The History
The Aspen Snowsports History Museum at Skiers Chalet will showcase the origins of the local mountains, the evolution of snowsports, and the community’s stories, treasures, and traditions.
This timeline outlines the history of the neighborhood nestled at the western base of Aspen Mountain.
pre 1879
Ute people hunted throughout the upper Roaring Fork Valley prior to their forced removal
1879
Silver is discovered in the area and mining operations begin across Aspen Mountain
1893
Silver mining busts with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, with lease mining continuing on a smaller scale
1930s
By the 1930s there are only a few leasing operations still actively mining on Aspen Mountain
1937
Swiss mountaineer Andre Roch lays out the “Corkscrew” and “Roch Run” trails on Aspen Mountain
1937
Aspen Valley Ski Club is founded
1937
Six-passenger sleds are added to the ski tow (built in 1937) to pull skiers up to Roch Run
1941
Aspen hosts its first U.S. Ski Association National Championships for downhill and slalom, including the Willoughby Jump;
1941
10th Mountain Division (a new alpine division of the U.S. Army) trains in Aspen
1945
Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke and Austrian-born skier and 10th Mountain Division veteran Friedl Pfeifer plan for Aspen’s first chairlift
1946
Aspen Skiing Corporation is formed
1946
New runs and lift lines are cut and the Sundeck is completed
1946
The first Roch Cup, a pivotal annual ski racing event, is held on Aspen Mountain in honor of Andre Roch. (The Roch Cup is still awarded today, usually in combination with the World Cup races or a national race!)
Credit | Aspen Historical Society
1946
Lift One and Lift Two are completed and start spinning in December
1947
Lift One and Lift Two officially open in January with a formal dedication
1948
Ruthie’s Run is constructed in anticipation of 1950 FIS races
1950
Aspen Mountain hosts the FIS World Alpine Championships, the first sanctioned international alpine competition held outside of Europe
Credit | Durrance Collection
1953
The Ski Inn at the base of Lift 1 burns down (the Ski Inn was originally owned by Chuck Worth & Jerry Kostka who sold it to Howard and Jean Awrey in 1952)
1953
Howard and Jean Awery begin construction on the new Skiers Chalet restaurant (Steakhouse building)
1965
Skiers Chalet lodge building is constructed
1968 -2024
FIS races are held regularly at Lift 1 side of Aspen Mountain
1971
Lift 1A replaces the original Lift 1
1981
America’s Downhill debuts on Aspen Mountain and snowmaking begins on western side for racecourse base
2005
Skiers Chalet lodge and restaurant close
2007 – 2023
Skiers Chalet is home to many local workforce and community members
2023
City of Aspen opens Dolinsek Gardens new park below Lift 1A and adjacent to the historic Lift 1 tram and bullwheel
2025
The Lift One Corridor redevelopment project begins with initial work to restore the original Lift 1 gantry and bullwheel, and to stabilize, relocate, and renovate both the Skiers Chalet lodge and the Steakhouse buildings
Legendary Snowsports Culture Continues.
To learn more about the museum and capital campaign, contact Kelly Murphy.
Land Acknowledgement
We gratefully acknowledge we gather on the land of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute Nation, or Nuche, past and present. We honor this land and the people who lived in harmony with the natural world for generations before their forced removal. We are committed to sharing the complete history of the land, recognizing and partnering with Native Peoples, and supporting the advancement of Native places and heritage. This calls us all to be better stewards of the land we inhabit and the natural resources we benefit from today.