Next Tuesday, Nov. 10, the gate on Maroon Creek Road swings shut just before the Maroon Bells Welcome Station. Up Castle Creek, the same thing happens at Ashcroft, past Pine Creek Cookhouse. That ends driving season on the two valleys that frame West Aspen, a month before anyone in the neighborhood can ride a chair.
Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, the two ski areas on West Aspen's side of Castle Creek, open Saturday, Dec. 12. The uphill rules start first, the roads close next, and the lifts come last. For about six weeks, the winter on this side of town is one you walk, skin or glide into under your own power.
Nov. 1: The Strap Arrived Before the Snow
The first winter rule took effect before Halloween candy was gone. Under Aspen Snowmass's 2026-27 uphill pass terms, uphill straps are required on all four mountains from Nov. 1, 2026 through April 18, 2027. That means 41 days of required straps at Highlands and Buttermilk before either one turns a lift.
The pass details for this season:
- Cost: $74 for the whole season, the same price for a single day or a full winter. Premier Passholders get it at no charge, but it has to be added when buying other passes.
- Where $10 goes: to Mountain Rescue Aspen, the local search and rescue organization.
- Hours: uphilling is allowed daily from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., after which slopes are left clear for operators.
- What counts: skiing, walking and snowshoeing uphill all require the pass, and so do the Full Moon Dinners and Social Breakfasts.
- What you wear: an Aspen Snowmass strap with a current season sticker and your pass visible in the sleeve, picked up at a ticket office. A signed waiver must also be on file.
The early-season clause matters most for anyone going up Highlands or Buttermilk in November. Aspen Snowmass says snowmaking and mountain preparation may cause temporary closures of specific routes or of all uphill access, and it announces them in the Aspen Snowmass App. Before Dec. 12, the snow guns and cats are doing the work the lifts will take over later, so a route that was open at dawn on Tuesday may not be open on Wednesday.
Nov. 10: The Road Becomes the Trail
The Nov. 10 closure date came out of a long county debate. Aspen Daily News reported that in March 2023, Pitkin County commissioners voted 4-1 to set Nov. 10 as the closure date for both Castle Creek and Maroon Creek roads. The paper wrote that skiers came out the winners and hunters the losers. The ordinance sets the reopening date this way:
"no later than May 15th"
The date has held since then. The Aspen Times reported that both roads closed to vehicles on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. The Visit Maroon Bells access page also lists the closure as around Nov. 10, with reopening on May 15.
The road had a rough end to its driving season. On Sept. 14, the White River National Forest announced that Maroon Creek Road would stay closed to vehicles and bikes while Pitkin County crews cleared debris from a mudslide at the end of the road, in the Maroon Bells Scenic Area day-use parking lot. The RFTA shuttle from Aspen Highlands kept running on its normal schedule during that closure.
Once the gate closes, the road changes jobs. The Colorado Mountain Club lists hiking, biking, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing as suitable uses on Maroon Creek Road and puts the winter closure at T-Lazy-7 Ranch. Bikes come first. The 2025 Aspen Times closure report said bikes could keep using the road after it closed to cars, until it snows. After that the road belongs to skis. Aspen Snowmass Nordic's Maroon Bells trail page says T-Lazy-7 Ranch typically grooms the snow-covered road every night from the ranch up to Maroon Lake, laying skate-ski corduroy beside a classic track.
The same page warns that the route crosses avalanche paths and says the listed agencies make no representations about safety. A groomed track on a valley floor still runs under the steep slopes on either side.
Nov. 26 to Dec. 12: The 16 Days When Town Is Open and West Aspen Isn't
On Thanksgiving, lifts start turning on Aspen Mountain and at Snowmass. For the 16 days after that, the West Aspen side runs on uphill routes and Nordic track.
Each of the two near mountains has a different uphill layout.
At Aspen Highlands, the lower route goes up through Jerome Bowl, passes under Exhibition toward Lower Stein, then follows Park Avenue and Memory Lane to Merry-Go-Round. Once the mountain is running, the 2026-27 pass terms require uphillers to reach Merry-Go-Round by 8:30 a.m.
At Buttermilk, there are three choices. The Tiehack route climbs Eagle Hill, Ptarmigan, Buckskin and Savio. The Main route goes up Columbine, Midway Avenue and Ridge Trail to the Summit Express. The West route takes Teaser, the bridge, Ridge Trail and Tom's Thumb to the West Buttermilk Express.
On every mountain, uphilling is allowed only on designated routes. In this pre-opening stretch, the route you can use on a given day depends on where the snowmaking crews are working, so the app has the final say.
Dogs follow their own rules. Aspen Snowmass bars dogs from every mountain during ski-area operating hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. It also says the privilege of bringing dogs outside those hours may be eliminated if incidents continue.
The Nordic system covers the flatter ground. The Aspen/Snowmass Nordic network has 90 kilometers of free cross-country ski and snowshoe trails linking Aspen, Snowmass and Basalt. Its West Aspen hub is the Aspen Cross Country Center, in the Aspen Public Golf Course pro shop at 39551 W. Hwy 82. The grooming report closed out last season on March 24, 2026, and said it looked forward to skiing "next November." No first-groom date for 2026-27 has been posted yet. The volunteer Aspen/Snowmass Nordic Council, which advises the system, supported the revised 2026 Nordic Trail Management Plan that now governs it.
Dec. 12: The Base Areas Come Back
On the second Saturday in December, the lifts open and the base areas fill in again. The Aspen Chamber's fall dining guide lists Highlands Alehouse as reopening Dec. 12, 2026. Up the mountain, Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro's winter hours are still listed as "Coming Soon."
Parking costs differ a lot between the two West Aspen bases. Aspen Snowmass lists these 2026-27 terms:
| Lot | Cost | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk Main | Free | At the mountain base |
| West Buttermilk | Free | Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., no overnight parking |
| Highlands Base Village garage, weekdays | $25 partial day, $35 full day | Vehicles with four or more people may park free before 10:30 a.m., subject to availability |
| Highlands Base Village garage, weekends and holidays | $40 partial day, $50 full day | Same four-or-more offer applies |
Getting around between the mountains, RFTA's Four Mountain Connector runs as a free, seven-day winter service. Its page still links last winter's timetable, so check the 2026-27 schedule once RFTA posts it.
Highlands may look different in future winters. In March, Aspen Daily News described a conceptual Highlands master plan that included a proposed Maroon Bells Gondola to Cloud Nine, restaurant expansions and summer operations. The plan was still under Forest Service review, and none of its individual proposals had been approved. For this winter, nothing changes. The road gate closes Nov. 10, uphill straps have been required since Nov. 1, and Highlands and Buttermilk lifts open Dec. 12.
Winter access changes a West Aspen property in its own way. The neighborhood is quiet through November and busy at its ski bases once the lifts open, and owners who rent their homes have to plan around both. If you own on Cemetery Lane, along Maroon Creek Road or near the Highlands base and want to talk through how these weeks affect rental timing, guest arrival notes or winter projects on your home, Team Hansen knows this side of Castle Creek well. Let's connect: request a private consultation and we'll go through your calendar together.
