How did Aspen start?

How did Aspen start?

TIMELINE : 1880: In February, through some seven feet of snow, B. Clark Wheeler “skis” into town from Leadville on Norwegian snowshoes to complete the first survey of Ute City. He renames town Aspen.

Who built Aspen ski resort?

Founded 75 years ago in 1946 by Walter Paepcke, Aspen was the first ski area venture of the Aspen Skiing Company.

How was Aspen Mountain formed?

The rich silver lodes in Ashcroft, Aspen, and other nearby camps all formed when magma bodies and accompanying mineralized fluids intruded the crust during the Laramide Orogeny. They are part of a belt of Laramide-age plutons called the Colorado Mineral Belt.

When did Aspen become a ski resort?

Stina Sieg/CPR News While Aspen has been a skiing destination since the 1940s, the opening of its Silver Queen Gondola in 1986 helped its appeal explode. It cut the time it took to get up the mountain and shielded increasingly wealthy visitors from the elements.

What makes Aspen so special?

You’ll love Aspen’s world-class skiing opportunities and après ski culture. Aspen has four mountains that are a paradise for skiers and snowboarders alike. It’s a perfect place for skiers of any experience level, offering a wide array of slopes, as well as plenty of runs through expert-only terrain.

Why is Aspen so famous?

Aspen, Colorado is nestled high in the Rocky Mountains at around 8,000 feet, so you’ll find snow in Aspen nearly half the year. With a whopping four ski resorts nearby, it’s no wonder Aspen is famous for its skiing. People travel from all over the world to ski here (and not just the rich and famous).

Why is Aspen called Ajax?

Geologic maps from Aspen’s period as a silver-mining town in the late 1800s denote the point on Aspen Mountain where the original octagonal 1946 Sundeck later stood, as Ajax Hill. The name is likely derived from the Ajax mine nearby.

Who owns Aspen Mountain?

The Aspen Skiing Company is currently owned by the Crown family of Chicago. The Crowns also own significant holdings in General Dynamics and Wall Street’s JP Morgan Chase. The President and CEO of the company is Mike Kaplan, who succeeded Pat O’Donnell.

Why do they call Aspen Mountain Ajax?

Why should I visit Aspen?

What is special about Aspen?

When did Aspen Colorado become a ski resort?

Aspen’s development as a ski resort began in the 1930s when investors conceived of a ski area, but the project was interrupted by World War II. Friedl Pfeifer, a member of the 10th Mountain Division who had trained in the area, returned to the area and linked up with industrialist Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth.

Where is the Aspen Mountain ski area located?

“Ajax” in April 2005. Aspen Mountain. Location in the western United States. Aspen Mountain (often called by its former name of Ajax among locals) is a ski area in the western United States, located in Pitkin County, Colorado, just outside and above the city of Aspen.

What is the history of Aspen, CO?

History of Aspen, Colorado. Aspen, the county seat of Pitkin County, is a resort and former mining town in the mountains of Colorado. It was founded by miners in 1879 and originally named Ute City, after the Ute Indians who inhabited the area.

When was the first National Downhill Skiing Championship held in Aspen?

Prior to 1946, the mountain had been the site of skiing using a crude boat lift, and by the use of the jeep trails up the back side of the mountain on Midnight Mine Road. In 1941, Aspen’s first national downhill and slalom championships were held March 8–9.