Snowmass Village, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Snowmass Village, Colorado
Town
Location of Snowmass Village in Pitkin County, Colorado.
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Pitkin County
Settled	About 1910
Incorporated	1977
Government
• Type	Home rule municipality
Area
• Total	27.86 sq mi (72.17 km2)
• Land	27.78 sq mi (71.95 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation	8,309 ft (2,533 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,096
• Density	111.13/sq mi (42.899/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	81615 (PO Box)
Area code(s)	970
FIPS code	08-71755
GNIS feature ID	2413302
Website	www.tosv.com

Snowmass Village is a special kind of town called a home rule municipality in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. In 2020, about 3,096 people lived there.

This town is a very popular place for winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. It's famous for the Snowmass ski area, which is the largest of four ski areas known together as Aspen/Snowmass.

In 2010, something amazing happened! A bulldozer operator accidentally found old Pleistocene animal fossils in a lake bed. This discovery, called the Snowmastodon site, made Snowmass Village a very important spot for scientists who study ancient life.

Exploring Snowmass Village's Past

Early Settlers and Ranching Life

The Brush Creek Valley, where Snowmass Village is now, was first settled around 1910. Families like the Sinclairs, Meltons, Stapletons, and Hoaglunds moved here.

Hilder Hoaglund was a child who used to ride her horse all the way to Aspen for school. Her father, Charles Hoaglund, came from Sweden in the 1800s.

Later, a school was built closer in the Brush Creek valley. Hilder went to this school, which is now called the Little Red Schoolhouse. It's located on Owl Creek Road.

Hilder grew up to become a teacher at that same school. She also taught at the Red Brick School in Aspen. At the schoolhouse, she played music for community dances. When she married Bill Anderson, the Hoaglund Ranch became the Anderson Ranch.

Art and Creativity at Anderson Ranch

In 1966, a famous ceramic artist named Paul Soldner set up his studio in the old Anderson Ranch buildings. He was known for creating a special type of pottery called American Raku.

In 1968, Paul Soldner started the Anderson Ranch Art Center. It officially became a non-profit organization in 1973. The Art Center still uses many of the original ranch buildings today. They are located on Owl Creek Road.

Building a Ski Resort: Snowmass Ski Area

Leaders like Bill Janss and DRC Brown from the American Cement Company began developing Snowmass Village as a ski resort in 1966.

They divided up the old hayfields and sold the land for houses. The name "Brush Creek" didn't sound very exciting for a ski area. So, they named the resort "Snowmass" after the valley to the west.

Fritz Benidict was the architect who designed the Snowmass ski area. The Campground Chairlift, which serves the western part of the ski area, actually goes into the Snowmass Valley.

Five chairlifts were installed for the opening: Fanny Hill, Burlingame, Sam's Knob, the Big Burn, and Campground.

The Snowmass ski area officially opened on December 16, 1967. They hired Olympic medalist Stein Eriksen to lead the ski school. Stein Eriksen was a great skier and instructor. He also brought a touch of European style to the new resort.

Growth and Development in the Valley

Brush Creek Road was paved in 1968, making it easier to get around. Even in the 1970s, many of the former hayfields still grew alfalfa.

The Snowmass Golf Course was first built with nine holes, though the exact date is not known. It has been expanded and redesigned several times since then. The latest redesign was in 2001 by James Engh.

When the golf course was changed, some ranch houses had to be moved. The flat fields of the valley floor changed into rolling hills with ponds.

The Snowmass Wildcat Fire Protection District was started in 1971. The firehouse was built on Owl Creek Road.

In 1977, the community officially became the Town of Snowmass Village.

The Snowmass Chapel was built near the firehouse on Owl Creek Road in 1988. Before that, church services were held in the Octagon Movie Theater or outside at the Aspen Grove Chapel. This outdoor chapel had benches under aspen trees between two ski runs. Later, that area was cleared for more buildings.

Today, Snowmass Village has seen a lot of new construction. Many new condominiums, fancy homes, and large mountainside houses have been built. A new area called Base Village has also been constructed.

Big hotel groups like Westin Hotels and Viceroy Hotel Group have opened hotels in Snowmass. Snowmass Village is now a popular place for many wealthy tourists and skiers.

Where is Snowmass Village Located?

Snowmass Village is located at 39°12′51″N 106°56′43″W / 39.21417°N 106.94528°W / 39.21417; -106.94528.

The town covers about 25.6 square miles (66.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Snowmass Village is at the base of the Snowmass Ski Area, on its north side. It is located on Brush Creek, not Snowmass Creek. Inside the town, two creeks, Owl Creek and Brush Creek, join together. They then flow north into the Roaring Fork River.

Mountains and Nature Around Snowmass Village

From the village, you can see several mountains from east to west. These include Burnt Mountain Ridge, Burnt Mountain, Baldy Mountain, Chapel Peak, Garret Peak, Clark Peak, Mount Daly, and Capitol Peak.

However, you cannot see Snowmass Mountain or Snowmass Peak from Snowmass Village. These peaks are at the very beginning of Snowmass Creek.

The ground under most of the area is made of a type of rock called Mancos Shale. On very steep slopes where plants can't grow, you can see this gray rock.

On slopes that face south, the soil from these rocks helps certain plants grow. You can find Gambel oak, sagebrush, serviceberry, and chokecherry here.

Slopes that face north have different trees. These include aspen, subalpine fir, Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and blue spruce.

Snowmass Village and the nearby Wildcat area have many black bears. These bears love to eat the acorns and berries that grow on the south-facing slopes.

How Many People Live in Snowmass Village?

The population of Snowmass Village has grown over the years. In 1980, there were 999 people. By 2020, the population had increased to 3,096 people. This information comes from the United States Census, which counts how many people live in different areas every ten years.

See also

In Spanish: Snowmass Village para niños