Aspen, Colorado – October 29, 2026 -- Aspen Snowmass marks its 80th anniversary this winter with a $42 million rebuilt mid-mountain restaurant, a new high-speed lift on Aspen Mountain and $80 lift tickets on December 12 and 13.
Ullrhof reopens as a 600-seat, all-electric lodge
The new 26,000-square-foot Ullrhof at Snowmass replaces a 56-year-old building and more than doubles capacity to 600+. It spreads four concepts across two floors: casual Ullrhof (burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes), the Ullrmarket espresso bar, the top-floor Ullrbar with table service and craft cocktails, and the sunny-days-only Ullrgrill for hot dogs, brats and doughnuts. It is the resort's first fully electric on-mountain restaurant.
Nell Bell lift reaches Aspen Mountain's core in nine minutes
The new high-speed detachable quad replaces the Bell Mountain (1957) and Little Nell (1986) lifts. It runs from Gondola Plaza to the top of Bell Mountain with 135 chairs and a 2,656-foot vertical rise. It is set to open early in the 2026/27 season.
Elk Camp becomes the world's first battery-backed chairlift
A new battery keeps the Elk Camp lift running during outages. The old diesel backup generator produced roughly 144 tons of carbon emissions a year. Outside operating hours, Holy Cross Energy draws stored power from the battery back into the grid.
Snowmaking also gets an upgrade, with two miles of new pipeline, new fan guns and air/water guns, a booster pump station at Buttermilk and an upgraded Ruthie's pump station on Aspen Mountain. Crews also worked on nearly 80 acres of terrain across the four mountains for forest health and wildfire resiliency.
New passes and lessons target flexible schedules
The new Flex Pass covers four to seven days across all four mountains with no blackout dates. Days need not be consecutive, and the pass is on sale through October 30, 2026. The Weekday Pass offers unlimited Monday-through-Friday skiing, plus weekends from Opening Day through December 13 and from April 5 through Closing Day.
A new 3-Day First Time Lesson Package bundles a lift ticket, group lessons and rentals. Finishing it qualifies guests for complimentary lift access and standard rentals for the rest of the season, subject to availability.
Adults can now get discounted lift tickets with a group lesson, an offer previously limited to children. The price is $175, or $86 for ages 65 and older. Highlands Deluxe, a private lesson experience at Aspen Highlands, starts at $899 for up to five people and runs January 19 to February 6, 2027.
Breakfast and pizza get an upgrade
Cinnamon rolls and signature Bloody Marys arrive at market restaurants on all four mountains. Elk Camp adds breakfast burritos and all-day Sunday buffets. Up4Pizza opens a Down4Pizza pop-up at the Spider Sabich picnic area near the Makaha Terrain Park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Major competitions return to Buttermilk
The Snow League runs January 7-9, 2027. X Games Aspen follows January 29-31 for its 26th year. The U.S. Toyota Grand Prix on February 27-28 is one of 13 domestic FIS World Cup events this season.
The anniversary celebration starts December 12-13 with $80 lift tickets valid on all four mountains, alongside rental, food and beverage, and lodging deals.