Out West, skiing isn’t just a mere hobby or passion. It’s a matter of identity — and an exhausting one at that. Navigating who’s who on the slopes can be more taxing than shredding a double black diamond. Season after season, moguls only seem to get bumpier and more crowded. Lines abound. And weekly lift-ticket passes are now more expensive than a flight to the Swiss Alps. So how, pray tell, is the modern ski bunny supposed to navigate such slippery slopes? Well, fair skier, you are in luck, because we here at PRIOR are going to help you safely find your way down the mountain. Just remember: No snowflakes allowed.
Aspen, Colorado
Scenic Scene City
Temperature Check: Altitude Slickness
Crowd Control: Russian hoteliers. The billionaire class of 2022. Goldie Hawn. Gigi Hadid. Litigious real-estate developers. Powerful snow globalists. NIMBY mascots.
Winter Formal: Cossacks hats of mink. Fendi moon boots. Moncler helmets. Aspenx-Aether ponchos. Carbon-fiber Bomber blades sturdy enough keep you high performing after a glass (or two) of bubbly.
Après Hours: Lunch at Sant Ambroeus Café or Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro. Wild nights at Caribou Club, the wood-paneled, members-only haunt where inebriated cast members from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” are known to pick fights with the D.J. Real music fans, however, should head to Belly Up, where everyone from Merle Haggard to Lyle Lovett has performed.
Local Tip: No, that is not an avalanche you’re hearing. That’s a dozen private jets whipping around the winter airspace above your ski run.
Big Sky, Montana
Bro-Back Mountain
