of the North Star Nature Preserve, a beautiful stretch of open space on the east side of Aspen. Aspen Kayak and SUP Academy’s own Charlie MacArthur was our fearless leader. When you are trying out a new sport, it helps to have the guy who pretty much invented it guide you in your endeavor. Charlie is that guy.
Charlie started stand up paddling in Fiji in ’03 on his honeymoon and soon brought a surfboard and paddle to the rapids of Colorado. Now using specialized shorter, thicker and wider boards that he helped design, Charlie is offering instruction in stand up paddling on the river. For beginners like our crew, North Star was the perfect place to start.
We received wetsuits and booties to keep as warm, as well as helmets for the obvious reasons. We opted to skip the fleeces and dry tops, but the gear is available for colder days. We each picked out a board and paddle suited to our height and weight, and suddenly we were off.
“Wait, we’re in the water already? No big hoopla or hours of instruction?”
With stand up paddling, it’s best to just get in there.
Floating on gentle water gives you time to figure out your balance, and you can even stay kneeling on the board if you are more comfortable doing that. After some float time on the river, we ducked off to a pond in the middle of the nature preserve to practice skills like paddling, turning and trying different stances on the board. We eventually began racing each other across the pond, with Charlie there to document our photo finishes.
After our skills session, we returned to the river and finished out our journey in the flowing waters.
We know what you’re wondering. Yes, we all fell in. It’s really inevitable if you are trying something new like this requiring balance and testing yourself with new things. But the pond water was surprisingly warm – the river water predictably cold. That’s why you have wetsuits for this sport in Aspen.
We can’t wait to make it back out on the river and would suggest you get out there during this warm summer weather. If you want to book a stand up paddling adventure through The Little Nell (including a gourmet packed picnic lunch), contact our Adventure Shop at 970-920-6315 or find more information here.
