Snowmass history: Up, up and away
In wee morning hours, balloonists raced, jousted
The ninth annual Snowmass Balloon Festival held in 1984 included races, jousting, chases and a “key grab” that all happened in the wee hours of the mornings, The Aspen Times described. Held at the launch site of the open meadow across from the Snowmass Rodeo Grounds, events like the “Dawn Quixote” balloon joust armed competitors with long sticks with a nail tip to puncture “20 tethered ‘target’ balloons.” With the “more traditional ‘Hare and Hounds’ chase,” the “‘hare’ balloon sets out the targets, and then the ‘hounds’ attempt to land as closely as possible to one or more” while the “key grab” was for the first balloonist able to navigate their balloon close enough to grab a “key” from a 20-foot pole a mile from the launch site.
Snowmass requiring new documentation for employee housing lease renewals
The Snowmass Village Housing Department is cracking down on its rental compliance for workforce housing in this year’s lease renewal cycle.
