The 41st Annual Snowmass Balloon Festival was held September 16-18, 2016 and the weather for this years event was about as perfect as the festival has ever seen. The Crestwood is the lodging sponsor for all of the balloon pilots and it obviously comes with some perks, like being able to take a hot air balloon ride. I have had to wait 8 years for the opportunity to finally check this experience off of the bucket list and it was well worth the wait.

There is just something special about these flying vessels. The hot air balloon was the first successful human carrying flight vessel in history and the first flight was launched in 1783 in Paris, France. It’s not only the technology that makes ballooning so special it’s the people and places that really make hot air ballooning so much fun. I was lucky enough to fly with new friends from Albuquerque, NM in the “Spirit in the Sky” balloon. The Pendelton’s have been ballooning for close to 40 years and now have three generations of pilots in the family. To say hot air balloons are in their DNA is an understatement. It was pretty incredible to fly with them and see the passion they have for the sport. What was even more impressive was their passion to share the experience with others. It is something I will never forget and hope to do again in the future!

Even if you don’t have the opportunity to take flight in an hot air balloon, the Snowmass Balloon Festival provides attendees with the opportunity to get up close and personal with these gravity defying vessels. There are some great events throughout the weekend like the Carter Memorial Colorado Rat Race (a down valley race to see who can make it the furthest in 3 hours), the X Marks the Spot competition (seeing who can drop a bean bag closest to the center of the X) and the popular Night Glow on Fanny Hill. It is one of the longest running events in Snowmass and we hope it continues to awe for many years to come.

Snowmass has been known as a winter destination since its inception back in the late 1960’s and has continued to gain popularity among skiers around the world. Ask any local here in Snowmass and they will tell you that winter is what brought them here, but summer is what keeps them from leaving. It was a matter of time until summers here in our mountain town started to gain popularity with the tourists that visit Colorado. The good news is that the cherished Snowmass summers still deliver the escape from the hustle and bustle of city life (and the busy streets of our neighboring metropolis of Aspen). Much like winter, the natural beauty of the mountains is the main attraction. The mountains surrounding Snowmass provide guests multiple outdoor activities that include hiking, biking, fishing, music festivals and many more. Aspen Skiing Company now sees Snowmass as the next opportunity to grow its business and expand on mountain operations into summer. This expansion is scheduled to take place once approval is received (expected in late 2017) and would most likely start in 2018. The list of on mountain improvements submitted to the US Forest Service for approval include:

• Ten new mountain bike trails that would add 13 miles to an existing 50 miles of trails that exist in Snowmass. In addition they also want to add a 1.5 mile skills park on mountain.
• An ever popular mountain coaster that would offer a rush inducing 3,300 descent in summer and winter. The coaster is proposed to be built among the trees between ski runs Gunner’s View and Sandy Park on the Elk Camp portion of Snowmass Mountain.
• A guided canopy tour with nine zip lines connecting platforms built into the canopy of tree.
• A 3,000 foot long high-speed zip line.
• A challenge course offering over 30 various acrophobia (fear of heights) inducing challenges for guests to overcome.
• Large climbing wall close to 40 feet tall.

These attractions would bring a whole new level of activities set to draw more families to the area in the summer and will continue to help Snowmass grow the tourism industry year round.

It is time to add Snowmass and The Crestwood to the top of your list as a Colorado summer destination. Summer is much more affordable to guests than winter travel tends to be. For example a 2 Bedroom/2 Bath condominium that would cost $500-$600 per night in the winter would be only $200 per night in the summer here at The Crestwood. The location offered at The Crestwood in both summer and winter is a major selling point and allows you easy access out your door to the hiking and biking and would be a short 5 minute walk to the Elk Camp Gondola, which would access the new improvements on mountain once completed. Contact our reservations department at 800-356-5949 or res@thecrestwood.com to learn more about the various summer events and activities in Snowmass this summer and get pricing on your next stay at The Crestwood.

This past weekend Snowmass Village was the finish line for another Ragnar Relay Colorado. The Ragnar Relay Series is an overnight running relay race that will test your limits. Teams of 12 or 6, pile into two vans and tag team run 200 miles, day and night. Each participant runs three times, with each leg between 3-8 miles with varying difficulty. So, it’s the perfect race for runners of all types.

The Colorado series, starts at Copper Mountain Ski Resort and then heads toward Breckenridge. Runners then run over the mountains of Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen/Snowmass. The race ends with an unforgettable finish line party across the street from The Crestwood in Base Village. This Ragnar series has the highest elevations of all courses- over 10,000 ft. at its highest. The Crestwood’s close proximity to Base Village made it easy for finished teammates to join their team and cross the finish line together, celebrate quickly, and then head back to the Crestwood for some much needed sleep.

Interested in trail running? Ragnar Trail Series will be back in Snowmass Village in June 2015.

One of the biggest spectator events during the winter here in Aspen/Snowmass area is ESPN’s Winter X Games. The X Games is a 3 day action packed event that is free to the public. The X Games brings the best skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers from around the world to the area to compete.

This year’s X Games were practice for a lot of athletes about to head to Sochi for the XXII Olympic Winter Games. This is the first year that the Olympics will include events like men and women’s ski half pipe, ski slope style, and snowboard slope style, all events featured at the X Games.

While Shaun White did pull out of the X Games to prepare more for the Olympics, that didn’t stop the crowds. The crowd at Buttermilk on Saturday was record breaking, with an attendance of 48,000.

It was announced this past week, that ESPN and Aspen Skiing Company signed a contract that will keep the X Games here at Buttermilk through 2019.  It was said that the availability of Buttermilk to host the event, the appeal of Aspen/Snowmass, and the quality of the course-which many athlete’s at last Wednesday’s press conference describe as the best in the world- were all contributing factors that won the bid.