Swift, Silent, Deep

This is the real deal. SWIFT,SILENT,DEEP.

The Story of the Jackson Hole Air Force.

Friday Jan. 29 WHEELER OPERA HOUSE. 7.30 PM  $10

Gay Ski Week in Aspen

The Boys are Back in town. Gay Ski Week (GSW) in Aspen is traditionally one of the hardest partying weeks of the year.  2010 appeared to be no exception.  Aspen's male-to-female ratio is normally about 7-to-1.  During the third week in January, it jumps to like 45-to-1.  AspenSpin was absent, but an estimated 3500 Gay and Lesbian skiers/riders took to the slopes and the jacuzzi's of Aspen.

AspenSpin missed all the GSW festivities this year. We took the week off to prepare for X-Games.  We missed the pool party, we missed the fashion show, we missed the parade, we missed boutique night.  What we didn't miss was the best powder day of the year.  A legitimate 12 incher at Snowmass.  If you're a regular reader---- you know A-Spin doesn't get outside the traffic circle very often, but Snowmass got the goods this time---and we claimed 'em.  It was a fantastic powder day atop Hanging Valley Wall, but don't worry the site ain't gonna be called SnowmassSpin any time soon

A-Spin fell down on the job. No pix from GSW. Gaze upon a few photos we took last summer in SF. You'll get the picture.  Heard on the Gondy -- the Aspen Club men's locker room saw heavy usage this week.  Normally a 4-man jacuzzi -- "it was filled to the brim--with dudes".  The steam  room saw standing room and kneeling room only conditions, and the Sauna....OMG....punches were exchanged after a brief session of inappropriate touching.

Aspen : It's a SKI TOWN

Aspen Highland Bowl.The powder storms are "just missing" Aspen, Colorado so far this ski season.  That doesn't mean that Aspen isn't a ski town.  Tonight, Aspen legends took the stage at two separate locations for 2 separate events to celebrate skiing.

Aspen Highlands patrollers and pioneers; Mac Smith and O.J. MelahnMac Smith, Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol Director since 1979 and his sidekick patroller Jeff (O.J.) Melahn gave an oral history of Aspen Highlands and Highland Bowl.   Smith has been poaching lines in the bowl since the 60's and Melahn almost as long.  The Aspen Historical Society's lecture series, Time Travel Tuesdays brought  in Smith and Melahn to speak before a huge crowd at the Wheeler/ Stallard Museum.  They re-lived the POW DAYS, the extremely hard work  they put in to get the bowl ready for skiers and the 1984 tragedy that resulted in the death of 3 patrolers.  Those left behind in 1984 took snow science to the next level and now Highland Bowl is the closest thing to back country skiing within the confines of a resort.  If you've ever "earned your turns" by hiking up Highland Bowl to experience the joy of shredding the EPIC super-steeps ---you owe Mac Smith, O.J. Melahn and others a debt of gratitude.  They shared the fascinating history of Aspen's Highland Bowl along with the love and respect they have for Aspen Highlands. The crowd went wild.

Bottom of the WorldBig Mountain alpinist and skier Chris Davenport loved Antarctica so much last year-- he returned for more.  He admitted, it's no easy trip to get to the bottom of the world. 

Chris Davenport.Lights,camera,action.This time Davenport took a few friends and a crack camera crew to sail, climb, ski and document the most extreme environment on earth.  Dav. and his crew produced a soon to be released documentary film about their exploits.  The movie, entitled Austrailis, an Antarctic Ski Odyssey was named after the 75 ft, steel-hulled  sail / motor boat that transported the team across the Drake Passage to Antarctica.  Austrailis is still a work in progress, but Chris shared awesome photos and videos with the SRO crowd at the Ute Mountaineer, as part of their free lecture series --the first Tuesday of each month.   C.D. shared awesome stories of the trip, the mountains, the climbs and the first decents. 

Learn more; click.  Chris Davenport.

O.J. explains to Mac, how he used to duck the rope at Aspen Highlands.

Chris Davenport with the Spungs, Tara, JR and Trey at his Antarctica presentation. 

Aspen Winterskol.

Spazmatics WinterSkol AspenIt was a BIG weekend in Aspen. Winterskol is always a blast.

Since 1951, Aspen has been celebrating Winter with Winterskol.  Originally conceived as a way to generate tourism in the "dog dayz" of Winter, after the holidays, Winterskol is always one of the best weekends of the season. 

Skiing, parties, music, swag, food and drinks, Wintersculpt, SoupSkol and a HUGE Canine Fashion Show.  If you come to Aspen for Winterskol--- u better bring your A-Game.   The Winterskol offerings for 2010 were vast.  Free fun was everywhere.  Special thanks to Men's Health and Women's Health Magazines for setting us up at the SWAG WAGON and Eukanuba for feeding Carmelo.

Click 4 pix.   WINTERSKOL  and ASPEN POWDER HOUNDS 

Secrets of Aspen / Best in Show. Click 4 pix

 I wanna bigger burger. Click 4 pix.

The only thing that would have made it the best Winterskol ever---- A HUGE POW DAY.  Please Ullr let us have it, give us the goods. We need. a giant-sized dump---please.   Next up Gay Ski Week and X Games.

The WinnersWinterskol Weekend in Aspen

SoupSkol   #1 Garnish Cafe (Aspen Club) 

WinterSculpt   #1 Sumo on a rug   

Dog Show    #1 Secrets of Aspen 

Buisness of the Year.  #1 LimeLight Lodge

Aspen: Messy Vitality

There is a weird vibe in Aspen this season.

Getting rowdy in the gondy. Click 2 enlarge.We've been trying to figure it out for weeks.  What's up in Aspen?  Everybody seems to be hating on something.  Despite the fact that Aspen is still a beautiful mountain paradise, the vibe is off.  Maybe its the economy??   Maybe its all the medical cannabis??  Maybe its the stratification and bifurcation of the Aspen clientele??  We've said it before, Aspen is the town of 5000 residents and 100,000 opinions, but what's up with all the negativism??? All the lawsuits?? All the squabling??

Developers vs. Preservationists.  City Council vs. Developers. Ski Co. vs. Locals. Mayor Mick vs. The Red Ant.  Les Wexner vs. Pitkin County. Charlie Sheen vs. his Wife. The Secrets of Aspen vs. the Reality of Aspen. The Little Nell and Viceroy vs. their "owners".  Censorship vs. Freedom of speech. Traffic vs. pedestrians.  Scott DeGraff vs. everybody.  There seems to be a higher level of conflict in Aspen this Winter, and AspenSpin is getting sick of it.  What used to be considered "MESSY VITALITY" is now just a mess.

A visit 2 Jerry's Shrine. Click 2 enlarge.After weeks of analysis---we figured it out.  Its the NO SNOW factor.  Where are the freshies?   Yep, it's true, despite Ski Co. and ACRA's best promotional efforts---Aspen has not had a banner snow year ---so far.  We hate to admit it in front of all the marketing and PR professionals that read our sh*t, but its a fact.  NO SNOW ----bums people out in Aspen.  The skiing has been decent----for what it is---- super -duper hard packed conditions.  We've had plenty of beautiful sunny, bluebird days----but very little POW POW. A-Spin likes it soft.  The softer the better.

Everybody has a snow dance, right?  We all need to start doin' the dance. So get up up off o dat thang---and shake it till u feel better. Pray to Ullr, flame a bonfire, seed the clouds, fight global warming.  Lets all do what we need to do to get the POWDER flowing again.  A-Spin wants to break out the fatties ASAP.  C'mon people, let's get on it.

Photo Op. at the TOP. click 2 Enlarge.Take an Epic Ski Day w/ Weems. click 2 Enlarge