Smile

For the first time in history (right before Christmas), Sardy Field (Aspen) had to turn away private jets. Yep. Just too many Hollywood-ites in town. No more space on the air field to accept anymore. Too many Tom Cruises, Kevin Costners, Antonio Banderas’, Elle Macphersons, Mariah Careys, etc. in town. Also I just heard recently… Aspen, per capita, has some of the worst pollution in the country. (Due to the jet fuel, diesel and car fumes, etc. ) Being a native of western Colorado, hiking and skiing in Aspen was always a favorite past-time growing up. Though, I must admit…. I haven’t strapped on a pair of boards in years. With a $78 lift ticket, $15 cheeseburger, a hot chocolate, god forbid you have a little something in it… it’s real tough for a local chick to choke down. In the old days they used to give discounts to the locals. SKI CO does not have to do that now…. as they come by the truck loads anyway.

The days of long haired ski bums walking down the streets of Aspen, smoking a big fatty have long since been replaced by Hollywood-ites in their gold lame’ ski bibs, furs, designer anything-wear… driving up the price of everything from a cheeseburger to real estate. Where the workin’ man (the wait staff, construction workers of the gazillion dollar second homes to the hollywood-ites, house keepers, hotel staffs, county and city workers, law enforcement, teachers, etc.) have to live in the “affordable housing” part of the area, which is a trailer by the mine… or down valley (30 to 60 miles). When we left that area 3 years ago… “affordable housing” down valley was considered to be a 1200 - 1500 sq. ft town home, without a garage for about 250k - 325k.

Below is a picture my next door neighbor gave me. Though it’s a famous photograph of Aspen, few know the story…. but I can tell you it had nothing to do with Hollywood. My neighbor was actually a native of Aspen. (You’d be pretty hard pressed to find an Aspen native today under the age of 15 yrs.) She has since passed on a couple of years ago (she was 92). The picture is of her father, her brother and their dog in a buckboard. Also in that buckboard was one of the largest silver nuggets to ever come out of Smuggler, some time in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.

Now before the minors showed up in the late 1800’s, were the true natives of Aspen… the Ute Indians. Actually, they were the only true residents of Colorado. Before it was “Aspen” they knew it as the “Shining Mountains”.

By the way, there’s documentation to support the Utes lived very lightly upon the land. Respecting those Shining Mountains. Apart from rarely discovered human remains or “prehistoric” campfire circles, they virtually left no trace having been there at all. Yet the “white encroachment” forced them onto reservations in the 1870’s. It’s rumored to be… upon the Ute’s forced exit of the Shining Mountains, they forever cursed it.

Though the mountain does indeed “shine” it has nothing to do with the silver brought out of the mine and it sure as hell doesn’t have anything to do with gold lame’, private jets, snobby attitudes or conspicuous consumption.