Aspen News Follow-Up – Internet Service Issues in Pitkin County

A wireless icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A March 27, 2015, story in the local Aspen news media about internet service issues in Pitkin County caught our attention recently.

On that date, Aspen Public Radio (APR) aired a story about the inadequacies and unreliability of rural internet service in Pitkin County:  “Rural residents say unreliable internet impacting business, academics”. In particular, it appears that some residents in Old Snowmass are having issues with slow internet speeds in that area.

Loose Moose Near Aspen

English: Cow moose (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With an early spring rearing its unseasonable head in the Aspen area this year, local’s thoughts are already turning to the return of summer activities like gardening, biking, hiking and generally just getting out and about in the outdoors.

The coming of spring and summer also means the increased wildlife activity, and of human-wildlife encounters in the area as well. While bear-human interactions tend to capture most of the headlines in this arena, I was reminded by Aspen Public Radio recently that human-moose encounters near Aspen also have been increasing over the years.

Annual Colorado Winter Festivals – Let the Fun Begin!

Aspen Winterskol Ice Musician (Photo Credit: Rich Pearce)

When people think about Colorado, they think about the outdoors, and during the winter they often think about skiing, snowboarding and the countless other winter activities the state has to offer.

Of course, this time of year, locals and visitors alike are focused largely on all the festive holiday events and activities going on, but there are many other entertaining and fun annual Colorado winter festivals at other times as well.

Here are a few of the more notable annual Colorado winter celebrations:

Things to do in Aspen besides Skiing

Fireworks over Aspen Mountain (Photo Credit: Rich Pearce)

One of my favorite things to do in Aspen besides skiing is taking in the Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series shows, co-sponsored by the Aspen Skiing Company.

The FREE Bud Light Hi-Fi outdoor concerts are among the more popular nighttime, off-hill winter events in Aspen, entertaining  young and old and visitors and locals alike. The series features an eclectic mix of musical genres, such as folk and bluegrass, reggae, jazz, dance rock and roll, and country. It has showcased such acts as Elephant Revival, Savoy, Cash’d Out, Black Uhuru, The Magnificent 7, and Reverend Horton Heat.

A Fun Aspen Activity that’s not Actually in Aspen

Aspen certainly offers an abundance of fun things to do, winter, summer and in between, but sometimes one just has to “get out of Dodge” for an evening of fun, especially when you can’t really find anything like it Aspen (anymore). There are a lot of great fun/entertainment opportunities nearby in the greater Roaring Fork Valley as well.

Glenwood Vaudeville Theater (Photo Credit: Rich Pearce)

Many in town remember the Crystal Palace, the zany, often irreverent dinner theater that had Aspen audiences rolling in the aisles for some 51 years. We certainly had our share of great times there. Sadly, it’s no longer in existence, but we discovered a great replacement in Glenwood Springs, the Glenwood Vaudeville Theater.

About Aspen and Snowmass – Why I’m Grateful I Live Here

Aspen Art Galleries (Photo credit: richpalpine)

I’m a little biased because I grew up here, but all of a sudden I find myself in the middle of the summer season in Aspen and I realize how truly grateful I am that I live here. First, a little background about Aspen and Snowmass:

Where is Aspen?

Aspen, Colorado is nestled in the Elk Mountain Range of the central Colorado Rockies, approximately 218 miles southwest of Denver. The town is known internationally as a high-end destination resort, luxurious vacation home locale and “Rocky Mountain playground for the rich and famous”.

Aspen Cross-Country Skiing Extravaganza

Aspen Events - Cross-Country Ski Extravaganza - Lesson Time (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Cross-country skiing is a hot, cold weather topic in Aspen these days. Locals Simi Hamilton and Noah Hoffman have just been named to the 2014 Sochi Olympics cross-country ski team, and the Owl Creek Chase (self-proclaimed as “Colorado’s largest x-country ski race”), just took place.

Additionally, for the rest of us merely recreational cross-country skiers, the recent annual Aspen Cross Country Center’s free Aspen Cross-Country Ski Extravaganza event once again ignited fantasies of reaching those levels of cross-country skiing prowess.

Things to do in Aspen – It’s the Off-Season, Now What?

Off-Season Getaway - Dualakoo (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Now that off-season has arrived, some of us are looking for interesting things to do in Aspen, Colorado this time of year.

Many fill the void created by the end of skiing, snowboarding and other winter-oriented activities by leaving town to go on their own vacations. Those who can afford it, time-wise and budget-wise, often go on fanciful vacations to warm-weather locations like various places in Mexico, or even closer to home, like Moab, Utah. Others take the opportunity to go back “home” to visit family.

For me, however, it’s “birthday season” – time to head to Palisade, Colorado to visit my kids and grandkids – Abraham in March, Thomas in April and Sidd in May! It also gives me the opportunity to see my stepson’s band, Dualakoo, play once again in that Grand Junction center of the music universe, Cruisers Bar on Horizon Drive.

Things To Do In Aspen, Colorado - Some of My Favorites

I can’t believe it’s a new year already. It seems like it was just “yesterday” that I started blogging about various activities and things to do in Aspen, Colorado – it was actually March of 2012!

I’ve blogged about a lot of Aspen activities and events, from the annual Fourth of July parade, Aspen Music Festival performances and the 2012 USA Pro Challenge Bicycle Race, to vegetable gardening and ballroom dancing; but it all started with posts about presentations hosted by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and the Aspen Center for Physics.

Here are some of last year’s posts about some of these presentations:

December 2012 Activities in Aspen, Colorado – Moon Watching and Cross-Country Skiing

Too busy at the end of December with holiday activities, cross-country skiing and the awesome full moon display to post anything this week but these photos.

Have to say that Jupiter sneaking in was amazing as well!

Aspen, Colorado - December Moon in the Clouds (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Aspen, Colorado - Moon Above the Clouds (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Aspen, Colorado Moon Riding the Clouds (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Aspen, Colorado - Moon with Jupiter Crashing the Party (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Aspen Colorado Activities -- Cross-Country Skiing 2012

Cross-Country Skiing in Aspen, Colorado December 9, 2012 (Photo credit: richpalpine)

Well, it finally snowed again here in Aspen, Colorado. The timing couldn’t have been better because I, like many visitors and locals, was beginning to get cranky from the lack of snow.
Thankfully, I at last got to engage in one of my favorite wintertime Aspen activities – cross-country skiing.

I was pleasantly surprised that enough of the white stuff fell over the weekend so that even though the actual ski tracks were not yet in place, the basic cross-country skiing trails at the Aspen Municipal Golf Course could be laid out.

Aspen Colorado Activities – So Many Things to Do and See!

Aspen Events - 2012 USA Pro Challenge - Stage 4 Heading up Aspen Street (Photo credit: richpalpine)

What a busy summer and fall this has been for me here in Aspen, Colorado. There are always so many varied activities to enjoy and participate in that it’s just impossible to partake of all of them.

I guess I really should be grateful that I have so many to choose from, and as I look back at this past summer and fall, I realize how many activities I actually was involved in.

Colorado Fall – Snowmen, Bears, and Pumpkins

Aspen Snowman - Taking A Break (Photo credit: richpalpine)

One of things I love most about fall in Colorado is the diversity in climate, weather, and all of the variety of activities available at this time of the year.

Last week my step-daughter, Michelle, and her two children, Elizabeth and Sean, traveled from Corpus Christi, Texas to visit us here in Colorado.

The plans were to “see snow falling” in Aspen and to carve pumpkins later on at their cousin’s place in Palisade. I was also hoping that they might be able to get a glimpse of one of Aspen’s infamous bears.

 

 

Aspen Garden - Putting it to Bed for the Winter

Ah, it’s that bittersweet time of year again for our Aspen garden.

One of my favorite things to do in Aspen is to grow and tend to our vegetable garden. Now that it's Fall though, it’s not only time to enjoy the fruits of our spring and summer labor, but it's also time to say goodbye to a treasured summer friend.

The temperatures have finally reached below freezing at night and early morning in Aspen, Colorado, and the hours of sunlight have greatly diminished, so it’s time to put our put our beloved garden to bed for the winter.

What a great garden it’s been this summer – from the asparagus to the strawberries to the peas and beans, squash, and finally to the potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes (Actually, the lettuce and spinach weren’t so hot this year, but that’s another story).

Aspen Events – Balloons, Fall Colors and Rugby

Assorted Aspen Events 2012 - Fall Colors, Balloon Festival, Rugby IMG_1126 (Photo credit: richpalpine)

After a busy summer, I sometimes lose track of the fabulous Fall Aspen events that we have available as well.

I know – it’s still technically summer -- but here in the mountains of Colorado, once September hits it begins to feel like Fall, especially with the coolness of early mornings and late evenings.  Still, the daytime temperatures often remain quite warm, so we can continue to enjoy the signature events that make Aspen so special.

The Summer to Fall transition begins with the annual Labor Day Aspen events such as the Motherlode Volleyball Classic and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival. We missed these this year because we were hiking Huron Peak, but we made up for it last weekend.

Hiking and Hot Springs

Full Moon near Huron Peak - Colorado (Photo credit: richpalpine)

My girlfriend, Jo, and I were looking for something fun to do over Labor Day weekend - my only real “vacation” opportunity for the summer. We thought we would head over Independence Pass from Aspen to the Buena Vista, Colorado area to do a little hot springs soaking and some hiking in an area we had not explored before.

We hadn’t really planned on hiking all the way up one of Colorado’s 54 (some say 58) 14ers, but that’s what we did!

Aspen Events – 2012 USA Pro Challenge Bicycle Race in Action

Ok, so I got more than just “helmet shots” at the first Aspen stage of the 2012 USA Pro Challenge Bicycle Race. I also got over my resentment of having my optimum viewing location blocked by the VIP tents.

Even though I still couldn’t see the much-anticipated Aspen events right from in front of my house, only one-half block away from the finish line, I had only to move less than one-half block up the course to find just a little room to get a few decent shots of the events – in particular the women’s Aspen Blue Ribbon Alpine Challenge  race. I did manage to get a couple of decent photos of the men sprinting to the finish line.

Aspen Events – Bicycle Races - Coors Classic to USA Pro Challenge

USA Pro Challenge Bicycle Race -  Aspen Event
Pre-Race view (credit: richpalpine)

Now that the 2012 Aspen Music Festival season has officially come to an end, the town has been focused on the next big event, the 2012 USA ProChallenge premier bicycle race. 

Nicknamed “America’s Race”, this event has created a frenzy of pre-race activity and anticipation in Aspen, as well as all of the other Colorado host cities. For the next, few days, activities in these towns will concentrate on the preparation for and execution of this event, hoping that it will bring some much-desired exposure to the state and what it has to offer outside of  the perhaps better-known winter outdoor activities of skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.

While an event of this nature is relatively new for many of the hosting Colorado communities, in Aspen it offers the opportunity to resurrect summertime bicycle race glory of bygone days.  Remember the Coors Classic?

LIVE FROM ASPEN - MARS ROVER MISSION STICKS ITS LANDING!

English: Artist's rendering of a Mars Exploration Rover. Français : Vue d'artiste d'un Mars Exploration Rover (litt. « rover d'exploration martienne »). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"We’re Safe On Mars!”

Ok, actually I am safe in Aspen and this blog is supposed to be about Aspen – so why am I writing about the Mars Curiosity Rover?

Although I haven’t yet been able to find any direct ties between Aspen and the current Mars Curiosity Rover mission or the 2012 London Summer Olympics, the concurrence of these momentous events just begged for a post with this title.

ASPEN COLORADO EVENTS & ACTIVITIES - 2012 4TH OF JULY PARADE

Aspen events are always fun and entertaining and the 2012 4th of July was no exception.  One of my favorite activities is the annual Aspen 4th of July parade. Here were some of the highlights:

Some pretty interesting critters were floating around the 2012 Aspen, Colorado 4th of July parade

Created with flickr slideshow.  More 4th of July Parade 2012 Photos from Aspen, Colorado   (Love having the front-row view!)

Aspen, colorado 4th of july parade 2012

View more presentations from AlpineRich.

Related articles

• Aspen Colorado - What's Been Going on - What's Coming Up

  ---