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On the Hill: Voting for snow in Aspen

Bob Ward
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado

ASPEN ” I’m on the early train for the upcoming ski season. And things seem to be lining up nicely.

This election season, for the first time ever, I voted early and mailed in my ballot to the Eagle County clerk. I kind of hated to miss the Election Day ritual of voting at my hometown polling place, but I figured it would save me a last-minute sprint to Basalt Town Hall right before the polls closed ” which is the way election day usually works for me.

This had the unintended benefit of clearing my schedule on Election Day.



So, as the pundits began to bloviate Tuesday in the CNN Situation Room, I wandered over to Aspen’s Gondola Plaza in a gentle fall rain and fetched my 2008-09 ski pass. Usually, of course, I wait until the last possible moment and stand in a long line at the ticket office on the day before the lifts crank up.

So, it was another “first” for me. I entered the ticket office weeks before opening day and sauntered straight up to the counter, where a friendly Skico staffer snapped my photo and handed me my pass in a couple of minutes.




By day’s end, of course, temperatures had dropped and snow was accumulating on Aspen Mountain. It felt as though the Snow Gods had recognized my punctuality by turning the page to winter.

As I write this on Wednesday, the election is over, America has chosen a new president, there are several inches of snow on the ground and, for the first time this fall, ski season is in the air. I know our country is in a terrible bind, but snow on Election Day strikes me as a good omen.

I’m hoping for another season of excellent coverage, abundant snow and cold temperatures to keep it fluffy in the trees. Imagine yourself cutting January powder on Bell Mountain as the Dow Jones climbs back to 10,000 and America begins to recover.

Yes, we can.

bward@aspentimes.com