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    Colorado, Usa · Ikon / Mountain Collective

    Aspen Buttermilk

    469 acres, 44 runs near Aspen. Winter X Games venue, beginner-friendly terrain, Ikon Pass access.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    14 Dec 2025
    Closes
    5 Apr 2026
    Days open
    112
    Annual snow
    17ft
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    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.

    2,031ft
    Vertical
    44
    Runs
    469 acres
    Skiable
    17ft
    Annual snow
    Ikon / Mountain Collective
    Pass
    The Terrain

    44 runs across 469 acres skiable

    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.

    Terrain split
    44
    runs
    44 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner15 runs · 35%
    Intermediate17 runs · 39%
    Advanced9 runs · 21%
    Expert2 runs · 5%
    Time it right

    When to visit Aspen Buttermilk

    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.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    14 Dec 2025
    Opens
    5 Apr 2026
    Closes
    112
    Days open
    17 ft
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Aspen Buttermilk, and where to stay

    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.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Aspen Buttermilk, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

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    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    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.

    4 Sept 2026
    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    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.

    2 Sept 2026
    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    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.

    1 Sept 2026
    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    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.

    31 Aug 2026
    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

    28 Aug 2026
    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

    27 Aug 2026
    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

    26 Aug 2026
    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

    26 Aug 2026

    Aspen Buttermilk Snow Report

    Snow Report
    Updated 4 Sept 2026
    9,902ft
    summit
    +0in
    new snow · last 24 hours
    Clear52°F / 79°F · S 10mph
    Snowfall
    24 hours
    0in
    48 hours
    0in
    7 days
    0in
    Base depth
    0in
    Season total
    0in
    Total lifts8

    Live open status isn’t available right now.

    14 Dec 2025 - 5 Apr 2026

    Hour by Hour

    Next 36 hours· Updated Sep 4, 2026 at 6:02 AM
    FriNow7p8p9p10p11pSat12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pSun12a1a2a3a4a5a
    Conditions
    Temp°F · feels
    7671
    7368
    6963
    6662
    6357
    6357
    6156
    6054
    5953
    5852
    5852
    5649
    5548
    5547
    6055
    6864
    7064
    7167
    7369
    7468
    7671
    7976
    7872
    7871
    7669
    7367
    6861
    6762
    6359
    6057
    5955
    5552
    5551
    5652
    5551
    5450
    Snowfallin
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Precip chance%
    2%
    2%
    5%
    5%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    2%
    4%
    1%
    1%
    6%
    1%
    8%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    Precipin000000000000000000000000000000000000
    Wind / gustmph
    9G10
    7G11
    10G15
    3G6
    5G6
    6G6
    5G7
    5G8
    6G6
    5G7
    4G5
    7G9
    8G11
    8G13
    6G10
    2G3
    7G10
    6G12
    4G12
    8G14
    11G13
    8G11
    8G9
    9G11
    9G10
    7G10
    8G16
    5G11
    2G3
    4G2
    5G2
    6G3
    7G3
    6G4
    6G4
    7G4

    Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo

    7-Day Outlook

    9,902 ftUpdated Sep 4, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo

    Days 1–7

    0.0"

    Days 8–14

    0.0"

    Unlock days 8–14

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    Fri, Sept 4

    Overcast
    Temp79° / 52°°F
    Snow0.0"(5%)
    Wind10 mph S

    Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.

    Understanding the Aspen Buttermilk snow report

    Planning a day at Aspen Buttermilk? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 2399m base to the 3018m summit.

    Snow measurements

    Snow depth at Aspen Buttermilk is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 619m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.

    Weather conditions

    Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Aspen Buttermilk's base and summit.

    Data sources

    We pull Aspen Buttermilk's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 8 lifts, including 3 quad chairlifts.

    When to check

    Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.