Aspen Highlands Closing Day: It's not for Gapers

The Aspen Highlands closing day party has morphed into the biggest and best party in the ski world. And it keeps getting bigger.  It's like the perfect storm of on-mountain celebrations.  The costumes, the booze, the music, the drugs and especially the all-out steaziness is beyond compare.

Click 4 pix:  AH, It's not for Gapers.

The Aspen Highlands closing day party has expanded from an intimate locals-only soiree into a regional bacchanalia.   People are now coming from all over the Western U.S. just to throw down.  The wilder the better.  

This years edition blew the roof off the open-air party stadium at Aspen Highlands. Nearly 5000 revelers joined in...an unofficial record.   

Always a highlight... The Aspen Bounce...it's when the jam-packed, pre-fab deck floor recoils to the beat of the EDM and the collective rhythm of the ski and rider tribe. The  Aspen bounce gives dancers a little extra vitality and allows people to send it just a little bit higher. You have to try it out to believe it. The non-stop DJ's at two different venues keep the potency of the party going.  From kids with fake I.D's to seniors with AARP cards...everyone gets their jam on. 

Alcohol is one thing.  There is tons of it all over the mountain.   Whether it's BYO or Champagne at Cloud Nine or Coors light... the fire water is flowing.   The Weed?  There's enough MJ (medical, recreational and black market) to satisfy an army. Other drugs like LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, meth, horse tranquilizers, special K, sizzurp and bath salts are surely being used to enhance the mood.

This party is not for gapers.  It's a year-end ritual that memorializes another great Winter of shredding in Aspen.  Everyone needs to blow off some steam at the end of a long ski season... and they do. It's a well deserved blow out.  The Aspen Highlands closing day party is as close to "anything goes" as you can get.

Sure, many of the revelers dont even see the mountain...thats OK.  Plus we always hear tales of lost equipment, lost phones, lost keys, lost wallets, lost credit cards, lost panties...but thats OK too. Lots of folks pass out and/or barf on the bus...also OK.  People over-indulging and forgetting where they live is part of the cultural experience of AH closing day.  I often set up camp at the Rubey Park bus stop in Aspen as night falls just to see the zombie walkers that get off that Aspen Highlands bus.

By any definition Closing Day at Aspen Highlands is a DO NOT MISS experience in Aspen.

Click for Pix:

Aspen Highlands Closing Day: It's not for gapers.

Photo: Matt Power Click the image for MattPowerphotography.comCloud Nine on closing day...that a jam sesh.