Episode five of Aspen/Snowmass’ Our Story is all about Ullr Nights, a weekly festival held every Friday night during the ski season at Snowmass’ Elk Camp. Guests can enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate by the fire, ice skating, live music, sledding and world class culinary options from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each Friday.
“One of the things that we love to do in the winter is go to Ullr Nights in Snowmass,” says Roaring Fork Valley local Rebecca Ragan. “We just love getting together with our friends and family on the mountain. There’s just a huge variety of things to do up there for the night.”
Episode 5 of Aspen/Snowmass’ Our Story – Ullr Nights
While Ullr Nights is definitely for families, don’t feel left out if you’ve yet to begin building that nest, because Ullr Nights is also a great place to start a family. Think about it: a nighttime ride with your significant other to kick off the evening, arriving later at Elk Camp, where you’ll be able to gaze at the stars under clear skies at 9,970 feet. Then, wine and dine your partner with a world class dinner and a couple of tasty beverages from the chefs at Elk Camp. Go ice skating, then grab a couple of hot chocolates and head to the bonfire where you can roast s’mores. If the evening begins to feel stale, enlist the help of a fire dancer, who will light up the night sky and “ooh” and “aah” your better half.
Thoroughly impressed by the ongoings, your companion will have no chance but to rush you back to the gondola to enjoy a romantic, late-night ride back down the mountain. And who knows, maybe next season you’ll have a new addition to your Ullr Nights crew… You see where we’re going with this?
If starting a family isn’t on the immediate agenda, however, there’s still plenty of fun to be had at Ullr Nights. Wrangle up a couple of buddies (and beer) and once you’ve gotten a little loose, there are a handful of different means of occupying your drunken self: Go sledding, chow down, organize a hockey game on the ice skating rink, dance to live music and repeat until you’ve worn yourself out. Depending on the activity, we might suggest helmet usage, or perhaps a spotter.
“I think it’s for everyone, we love going up there and seeing a lot of our friends that we don’t get to see on a regular basis,” says Ragan. “Locals and visitors alike, it is so fun and a great place to go meet people.
Ullr Nights is a great example of how Aspen/Snowmass continues to up the ante for, as Ragan says, “locals and visitors alike.” Does your local ski area host a similar affair? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
Related: Aspen/Snowmass’ mobile champagne bar brings touch of class to 11,000 feet
