Matt Severs Texas

So you’re ready to hike Highland Bowl at Aspen Highlands!? Summiting at 12,392 feet above sea level (Mount Everest base camp is at 17,000 feet for perspective) the Bowl offers roughly 270 acres of north, northeast, east and southeast-facing terrain currently only accessible by hiking or skinning. Eighteen named lines fall off along the ridge like a giant pleated skirt, all pitched 35 ̊- 48 ̊ degrees, making for some of the steepest descents in Colorado. The ascent, from the top of the Loge Peak lift to the summit, is 782 sweaty, why-am-I-doing-this, vertical feet.

Opening in its entirety during the 2002-03 season, Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol devised a unique solution to what seemed like an impossible problem. The Bowl is too steep for snowcats and without grooming, the avalanche risk is considerable. So what to do? People power! The “Boot Packers” — as they’re called—go in pre-season and pack down the early snow falls. This creates a stable base and mitigates slide potential throughout the season.

Take Exhibition Lift, then Loge Peak Lift. At the top of Loge, you will see signs for the entrance to the Bowl. Before you start the hike, you have to schuss up a small hill. If you don’t have any way to carry your skis or board, stop by the ski patrol hut (skier’s right) and purchase some bowl straps - a convenient and lightweight way to carry your skis on your back hands-free. Ask your friendly patroller how to use them and about current conditions on the bowl.

You can either take the snow cat up 1/3 of the way (cuts about 15 minutes off your hike) when conditions permit and the cat is operating (it wasn’t). We just hiked all the way up. The view and the descent were glorious, but be sure to head up extra early if you want to make your Cloud 9 reservation!