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Catch a free ride to the slopes at Aspen, Snowmass

Aspen Times Staff Report
Aspen, CO Colorado
Aspen Times fileRubey Park, Aspen's downtown bus station, is the transit hub for skiers heading to the slopes.
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ASPEN ” Aspen isn’t one ski area, it’s four, but getting from one mountain to another isn’t difficult. Just jump on a free shuttle bus.

In fact, it’s possible to ski top-to-bottom runs on all four mountains in one day. Really ” it has been done.

If you’re staying in Aspen and headed to Aspen Mountain, chances are you can walk there. Sling your boards (or board) over your shoulder and make like a local. Many hotels also offer shuttle vans to the gondola plaza, and several city bus routes serve the plaza, as well.



But if you’re staying at the base of Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk or Snowmass, or you’re in Aspen, but bound for one of the aforementioned mountains, check with your lodge or hotel for the nearest skier shuttle stop or make your way to Rubey Park Transit Center (aka the bus station) on Durant Avenue in downtown Aspen.

Free service between Aspen and Snowmass Village has been expanded to include not only the dedicated skier shuttles, but the regular, year-round bus service between the two communities. The latter provides service from Aspen to the Snowmass mall every 7 to 15 minutes from 6:15 to 8:15 a.m. In the evening, free service is available at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour from 8:15 p.m. to 2:15 a.m. (You make have to transfer from one bus to another at the Brush Creek park-and-ride on a ride between Aspen and Snowmass Village.)




The same service is offered in reverse, from the Snowmass mall to Rubey Park in downtown Aspen.

The free skier shuttles start departing from Rubey Park daily at 8 a.m. and run continuously between Aspen and the outlying ski areas until 4:30 p.m, with service every 15 minutes.

Grab a shuttle schedule at Rubey Park for all the details.

There are also shuttle connections from Snowmass to Highlands via a transfer at the roundabout throughout the day, and from Snowmass to Buttermilk via any Aspen-bound skier shuttle from Snowmass.

From Buttermilk, a shuttle departs directly to Snowmass at 9:10, 10:10 and 11:10 a.m., and 12:10, 1:10, 2:10, 3:10 and 4:10 p.m.

Highlands-to-Snowmass direct service is available at 3:30 p.m. and via transfers throughout the day.

In addition to the Highlands skier shuttle, which runs from 8 to 4:30 p.m., Highlands is served by two additional routes ” the Highlands bus and Castle/Maroon bus. The Castle/Maroon route operates daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., leaving Rubey Park at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. The first ride from Highlands into Aspen on the Castle/Maroon bus departs at 6:20 a.m.; the last bus of each day leaves Aspen Highlands Village at 1:40 a.m.

The Highlands direct bus runs from 6:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, contact the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority at 925-8484 or go to http://www.rfta.com.