Aspen in a day

What do you do when you go on Christmas vacation and there’s no snow?

You go to the closest place that just got dumped on. In my case it was Aspen, Colorado (and its vicinity). Three years ago I tried snowmobiling in Minnesota and fell in love with the sport! What can you not love about feeling like your flying over a sheet of fresh powder at 60 mph?? Granted in Minnesota it’s mainly trail riding but THEN you go out on the lakes! Don’t worry they are frozen and that’s the best part. At first, the thought of putting a 400 pound snowmobile on a sheet of ice scared the crap out of me especially because I can’t swim. But after seeing person after person having a blast zipping around the lakes, I decided to give it a try. What’s the worst that could have happened? I fall in and hopefully the people I’m with don’t hate me that much and at least attempt to save my life. Well, I wasn’t as sarcastic in the moment as I am looking back but you get the drift. So I slowly inch down to the frozen lake which I was told the ice went at least three feet deep and I slowly get braver and speed up faster and faster. I was hooked!! It’s such an incredible feeling knowing you can practically fly above water and do it safely at incredible speeds. My first time, I stuck around 40mph but the next day I reached 70mph which was exhilarating for me even in the freezing temperatures Minnesota had that year.

I also got the chance to snowmobile in Big Sky, Montana and Jackson Hole, Wyoming and that’s when I got introduced to deep powder sledding. Soooo much cooler! The ride is so smooth and the falls are so gentle. When you’re riding you feel like you floating on a cloud and when you fall it’s like falling in a big fluffy pillow. So naturally, as winter approached this year I was supper stoked to go. Unfortunately, Minnesota didn’t have much snow so when Aspen got dumped on it didn’t take very long until I was there. The snow was deep! So deep in fact that I wasn’t even able to go snowmobiling. Sad as I was, I didn’t want to slow the rest of the group down with me consistently getting my sled buried, so I stayed behind and enjoyed the Ritz Carlton at Bacheor Gulch.

I had never stayed there before so once I was able to check in and get settled, I was off exploring the property. First off, its located on top of a hill with beautiful views of the mountain. It’s a ski in and ski out kind of place and my room overlooked the ski lifts. I was able to enjoy the live music and take in the families having fun outdoors from the comfort of my balcony. Sipping my coffee, watching the little kids “pizza” down the bunny hill was pretty entertaining. I secretly wish I could ski so I might actually get some lessons if I can this year as I broke my tailbone snowboarding last year and I’ve have about enough of that sport.

The staff there was so lovely! As soon as I pulled up, I was so warmly greeted and they even helped me get booked at the spa even though the hotel was completely booked. My first service was a hydro- massage, which is a water massage in a jet tub. It was my first experience doing that and I might have overdone it with the bubble bath just a tad because before I knew it, I had a giant mountain of bubbles taller than me. So, the main part of my hydro-massage was spent battling the constantly forming bubble mountain so I wouldn’t be enveloped by it. Once the jets turned off at the twenty-minute mark, the lovely lady that checked me in knocked on the door and escorted me back to the waiting room where I was to meet my masseuse. Steve was probably one of the most knowledgeable masseurs I’ve ever encountered. After checking my pressure points, he was able to deduce that my hip was slightly out of place and that I had an issue with my right shoulder. All things I knew but never mentioned. You would think I’m an old lady if you heard me talk: broken tailbone, hip out of place, messed up shoulder… twenty-seven going on seventy. After my eighty-minute massage, I felt amazing! He was able to fix all my problem areas and never once made me feel unconfutable. I usually prefer female massage therapists but I’m glad I gave Steve a shot.

After my spa appointments, I went down into Edwards and ate at Sato, a local sushi spot that was packed full of people. Two hours and a belly full later I retreated back to my hotel room and had a nice long bubble bath while sipping on the champagne the hotel manager sent to the room.

It was such a pleasant stay that we tried to extend another day. Sadly, the hotel was sold out and we had to take our leave but I would go back there in a heart beat and I hope to one day soon. There is so much I still want to do there like check out the local village below and eat at the restaurant within the hotel as it had quite the reputation.

My Aspen trip, short but sweet, left quite the impression.

xo,