| Aspen Highlands has become most famous for the Highland Bowl and other experts only terrain. However, the Bowl wasn't completely opened until 2002. Most of the mountain's terrain flows off of the narrow ridge extending from Highland Peak.
Mid and Lower Mountain Terrain
Rolling wide beginner and intermediate trails through thick lodgepole pine forest constitute most of the mid-to-lower mountain terrain. The very bottom of the mountain is dominated by the Thunderbowl, an expansive steep intermediate run that normally hosts most of the ski competitions on the mountain. The lower mountain also contains challenging, but underappreciated expert runs such Lower Stein and P-Chutes. It is served by the Exhibition and Thunderbowl lifts. The Mid-Mountain area is anchored by the 60s era Merry-Go-Round restaurant, with a large, south-facing deck. The Merry-Go-Round also serves as the hub of the major chairlifts on mountain. The Cloud Nine lift serves primarily intermediate and difficult runs on the mid-mountain as well as Scarlett's, a notorious mogul run. The summit of Cloud Nine lift is the location of Cloud Nine Bistro, offering the best on-mountain dining of the Aspen ski areas and views of the Maroon Bells.
Upper Mountain Terrain
What attracts most skiers to Highlands is the dramatic, just-above-timberline summit of the mountain. The upper mountain is primarily served by the Loge Peak high speed quad originating at the Merry-Go-Round. The ridge that extends down from Lone Peak (the lift-served summit) has only one intermediate run, Broadway, which follows the ridge spine. On either side, Steeplechase and the No Name Bowl fall away at precipitous angles. Spectacular views of the Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak, Hayden Peak, and the Highland Bowl greet skiers at the summit.
The Highland Bowl
Since 2002, the Highland Bowl has been the crown jewel of Aspen Highlands. Most of the terrain is accessed only on foot, although a snowcat can cut the distance by a third. The Highlands ski patrol monitors the Bowl and conducts avalanche control for skier safety. The Bowl faces primarily east, towards Aspen Mountain. Generally, the best snow to be found is in the north-facing G-Zones ("G" corresponds to green ski wax, for the coldest temperature snow). The B-Zones (for blue wax) are the steepest, face east, and descend down the center of the bowl from the 12,382 ft. summit of Highland Peak. The south-facing Y-Zones (yellow wax), can be skied without hiking if one rides the snowcat. Until recent improvements, a run down the Highland Bowl was followed by the Grand Traverse, a long, flat catwalk back to the Loge Peak lift. The Highland Bowl also offers access from the summit into the steep and highly avalanche prone backcountry Five Fingers Bowl.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Retrieved on 2007-08-15
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