Want to know what an EPIC Highlands day REALLY is? Having the best skiers on one mountain loving every minute! Working at Aspen Highlands back when Whipple Van Ness Jones owned the mountain and had a bunch of wildly talented people doing what they do best was one of the best experiences of my life. Every single day was EPIC! Duct Tape and Mad Skills, thats how we kept it all together!
Back when it was an independent mountain and free pass for local kids in Aspen public schools (with a one time registration fee). Though most of my friends were ski-co kids whose parents got them passes for the other mountains. I always preferred Hoghlabds. Lots of characters and great skiers. Best moguls in America! 🇺🇸 ⛷️
I grew up skiing in the 70s. Not Aspen but back east, all around NJ/NY/PA and southern VT. I remember the first family trip to Colorado (still not Aspen, we chose Vail) some time around ‘78 or ‘79. Seeing the gear, the fashions (those CB jackets, wow!) and the style of turns really brings a tear to my eye.
I was a ski bum from Maine in Aspen winters 74-5, 75-6 and 87-88. Highlands was always my favorite place. I had free or discount passes every winter there because of who my employers were. In the 70s, I lived in Independence Lodge, worked a door away at the Weiner Stube as a pearl diver. I skied about a hundred days a season all those winters. I met Hunter, once, my last winter there.
This brings back memories of being a snow puppy with Kristen the last years of Highlands being separate from the Aspen Skiing Company. Mac is young in this video. My stepdad is a ski patroller up there I tried to find him in this video but didn’t see him, if you ever run into OJ up on the mountain be sure to say hi to him.
If Mac had a ranch only a few miles from Highlands, he must have cashed out for literally millions of dollars. I've skied Snowmass several times and plan on hitting Highlands for the first time in a couple weeks!!!
Grew up skiing on Highlands. I was one of the first snowboarders on the mountain when I was about 12 in 1983. We’d ski half the day and change to snowboards and catch all sorts of flack. Little did the ol farts know we were the best skiers on the mountain as well! . They allowed sbowbaroding before Snowmass and Ajax so a lot local of kids changed to Highlands to snowboard. It was an independent mountain at the time and they had a free pass for students with a small one time fee for the whole season. Those were the days!!!!! We used to bolt over to the mountain from the high school to get a few runs in before they closed. Sometimes the lift operators and ski patrol would let us on after closing any go down with the ski patrol for last sweep. Good times!
Want to know what an EPIC Highlands day REALLY is? Having the best skiers on one mountain loving every minute! Working at Aspen Highlands back when Whipple Van Ness Jones owned the mountain and had a bunch of wildly talented people doing what they do best was one of the best experiences of my life. Every single day was EPIC! Duct Tape and Mad Skills, thats how we kept it all together!
love your comment and couldn't agree more
I can add video from the 80-90's but can't seem to find Video Bar footage.. good thing. I still have everyone's etched mugs
Back when it was an independent mountain and free pass for local kids in Aspen public schools (with a one time registration fee). Though most of my friends were ski-co kids whose parents got them passes for the other mountains. I always preferred Hoghlabds. Lots of characters and great skiers. Best moguls in America! 🇺🇸 ⛷️
I grew up skiing in the 70s. Not Aspen but back east, all around NJ/NY/PA and southern VT. I remember the first family trip to Colorado (still not Aspen, we chose Vail) some time around ‘78 or ‘79. Seeing the gear, the fashions (those CB jackets, wow!) and the style of turns really brings a tear to my eye.
Wow, brings back memories for sure
Lots of great memories. Merry Go Round, Freddie & Everette & Mac and every one you skiied with. Packing snow going down the Wall a short run.
I was a ski bum from Maine in Aspen winters 74-5, 75-6 and 87-88. Highlands was always my favorite place. I had free or discount passes every winter there because of who my employers were. In the 70s, I lived in Independence Lodge, worked a door away at the Weiner Stube as a pearl diver. I skied about a hundred days a season all those winters. I met Hunter, once, my last winter there.
This really brings back a lot of memories.
This brings back memories of being a snow puppy with Kristen the last years of Highlands being separate from the Aspen Skiing Company. Mac is young in this video. My stepdad is a ski patroller up there I tried to find him in this video but didn’t see him, if you ever run into OJ up on the mountain be sure to say hi to him.
If Mac had a ranch only a few miles from Highlands, he must have cashed out for literally millions of dollars. I've skied Snowmass several times and plan on hitting Highlands for the first time in a couple weeks!!!
Not a helmet in site!
it looks so friendly back then, is it still the same way now or has the abundance of money changed the look of the town?
Am in this film Jc
Colorados equivalent of the Canadian Rockies 🇨🇦
It was SO fine............. No *&^%$#@! boarders, hipsters................
It was pretty hip in the mid-1970s. More hair, more air, as we used to say.
Grew up skiing on Highlands. I was one of the first snowboarders on the mountain when I was about 12 in 1983. We’d ski half the day and change to snowboards and catch all sorts of flack. Little did the ol farts know we were the best skiers on the mountain as well! . They allowed sbowbaroding before Snowmass and Ajax so a lot local of kids changed to Highlands to snowboard. It was an independent mountain at the time and they had a free pass for students with a small one time fee for the whole season. Those were the days!!!!! We used to bolt over to the mountain from the high school to get a few runs in before they closed. Sometimes the lift operators and ski patrol would let us on after closing any go down with the ski patrol for last sweep. Good times!
And this is why snowboarding saved the industry!!! So MR Garison
Dick Barrymore.