What Is Aspen Mountain And Where Is It?
Aspen Mountain is one of the four ski resorts located in and around the town of Aspen, Colorado and owned by the Aspen Ski Company. The four resorts include Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, Buttermilk and Aspen Mountain, the location of the photograph in this article. Aspen Mountain is pretty much in downtown Aspen, Colorado. You can walk to the slopes from a number of the hotels and condos in downtown Aspen, Colorado.
The area around Aspen and the surrounding area is home to lots of amazing sights. It is a four season mountain town. The views and natural wonders are awesome all around the area. There is a spectacular view of Maroon Bells from Aspen Highlands. Sunrise at Maroon Bells is a very popular spot when the snow is not flying. Hanging Lake up near Glenwood Springs is a spectacular Natural National Landmark. The historic Crystal Mill is another awesome sight in the area.
The town of Aspen, Colorado is one of the most expensive and exclusive mountain towns in the country. Homes in Aspen sell for millions and everything in town is outrageously expensive. If you plan to head to Aspen Mountain for a ski or photography trip you’ll need to be prepared to spend some serious cash.
What Is It Like To Travel To And Photograph Aspen Mountain?
Aspen is relatively easy to get to. If you can afford it you can fly into the Aspen airport. Alternatively you can fly into the Grand Junction, Colorado airport about 125 miles away. You can fly into the Denver airport to go to Aspen but then you’ll have to drive I-70 across Colorado in the winter and that’s often a horrible drive. Once you get the flights all setup, you’ll need to figure out transportation from the airport to the town of Aspen. You can stay in Glenwood Springs if you want more affordable lodging and a longer trek to the slopes each day. Lay out ALL the costs and figure out what your time is worth when figuring out where to stay.
In the town of Aspen, even a hostel bunk room can cost $100 or more at the St. Moritz lodge. Prices only go up from there. There are hotels in Glenwood Springs that are much more affordable than those in Aspen. If you are on a really tight budget, you can grab a bunk in the Glenwood Springs Hostel for around $30/night. If you stay in Glenwood Springs or somewhere between there and Aspen, then you’ll need to get familiar with the bus system around Aspen. Even if you are staying in Aspen, you’ll probably need to use the bus to get around Aspen.
Once you have your lodging you may or may not need to have a rental car. Like most resort towns parking is at a premium in Aspen though chances are your hotel will offer parking. Sometimes it is even free. If you have to drive anywhere and park that may not be free and probably will not be if you are parking at one of the ski resorts. If you don’t have a car you’ll have to use the bus system to go everywhere and if you stay in Aspen you’ll be stuck paying Aspen prices for everything unless you take the bus out to Glenwood Springs to go grocery shopping or for whatever else you may need.
If you want to photograph Aspen Mountain you’ll need to spring for Aspen lift tickets that will cost around $200 per day. Alternatively you can get the Ikon Pass if you buy it before the ski season starts. You’ll need to get the full Ikon pass if you want to be able to ski Aspen.
Once you have your lodging and pass, it’s time to hit the slopes. Grab your camera,toss it in a backpack, hop on the bus or hike to the slopes with all your gear and head out. There are scenic views all over the place at Aspen Mountain. You’ll enjoy views looking down on the town of Aspen, have loads of opportunities to incorporate skiers, chairlifts and gondolas. Just pick a non-storm day and enjoy a leisurely day of skiing and shooting on the slopes of Aspen Mountain.
What Does It Take To Get A Wall Art Quality Photo On The Slopes Of Aspen Mountain?
Once you get there and get out on the slopes, there will be tons of awesome and classic ski scenes unfolding in front of you. You’ll want to pick a day with no precipitation so you’ll have better lighting and won’t have to worry about snow getting on your camera lens that will generate water spots in your photos.
When photographing ski resorts there are awesome scenic photos of just the terrain and mountain peaks as well as photos unique to the resort itself. Both make great wall art prints and a full or even a half day on the slopes will facilitate plenty of opportunities for each at most ski resorts.
Ski resorts like Aspen that have enclosed lifts like gondolas and those that have trams like Snowbird or Jackson Hole offer iconic photo opportunities that are unique to those resorts. Anyone who has skied Aspen Mountain immediately recognizes the gondola and knows the photo is from a familiar spot at Aspen. The same is true for the tram at Snowbird, the “Big Red” tram at Jackson Hole and other enclosed lifts at other ski resorts around the world.
While Aspen Mountain doesn’t have a tram, they do have a colorful gondola that can be incorporated into photos that will immediately be recognizable as Aspen Mountain. When taking the iconic photos or the scenic photos, skiers can add to the scene and provide a sense of scale. In pure mountain scenes, the inclusion of skiers immediately makes it obvious that the photo is taken at a ski resort or a back country area. This particular photo includes the iconic Aspen Mountain gondola as well as skiers for a sense of scale on an overcast day with low hanging clouds.
What Is The Best Gear For Photographing Aspen Mountain Ski Scenes?
When photographing ski scenes at Aspen Mountain an most other ski resorts, a good DSLR or mirrorless camera combined with a general all purpose zoom lens is generally sufficient for ski resort photos. A 24mm-105mm lens is generally a good choice. If you carry two lenses, a wider zoom lens would be a good second choice. Since you will be skiing with a camera that is probably expensive you may want to look for something that is weather and water proof or at least resistant.
Weight and size may be other considerations. Do you want to have to ski around with a big DSLR and lens? Will a smaller camera allow you to keep it on your chest for easier access as opposed to having to stop, pull it out of a backpack and then either pack it up or ski with it dangling around your neck? You’ll probably just have to go with what you have but if you are buying a new camera those are a few considerations.
Since you’ll be skiing and shooting during the day in pretty bright light with a snow white ground cover, there is no need for a tripod. You probably won’t want to ski with one or stop to set it up anyway.
To enhance blue skies, reduce or enhance reflections, or bring out a little more color here and there, a circular polarizer can be handy to have on the camera or in your pocket for potential use.
All of the above assumes you are going for scenic landscape photos. If you’ll be going for action shots you may want to ditch the short zoom lenses and instead take something like a 100mm-400mm lens with you to photograph skiers in action as they ski down the slopes toward or away from you. A 100mm-400mm zoom lens will enable you to zoom in or out as appropriate as the skier moves toward or away from you.
What Is The Story Behind This Photo Print Of This Aspen Mountain Ski Scene?
Back in the spring of 2019 I had the full Ikon Ski Pass in hand and embarked on an extended ski and national road trip across the western US. I started in Philly, stopped in Pittsburgh, passed through Bloomington, Indiana, spent a night in Kansas City and then moved onto Salina, Kansas.
Once I got to Bloomington, Indiana the weather along the front range of Colorado and western Kansas started to get a little dicey. Winter storms and nasty weather in Kansas paused the cross country journey in Bloomington for a few days. When things cleared up a bit I started west again. Soon I got to Salina, Kansas. The weather forecast took a turn for the worse again. Soon eastern Colorado and Western Kansas were hit by a bomb cyclone that wrecked havoc.
Roads were closed, people were stuck in their cars and the whole area around I-70 going up through Colorado from Kansas was just about shut down for a few days. I had no plan to be in Salina, Kansas when something like that hit but it turned out to be a good place to be. This is where picking a good hotel rewards program comes in handy.
At the time the bomb cyclone hit and I was in Salina, Choice Hotels was running their stay two nights get one free (or stay two nights, get 8,000 point, which is enough points for a free night at their cheaper hotels like EconoLodge and Roadway Inn). In order to qualify for the bonus points you need to stay in two different hotels for one night or ore each at a base hotel rate of $40 or more.
There were three or four cheap Choice Hotels in Salina, Kansas at the time with rates that started t about $40/night. While in Salina, I’d stay one night at one EconoLodge, move to another one and keep doing that for as long as I was in Salina. I’d end up spending about $45-$50 per night, get a $5.00 Starbucks gift car for each weeknight stay and 8,000 points for every two nights I stayed in Salina. It would cost me about $100 for every two nights and I’d get a free night plus $10 in Starbucks gift cards. That brings the cost per night down to about $33/night. It’s how I make the most of the Choice Hotels Rewards Program. I do it everywhere. Towns with two cheap Choice Hotels properties are awesome!
Once the destruction from the bomb cyclone was cleared up, I headed up through Colorado, skied at Eldora and spent a few nights at the A-Lodge Hostel in Boulder. It’s a nice place but they try to discriminate based on age so I’d never stay there again. I skied a day at Copper and then landed at the Glenwood Springs Hostel. The hostel in Glenwood Springs is a decent place, the woman who runs it is very nice. It’s got a kitchen, common area, reasonably comfortable beds and costs about $30/night.
The first day there I just hung around the hostel to get the lay of the land and figure out how to ski Aspen. The second day there I drove down to Aspen Highlands, got to the parking garage a bit after noon when the parking was free and skied Aspen Highlands for the afternoon. I photographed the Aspen Highlands ski resort that day. The Maroon Bells view from Aspen Highlands was awesome! When the slopes closed I drove back to the hostel, hung out, ate dinner and did some more research on Aspen.
After doing a little research I found the Innsbruck Aspen through the Choice Hotels app. The place rented for something like $700/night but with 6,000 or 8,000 Choice Hotels points I was able to book the place for about $100/night. All that bouncing around between the Salina, Kansas EconoLodge properties paid off! I used those points to save about $600/night on a two bedroom palace in Aspen with three bathrooms, a full kitchen, hot tub, small outside pool and luxury furnishings. That was less than a hostel bunk in Aspen would have been.
Once I got the place I contacted everyone I knew nearby who might want to come ski Aspen but nobody could get away. I originally booked one night because I NEVER spend $100 to stay anywhere for a night. After the first night I figured I’d never have the chance to stay somewhere like this again so I booked another night, then two more and then one more for a total of 5 nights in Aspen for about $500. It was in walking distance to Aspen Mountain and I could take the local free buses to the other Aspen Si Resorts.
It was then I discovered how expensive EVERYTHING in Aspen is. Gas, groceries, beer, everything. The oil light came in on the car and it cost me $12 for a single quart of oil in Aspen. Fortunately, the car is pretty well stocked with food and drinks at all times on the road. I stocked up on food before driving down to Aspen from Glenwood Springs so didn’t have to spend much of anything while in Aspen.
The location of the Innsbruck Aspen is perfect! Not only can you walk to wherever you need to go in the town of Aspen, you can walk to the ski slopes of Aspen Mountain to ski. It’s a few blocks but it is walkable and too close to make it worth waiting for the bus to get a ride over there.
The day I skied Aspen Mountain, I did walk over with the ski gear and camera gear. The day was a mix of sun and clouds with a little precipitation. One day was enough to explore a fair amount of the mountain and get some cool photos of the scenery, the skiers, some views looking down on the town of Aspen.
This particular photo incorporated the iconic Aspen Mountain gondola, skiers enjoying the slopes and the weather conditions on that particular day. The low hanging clouds helped to fill the frame from top to bottom and make a complete image. After the lifts closed, I hiked back to the Innsbruck Aspen cooked dinner in the kitchen, enjoyed the hot tub, watched the big screen TVs and eventually drifted off to sleep in anticipation of another ski day at a different Aspen ski resort the next day.
What Formats Is This Aspen Mountain Winter Ski Art Print Available?
This Aspen Mountain print is available on canvas, paper, acrylic, metal and wood. On all materials it is available in sizes up to 40×60 inches. If you plan to hang it in an area with diffused lighting, and material with any finish will look great. Glossy or metallic surface prints will be brighter and more vibrant while canvas and paper prints with a matte finish will have a more subtle, classic look. If it will be hung in an area with bright direct lighting or exposed light bulbs a matte paper or canvas finish will look best so as not to reflect the bright direct lighting.
If you’d like to give your bathroom an Aspen ski theme, you can get this image printed on a high quality shower curtain and pair it with matching bath towels. For the bedroom, living room or basement room, a Sherpa fleece blanket can make an impression and a nice cozy blanket to curl up under on those cold winter days. Pair it with some throw pillows for a more complete look.
If you need something to replace those plastic shopping bags you might consider a hefty canvas tote bags. They come in a variety of sizes with the larger ones big enough to work as beach bags. For something smaller and more subtle, you can get this image printed on a phone case for the latest Samsung and Apple cel phones.
Finally, if you like puzzles, why not opt for a 500 or 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle? They come in cardboard boxes with the image on the outside of the box for reference. Aspen Mountain jigsaw puzzles make great holiday or birthday gifts for the Aspen skier!
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