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[skiersage]

GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW SILVER QUEEN GONDOLA
ON ASPEN MOUNTAIN - SATURDAY, JULY 1



Join in the Celebration at 9:30 a.m. with Olympians Chris Klug and Gretchen Bleiler



ASPEN/SNOWMASS, Colo. June 27, 2006 – A grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday, July 1 when the new Silver Queen Gondola will open for the first time. Crews have been working on the gondola for the last two years in preparation for this day. The gondola will feature 147 new, Swiss-made cabins. The new six-passenger cabins offer floor to ceiling windows, are roomier, have better ventilation and feature both black and red cabins with new silver logos. Each new cabin features an informative panel featuring historical and environmental facts about Aspen/Snowmass.



A ribbon cutting and opening celebration will take place on the gondola steps at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday July 1. Local government officials, Aspen Skiing Company representatives and Olympians Chris Klug and Gretchen Bleiler will be on hand for the opening.



“The old cabins served us well, but it was time to upgrade,” said Steve Sewell, Mountain Manager, Aspen Mountain. “I think people will really like these new cabins. There’s more room in these cabins and the ventilation will really be appreciated on warm days.”



The gondola will run daily for the summer season through Sept. 4 and will open again for the weekends of Sept. 9-10, Sept. 16-17 and Sept. 23-24. The gondola runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with the last ride down at 4:30 p.m. There are a variety of activities offered at the top of the mountain and the Sundeck restaurant will be open daily serving food from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.



The Silver Queen Gondola carries riders from the heart of Aspen 2.5 miles to the 11,212 foot summit of Aspen Mountain. Guests can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding Elk Mountain Range, delicious food from the Sundeck restaurant, live music and a variety of events. Daily activities begin the weekend of July 1.



Uphill hiking is allowed on Aspen Mountain. Hikers can ride the gondola down at no cost. Hikers need to allow enough time to reach the top. Last ride down the gondola is at 4:30 p.m. the gondola may close early due to inclement weather. Dogs are allowed on the gondola in the summer only. Dogs must be on a leash in and around the top and bottom terminals. No unattended dogs at the Sundeck please.



Gondola pass rates are as follows:

Passes


Weekdays/Weekends


Weekly/Season Passes*

Adults


$19/$21


$38/$165

Youth 13-17


$15/$17


$30/$125

Kids 4-12


$10/$12


$20/$82

Children 3 & under


FREE




Seniors 70 & over


$15/$17


$30/$125

Premier Season Passholders


FREE




All other Season Passholders


$12/$12


$24



* Purchase a weekly pass and receive unlimited rides on the Silver Queen Gondola and Burlingame lift at Snowmass, 10% off food at the Sundeck, one free climb on the climbing wall and 20% off logo wear and bike rentals at Four-Mountain Sports.



Maroon Bells and Gondola Combo
Purchase a combination ticket for the two most popular attractions in the Roaring Fork Valley - the Silver Queen Gondola on Aspen Mountain and the Maroon Bells Bus Tour. The Maroon Bells are located just out of town and are among the most photographed mountains in North America. Access to the Maroon Bells is restricted to buses only. The combination ticket costs $22 and provides access to the gondola ride and access to the bus tour (two separate excursions). Tickets can be purchased at the Rubey Park Transit Center on Durant Avenue, at the Gondola Ticket Office or at Four-Mountain Sports at the base of Aspen Highlands. For more information call 877-282-7736 or 970-923-1227.



Sundeck Restaurant - Make it a lunch date on the top of Aspen Mountain. The Sundeck restaurant offers a full lunch menu with grilled items, fresh sandwiches, vegetarian dishes, soups, salads, desserts and beverages. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.



Mountain Photo - Have your photo taken by our professional on-mountain photographers with the Rocky Mountains as your backdrop. Mountain Photo is available at the top of the gondola from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Visit Mountain Photo at the base of Aspen Mountain to view your photos (no obligation to purchase). Send a FREE electronic postcard to friends and family. For more information or to make a reservation, call 877-282-7736 or 970-923-1227.



ACTIVITIES ON ASPEN MOUNTAIN

Saturday Classical Music on the Mountain-FREE
(with the purchase of a gondola ticket)
Saturdays, July 1 - August 19
Relax at 11,000 feet in a glorious meadow overlooking Mt. Hayden and take in the beauty as students of the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival & School perform a repertoire of their own choosing. Bring a picnic (available at the Sundeck) or a lawn chair and enjoy the FREE performances (with the purchase of a gondola ticket), located just a short walk out Richmond Ridge from the top of the gondola. Performances begin at 1 p.m.

Bluegrass Sundays-FREE
(with the purchase of a gondola ticket)
July 2 - September 3
A favorite among locals, Sundays feature top bluegrass musicians from around Colorado performing in this ideal Rocky Mountain setting. The FREE (with the purchase of a gondola ticket), open-air concerts are from noon to 3 p.m. outside the Sundeck (on top of Aspen Mountain). The line-up varies each week, visit www.aspensnowmass.com for a complete schedule.

Yoga Hikes $50
Daily, Monday through Friday, July 3 - August 25
Sweat and stretch in the midst of inspiring scenery. This popular program combines intermediate backcountry hikes followed by an hour of open-air Hatha yoga at the top of Aspen Mountain. Includes all-day gondola ticket + sunshine + yoga + wildflower hike. Class size limited - please call 970-920-0731 to reserve your space.

Family/Other Activities on Aspen Mountain

Climbing Wall
Daily July 1 - September 4
Test your agility on the rock-climbing wall. Try it for fun or challenge yourself on the different routes. All ages are welcome (harness must fit properly). Open daily July 1 - September 4, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $7/one climb, $10/two climbs, $40/ten climbs.

Bungee Trampoline
Daily, July 1 - September 4
The world of extreme sports introduces this hybrid of the trampoline. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10/session (3 minutes).

Disc Golf
Daily, July 1 - September 4
Play the world’s highest official disc (Frisbee) golf course - it's a hike and a game in one free, fun outing. Pick up your disc, scorecard and course map at the top of Aspen Mountain. Take it easy and play the top nine holes, or challenge yourself to all 18 - the back 9 are "double-black" disc golf at its best.


Obstacle Course
Daily, July 1 - September 4
Check out this free course full of natural and man-made obstacles. Tree logs, rope swings, cargo netting and more. An exciting challenge - give it a try.

Silver Nugget Dig
Daily, July 1 - September 4
Kids can go back in time to the turn of the century and Aspen's silver mining history. Dig in the silver mining sandbox to uncover silver nuggets of all shapes and sizes. Small silver nuggets can be taken as a souvenir. Maybe you will get a glimpse of the Motherlode - the largest piece of silver ever mined, right here on Aspen Mountain.



ACTIVITIES ON SNOWMASS



Activities and lift rides at Snowmass are already underway. Ride the Burlingame chairlift and enjoy breathtaking views of Snowmass and the surrounding valley. This double-seat chairlift takes a scenic route from the Snowmass Village Mall to mid-mountain. At the top, you'll find great views, a free disc golf course and access to many trails for hiking and biking. Bicycles may be taken on the lift at no additional charge. Take the chairlift up and hike or bike back down. Camp Aspen/Snowmass is also underway offering activities for children of all ages Monday – Friday all summer long. For more information call toll free 877-AT-ASPEN (877-282-7736) or 970-923-0570.



Aspen/Snowmass operates four destination mountains – Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk – and is the home of the ESPN Winter X Games through 2010. Aspen/Snowmass also offers unparalleled nightlife and off-slope activities as well as four award-winning Ski & Snowboard Schools. Aspen/Snowmass is accessible by two of the most convenient airports in the mountains – Aspen Sardy Field (3 miles from Aspen) and Eagle County Airport (70 miles from Aspen). For more information on Aspen/Snowmass, please call 800/525-6200 or 970/925-1220, or visit the company’s website at www.aspensnowmass.com.

[floridaskier]

Anyone seen the new cabins on the line yet?

Just wondering, will the new cabins reuse the old TB grips, get new TB grips (they still make spares but hundreds of new grips?) or Omega grips?

[liftmech]

I would imagine the original TB grips have been reused. I can't see even Aspen springing for all-new grips when the old ones are still functional. And unless they did some radical upgrades on the terminals, Omega grips cannot pass through the TB-style terminals.

[okemopoma]

Oh good!!!!

Maybe some of the POMA service dept will be back in Grand Jct and answer their telephones now!

[liftmech]

We've been trying to pin Rod down for weeks now- we feel your pain.

[Peter]

Here are a couple pics of the new gondola cabins from Flickr.

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[poloxskier]

Skier, on Jul 6 2006, 07:18 PM, said:

Here are a couple pics of the new gondola cabins from Flickr.

I guess those are ok but the queen just doesn't look right without the eggs.

[Peter]

It seems like there are a lot more black cabins than red. It looks kind of booring. I really like the colorful cabins at Sunshine Village.

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