Year in Review: Snowmass

Sarah Girgis/The Aspen Times
SkiCo aims to expand, improve Snowmass ski area
The Aspen Skiing Company introduced a series of changes to Snowmass Mountain in a February Planning Commission meeting, hoping to increase capacity for the mountain.
The changes include extending the Coney Express quad, making the chairlift accessible from the Snowmass Mall, replacing the Cirque T-bar, enlarging the Alpine Springs to a 6-seater, enlarging the Village Express Gondola to fit 10 people, and more.
SkiCo also hoped to expand skiable terrain by cutting a new run from The Edge to the High Alpine Restaurant, improve the Frog Pond Glades, connect Baby Ruth to the Hanging Valley Glades, add five trails off the Alpine Springs lif, and more.
With these changes, they hope to increase the mountain’s skier carrying capacity from 12.500 to 14,820.
“What feels busy today is not what will feel busy in 15 years,” said Chris Kiley, SkiCo senior vice president of planning and development.
SkiCo also wanted to expand several on-mountain dining establishments and add hiking and mountain-biking trails for summer use.
— Josie Taris
‘One step at a time’: Snowmass resident surpasses goal of 85 uphills for his 85th birthday
Mone Anathan set a goal at the start of the 2023/2024 ski season to uphill at Snowmass 85 times for his 85th birthday. But by March 15 when he reached his birthday, he had surpassed his goal and chosen to take on 100 laps.
“Last year, I made the mistake of saying, ‘You know, I’m going to do 85 days for my 85th birthday,’ and at that time, it seemed like a pretty good challenge,” he said. “And when I hit 85, I just couldn’t stop.”
Anathan, who started skiing in his late 30s, moved to Snomwass to be closer to live in the mountains. He began uphilling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s such a thrill to be able to be out there and do what I do,” he said.
He prefers uphilling up Alpine Springs and Sam’s Knob.
— Lucy Peterson
Snowmass condominium associations formally request town abandon nearby housing plans
Multiple condominium associations asked Snowmass workforce housing plans over upper lots off of Carriage Way.
Laurelwood Condominium Association sent a letter to Snowmass Town
Council in January requesting the town abandon an idea to build 78 unit workforce development over lofts 10 through 12, which currently serve as skier parking.
To abandon the proposal, the town would need to amend its 2021 housing master plan, which outlines the town’s housing goals over the next decade.
Associations, including those of Timberline, Sonnenblick, Interlude, Aspenwood, and Laurelwood condos, submitted a formal petition signed by 221 condo owners to amend the plan.
“Due to negative impacts on the community and the town’s prior commitments regarding the upper numbered lots, the associations believe the town should not pursue this site,” states the request to the town.
But Snowmass Town Manager said abandoning the proposed plan is not in the best interest of the community.
“I think the housing master plan was a well thought-out plan with a tremendous level of public input,” Kinney said.
Months later, the Snowmass planning commission recommended that the request to amend the Housing Master Plan be denied.
— Lucy Peterson
Snowmas Monastery listed for $150 million with Denver ranch group
St. Benedict’s Monastery, one of Pitkin County’s largest undeveloped areas of land, was listed for sale a year after the monks announced the monastery’s impending closure.
“We’re really looking for a conservation buyer, or buyers, that understands the nuances and the pristine nature of (the property),” said Ken Mirr, listing agent of Mirr Ranch Group. “We don’t see this as another resort or a large-scale, high density development; we see quite the opposite.”
The group listed the land for $150 million.
Since the monks bought the land in 1956, the monks built a few structures on the 3,700 acres to house brothers, for worship, as a bookstore, for monastic retreats, and more. 1,200 of the acres were used for cattle grazing, Mirr said.
Mirr said the likeliest buyer would be an individual interested in conservation easements.
— Josie Taris
Florida man claims $5.7 million winning lottery ticket at a Snowmass liquor store
Hailing from Florida, Kurt P. won $5.7 million with a lottery ticket he bought from Sundance Liquor and Gifts in Snowmass Village in early August.
He claimed the winnings in Denver from the lottery’s headquarters, according to Sundance co-owner Barbara Bakios-Wickes.
Kurt declined to reveal other information to the Colorado Lottery.
Bakios-Wickes said Kurt’s win is a Colorado Lotto+ top-20 payout and is the first time the liquor store had sold a winning ticket.
The Colorado Lottery gave Sundance a $10,000 credit for selling the ticket, which they plan to use to make more lottery tickets available for purchase, Bakios-Wickes said.
— Lucy Peterson
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.