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dotComments: Is the skiing worth the price?

The price of a lift ticket and other doings of the Aspen Skiing Co. provoked comment from online readers of The Aspen Times last week. So did a former county commissioners suggestion that Aspen explore a community-based airline.The Skico announced this winters ski pass and lift ticket prices a month ago, but the $82 lift ticket continues to generate debate among online readers.Wrote one: Please stop all the crying! I think Ski Co does a tremendous job and offers a great product at very good price. The old saying “you get what you pay for” rings true when talking about our four mountains. Wake up! it is no longer 1970, get a better job or move to Slummit County.This response followed:You don’t get diddly-squat on the mountains. The Crown family is just hell-bent on corporate greed…and the bottom line…as with most of the recent 20 years of Aspen “wannabees.No “local” restaurants on the mountain…No decent pay for private lessons…No “Little Nell’s…(the “original” for you know-nothings)…at the base of the mountain serving up cheap suds, cool drinks, and hot women.No…”Aspen” left years ago…only the name is left!That triggered this observation:You wouldn’t know “old Aspen” if it hit you in the head.Every “cool” place is gone, prices are ridiculous, and traffic is everyman’s nightmare. Lift prices are just another example of the lunacy that’s so prevalent in this valley.Don’t agree??? Just look at how crappy the whole damn valley looks?There was also this:It is expensive however a season pass is what most locals get anyways. (And many are provided by employers.) What is much more of a worry is all you whiners out there. Aspen is still an amazing town and the skiing is the best it’s ever been.And, finally, came this excerpt:Aspen sucks when it compares to past years. On another Skico-related topic, namely the companys participation in a Supreme Court case regarding greenhouse gas emissions, one reader had this to say:What a bunch of hypocrites , environmentally friendly , yeah right.If they are so friendly to the environment then why are the going into a roadless environmentally sensitive area with their proposed expansion into the Burnt Mtn area of Snowmass Mtn ?And have they cleaned up the ‘toxic’ fuel area on Aspen where the grooming machines fill up ? Ask any driver , that area is toxic.They should be looking at themselves as a company as a whole, before making these broad annoucements. Skico President/CEO Pat ODonnells Aug. 30 letter to the editor, offering voting data to refute allegations that the company somehow stacked the deck in the Snowmass Village election on Base Village, one reader offered this response:This letter addresses only part of the story. There were a number of second home owners who registered in Snowmass Village and lied about their intent to retain SMV as their legal residence. The only objective? Vote yes on Base Village.We were strongly pressured to do so but did not. On another matter, one reader took exception to The Aspen Times report regarding the listing for sale of Explore Booksellers & Bistro:”Explore Booksellers & Bistro, which some view as a critical component of Aspen’s soul”. A critical component of Aspen’s soul? Are you serious? This holier-than-thou book joint with an overpriced snack bar is a critical component of Aspen’s soul? Whoever holds that opinion needs to get out of the store a little more often and get a life while they’re at it. Finally, former Commissioner Dwight Shellmans ideas about a community-based airline elicited a few comments, including this one:If Rocky Mountain Airways, Aspen Airways, Continental Airlines, United Airlines and a cast of other airlines can’t make money flying between Aspen and Denver, how is Dwight Shellman’s idea of a county owned airline going to make money?Running an airline is not like running a bus line. Please don’t waste taxpayer dollars on this hair-brained idea. If you want to improve air service into Aspen, you’ll need to bury the highway in a tunnel and make the runway longer. That way, more airlines will be able to fly in with large aircraft. Readers may comment, anonymously if they wish, to any article at http://www.aspentimes.com by clicking on Comments at the top of the article. Comments reprinted here appear as they were posted, without editing or correction.