This week in Aspen history

“Excellent snow conditions with depths ranging to 3 feet will permit the Aspen Skiing Corporation to open its lifts on Thanksgiving Day as planned it was announced yesterday by officials of the corporation,” noted The Aspen Times on Nov. 21, 1957.

“Operating Thursday morning, Nov. 28, will be the big chairlifts known as one and two, as well as the double chair, No. 3, serving the top. The lift on Little Nell and the new lift to the top of Bell Mountain will not begin operation until later, the announcement added. The Thanksgiving inauguration of lift service will correspond with the opening of the ski school, which is also slated to begin Nov. 28. Also to operate during the Thanksgiving weekend will be the Sundeck, restaurant and warming house at the top of the mountain and the Chairlift Chalet at the foot of the main lift. This is the third year in succession that early snows have been adequate to permit Aspen lifts to run over the Thanksgiving weekend. According to experts, however, the gradual accumulation of snow this year makes conditions better than last when most of the needed snow was deposited by one storm. Early skiers have already spent several days testing the slopes in the Little Nell area, and yesterday the junior skiers had their first workout on the upper slopes of Little Nell.”

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