Can that fit in my suitcase? : Aspen

Ask me about my favorite vacations over the years and the list will definitely include a lot of ski trips. Over the years, I have been to some pretty amazing resorts and I’m always looking to discover new places. For our 2013 ski trip, I was excited when my friends suggested Aspen because it is known for amazing snow, dining, and nightlife.

Traveling with my friends from New York is always hilarious and this trip was no different, when the first conversation in the suite involved bidding for a permanent bed, rather than the rollaway cot that one of us would be stuck with! In the end, the bed went for an extra $55 and 2 drinks.

The first day, we decided to ski at Aspen Highlands, which is known for having some of the most intense terrain in the state. We started the day with a guide, who was hilarious and brutally honest – perfect for a bunch of guys from New York and Boston.

Unfortunately, the fun ended quickly, when Leo and Ryan collided and rolled down the mountain at a pretty ridiculous speed. From the corner of my eyes, it almost looked like those cartoon fights, where all you see is a cloud and random arms and legs. I kept going because it didn’t actually register in my mind that this could be serious.

Two of us (and the guide) were waiting for an unusually long amount of time, so we decided to call one of the others and all I could hear through the phone was screaming. We raced down the mountain and took the next lift up, to meet up with the rest of the group. The first thing I saw was a group of ski patrol guys trying to get Leo onto a stretcher. By this point, it was clear that things were definitely bad.

Leo was rushed to the emergency room while Chad and Ryan (who also had a bad migraine from the collision) went for support. The rest of us wanted to be there but realized that there really wasn’t any benefit to just sitting in a hospital waiting room all day. In the end, we decided it would be best to try and salvage the rest of the ski day.

The next few runs were very cautious, as we stayed clear of all other skiers like they had the plague. Every lift ride gave us another opportunity to reflect more on the events from the morning. As expert skiers, I think it is easy for us to forget that skiing is an incredibly dangerous sport. Part of the excitement is hovering around the edge of being in-control and out-of-control. I pull back whenever I feel like I’m getting out of control, but it is not always easy when the trail is almost vertical. In a way, our group has been lucky to avoid any major injuries in a decade of skiing together.

Keith shows off his skills...far away from any people!

That evening, we visited Leo in the hospital and tried to keep the mood as lighthearted as possible. Leo joked that Keith still owed him 2 drinks for the use of the bed, while the rest of us just wished that we could press rewind on the morning so that we could all be enjoying après-ski drinks at that very moment. Unfortunately, the only full-group picture we could get for the 2013 edition of our ski trip was in the hospital.

The only group shot from our 2013 ski trip

The next day, Chad joined us on the slopes at Ajax and the skiing conditions were absolutely perfect. Every 14-minute gondola ride was like sitting in a lounge, as we plugged our music into the speakers and enjoyed the amazing views around us. Honestly, this is what skiing is all about for me: escaping the city with friends to stay active during the day and enjoy some good meals and drinks at night.

The group of skiers dwindled to four, but how amazing are the views?

Here's a view from the front of the mountain, overlooking Aspen village

The village of Aspen only adds to the experience since it attracts the elite: serious skiers with serious money! It’s fun to look around the restaurants to see if anyone famous may be there and to check out all the latest fashions on the slopes.

I hope stuffed flamingos and mullet hats won't become a trend in 2014!

Even though this trip was tainted by two unfortunate injuries, I was still happy to see my friends and to do a sport that I absolutely love. Aspen 2013 won’t make the list of favorite ski vacations, but it will definitely be on the list for most memorable!

As I drove back to Denver, I thought back to some of my prior ski trips and the good memories flooded my mind:

Growing up, I have countless memories skiing with family and friends in New England over school vacations and random weekend trips. My Freshman year of college, the tradition continued with a spring break on the slopes. I think I started perfecting the art of beer pong on this trip:

Most people go to the beach for spring break...I go skiing (2000)

During my year abroad in London, one of my friends thought it would be fun to fly to Norway for a long-weekend of skiing at a former Olympic resort. The mountain is small and the sun starts setting at 2 in the afternoon, but I had an awesome time on my first international ski trip:

Skiing above the tree line in Lillehammer, Norway (2001)

Ross and I tried repeating our success in Norway with a trip to the Italian Alps just two months later. We drove from Torino to Sauze D'Oulx but this time, we didn't get so lucky with available hotels and ended up having to sleep in the car the first night! The mountain had received almost 2 feet of snow the day before, which actually made for some of the toughest skiing ever. Basically, we would just plant ourselves at the back of our skis and head straight down the mountain. Turning wasn't an option!

Avoiding Avalanches in Sauze D'Oulx, Italy (2002)

It's not often that I find time to ski during Christmas, but my brother and I decided to take a trip up to New Hampshire one year. It had been so long since I skied with him but we had an awesome time on the slopes:

A rare family ski day with my brother at Bretton Woods, NH

The winter after graduating college, my former housemate and I decided to start a tradition of skiing out west. The Ritz wasn't too tough to handle either - especially the ski concierge and amazing spa:

The first of several trips to Beaver Creek with Ryan (2003)

In 2007, one of my friends spent a week working in Wyoming, which seemed like a good enough reason to book a ski trip to Jackson Hole. I'll never forget the "Jackson Hole Inversion", which makes the base of the mountain colder than the summit. One night, we decided to watch a local hockey game because skiing all day isn't cold enough!

Coldest trip ever: Jackson Hole, WY (2007)

In January of 2008, Jason and I booked a trip to Germany so we could experience the German Alps at Garmisch. The city had absolutely no snow, but the glaciers at the Zugspitze made for some pretty awesome conditions.

One of the more unusual chair lifts I have seen - Garmisch, Germany (2008)

Overlooking the city of Garmisch, Germany (2008)

For the first time ever, I skied in August with a trip to South America. The vacation started in Buenos Aires, followed by Santiago. When I discovered that a ski resort was so close to the city, I couldn't pass it up. Little did I know, the mountain is above the tree line and foggy conditions made for complete white-out conditions. Honestly, there were times when I couldn't tell if I was skiing down or up the mountain. Valle Nevado will join the list of most memorable but not the list of most enjoyable ski days.

Never experienced vertigo quite like this day (Valle Nevado, Chile - 2008)

These signs were the only things I could see in Valle Nevado, Chile (2008)

In 2008, our trip out west took us to Salt Lake City. Even though the drinks contain no more than 1 ounce of liquor, it's pretty awesome to drive to the ski resorts within an hour of arriving at the airport. Glade skiing at The Canyons was the best I ever experienced and we even saw a Moose on the slopes one morning.

Chad shows off his skills at the best glades I've ever seen (The Canyons, 2008)

Our group before one of the best "skiing" days I can remember (Park City, 2008)

In my last winter before heading abroad to Business School, we decided to return to the Ritz in Bachelor Gulch for another luxury vacation. Toasting marshmallows by the fire at night, drinking beer in the hot tub, and relaxing in the grotto after a day of skiing make this resort my all-time favorite.

Enjoying my favorite ski hotel in the world: Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (2009)

During my year in Barcelona, I was lucky enough to take two trips to Andorra. The first one was with a smaller group that happened to be in the city at the end of Christmas break. It was on this trip that I learned how to install tire chains to make it up a snowy mountain and also about the true art of the apres-ski! The second trip was with the entire class but the experience was just as fun. I have lots of amazing memories from my year in Barcelona, but these two weekends were among the best: