The Highland Bowl is the crown jewel of Aspen Highlands sitting right in our backyard – to reach the summit of 12,392 ft, one must ascend ~800 vertical feet of hike-to-terrain. It’s almost always holding better snow than seems fair, and consistently delivers the kind of fall-line skiing that keeps locals in Aspen for decades. While every rider has their own personal story of “the best Bowl lap ever,” the magic of Aspen Highlands is that those days aren’t rare. With the right timing, the right storm, and the right mindset, the Bowl can feel like a private alpine playground.
So figured we'd share some insights on how to make the most of your day when visiting our stomping grounds.
The Magic of The Highland Bowl
Aspen Highlands sits at a perfect angle to catch snow from prevailing westerly winds. Storms flow through, winds load the terrain, and the Bowl quietly stacks snow while the rest of the valley looks sunny. Even on non-storm days, that gentle, reliable wind transport keeps the ridge refreshing itself, one of the reasons “refills” are part of the Highlands vocabulary.
To add to it, the skiable vertical drop from the top of Highland Bowl is about 2,500 feet of consistent fall-line skiing, and a true alpine experience above treeline. It’s no wonder the Highland Bowl is where so many skiers and snowboarders set their sights when riding Aspen.
8:00AM Assess the Day and Warm Up the Legs!
Whether you’re already eyeing the ridge from the bus window or sipping coffee in town, start by checking our go-to weather app, OpenSnow, and of course, the local Aspen Snowmass app, for all mountain specifics:
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Snow report
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Temperature and wind speeds
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Webcam views of the ridge
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Patrol updates
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Parking and open terrain
Aspen Highlands typically benefits from overnight loading, so totals can understate how good it will actually ski. Stormy and windy? Expect a later opening. Clear and calm? Get moving early.
9:00–11:00AM The Timing Game
The Highland Bowl doesn’t have a strict opening time. Everything depends on visibility, wind, and control work. As a general guide:
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Windy + stormy: The Bowl may not open until midday.
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Clearer weather: Openings often happen before or around 11AM.
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Bluebird after a storm: Expect a crowd on the bootpack and an early rope drop.
If you’re approaching rope drop, be ready to redline. Breaking trail on a snowy morning is no joke, and the first few hundred feet are notorious for reminding you what real cardio feels like.
The Bootpack: Your Ticket to 12,392 ft.
The bootpack is a rite of passage. It’s not long, but it's a concentrated effort. An alpine stair master carved into a ridgeline, if this repetitious one foot in front of the other doesn't take your breath away, the views sure will. Some bring skins and tech setups for efficiency, especially on deep days when the trail isn’t kicked in yet. But for most skiers, the bootpack itself is part of the ritual: breathing hard, feeling tiny against the 14ers in the distance, and watching the valley fall away below.
This is where the Bowl becomes both workout and meditation.
Choosing Your Line
Once you reach the summit, you can’t choose wrong, but each area has its personality.
Ozone "The Gut": For the Purists
The fall-line classics. Wide, clean, consistent pitches that reward speed, stability, and commitment. Perfect for days when visibility improves or when you’re craving the simplest expression of the Bowl.
North Woods: For Shelter & Cold Snow
When the upper ridge is socked in or windswept, head down the ridge to the trees, where spruce and aspect protect what’s left from the last cycle. The G-Zones here deliver surprising pockets of north-facing snow long after storm days.
South Face: For Alpine Exposure
Open, exposed, and often warmed by the sun. When conditions allow, it feels like skiing a different mountain entirely.
12:00–2:00PM The Sweet Spot
By early afternoon, the frenzy fades. Many skiers peel off for lunch, head to work, or simply run out of steam. This is when locals sneak in their favorite lap. Strafe's classic "Lunch Lap." The bootpack is set, the light softens, and the ridge quiets down.
On big storm days, openings can happen right around this window, cue a wave of smiling diehards hustling up the ridge for one or two perfect laps.
There’s no wrong way to ski Highlands in the afternoon. Find your rhythm, read the terrain, chase pockets of shade, and let gravity do the rest.
A Brief History That Shapes the Experience
Highlands Bowl wasn’t fully opened until 2002, but its roots stretch back to the mountaineers of the 1960s. Patrol-led tours came in the ’70s, a tragic avalanche paused access in the ’80s, and the Bowl slowly reopened under careful monitoring in the ’90s. Then came the legendary early-season bootpacking program, followed by expansions up to the summit, and the opening of Deep Temerity lift in 2005 which forever changed the lap potential.
Every step of that history is felt on the ridge. You’re not just skiing snow; you’re skiing decades of community effort and mountain stewardship.
2:00PM Till Last Chair - Know When to Savor It
If your legs still have juice, keep going. If not, Highlands has one of the best base areas in skiing for hot cocoa, beers, and replaying the day’s highlights.
Either way, remember: even long after a storm, the Bowl keeps secrets. Shade holds snow. Wind fills gullies. Cold nights reset surfaces. If you know where to look, the Bowl is rarely “skied out.” Finding secret stashes is part of the fun.
The Spirit of the Bowl
The Highland Bowl is more than terrain – it’s a culture. A shared understanding that effort unlocks reward. Mountains deserve respect. The best views in Aspen are earned, one bootpack step at a time. And our backyard is as good as anywhere in North America.
The Highland Bowl teaches patience, fitness, humility, timing, and joy. And once you know its rhythms, you carry that connection all winter long.
Bottom Line
Don’t rush. Don’t panic. Respect closures. Respect the climb.
And don't forget to look around, it’s one of the most beautiful alpine environments you’ll ever stand in and we are lucky to call it home.
Whether you’re here for your first lap or your 500th, the Highland Bowl rewards those who show up, breathe deep, and choose their line with intention.
See you on the ridge!
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Swing by and shop in-store at Strafe’s Aspen Highlands Showroom: 115 Boomerang Road Suite #5201A Aspen, CO 81611