Aspen To Unwrap Stored Snow for Weekend of Free October Skiing

Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, recently touted the success of a pilot program to store leftover snow during the warmer months. 

Now, the resort is unveiling the bounty for something just about every skier can get behind: a free rail jam at Snowmass this weekend with, yes, real snow. The event, held at Snowmass’ Makaha terrain park, will feature about an acre of snow with several rail and box features and be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

For access, skiers and riders can ride the Coney Express to the mid station (unsurprisingly, given the time of year, there’s no snow at the base), take a short walk down to the park, and, when finished, walk out to the Snowmass Mall via the road. 

If you don’t have an eligible pass, you can grab a complimentary ticket at the base of the Coney Express.

The event follows the news of Aspen Snowmass’ trial run with Snow Secure, the company that makes insulating mats and is known in part for supporting large-scale snow storage efforts at Levi, a Finnish ski resort. 

Aspen used the mats at Snowmass and Buttermilk. The Buttermilk mat is remaining in place for now, the Aspen Timesreported.

Snow Secure, in a news release, said Aspen Snowmass found it preserved 85% of the snow volume in a measurement taken on August 31. Over the trial period, the temperature sensor on top of the mats averaged 61.8°F and peaked at 118°F as the summer sun beat down, showing the snow can last even when the going gets warm. 

The test, which began on April 30, marked the first time Snow Secure’s mats had been used in Colorado, according to the release.

Aspen Snowmass’ web page for the rail jam said the event is celebrating the test’s success. It also teased that “in the future, these snow blankets will cover more snow to use in service of early season skiing.”

Snow Secure has already helped deliver more reliable early-season skiing elsewhere. Since adopting the technology, Levi has committed to guaranteed skiing from October through May. This season, the resort opens on Friday, October 2, thanks to its leftover snow.

Other North American resorts are trying out Snow Secure, too, including Sun Peaks, British Columbia, and Bogus Basin, Idaho.

Snowmass also won’t be the only ski area hosting an off-season rail jam this year. Continuing a years-long tradition, the Open Haugen rail jam returns to Trollhaugen, Wisconsin, this weekend. And over the summer, Jay Peak, Vermont, held the third outing of its Solstice Sessions, another preserved snow jam.

Related: Phil McNichol Is Back After Nearly 20 Years To Lead The Stifel U.S. Men’s Ski Team