We’re about to go nuts

Enjoy Aspen’s offseason lull. It’s about to end.The Aspen Food & Wine Classic comes a week earlier this year, kicking off the summer season on the second weekend of June. Locals will flip through several pages of the calendar before things quiet down again.”I’d say it’s shaping up to be an extraordinary summer,” said Bill Tomcich, president of Stay Aspen Snowmass, a local reservations agency.Stay Aspen Snowmass estimates it handles just 6 percent of the resort’s overall bookings, but if its numbers are any indication, the summer should be hopping.Tomcich isn’t offering specifics on how much reservations are up compared to last summer. “A lot,” he said. “Let’s just say, strong double-digit increases, June through September.”The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, making for a three-day holiday weekend that will rival Christmas for room availability.”It’s definitely going to be a sellout, no question about it,” Tomcich said.United Express has already responded to the strong early bookings, adding a record 11 daily flights into Aspen in July and August, he noted.And, some visitors apparently aren’t sparing any expense for the summer Aspen getaway.”We’ve seen some really big bookings – long stays in high-end, luxury condos and private residences,” Tomcich said.