I took a road trip with friends this weekend to Aspen and Snowmass. It was great to explore a new piece of this glorious state. Around each corner was some great shot — something bright, aesthetic, eye-catching, gorgeous. We climbed Independence Pass, curled through canyons, looked up at the Maroon Bells, gasped at the height and power of the rivers — surging with snow run off, and marveled at the natural beauty of Colorado.
Quirky Aspen is at first glance pretentious like Scottsdale. But at second glance, it really isn’t. (It’s a shallow view of Scottsdale, too.) There is flash and flare — Hermes, Prada, Gucci — and plenty of fancy restaurants with fancy people sitting outside enjoying tiny, overpriced glasses of wine and tiny, overpriced plates of whatever you can imagine. At closer look, Aspen is down to earth lovely like Bisbee. A farmers’ market with mason jars of honey, homemade jewelry, candles, stationery and dogs of every size and shape closed several of the busiest streets Saturday. It was particularly loud this weekend with a large food festival in town. And yet, the shops were full of locals who were incredibly kind. The wine shop man, the boot store employees, the thrift store volunteers — all remarkably welcoming during such a busy, noisy time. I overheard one local telling another, “Just wait until the Brazilians leave. They donate their skis every year. Score!”
I look forward to returning with more time to hike and photograph the stunning mountains that surround the town. And maybe enjoy one of those tiny plates and glasses of food too.
~K