Greed is an uphill battle

I am disappointed, but not surprised, to see the greedy billionaires running Aspen Skiing Co. have attained Forest Service permission to “police” the uphill walkers on their mountains. I should note my father learned to ski on Aspen Mountain, walking uphill in the 1930s. I learned on Aspen Mountain, riding lifts, back when local kids were allowed to ski for free.

As a teenager I invested in “new style” cross country skis, instead of the Army surplus boards, and I actually walked up the mountain a couple times, just to see what it felt like.

I still ski, both downhill and with cross country boards, but I haven’t touched the snow on Aspen Mountain for decades. It is my opinion that public lands should be open to the public, not just to the wealthy willing to pay for such access. But who knows, maybe the greed of billionaires, global warming, and extended Western droughts will make this entire issue moot in a few more years.

James Johnson

Laramie, Wyoming