{"id":2456029,"date":"2020-03-19T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=322904"},"modified":"2020-03-19T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-03-19T21:00:00","slug":"social-distancing-on-the-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/social-distancing-on-the-trail\/","title":{"rendered":"Social distancing on the trail"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7820359281437\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-322904-582\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-7-1024x697.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Maddie Vincent\/The Aspen Times | Several people skinned up Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020, after Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order to close all of Colorado's ski areas for one week. The order was put in place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and lessen the strain on mountain community healthcare systems.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Several people skinned up Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020, after Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order to close all of Colorado&#8217;s ski areas for one week. The order was put in place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and lessen the strain on mountain community healthcare systems.<\/strong><br \/>Maddie Vincent\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-7-1024x697.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Several people skinned up Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020, after Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order to close all of Colorado's ski areas for one week. The order was put in place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and lessen the strain on mountain community healthcare systems.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-1-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"David Krause\/The Aspen Times | Aspen Skiing Co. President and CEO Mike Kaplan, in blue jacket, meets with ski pros at Snowmass Base Village on the morning of Saturday, March 14.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Aspen Skiing Co. President and CEO Mike Kaplan, in blue jacket, meets with ski pros at Snowmass Base Village on the morning of Saturday, March 14.<\/strong><br \/>David Krause\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-1-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Aspen Skiing Co. President and CEO Mike Kaplan, in blue jacket, meets with ski pros at Snowmass Base Village on the morning of Saturday, March 14.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-2-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-2-1-1024x694.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Maddie Vincent\/The Aspen Times | A closed sign for the Silver Queen Gondola at the base of Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>A closed sign for the Silver Queen Gondola at the base of Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020.<\/strong><br \/>Maddie Vincent\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-2-1-1024x694.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A closed sign for the Silver Queen Gondola at the base of Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-3-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-3-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"David Krause \/ The Aspen Times | An uphill skiers heads out of the Snowmass Base Village area Sunday morning just before 8:30 a.m., which is the time the Village Express lift usually opens.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>An uphill skiers heads out of the Snowmass Base Village area Sunday morning just before 8:30 a.m., which is the time the Village Express lift usually opens.<\/strong><br \/>David Krause \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/skiclosure-atd-031620-1-3-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"An uphill skiers heads out of the Snowmass Base Village area Sunday morning just before 8:30 a.m., which is the time the Village Express lift usually opens.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/social-distancing-on-the-trail\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/social-distancing-on-the-trail\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Just before 9 a.m. on March 15 at the base of the Silver Queen Gondola, few people gathered to start their day on the Aspen Mountain slopes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">A few more were skinning up the Little Nell run. None were in line to get on the gondola, which wasn\u2019t running after Gov. Jared Polis ordered the state\u2019s downhill ski areas to close the night before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe governor decided he didn\u2019t feel it was appropriate for us to continue to operate,\u201d Mike Kaplan, Aspen Skiing Co. president and CEO, said Sunday morning. \u201cWe received final confirmation at 6:32 p.m. last night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The executive order issued by Gov. Polis directed Colorado ski resorts to close for one week \u201cdue to the presence of (COVID-19) in mountain communities with limited care capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Kaplan stood with a small group of Skico staff at the top of the stairs to the Silver Queen Gondola, talking with people who may have questions about the closure and how long it would be in place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Though the lifts may be done spinning for the 2019-20 ski season, there\u2019s still skiable snow on the mountains and some temperate spring skiing weather to come. The public health calls for social distancing and avoiding groups of people in recent days also have included encouragement to go outside and to exercise in order to stay active. Aspen is certainly good at that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">As public spaces closed and events and workplaces went virtual in the first days of the local outbreak and widespread social distancing, the mountains filled with uphillers and local trails also were packed with hikers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Uphilling on Ajax, Snowmass, Buttermilk or Aspen Highlands is open and encouraged. Kaplan noted in a March 16 virtual community meeting that Skico would continue to do some very basic maintenance on the mountains to keep uphilling egresses and such optimal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cFrom personal experience, I\u2019d recommend you don\u2019t go too early \u2014 it\u2019ll be too icy,\u201d Kaplan said. \u201cAnd don\u2019t go too late, because it\u2019ll be too slushy. \u2026 Getting out and getting some exercise is important for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Kaplan also encouraged skiers to be cautious, lest they require medical personnel on the mountain during this public health emergency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">To contain the spread of the new coronavirus, you must observe \u201csocial distancing\u201d etiquette while hiking and skiing \u2014 stay at least 6 feet away from any of your outdoor partners and others.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/social-distancing-on-the-trail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several people skinned up Aspen Mountain March 15, 2020, after Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order to close all of Colorado&#8217;s ski areas for one week. The order was put in place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and lessen the strain on mountain community healthcare systems.Maddie Vincent\/The Aspen Times Aspen [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2456029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 09:11:24","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2456029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456029\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2456029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2456029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2456029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}