For the most fun you can have on an uphill climb, try the Mother of All Ascensions, a Snowmass Village tradition held annually on the Fat Tuesday of Mardi Gras. This winter marks the event’s 21st anniversary.
Get in touch with race organizers by Tuesday to order a T-shirt. The entry fee is $20 for those who pre-register by Friday at 6 p.m. Pre-registration remains open at Base Camp Bar & Grill until Sunday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. Race day registration on Feb. 12 is $25 and begins at 5:30 a.m. at Base Camp Bar & Grill in Snowmass Base Village. The climb starts at 7 a.m. at Base Camp.
The course climbs 2,073 vertical feet in less than 2 miles and ends at the High Alpine restaurant on Snowmass Ski Area.
Over $10,000 in prizes will be raffled off at the awards ceremony. Prizes are also awarded to those with the best costumes and every participant usually wins something in the Mother Of All Raffles, according to organizers.
The uphill kicks off a fun-filled day of Mardi Gras activities and events including the infamous Fat Tuesday parade, all happening in Snowmass Village.
For more information, or to volunteer call 250 266-0022. Entrance applications may be picked up and dropped off at Base Camp in Snowmass Village, the Ute Mountaineer in Aspen, Bristlecone Mountain Sports in Basalt, Independence Run & Hike in Carbondale and Summit Canyon Mountaineering in Glenwood Springs.
Thirteen valley coffee shops are participating in a city of Aspen-sponsored reusable cup challenge next week, to see which can eliminate the most paper cup waste.
Coffee drinkers are encouraged to bring their own mug as the shops tally how many refills they give, instead of sending hot joe away in a disposable cup. The contest runs from Monday through Friday.
According to the city, it costs Americans 5.7 billion gallons of water and 9.4 million trees to produce the more than 20 billion single-use paper coffee cups used in this country each year. Reusable mugs, which are designed to be used 3,000 times, also offer economic benefits, since most shops — including the 13 challenge participants — offer discounts for java served in a to-go mug.
The participating shops are: Aspen Emporium and Flying Circus; Boden’s Butter; Bonfire, Carbondale; Dos Gringos, Carbondale; Frank Thirion Café; Fuel, Snowmass; Ink Coffee; Main Street Bakery; Paradise Bakery; Peach’s Corner Café; Starbucks, Aspen; The Blend, Carbondale; Woody Creek Community Center, Wood Creek.
To participate in the challenge, customers should bring a reusable mug to any of the coffee shops, and make sure their cup is included on that shop’s tally board. The winning coffee shop will receive complimentary advertising and the pride of having the greenest customers.