What happens when you open Pandora’s box? You get Hero’s. 
What sounds like a riddle refers to the official name of Aspen Mountain’s        newest attraction: 153 acres of mostly expert runs that spill down north-facing slopes from the top of the ski area. Known for years as Pandora’s, when it was frequented by out-of-bounds skiers, the newly added in-bounds terrain represents the mountain’s largest expansion since 1985—increasing skiable acreage by 20 percent. (More on the name change later.)

“There’s a lot of phenomenal skiing that’s sitting at high altitude,” says Mountain Manager Travis Benson about the expansion. Elevations between 11,262 and 10,042 feet, plus the northern aspect, will ensure some of the best snow on the mountain and boost the Aspen Skiing Company’s efforts to keep skiing viable amid shorter, warmer winters. 

Overall, Hero’s, as the area was christened in early September, offers 1,220 feet of vertical and more than two dozen designated runs, almost all of them to skier’s right of the existing Walsh’s trail. Additionally, skiers can now make another 350 vertical feet of turns down double-black Walsh’s and Kristi, ending in a new run, Hodge Podge, that traverses to the bottom of the Hero’s lift. The high-speed quad, at press time slated to start spinning in mid-December, Ullr willing, will whisk as many as 1,800 riders an hour to the top in about four minutes.

Though Hero’s caters to experts, intermediate skiers needn’t feel left out. A groomed blue run, Rideout, cuts across the top of Walsh’s, skirts the bottom of D’Kine Bowl, then angles across to Buddy System, another groomed blue. And Jim’s (named for late SkiCo managing partner Jim Crown) follows the lift line, turning from black diamond to blue square about a third of the way down. 
For years, adventurous skiers accessed Pandora’s through a backcountry gate near the top of the Silver Queen gondola, reveling in powder long after the rest of the mountain was tracked up. Admittedly, many of them weren’t pleased about sharing their stashes with every other Aspen Mountain skier. However, the idea of incorporating this terrain into the ski-area boundary has been part of the mountain’s master plan for at least 25 years.

Longtime fans will still recognize favorite steep, tree-lined shots like Harris’s Wall, Loushin’s, and Powerline among the new runs. Those are joined by other chutes, plus expansive glades in the area’s lower half. In terms of steepness and trees, think of the runs on Aspen Mountain’s Back of Bell or Aspen Highlands’ Deep Temerity area as a comparison.

Benson explains that years of looking at how skiers naturally navigated the terrain, along with input from the ski patrol, determined the trail layout. “Gravity is amazing for defining what the trails will be,” he says. “And a big shout-out to the patrol for being so diligent in putting their eyes on and understanding the terrain.” The greatest challenge in prepping Hero’s, he adds, was building Hodge Podge, also a summer road, at a grade steep enough to keep skiers and snowboarders gliding back to the lift. Next summer, maintenance crews will thin out glades in Hero’s and make other modifications as needed.

As for the new name, it’s meant to honor those who have influenced skiing on Aspen Mountain, especially Crown, who tragically died in an accident at Woody Creek racetrack last June at age 70. “In August we started more formally talking about what we could do to honor Jim,” explains SkiCo CEO Geoff Buchheister, adding that Crown’s patience and ongoing support for the expansion project was critical in getting it approved and built. Hero’s also has ties to another nearby swath of terrain important to Crown. “When you get off the Hero’s lift, the first thing you’ll see when your skis hit the snow is Highland Bowl, and that was one of Jim’s favorite places,” says Buchheister.

The discussion moved quickly as SkiCo execs and the Crown family recognized an opportunity to honor not just Jim Crown but others who have passed, too, like Aspen Mountain’s first female ski instructor, Elli Iselin; ski patroller Cory Brettmann; and ski patrol director Eric Kinsman. 

Says Buchheister: “This felt like the right way to pay tribute to Jim and to the people who had given so much to Aspen Mountain, in particular.” 

HOW TO SKI HERO'S

1. Most Direct: From the top of the gondola or the Gent’s Ridge chair, follow the 1 & 2 Leaf run to the entrances for the double-black Walsh’s, Hyrup’s, or Kristi. Ski one of these down to Hodge Podge and the Hero’s lift. From the top of the chair, access to all the new runs awaits, including precipitous chutes like Elli’s and E.E.K!, and glades like El Avalanchero. “A lot of the terrain sits true north, so it will all ski well,” says Travis Benson, the mountain manager.

2. The Mellower Way: Alternately, take the intermediate run Rideout from 1 & 2 Leaf; it will bring you to Hero’s lower-half glades, which promise to be nirvana on a powder day. Not a powder hound? Stick to the only groomed runs in Hero’s: Hodge Podge, Rideout, Buddy System, and the short trail that leads from the top of the lift down to 1 & 2 Leaf.

3. The Scenic Route: Ski Northstar, a classic trail down Aspen Mountain’s northeast flank, then hook into Hodge Podge.