Hazy and lazy

WEATHER: Relatively hot and quite hazy today, with temps in the mid-70s. Tuesay should be sunny with temps in the upper 70s. Wednesday brings some clouds and still high temps. Biggest change in the weather is the smoke in the air, presumably from Southern California.

NEWS: The Wall Street Journal covered the upcoming renovation of The Little Nell in full detail, down to the color of chosen fabrics. At $18 million across 86 rooms (the six suites have already been re-done), the project comes to $209,000 a room. The renovation of the Nell, along with the opening of the Viceroy hotel in Snowmass, makes lodging the “what’s new” story of the winter for Aspen Skiing Co.

NOTES: It is that great time of year when town is a bit quieter but summer is still in full effect. Trails, fishing holes, etc. all a bit quieter now.

Well, well, if it isn't Highlands Bowl. Hello bowl....

...so good to see you again. You know, last time I saw you like this you were covered in deep snow. I look forward to the day when you look like that again. Soon, soon...

SkiCo says it will expand its marketing effort this winter.

Also rolling out series of promos through the season...here the luncheon crowd settles in.

Heading up for ski-season preview with ACRA and SkiCo. Very nice summer day.

Here comes ski season. What a wonderful thing to look forward to.

An august day

WEATHER: Tuesday was a little gray and drizzly, but Wednesday has blossomed into a very nice summer day. Forecast through the weekend calling for mostly sunny conditions with temps in the mid to high 70s. Well, that’s sweet.

NEWS: The Aspen Book Store, which has been in The Little Nell hotel since 1989, is closing the Tuesday after Labor Day. John Edwards, the dedicated owner, cites a combination of economics, his lease ending, the Nell being renovated and being closed from Sept. 8 until Dec. 1, and the fact that he is ready for a break. Aspen now is down to one bookstore, Explore, which is still a great store and getting better. Still, it was nice to have a book store at the Nell. GM John Speers said no new tenant has been named for the space, which is just under 300 square feet in size.

NOTES: Aspen does have a slight connection to Ted Kennedy, in that he and Bobbie and Jackie started coming to Aspen in the early 1960s on ski vacations. There is no record of JFK ever coming, but Ted came for at least a couple of Christmas holidays.

Whoa, rainbow upgrade: the shimmering double! Very nice.

Golden light and rainbow over Aspen end a cool Monday.

Bear buffet closed at Marolt just after 6 pm. Good work. Sorry bears, on to the next dumpstet.

Student transit vehicles...

What's the best thing about school in Aspen? Outdoor ed river trips!

Bear buffet open Monday afternoon at Marolt housing complex.

As the cafeteria gets cleaned out, as the music students depart, the dumpster gets filled to overflowing, to the potential short-term delight, and long-term, detriment, of the bears. Photo taken at 3:45 PM.

Cool day for bears

WEATHER: It is fitting that the day after the Music Festival ended, the weather turned gray and cool, offering the first hint of things to come. It is good weather to begin thinking about season passes, which went on sale here today. It is 62 degrees this afternoon and might reach 71. A few minutes ago, it actually felt good to stand close to the pizza ovens at NYP. Low around 44 tonight, following by a couple of cool days with temps just over 70. Good hiking and biking weather, to be sure.

NEWS: More news about problem bears in Aspen today. It may be time to update the bumpersticker to “garbarge doesn’t kill bears, people do.” We’ve got a corps of city bears who feed on unsecured garbage and also seem to know where the Hagen-Daz is kept. They know the calorie-rich ice cream is in the freezer, in the house, behind the easily breakable doors. One Aspen police officer said the bears are just like very large racoons.

NOTES: Other signs of the season change: Friday was the first day of school for grades 8 though 12 at the Aspen School District and the kids in K through 7 arrive Tuesday.

Big finish to 60th summer of music

Verdi’s “Requiem” closed the Aspen Music Festival this afternoon with wind, rain sprinkles, bracing air, thunder and commercial flights landing into the wind by circling over the tent en route to the runway.

The music as was beautiful and an ethereal full chorus gave the performance a glossy punch throughout.

It was sixty years ago this summer that a classic music audience was first given the chance to listen to music in a tent surrounded by the mountain air of Aspen.

The summer was a serendipitous success.

Walter Paepcke, who put the event together, looked back on the nascent festival in 1950 in the forward to “Goethe and the Modern Age, ” a collection of the speeches given at the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation and Music Festival, as the 1949 gathering was called.

Paepcke’s festival had been planned to cover the work of a German poet. And music, and then magic, was added.

“It was decided to add a musical program to offer Goethe ‘Lieder,’ compositions from the Goethe era, and other musical works of a monumental character, representative of the stature of the man,” Paepcke wrote. “While the meeting was a convocation to render earnest and solemn tribute to genius, it took place in an atmosphere of numerous quickly found friendships, of serenity, even of joie de vivre. So many new acquaintances created a lively stream of conversation; in the mountain fastness of Aspen, the cares and apprehensions of the plains were left behind.”

That spirit, that “mountain fastness,” was evident in Aspen today. Locals, seasonals and visitors were all sorry to see the summer season end, but the stirring air and swirling music will long be treasured.

Evening up in Castle Creek

Pretty up there. Busy, too, mostly. With lots of traffic up and down the road to Pearl Pass and back. Full trailhead parking lots. Plenty of bikes, campers, etc. .. But scenic? And cool? Yes, and yes.

Kettle drums ready for thundering Festival finale.

Cool temps, breezy air, as crowds gather to the sound of an encouraging french horn. Come now or come next summer!

Tent filling for summer's "Requiem"

The classics tend to bring 'em out. A good number of locals are taking their seats along with visitors and seasopnals.

Another overly pleasant August morn in the greater Aspen area

WEATHER: Love this time of year. Crisp nights and mornings. Hot and sunny during the day. A little less busy all around. Very nice. Saturday should be sunny in Aspen with a near 83. Sunday, also nice, with a high near 79.

NEWS: DOW shot the bear that broke into an Aspen home and mauled a woman. Compelling story. Our trash management still at the heart of the bear problem. Ski pass changes continues to offer good discussion and debate. Is the change good for you? Seems to go case by case. Other ski news now picking up steam. Casey Puckett is on the U.S. Ski Team skiercross “A” team and is heading for Vancouver. And “The Meeting,” a ski film trade show, again slated for late Sept. in Aspen. Will include movie premiere at the Sundeck. News of the coming ski season seems to come the same week as the first leaves daring to turn ...

NOTES: Went out yesterday on the street to talk with folks about the ski pass changes. Found it hard to stop and chat as so many folks were cruising around chatting on the cell phones. It was also interesting trying to discern between visitors and locals who might be pass buyers. You can’t always tell...

Pussy Paepcke once again lights up the Aspen Meadows...

On a perfect August morning, her spirit shines on. Photo is on a banner recognizing the 60th year since the 1949 Goethe convocation.

Working groups presenting in Doerr-Hosier.

"Can new models be profitable?" Big question for journalists... A lot of bold-face names in journalism were around the table peering toward a sustainable future. Most everyone agreed journalism was important, that how it was delivered and published would continue to change in the coming years, and that there were ways to help sustain it. One takeaway from the last morning session was that foundations had a larger role to play in helping the non-profit model grow from start-up to sustainability. And the Knight Foundation was recognized for its leading role so far. Conference included Marcus Brauchili, the executive editor of the Washington Post, Esther Dyson of EDventure Holdings, William Dean Singleton of the Denver Post and MediaNews Group, Bill Kling of American Public Media and Paul Steiger of ProPublica. The proceedings can be watched on aspeninstitute.tv.

Future of journalism discussed at Institute.

"We're really in a period of experimentation," said the Institute's Charlie Firestone, adding that it would likely be that way for the next five years.

Rope from the courthouse roof evoking Western heritage. Hanging justice?

Balooning toward the divide

It was a cool and clear morning in the valley. Several hot-air balloons were seen cruising along toward Watson Divide sometime before 8 a.m. this morning. The balloons, including a familiar unicorn balloon, haven't been seen as much locally as they once were. But the day seemed like a fine day for floating.

Like a classy variety show in the tent...Wallis Giunta sings tune from "Show Boat."

60th anniversary of Goethe Bicentennial celebrated in tent

First Walter Paepcke award given to Lester Crown and Dana Gioia reads Goethe poems in German and English. Paepcke would be proud...

Albert Schweitzer bust in Paepcke Park. It marks his visit here 60 years ago.

Schweitzer, who was 74 at the time, was convinced to come to Aspen by Walter Paepcke, who offered an appearance fee of $5,000 for Schweitzer's hospital in Africa.

"In accepting, Schweitzer was apparently unaware that Aspen was half continent away from Chicago, the origin of the cable," according to James Brabazon, writing in his biography, "Albert Schweitzer. "He was under the impression that it might a suburb of the city or a nearby town. 'Schweitzer would not have come to America in the first place,' said Mrs. Paepcke later, 'had the great doctor not laboured under an illusion."

When he did arrive, Schweitzer felt the attitude. He said to have noted that "Aspen is built too close to heaven."

Brabazon also recounts this story.

"Schweitzer did not stay long on the heights of Aspen, but while he did the reporters were around him in droves, wanting a good quote or two. One, who had been keeping him from his dinner, said to him, 'You're a great man, but what is this business of Reverence for Life?'

"'Do you want to practice it,' asked Schweitzer, 'or do you want me to explain it to you?'

"'You explain it first,' said the reporter, 'and I'll decide if I want to practice it.'

"Schweitzer liked that.

"'If you let me let go and eat my soup while it's warm,' he said, 'you've already practiced Reverence for Life.'

"It proved a successful and lasting quote."

Remote fishing hole

Think for a moment about how much time is spent looking for the perfect fishing hole. Here is one, perhaps. Was there proof that it was filled with feisty brook trout? Well ...

Time in the backcountry

If Aspen wasn't here, there would be a meadow in its place. It is good to remind yourself of that and escape the busyness and head out to the high country to find some serenity. While this looks serene, it does not show the horde of mosquitoes that greeted me at sunset. But the fish were rising along with a nearly-full moon.