{"id":2457706,"date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=324939"},"modified":"2020-04-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-27T06:00:00","slug":"paul-andersen-gratitude-to-mother-nature-and-aspen-skiing-co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/paul-andersen-gratitude-to-mother-nature-and-aspen-skiing-co\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Andersen: Gratitude to Mother Nature and Aspen Skiing Co."},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"589\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/andersen-atd-072219.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/andersen-atd-072219.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/07\/andersen-atd-072219-300x285.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">When my son, Tait, and I pulled up to Highlands around 9 a.m., on the last powder morning, the parking lots were almost full. A snowcat had groomed an uphill track. Skiers were hiking in small, dispersed groups under a deep blue sky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over of a foot of new snow on a perfect spring morning drew hundreds of uphillers to the four Aspen Skico mountains. Thank you, Mother Nature! Thank you, Aspen Skiing Co.!<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The uphill throng was like a holy trek into the glories of the mountain spirit, and everybody was feeling it. The one pressing concern was that avalanches would be triggered by mob enthusiasm for the steep and deep, which was at fatal levels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Sure enough, eye witnesses reported a top-to-bottom slide that carried off an errant skier. The word quickly spread across Highlands, and the mood of ecstasy dimmed with a sense of foreboding.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Tait and I had driven from Basalt where there was nary a snowflake to be seen. Passing the airport, our world turned winter. Pillows of snow flocked the trees and lay in hummocks across the landscape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Skinning up, conditions only grew more beautiful as the coolness of the post-storm chill kept the snow fresh, with perfect consistency. A solid, groomed base was blanketed by a fresh pack that fell heavy at the bottom and light at the top.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">We were all envisioning perfect skiing, and the collective energy was high and got higher with every upward step. Later, many said it was the best conditions in which they had ever skied Highlands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And now a word of praise for our sponsor \u2014 Skico \u2014 for open access to the four mountains and for grooming even after the official season closing. Gratitude also to Ashcroft Ski Touring for grooming trails with free access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Few other skiing companies open their trails and mountains to non-paying customers who find pleasure in fitness and enjoy the mental health of nature. Quarantine under this regimen has been humane to say the least.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">On Highlands, we uphill skiers felt we had it better than the snowmobile lap skiers shredding Little Annie\u2019s. A glance across Castle Creek valley revealed that Annie Basin was completely tracked by mid-morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Skico CEO Mike Kaplan, in a recent interview, said that skinning up is invaluable by providing \u201ca connection with nature, getting some exercise, and appreciating what\u2019s so special about living here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Grooming ski runs for uphillers takes it a step beyond by catering to safety, which Kaplan said is a keystone to continued access. \u201cBe safe, stay within your abilities, and follow protocols,\u201d he asked. \u201cThe last thing we need is an accident that requires a response. Personal responsibility is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And then came the triggered avalanche in Highland Bowl. To the skier\u2019s credit, he came forth in a newspaper interview the next day with a mea culpa for having done just the opposite of what Kaplan had requested.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI want to say that I feel really sorry about my decision to be there. I hope it serves as a message to others to be extremely careful, especially during this time. \u2026 There were many other people who were there and I am thinking that no one should have been in the Bowl, clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The skier asked forgiveness from mountain rescuers who were on high alert. He acknowledged that the Skico \u201chas had the graciousness and courage to allow uphilling when there could be a massive liability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He said that he had made \u201cmany of the classic mistakes,\u201d like familiarity with terrain, group dynamics and complacency. \u201cI should have said no from the beginning,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The lesson is that new snow on uncontrolled slopes is risky, and that we need to treat familiar runs like the backcountry. That skier was lucky, and we are lucky because we can ski when most of the world is closeted and stir crazy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kaplan put the right spin on the global lockdown when he said the benefits include humility for plans that have been upset and for appreciation of a quieter, zen-like approach to living.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Thank you, Mother Nature and Skico, for giving us that approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\">Paul Andersen\u2019s column appears on Mondays. He may be reached at <a href=\"mailto:andersen@rof.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">andersen@rof.net<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/opinion\/paul-andersen-gratitude-to-mother-nature-and-aspen-skiing-co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When my son, Tait, and I pulled up to Highlands around 9 a.m., on the last powder morning, the parking lots were almost full. A snowcat had groomed an uphill track. Skiers were hiking in small, dispersed groups under a deep blue sky. Over of a foot of new snow on a perfect spring morning [&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-2457706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 01:06:30","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\/2457706","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=2457706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457706\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}