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Rocky
Mountain
High
Nestled amidst pristinemountains
and rivers, Aspen, Colorado
is a haven for Summer visitors. The highaltitude, aridairmeanswarmand sunnydayswith no
humidityand cool, star-lit evenings...”The shadows from the starlight are softer thana lullaby.”
Riots of wildflowers ablazewith splashes of colour bloom in verdant meadows surroundedby
standsofAspen treesand lush, spruce forests.Withdozensof cultural institutionsprovidingnon-
stopaccess to the visual andperformingarts andanarrayof outdoor adventures frommellow
toextreme,Aspen isappealing toawide rangeof visitors— singles, couplesand families.
Aspen truly isanArtsmeccaandboastsanarrayofevents, festivals, concertsand live theatreall
summer long.And, you just never knowwhoyoumightmeet on the street!
Thequaint,downtownwalkwaysare linedwithgalleriesandAspenArtMuseum‘snew30,000-
square-foot ShigeruBan-designedbuilding is scheduled for completion thisSummer,witha24-
hour grand opening slated for Aug. 8. Founded in 1979, the Aspen Art Museum is a
non-collectingmuseum for contemporaryart anda leadingvoice in the intellectual discourseof
international contemporaryart.
For those looking toget aworkout, the choices areeverywheredependingonyour skill levels.
Bike Snowmass, a network of newand existingdownhill mountain biking trails, is the only lift
servedbiking in theUS that takes riders ona4,000-foot single track decent beginningabove
tree lineandending in thehighmountaindesert.With theadditionof several newdownhill trails
over recent years, including the signature trail Valhalla–built byGravity Logic, (the samecom-
pany that designednew trails at BlueMountain) –Snowmass is nowhome to themost vertical
feet of riding inColoradoandover50milesof singletrack, cross-country, freerideanddownhill
terrain.Snowmassalsoadded terrain to theVapor trail last seasonandhasplans to improve the
beginner trails.New this season, an improved skills park has beenaddedat the topof the Elk
CampGondola in themeadows.
USAProChallengeOfficial Start &Stage2, Aug18-19... Themost prestigious cycling race in
Americawill begin inAspenwith the first twoof seven stages.Competitorswill raceon theMa-
roonCreekBridgeandgrindup towardsSnowmassVillage, loop throughdowntownand take
another lap. Stage twobeginswithabattle towardsCrestedButte.
☛
TRAVELS
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aspen colorado
YoumayknowAspenasa
favouriteWinterdestination
but foranout-of-bounds
Summerexperience, this
charming, historical
silvermining town
can’tbebeat!
PHOTO | BRETT FRIEL
