From luxury mansions on ski slopes to fine dining, the Rocky Mountains have it all
The guide was pretty clear: “Keep both hands on the handlebars. Don’t look around. Don’t take photos.” Yet for journalist Chris Granet, the stunning scenery proved too tempting to ignore.
He explained: “It was all too beautiful and I just had to shoot videos of the magnificent alpine landscape surrounding us while freewheeling down from the Maroon Bells, the twin peaks behind the twin towns of Aspen and Snowmass, their snowy caps still clinging to the last vestiges of winter despite it being late June.”
This stretch of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains is renowned for its skiing and winter pursuits, but during summer it transforms into a haven for adventurers keen to discover terrain no longer buried beneath snow.
Chris journeyed from Denver, and as his aircraft glided over the frost-covered summits, he spotted rows of private jets crowding the runway of Aspen’s compact airport, reports the Express.
He said: “I’d never seen so many. Then again, this is one of the most affluent areas in the US, with up to 125 billionaires owning property. Visitors seem to be mostly rich or ‘aspirational’. Think south of France or Dubai, but with cowboys.”
He lodged at the fashionable W, situated in Aspen’s centre and close to the cable car station, saying: “It was as modern and trendy as the other Ws I’ve visited, yet smaller in scale – less flash, more cosy. After freshening up, I joined my tour group on the rooftop bar where we quaffed cocktails as the sun set with golden rays kissing Mount Aspen.”
Following drinks, the party strolled through Aspen’s verdant streets, a former mining settlement that has transformed beyond recognition from its gritty origins.
The challenging 8,000ft elevation proved testing, leaving Chris somewhat short of breath – though the evening meal justified the discomfort.
He said: “The atmospheric Steakhouse No. 316 was dimly lit with cool Old West chic decor. My fillet steak was cooked to medium-rare perfection and washed down with a spicy margarita.
“Pesky jetlag ended the frivolities, knocking me out by 11pm, then pinging me awake at 3.30am. At least it meant I was first to breakfast. I had elk sausage and eggs – my first taste of the majestic beasts that still roam the region – strong, smoky, and as tasty as they are handsome. Poor elk.”
Their evening restaurant, the moody Steakhouse No. 316, was shrouded in low lighting and decorated with fashionable Wild West styling.
The day’s adventures featured electric cycling through the valley’s stunning marshlands (the motor-assisted pedalling proved a godsend) plus a trip to the fashionable Aspen Art Museum, housing six galleries of modern artwork.
He said: “All the locals we passed or met that day were ridiculously friendly, giving way to us with wide smiles or happy hellos. Despite Aspen being so upmarket, it had none of the haughtiness you might expect in similar British or European resorts.”
Keeping with the Western theme, the group enjoyed a meal at Hotel Jerome, a grand 19th-century establishment that rivals London’s Savoy. Despite its bars and restaurants exuding a subdued Wild West charm, Chris found the seven-course tasting menu “sadly lacking”, though he praised the cocktails as “excellent”.
Post-dinner, the group made their way to the Wheeler Opera House for an Emmylou Harris concert.
Chris admitted: “I’d never heard of her, and the 77-year-old, 14 Grammy-winning folk singer put my ignorance to shame as her mesmeric voice resonated around the handsome Victorian-era hall.”
The next day, after another sleep disrupted by jet lag, Chris and his tour group took a cable car to the summit of Mount Aspen for some open-air yoga. They then descended the mountain for lunch at Ajax Tavern where the signature truffle fries were “fantastic” but the burgers “quite average”.
That evening, the group ventured to Snowmass, a 15-minute journey down the valley, with a pit stop at the rodeo.
Chris revealed: “But this wasn’t just any rodeo, this was the Snowmass Rodeo – with lots of well-Cuban-heeled cowboys and girls sporting Kemo Sabe hats and designer sunglasses. Still, it felt down-to-earth, with perky families and smiles all around.
Events were a mix of children’s sheep-riding (yes, really), bullock lassoing and barrel-racing, culminating in bull-riding.”
The following day after another jet-lagged sleep, Chris and his tour group took a cable car to the summit of Mount Aspen for some open air yoga, then back down the mountain for lunch at Ajax Tavern where the signature truffle fries were “Snowmass Village itself has a different vibe from Aspen.
Here, the resort is built around the skiing – and not vice versa – with a network of trails and pistes fanning up the massive Snowmass Mountain.
Throughout summer, the wooded slopes become a paradise for mountain bikers, featuring more than 50 miles of trails. Whilst we climbed the Elk Camp side of the mountain via gondola, we observed them racing downwards, cutting through pathways.
Chris said: “Fun, but we got our thrills from the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster, a roller coaster in the forest where you speed downhill in toboggans, my bum squeaking as loudly as the brakes.
“From the cable-car terminal, there’s a chairlift up to the summit of Elk Camp. Sadly, it was cold and rainy up there and the views of the Maroon Bells obscured by cloud.”
A speedy pizza stop recharged the party for the journey down into Aspen’s woodland above the settlement.
Snowmass provides a more chilled evening scene than Aspen. Chris relished eating at Aurum, an upmarket Mediterranean/American fusion establishment serving superb steak and cocktails, plus Kenichi, a Japanese restaurant that delivered not only the top meal of Chris’s holiday but also the most outstanding Japanese food he’s ever tasted.
Zane’s and The Tavern are popular watering holes – the first being a casual sports bar, whilst the second buzzes with energetic young revellers outperforming the gravelly old country performer. Chris said: “Our final morning began with that bike ride down from Maroon Bells. The view of the twin peaks towering over the pristine Maroon Lake was a most spectacular sight.
And, mercifully, the ride back to Aspen was downhill all the way. “After such a breath taking trip, in both senses, it was a fitting finale”.