Ski or Snowboard the Burnt Mountain Glades of Snowmass

This is part of the Aspen Snowmass Ski area so you'll have to buy a ski pass to take the lift up, or if you're up for a bigger workout, put some skins on and trek up to the top of Elk Camp. The easiest way to get there is to take the Elk Camp gondola to the Elk Camp lift. Once at the top of the lift, make your way to skiers right (east) and follow the signs to Burnt Glades. You can see the trail from the top of the ski lift and it should take you less than a minute on your skis/snowboard to get to the trail. Once at the bottom of the trail, unstrap and head up the clearly marked steep snow trail. It should take 10-20 minutes depending on your fitness level and altitude norm! At the top of this short hike you'll be presented with a brilliant view of the iconic Maroon Bells as well as many other majestic peaks of the Elk Mountain Range.

When going down there are a couple options. You can stay to the skiers left and follow the "blue" trail called Long Shot, which is an enjoyable 3.5 mile run that will take you to the bottom of Two Creeks chairlift. Or go directly to skiers right and enter the Burnt Mountain Glades. Both options are fun, but I would personally recommend the Glades to those that are seeking a bit more adventure, and the best snow on all of Snowmass Mountain on a powder day. There are essentially three "runs" down the Glades; Split Tree, Rio, and A-Line. They are all equally fun to explore and will all join up halfway down the mountain, as they funnel into a skinny tree run that meets up with Long Shot run and takes you down to Two Creeks chairlift.

If you find yourself in Snowmass on a powder day, make sure to earn your turns by hiking to the Glades and enjoying fresh tracks all day!