Harvey: Some ideas for ski trails

The Aspen Skiing Co. is asking for suggestions for trail names in the new Pandora’s area on Aspen Mountain. I have a suggestion: Name the trails after women who have had an impact historically on Aspen, whether as community leaders, prominent skiers/snowboarders or past leaders of Skico. 

A review of trail maps of all four mountains here reveals just four trails named after women: Ruthie’s Run and Gretl’s on Aspen Mountain and Suzi Q and Scarlett’s on Aspen Highlands. (Naked Lady on Snowmass doesn’t count.)

Little Nell on Aspen Mountain could, perhaps with some disrepute, be counted as a fifth. According to the history posted on the Little Nell Hotel website, an inspired miner from the 1880s named his mining claim Little Nell as a way of expressing his ardent passions for “a certain lady of the night.” 

Meanwhile, there are upwards of 30 trails named after men. The naming rights for two of those — Gene Reardon’s and Adam’s Avenue — were literally sold to the highest bidder. So, how about it Skico? Can you find a way to give some of the amazing women in Aspen’s history their due by naming trails in their honor?

Allyn Harvey

Carbondale