Snowmass history: Government Trail

In an attempt to connect Snowmass Village with Aspen via the Government Trail, multiple bridges were discussed in The Aspen Times in 1985. Craig Ward, director of the Aspen/Snowmass Nordic Counsel, was supportive of a new bridge over Castle Creek. “In fact, the Nordic Council is planning two bridges, one over Maroon Creek and one over Castle Creek. And the Nordic Council and Pitkin County Parks have been working together to create a pedestrian/Nordic ski trail that will take people from the Aspen Club clear to Snowmass Village. The trail would start at the Club, go across Little Nell, across the base of Aspen Mountain, to Lift 1A, along the base of Shadow Mountain, over the Castle Creek pedestrian bridge, across the Marolt-Thomas Property, across Maroon Creek, and along the base of Buttermilk. Then hikers or skiers can pick up the Owl Creek Trail or the Government Trail and travel on to Snowmass Village. ‘The whole trail system would be called ‘Aspen’s fifth mountain,’ says Ward.” That trail system exists today, run in the fall by the Golden Leaf Marathon and used regularly by mountain bikers via Government Trail, but also in the winter via the Owl Creek Nordic trail.

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