Cost is $20 for pre-registration and $30 for day of registration. You can register online at www.active.com, in person at the Aspen Recreation Center or the Red Brick Recreation Center, or by calling 970-920-5140. Pre-registration on active.com ends Friday May16th at Noon, at 5:00pm Friday May 16th at the Red Brick Recreation Department and Saturday May 17th at 5:00pm at the Aspen Recreation Center.

More Information HERE

It’s never too early to buy your season pass. Sunlight Mountain Resort will honor the 07/08 season pass prices for individual, family and corporate passes until June 1st. There will be a small price increase, so if you want to save a few bucks get your pass before the deadline. Rob at the downtown Ski and Bike shop will be able to help you. He’s open from 9AM to 7PM Monday through Saturday and 9AM to 6PM on Sunday. For More info visit www.sunlightmtn.com

The Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) and Food & Wine present Greenalicious a culinary rock and roll event to benefit Lunch for Life and the Wholesome Wave Foundation. Last year’s CHF fundraiser was the hot ticket item during Food &Wine raising the roof of Belly Up with a stellar party that raised the consciousness of the Aspen community.

This year, CHF’s second annual fete, Greenalicious, on Saturday June 14th at Belly Up promises to once again be center stage during the Food and Wine weekend with highlights including Best of the Stones live concert by Hollywood Stones hailed by NBC “the premiere Rolling Stones Tribute Band,” succulent cocktails, and a homegrown pure & simple dinner prepared by Chef Michel Nischan. For more information call Children’s Health Foundation 970-920-4750 or Belly Up 970-544-9800.

Rushdie and his peers — Anita Rau Badami, Amit Chaudhuri, David Davidar, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Indu Sundaresan, Manil Suri and Dr. Shashi Tharoor — will bring the literary terroir of India to Aspen, discussing the themes of identity and language, gender, caste, diaspora and exile that have been a focal point of much Indian fiction. They will join 19 other award-winning authors, agents and editors from the U.S. in 15+ literary events and parties held over the course of the five days of Aspen Summer Words.

“As the home to 216 languages and the ancestral home of some of the world’s oldest literary texts, we are thrilled to celebrate India and honored to bring to Aspen some of the biggest names in Indian writing,” said Lisa Consiglio, executive director of the Aspen Writers’ Foundation.

ASPEN PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
Salman Rushie, winner of the 2008 Aspen Prize for Literature, is widely considered to be both the father of contemporary English-language Indian literature and one of the finest living novelists today. He is the author of ten novels, including The Enchantress of Florence; Midnight’s Children, which won the Booker Prize; and The Satanic Verses, which won the Whitbread Novel Award and famously lead to accusations of blasphemy against Islam and subsequently a fatwa against the author. Despite being self-exiled, he continued to write and publish books, including novels, a children’s book, essays, criticism, short stories, theatrical adaptations, and a travel narrative. The Aspen Prize for Literature is sponsored by the Bedell World Citizenship Fund.

FESTIVAL ARTISTS
In addition to Rushdie, Aspen Summer Words will feature 7 other speakers with ties to India, including: Anita Rau Badami is a bestselling novelist and author of Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? and The Hero’s Walk, winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Canada and the Caribbean).
Hailed by the Village Voice as “one of the most talented and versatile writers of his generation,” Amit Chaudhuri is an award-winning novelist (A New World and Freedom Song), critic, and musician.
David Davidar is a prize-winning novelist (The House of Blue Mangoes and The Solitude of Emperors), a founding director of Penguin India, and the foremost publisher of Indian writers.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a bestselling author (The Mistress of Spices and The Palace of Illusions), an award-winning fiction writer and poet, and an American Book Award winner.
Indu Sundaresan is the author of three novels, including The Feast of Roses, The Splendor of Silence and The Twentieth Wife, winner of the Washington State Book Award.
Manil Suri is the bestselling author of two novels, The Age of Shiva and The Death of Vishnu, which was a PEN/Faulkner Award nominee; a mathematician; and a Time magazine “Person to Watch.”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor is a prize-winning author of ten fiction and non-fiction books; a widely published critic, commentator and columnist; and a former Under-Secretary of the United Nations.

WRITING RETREAT
In addition to having the afternoons and evenings centered around the Festival, a morning Writing Retreat offers the choice of intensive five-day workshops or two-day classes to the pre-registered student. Among the Writing Retreat faculty are celebrated author-educators: Douglas Bauer, Richard Bausch, Jan Greenberg, William Loizeaux, Sue Miller, Pamela Painter, Robert Pinsky, Nic Pizzolato, and Cerena Thomsen. All writing retreat faculty members will also serve as Festival presenters. Back by popular demand is the Readers’ Retreat, a two-day literature appreciation course, this year covering contemporary Indian writing and moderated by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

THE DETAILS
Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival will take place at the Belly Up, Aspen’s premier performance venue, located at 450 S. Galena Street. (The Writing Retreat is held at The Gant, 610 West End Street.) Festival passes, good for all Festival events and parties, are $150 for AWF members / $200 for individuals. More information and Festival Passes are available from the Aspen Writers’ Foundation at 970.925.3122 and online at www.aspenwriters.org. Single tickets will go on sale in June at the Belly Up: 970.544.9800 and www.bellyupaspen.com.

If you plan to travel to Aspen in May, June, or July you’d be crazy not to join us for one of superb trips down the Roaring Fork River:

The Middle Roaring Fork, or the Cemetery Run are perfect for families with younger children (age 6 or 7 is our minimum depending on the trip), or for people who just want an introduction to whitewater. The amazing scenery and the Class II rapids, will give you a perfect feel for what rafting is all about. The Upper Roaring Fork will serve up an ideal combination of a picturesque western landscape punctuated by fun and challenging Class III rapids such as Toothache and Bonsi. This is a great run for intermediate rafters. The Slaughterhouse Section is unbeatable for those out looking for an adrenaline rush. It is 6 miles of exciting Class IV, and with our 3 daily departures, there is no excuse for not making the time for this experience. We will also be offering trips on Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River from May through August. This is a full day trip complete with a riverside lunch, spectacular scenery, and classic Colorado rapids such as Zoom Flume and Canyon Doors. This run will be big water fun in May and June, and becomes more technical in July and August. All water levels offer a unique and unforgettable experience.

If you will be in Aspen in late July or in August join us for one of the many outstanding trips we offer down the Arkansas River:

The Fractions is fun for the whole family. It’s a great Class III run that takes you past beautiful granite boulders and the towering Collegiate Peaks (many of which are over 14,000 feet in elevation). Brown’s Canyon has often been called the quintessential rafting trip in Colorado. It’s a full day of fun with many exciting Class III rapids, a gourmet riverside lunch, and more great scenery than you’ll be able handle. The Numbers is an exciting Class IV run down one of the most technical sections on the Arkansas River. For those looking for high adventure, intricate rapids, and incredible scenery, this is the trip for you. Pine Creek and the Numbers is the most difficult section of whitewater on the Arkansas River. You will scout the Pine Creek section to make sure everyone wants to run (walking around is, of course, an option), and you’ll also tackle the Granite Gorge, Triple Drop, and the Goo Goo Clusters. After all this, you still get to run the entire Numbers Section. This 3/4 day is packed with adventure! Oh, and if you have time to enjoy the scenery, you’ll love that too. We are opening our doors on May 1st, so call or e-mail today to book your trip! Don’t miss your chance to raft Colorado’s rivers this season–it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Jim Ingram www.aspenwhitewater.com
jim@aspenwhitewater.com
Call 866-377-4837 or (970) 920-3511

It’s time to start planning that summer fishing trip to Snowmass Lake. What could be better than this view and a quiet day fishing for Rainbow Trout? Well, maybe sitting down after a long day of fishing and enjoying some delectable fresh roasted trout with lemon?

Here’s a recipe suggested by Chuck Mullen who has been going on fishing trips to Snowmass Lake with Snowmass Creek Outfitters since 1997.

What a treat when a fish is prepared on the spot for dinner. I rub olive oil on the meat; inside and out. Lay it on a piece of aluminum foil, coat it with a light seasoning of your choice. Then slice lemon and place in the chest cavity and on the outside. Sprinkler some Paprika on this already appetizing meal for color; wrap and poke holes in the foil; place on the fire; cook for 11 minutes or to your liking; open and enjoy.

Bon Appetit!

You can contact Snowmass Creek Outfitters by calling 970-704-0707 or visiting www.snowmasscreekoutfitters.com or visit their accommodations at www.snowmasscottages.com

We have made other trips since 1997 with the same great success. The fish are strong, healthy, and they fight hard. Although we like to eat the fish, most are returned to the lake for future trip enjoyment.

We enjoy so many things about Snowmass Lake and its surroundings. Listening to the falling rock on the far shores at night is all intriguing. For a few days out of the year we get to be kids again; play in the wild; get a great workout, and be with nature and friends.

Snowmass Creek Outfitters provides single day and overnight horseback pack trips to prized fishing locations in the Maroon Bells Wilderness area. Snowmass Lake is a pristine high mountain lake (over 11,000 ft elevation) in the shadow of Snowmass Peak, rising up another 3,000 feet. Anglers catch native Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout on this large (over 80 acres) mountain lake. Snowmass Lake is over 100 feet deep in parts and can be fished from shore or with a float tube. Catch and release is encouraged to preserve this resource for future generations.

You can contact Snowmass Creek Outfitters by calling 1-970-704-0707 or visiting www.snowmasscreekoutfitters.com or visit their accommodations at www.snowmasscottages.com

Aspen Art Museum Exhibition April 25 through May 11, 2008
Beginning with a free public reception on Friday, April 25, 2008, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., in the Aspen Art Museum Upper Gallery.

Wasted features 30 artworks by artists from high schools and middle schools throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. For Wasted, the Young Curators asked student artists to consider the many interpretations of the concept of waste and to experiment with the idea of reuse in holistic terms—to consider their environment with a view that includes people, places, and concepts, along with physical things. The works chosen for the exhibition represent both the physical manifestations of wasted materials reborn, as well as conceptual illustrations of untapped opportunities or potential. In all, over 100 artworks were submitted from which the final artworks were culled.

Wasted will be accompanied by a free cell phone audio tour that will allow visitors to hear the Young Curators’ comments on some of the works.

Wasted was organized by the Aspen Art Museum’s Young Curators of the Roaring Fork, under the direction and supervision of AAM Assistant Curator Matthew Thompson and AAM Education and Public Programs Manager Morley McBride, and in collaboration with museum Director and Chief Curator Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson.

Located at 590 N. Mill Street Aspen, CO 81611 or Call 970-925-8050 for more informations and hours.

Sponsored by Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), The City of Aspen Canary Initiative, The City of Aspen, Pitkin County, and the Sopris Foundation. Join us for a full schedule of Earth Day activities and events.

9:00 am - Community Park Clean-Up (925.5120)

9:30 am - Same Day 5K Road Race Registration ($15 cash or check only)

10:00 am - Earth Day 5K Road Race

11:00 am - Earth Day Family Eco-Edventure Walk (free!)

12:00 - 2:00 pm - Race Awards, Lunch, and Information Fair– ACES at Hallam Lake

5:30 - 7:30 pm - Greendrinks at La Cantina

Call or e-mail Adam Hancock for more information. 970-925-5756/ahancock@aspennature.org