Aspen Highlands

If you want to sidestep the hoity-toity of Aspen, but not the expert skiing, Aspen Highlands is for you. Over 50% of Aspen Highlands runs are advanced or expert.

When I visit Aspen, I stay in Woody Creek versus Aspen proper. It’s more of a hippy town. People like Hunter H Thompson, Ed Bradley, and Don Henley have called this area home. Aspen Highland has that same feel. It’s a kind of locals feel versus the celebrity feel of Aspen.

Highland Bowl is the crown jewel of Aspen Highlands. It is a backcountry bowl that’s easy to hike and patrolled (i.e., inbounds). The area is a 250-acre giant bowl that rises to 12,392 feet. To reach the peak, you hike a ridge line up about 800 feet. The hike takes between 25 and 60 minutes depending on your lung power and physical fitness. There’s usually an optional snowcat ride that helps shave 5 or 10 minutes off your hike.

Aspen Highlands Expert Skier Experience

Highland Bowl

The Bowl is a special place. Anyone who stands on the ridge feels enlightened and enriched. There’s something about the energy up there. 
Big Mountain Skier & Adventurer Chris Davenport

Highland Bowl is divided into zones (green, blue and yellow) that match the ski wax that is recommended for skiing that area. G Zones face north, B Zones east and Y Zones south.

If you have a great snow day drop in at the Snow Cat drop off area into Temerity trees. The glades have been cleared and there’s There will be plenty of great snow on the Northern Sloped G Zones.

Loge Peak & Deep Temerity Chairs

Between these two chairs lies, Steeplechase,  some of Aspen Highlands best skiing on good snow days.  South Castle, Kessler’s, North Castle and Boomerang Woods are all worth exploring.

If you like glade skiing, stay skiers right of off of Temerity and head to Canopy Cruiser. Could be the best glade skiing on the mountain.

Olympic Bowl

Olympic Bowl has a variety of challenging glade and bowl runs including  No Name, Deception, and Aces of Eights. Jug Hill also offers some great runs. This area gets baked on sunny days, so you might want to wait until the afternoon on non-powder days.

Thunderbowl Chair

On good snow days the steep chutes shine, especially Upper and Lower Stein and the P-Chutes.

Moments

There are some short but steep and usually deep runs to find off Midway. These are Moments of Truth and Moments Chute.

Resources:

Zones Detailed

https://www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/tip-sheet-highland-bowl-colo

Highland Bowl Videos

Snow Hunting at Aspen Highlands

Aspen conditions can be variable. If it hasn’t snowed for a while or the winds have been howling its wise to check with Ski Patrol.

Insider Tips at Aspen Highlands

Highland Bowl. If it’s sunny and you don’t make the hike, your expert skier status should be revoked.