Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) will invest over $26 million in on-mountain improvements this year including a new lift at Buttermilk, a complete remodel of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant on Aspen Highlands and the first phase of the new Elk Camp Restaurant at Snowmass.
Whats new?
The Merry Go Round restaurant, situated mid-mountain at Aspen Highlands, will begin a $6 million dollar major remodel at the end of the 2010/2011 ski season, to be completed in the summer of 2011. The reopening is scheduled for opening day of Aspen Highlands on December 10.
The goals and objectives of this remodel are to: repair and reuse the existing building turning it into a highly efficient facility that will keep the foundation in service for another 15 to 20 years. The focus will be to enhance guest comfort and food quality, while maintaining the strong appeal to both locals and visitors. The interior design concept will be “duct tape chic,” keeping the atmosphere fun, local-friendly, historic, relaxed, unpretentious and welcoming.
Green materials will be used with new carpet and paint along with updated ceiling and efficient lighting will brighten the interior dining space, with a goal of cutting energy use by 30 percent. ASC aims to reach this goal by installing window retrofits, efficient wall and roof insulation, efficient kitchen equipment and the use of additional green materials.
The interior construction remodel will improve circulation by removing the sunken dining area and the dropped ceiling, relocating the fireplace and opening up the views to the ski slope. A new exit will replace the currently stored front line equipment and signage. The expansion of main level bathrooms with ADA stalls and an additional ramp to the secondary dining room will increase accessibility and circulation. A coffee bar will be located under a window wall to create comfortable seating/lounge area with a fireplace, couches and comfortable chairs, with an additional service window to the outside deck.
The Merry Go Round walls will preserve history and embrace new technology with framed photos of Highlands skiers past, present and future. Guests will be invited to submit photos for display in digital frames and digital monitors to show off real time information, streaming media and live feeds, like a Highland Bowl cam, as well as a photo booth for instant photos.
The menu will include healthy favorites featuring fresh and local ingredients, prepared from scratch in the open kitchen. Ski lodge standbys like homemade pizza, pasta, grill specialties, soups, stews and a self-serve salad bar, will provide something for any appetite.
A new Leitner Poma high speed quad at Tiehack on Buttermilk will replace both the Eagle Hill and the Upper Tiehack lifts, cutting the combined ride time from 18 minutes to just under 7 minutes. New construction will begin this Spring on this $7 million project for a complete installation in time for a December 2011 opening.
Buttermilk´s summer trail crew will spend time cleaning up the gladed terrain on the Tiehack side of the mountain with the intention of breathing new life into this underutilized area. This area is wonderful, rolling, gladed and groomed terrain which is great for skiers and riders that are looking for single black trails off the beaten path. From a four mountain standpoint, this terrain is unique and further enhances our offerings as a four mountain destination.
Aspen Skiing Company will begin construction this summer on the new Elk Camp Restaurant, which will replace Café Suzanne and be located adjacent to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass in 2012/2013. The $15 million dollar project will provide a restaurant with seating for up to 300 guests and include summer and evening event space. The project is scheduled to be LEED Certified and to implement advanced heating systems with other green materials to beat local energy codes by an estimated 30 percent. Elk camp will be ASC’s fifth LEED certified building, following closely on the heels of Sam’s Restaurant (Gold) and Holiday House (Platinum.)
Aspen/Snowmass is proud to present a multi-site exhibition of renowned artist Walter Niedermayr, whose large-scale photographs entitled The Aspen Series, will be featured at venues and locations throughout Aspen/Snowmass. In addition Aspen/Snowmass continues to build on the theme of art in unexpected places, fostered by the partnership with Aspen Art Museum. Begun six years ago, the tradition features unique contemporary art images printed on lift tickets.
In October of 2010, a bulldozer operator working in Snowmass Village uncovered the bones of a 43,500 year old Columbian mammoth. This discovery has turned out to be one of the most significant scientific discoveries in Colorado and possibly the country. To date, this single site has produced eight to 10 American mastodons; four Columbian mammoths; four Ice Age bison; two Ice Age deer; a Jefferson’s ground sloth; many tiger salamanders; evidence of beavers, insects, snails; and large quantities of well-preserved plant matter—some of which is still green after tens of thousands of years. In just 18 days of excavation, the Denver Museum of Science & Nature crews recovered approximately 600 bones and bone pieces and plan to return in Spring of 2011 to continue the excavation.
Whats new?
The Merry Go Round restaurant, situated mid-mountain at Aspen Highlands, will begin a $6 million dollar major remodel at the end of the 2010/2011 ski season, to be completed in the summer of 2011. The reopening is scheduled for opening day of Aspen Highlands on December 10.
The goals and objectives of this remodel are to: repair and reuse the existing building turning it into a highly efficient facility that will keep the foundation in service for another 15 to 20 years. The focus will be to enhance guest comfort and food quality, while maintaining the strong appeal to both locals and visitors. The interior design concept will be “duct tape chic,” keeping the atmosphere fun, local-friendly, historic, relaxed, unpretentious and welcoming.
Green materials will be used with new carpet and paint along with updated ceiling and efficient lighting will brighten the interior dining space, with a goal of cutting energy use by 30 percent. ASC aims to reach this goal by installing window retrofits, efficient wall and roof insulation, efficient kitchen equipment and the use of additional green materials.
The interior construction remodel will improve circulation by removing the sunken dining area and the dropped ceiling, relocating the fireplace and opening up the views to the ski slope. A new exit will replace the currently stored front line equipment and signage. The expansion of main level bathrooms with ADA stalls and an additional ramp to the secondary dining room will increase accessibility and circulation. A coffee bar will be located under a window wall to create comfortable seating/lounge area with a fireplace, couches and comfortable chairs, with an additional service window to the outside deck.
The Merry Go Round walls will preserve history and embrace new technology with framed photos of Highlands skiers past, present and future. Guests will be invited to submit photos for display in digital frames and digital monitors to show off real time information, streaming media and live feeds, like a Highland Bowl cam, as well as a photo booth for instant photos.
The menu will include healthy favorites featuring fresh and local ingredients, prepared from scratch in the open kitchen. Ski lodge standbys like homemade pizza, pasta, grill specialties, soups, stews and a self-serve salad bar, will provide something for any appetite.
A new Leitner Poma high speed quad at Tiehack on Buttermilk will replace both the Eagle Hill and the Upper Tiehack lifts, cutting the combined ride time from 18 minutes to just under 7 minutes. New construction will begin this Spring on this $7 million project for a complete installation in time for a December 2011 opening.
Buttermilk´s summer trail crew will spend time cleaning up the gladed terrain on the Tiehack side of the mountain with the intention of breathing new life into this underutilized area. This area is wonderful, rolling, gladed and groomed terrain which is great for skiers and riders that are looking for single black trails off the beaten path. From a four mountain standpoint, this terrain is unique and further enhances our offerings as a four mountain destination.
Aspen Skiing Company will begin construction this summer on the new Elk Camp Restaurant, which will replace Café Suzanne and be located adjacent to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass in 2012/2013. The $15 million dollar project will provide a restaurant with seating for up to 300 guests and include summer and evening event space. The project is scheduled to be LEED Certified and to implement advanced heating systems with other green materials to beat local energy codes by an estimated 30 percent. Elk camp will be ASC’s fifth LEED certified building, following closely on the heels of Sam’s Restaurant (Gold) and Holiday House (Platinum.)
Aspen/Snowmass is proud to present a multi-site exhibition of renowned artist Walter Niedermayr, whose large-scale photographs entitled The Aspen Series, will be featured at venues and locations throughout Aspen/Snowmass. In addition Aspen/Snowmass continues to build on the theme of art in unexpected places, fostered by the partnership with Aspen Art Museum. Begun six years ago, the tradition features unique contemporary art images printed on lift tickets.
In October of 2010, a bulldozer operator working in Snowmass Village uncovered the bones of a 43,500 year old Columbian mammoth. This discovery has turned out to be one of the most significant scientific discoveries in Colorado and possibly the country. To date, this single site has produced eight to 10 American mastodons; four Columbian mammoths; four Ice Age bison; two Ice Age deer; a Jefferson’s ground sloth; many tiger salamanders; evidence of beavers, insects, snails; and large quantities of well-preserved plant matter—some of which is still green after tens of thousands of years. In just 18 days of excavation, the Denver Museum of Science & Nature crews recovered approximately 600 bones and bone pieces and plan to return in Spring of 2011 to continue the excavation.
