Aspen: Top Ten Things Newbies Should Know

I should know, since I am a newbie. Top ten things I didn’t get until I moved to Aspen:

1. There are no weekends. Any given night could be a party.

2. There are two offseasons: May and October. At least half of the restaurants and businesses will be closed at least half of the time.

3. Check the bus schedule. Yes, it’s awesome they have public transportation. No, sitting in the bus station for an hour is not fun.

4. Don’t drink and drive. Not even a little. Cops have nothing else to do.

5. Learn the mountains. It’s not enough to know what Ajax, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass look like. You need to be able to identify them and at least the Bells, Pyramid, Red Mountain, Smuggler, Red Butte, and Sopris.

6. Aspen is very dog-friendly. Apartments for rent are hardly ever dog-friendly.

7. You live at 8,000 feet. You think you’ve adjusted to the altitude. Then you hike at 10,000 feet. You haven’t adjusted. Give yourself time. And hike a lot.

8. True: it’s all about who you know. In business, relationships, and getting hooked up at bars.

9. Summer sports: Wednesdays the good people play sand volleyball at Koch Park, though you can find a game almost any day; the most competitive soccer league is in Snowmass; there’s pickup soccer at the high school Fridays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am; there’s pickup basketball at Yellow Brick on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the late afternoon.

10. Aspen is a lot like summer camp. Resist the temptation to become a lifer/10-year-ski-bum. Stay focused!