Aspen: 28th Jan thru 12th Feb 2012

[GavinB]

Anybody know anybody in Aspen who has a reasonably priced room for rent for 2 weeks in Jan / Feb 2012 in Aspen?
or
Anybody know of a condo or some such thing to rent and share?
A place near the Limelight Hotel would be great, which is where I would like to be ... just don't want to pay their prices for a place to sleep.
I've never been to Aspen before, but really want to go this Feb ... so any info / advice / places to share etc will be much appreciated.
Not interested in Dorm Rooms. If I do not have to rent a car ...that will be a plus. Ride Share from Denver would be good to if anybody arriving on the 28th as well... I can be flexible on arrival date ...preferably earlier than later though. I do not drink or smoke. When not snowboarding, I'll probably be working on a laptop much of the time. So won't be a bother to anybody I rent a room from or share a condo with. I'll be mostly with the WCS / Pure Boarding Crowd.... But I'll be there to learn as much as I can from anybody who has the patients to show / teach me more about EC / Carving.
Thanks in advance.

[SEJ]

This will be our 5th SES this year and we have never rented a car. Public transportation is great once you figure it out. You can get just about anywhere. The buses cover the residential areas as well, and run like clockwork every half hour. The current Bomber house has a bus stop two doors down! The worst we've had is a 5 to 10 minute walk when we stayed out in the boonies.
As far as learning while you're there, SES is ground zero. More carvers than anything else on the hill. So much talent, such friendly help. You can learn more in one evening at a pub there than you can learn in a year at your home mountain.

[John E]

I'm staying at the St Moritz again this year. It is about 2 blocks from the Limelight. It ranges from a bed in dorm room to multi-room suites.

Pluses: It is probably the cheapest lodging in Aspen. It is a short walk to downtown. Free breakfast. Nice outdoor pool that is heated to 90 degress and opens every afternoon at 4 PM. Lots of carvers stay there. The owners are very friendly.

Minues: Nothing fancy. Pretty basic.

Agree on the public transportation. Once you get to Aspen, the buses are great (and free). No need to have a car. They'll take you to all 4 resorts.

[GavinB]

Thanks John.
Much appreciated.
I had decided NOT to go to Aspen as it all seemed too expensive ...
BUT ...
I just booked my round trip air ticket from Portland OR to Aspen CO for $453 and reserved a bed in the Dorm Room at the St Moritz (even though I originally did not want to stay in a Dorm Room as I thought there would be 10 beds or so, but there are only 3 apparently) from the 28th Jan thru the 12th Feb at $49 per night....and as you guys assured me ... I do NOT need to rent a car ...so the whole trip is now very much affordable ... hence it is all booked and paid for.....so...I am FINALLY going to ASPEN after putting it off for the past three years !!!!

Thanks again for you advice !!
You made my trip from a NON STARTER into a Booked and Paid For "Two Week Learn to Carve" in Aspen trip. Can't wait !!!

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Gavin, very cool my friend!! This is MECCA for all things alpine. Best bunch of people around. I know you will have a blast. To all my alpine friends going to Aspen, please take a moment to introduce yourself to Gavin. He is a very cool guy and lives a very interesting life. Have fun Gavin, hopefully we can makes some turns before you go. Bryan

[John E]

Looking forward to meeting you Gavin. I have reservations there only from 2/4 - 2/8. You'll likely have a variety of roomates over that length of time. The rooms are very basic with bathrooms down the hall.

You'll likely meet a variety of people at the St Moritz and on the slopes with the Bomber folks. Most everybody is very nice. The owners of the St Moritz are very friendly. If you have any questions, they can help out.

The downtown of Aspen is about 5 blocks west. The bus stop is 2 - 3 blocks south.

Aspen has the reputation of being very exclusive but I have always found it to be quite down-to-earth. I must not be rubbing elbows with The Real Houswives of Aspen.

Bring snow. Colorado has none.

[Michelle]

looking forward to meeting all the newbies, and seeing some familiar faces!

Aspen can be done relatively inexpensively - shopping either at City Market in Town, or if someone has a car and can make a trip to the one in Basalt it's a little cheaper. Food - cheap eats are to be found even out, such as the new burger place by the ice rink (CB Burger), the EPIC burrito/soup place near the gondola (Big Wrap), and a few burger/bar places in town.

Happy Hours are great for cheap beer, and during the SES we have lots of apres parties to keep everyone's thirst at bay.

[Pat Donnelly]

http://www.johnnymcguires.com/aspen/

It's one of those memorable place you have to visit.

Same goes for the Woody Creek Tavern. http://www.woodycreektavern.com