High-altitude hangover cure

Highland Bowl is a cure-all for the menacing after-hours of an Aspen weekend during high season. This Friday’s hoopla was due to what we can call “X-Games boozing” brought on by the half-dozen or so visitors we had crashing at our apartment. As the big weekend drew nearer, an ever-growing pile of clothing, sleeping bags and cases of beer were strewn about the den. When questioned, my roommate replied nonchalantly, “Didn’t I tell you my friends were coming?” (And that those friends brought their friends, and when those friends’ roommates heard there was a place to crash in Aspen, well, you can guess what happened next.)The promising news was that said visitors provided plenty of refreshments. As we dipped into the wee hours of Friday night, I was beyond the idea of being the proverbial stick in the mud and thus mandated myself to keep up with the pace of the drifters we had crashing at our apartment.Before I knew the party had ended, the morning sun was breaking through my window and the pounding in my head was echoed by the screech of my alarm. I awoke from my arrested state of slumber and headed out the door to catch a bus to Highlands. The power of Gatorade eased the burden as my second roommate and I warmed up as much as we could. In deciding to keep with our goal from the night before, we headed toward the bowl before the fumes we had been running on dissipated completely. The sun and temperature were pleasant, and despite our lack of energy and hydration, we maneuvered our way to the top with only a few quick breaks along the way.One break, make that two, and we were ready for the descent. “After you, Molly,” I hollered out. And with that we dove into the G zones on the far right, pleasantly reminded of the true treasure of a season awaiting all those lucky enough to make it out their front door. Back at the apartment, the plethora of visitors gazed at us with stunned looks of awe and admiration with an underlying hint of absurdity and disbelief. Not only had we managed to impress the out-of-towners, we had also discovered the ultimate antidote for those late winter nights.