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Gondola cranks up for summer

Aspen Times Staff

The Silver Queen Gondola will crank up for the summer season on Saturday and run daily through Sept. 5, and then on the weekend of Sept. 10-11.Passengers can get a ride to the 11,212-foot summit of Aspen Mountain from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last ride down at 4:30 p.m. The Sundeck restaurant atop the mountain will serve food daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Daily activities begin June 18, including free disc golf, nature walks, classical music by Aspen Music Festival and School students on Saturdays at 1 p.m. and bluegrass on Sundays from noon to 3 p.m.A gondola ride will cost adults $18 on weekdays and $20 on weekends. A weekly pass is $35. Youths, age 13 to 17, pay $15 on weekdays, $17 on weekends or $28 for a weekly pass. Seniors, age 70 and older, and kids, age 4-12, can ride for $10 on weekdays, $12 on weekends or get a weekly pass for $21. Children age 3 and younger, and those who have a full ski pass from the prior winter season ride free.As always, anyone who hikes up the mountain can catch a ride down for free. Dogs are also allowed on the cars during the summer but are not permitted to wander off-leash in the vicinity of the gondola plaza or the Sundeck. Hikers should remember the last ride down is at 4:30 p.m. and the gondola may close early due to inclement weather.New this year, guests can purchase an Iron Mountain Tramway/gondola combo pass and check out the views from two mountaintops. The combo ticket is good for a ride up Aspen Mountain and on the Iron Mountain Tramway in Glenwood Springs. There, one can take a guided tour of the Glenwood Caverns and check out the new rides, including an alpine coaster, zip line and a giant swing. The mountaintop restaurant serves lunch and dinner.Tickets are available at the gondola ticket office and the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park office in Glenwood Springs.The Burlingame lift at Snowmass opens for the season July 1 and runs through Sept. 5. Lift rides will be free this summer. Activities at Snowmass include Run & Gun Paintball, lift-served mountain biking and hiking, guided overnight camping trips, nature walks, disc golf and more.