
Aspen Buttermilk's summit reaches 9,902 feet, dropping 2,031 vertical feet to a base at 7,868 feet across 44 runs spread over 469 acres near Aspen, Colorado. Terrain splits 39 per cent intermediate, 35 per cent beginner, 21 per cent advanced and 5 per cent expert. Average annual snowfall runs to roughly 210 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective affiliation. Four lifts, including three quad chairs and one double chair, serve the mountain alongside four surface lifts.
Buttermilk serves as the beginner-friendly counterpart within the four-mountain Aspen Skiing Company portfolio, offering considerably gentler terrain than its sister mountains, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Snowmass. Its role as the host of the Winter X Games has also given Buttermilk an unexpected international profile for a mountain built primarily around learning terrain.
Friedl Pfeifer, the Austrian ski instructor and racing champion who co-founded the Aspen Skiing Company in 1946, sold his interest in the company in 1958 and turned his attention to developing Buttermilk Mountain that same year, giving Aspen its dedicated beginner-focused ski area. Buttermilk subsequently joined the broader Aspen Skiing Company portfolio alongside Aspen Mountain, Highlands and, later, Snowmass.
Aspen Skiing Company's ownership has remained with the Crown family of Illinois since the mid-1980s, following the company's 1977 sale to Twentieth Century Fox and subsequent 1985 transition. Buttermilk continues to operate as the accessible, learning-focused member of the Aspen four-mountain family. Adult daily tickets run from 189 to 259 US dollars, matching pricing across all four Aspen Skiing Company mountains.
Aspen Buttermilk spreads 44 runs across 469 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 39%, with 15 beginner runs to find your feet and 11 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season at Aspen Buttermilk ran from 14 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 210 inches. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather and terrain park build schedules.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Buttermilk's beginner-and-intermediate-weighted terrain. As an Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective resort, Buttermilk draws families and beginner skiers specifically seeking gentler terrain than neighbouring Aspen Mountain, alongside visitors drawn by the mountain's Winter X Games hosting history.
Buttermilk's terrain parks and beginner-focused infrastructure continue to support strong family and learn-to-ski visitation throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial demand given the mountain's accessible terrain profile within the broader Aspen area. Weekend crowds draw from across the four-mountain Aspen Skiing Company visitor base.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and the Winter X Games is not confirmed in available resort information. Under continued Crown family ownership, Buttermilk continues building on nearly seven decades of history since Friedl Pfeifer's 1958 development of the mountain. Its role as Aspen's dedicated learning mountain remains central to its seasonal identity.
Aspen Buttermilk sits near Aspen, Colorado, with a base elevation of 7,868 feet and a summit at 9,902 feet across a 2,031-foot vertical drop over 469 acres. This setting places Buttermilk within the broader Aspen ski area cluster alongside Aspen Mountain, Highlands and Snowmass.
Aspen itself offers extensive luxury lodging, dining and shopping within a short drive of Buttermilk, giving visitors access to the town's considerable amenities regardless of which of the four mountains they choose to ski. The broader Roaring Fork Valley surrounds the area with additional recreation.
Colorado State Highway 82 provides access to Buttermilk from Aspen and the broader region. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled highway is regularly maintained given the area's status as a major ski destination. Free shuttle services connect Buttermilk to downtown Aspen and the other three mountains.
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, within a short drive, offers direct flights from numerous major US cities, making Buttermilk and the broader Aspen area genuinely accessible for fly-in visitors from across the country.
Hotels and lodges near Aspen Buttermilk, powered by Stay22.

Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.

Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.

Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
The 2025 - 2026 season at Aspen Buttermilk closed on Apr 5, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Day passes start from US$142, with peak rates up to US$259.
Full-day access to all four Aspen Snowmass mountains including Buttermilk, home of the Winter X Games. Experience world-class terrain parks, beginner-friendly slopes, and access to Aspen Mountain, Highlands, and Snowmass.
Buy passDiscounted access for teens to all four Aspen Snowmass mountains. Enjoy Buttermilk's renowned terrain parks, X Games venues, and beginner-friendly terrain plus three other world-class mountains.
Buy passChild-friendly lift tickets for Aspen Snowmass's four mountains. Buttermilk offers excellent learning terrain and ski school programs, plus access to Aspen's legendary skiing.
Buy passSenior discounted daily lift access to all four Aspen Snowmass mountains. Enjoy Buttermilk's gentle terrain and three other world-class Colorado ski areas.
Buy passComplimentary lift access for children 6 and under at all four Aspen Snowmass mountains. Free skiing with proof of age at Buttermilk and Aspen's world-class terrain.
Buy pass25% discount for active duty, retired military and dependents at all Aspen Snowmass mountains. Must present valid military ID at ticket office.
Buy passFour-day access to all Aspen Snowmass mountains with significant per-day savings. Valid for 10 days from start date, perfect for Aspen ski vacations.
Buy passSeven-day access to all Aspen Snowmass mountains including Buttermilk's X Games terrain. Maximum savings for extended Aspen ski vacations.
Buy passAspen Snowmass is included with Ikon Pass providing 7 days of access to all four mountains including Buttermilk. Reservations required, includes 70+ destinations worldwide.
Buy passMountain Collective Pass provides 2 days at Aspen Snowmass including Buttermilk, with 50% off additional days. No blackout dates at 23 destinations worldwide.
Buy passMore Aspen Buttermilk intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.