Ramblings and Ponderings of a New Year...more...

Now that 2016 is behind us, the celebrities and crowds have left our community with a nice influx of cash flow to the local businesses, and fond memories of a special holiday time in Aspen and the Valley remain, it is time to reflect on some random thoughts and questions for 2017. Will the new administration realize that climate concerns are real and get behind POW (Protect or Winters) and the work they do... Will there be too many (or not enough?) Uber drivers in town for the X Games... With World Cup Aspen 2017 bookings looking strong, will Aspen be the showcase to the world and bring as many fans (30,000 +) to the event as Killington, VT did in November even with their sparse snow... Google Home or Amazon Echo... Will Gorsuch Haus happen... Is Lebron James really building a home in Aspen - will it have an indoor or outdoor basketball court... Should Aspen hold a pond hockey tournament... Will Basalt stop their political bickering and work together to create a better Basalt... Is Lynn Britt happy hour the new Cloud Nine... Christmas trees were selling for as much as $900 yet you can get a permit to cut down your own in the White Mountain National Forest for $10... Aren't we all excited about the new potential for Snowmass Base Village... Who will Vail purchase next and will they surpass 1 million epic passes sold, can you say "longer lift lines and traffic concerns"... Through ever-changing dining establishments, the Red Onion and Brick Pony remain strong as local mainstays... Who will be the Broncos next coach... Looking forward to Michael Kaplan's next letter... Is Polo elitest? Not for the fans - a great family event at no charge and you even get to go on the field for some divot stomping at half time... Our local libraries are wonderful... Replay Sports in Aspen has it all... Our Local Farmers Markets rock... How cool is "Ride for the Pass" in May before they open it up to cars... Will Mikaela Shiffrin capture her first World Cup overall title... With an already stellar line up for Jas Aspen on Labor Day who will be added... Strafe makes incredible and functional performance clothing...and continues to be supportive sponsors of local community endeavors... What will become of the Boogies space after Soul Cycle... Hoping no one gets pushed out of chairlifts this winter... New Brewpub and Mezzaluna are coming to Basalt this spring... More affordable housing on the horizon... Local real estate on the up- or down-swing... Snapchat to be sold for over 10 Billion... Will we have delivery drones in 2017... Summit for Life is an outstanding event for a great cause - they could make it a slightly less challenging event and get even more participation...but that's clearly not the point! Loving the Highlands Bowl... Aspen Cycling Club is one of the best deals and most motivating clubs in the Valley... Youth Lacrosse (boys and girls) is the fastest growing sport... Donovan Frankenreiter is in Aspen in March... Love how the Little Nell is so gracious to dogs... Aspen Airport is an amazing resource... The new 7 Star Trail in Snowmass and the Glassier Trail in Basalt are outstanding... Food and Wine only gets bigger, better and more creative... The ARC is the place to be and clearly obvious after Black Friday pass sales... Maroon Bells never gets old... A lot easier to hike, bike or ski to Crested Butte than drive... Aspen hockey offers so much to all levels... What will the price of gas be in Aspen this year... The mountains make you stronger... Happy New Year!