The Roundup | Decades of history catching up to the present

Aspen Ski Patrol‘s historic battles

The two-part series on the history of the Aspen ski patrol unionization movement — unfolding over decades before the formation in 1986 of the Aspen Professional Ski Patrol Association, which remains the local patrol’s collective bargaining unit — was a reminder that the Aspen of today was forged through contentious battles of the past waged by a generation that believed in something. Aspen patrollers in the mid-1960s were the first in skiing to attempt to organize to advocate for compensation and working conditions that better reflected their indispensable nature. In 1971, patrol went on strike but saw the union movement stall out. It wasn’t until protests at the grand opening of the Silver Queen Gondola in December 1986 — “ASC got the Silver Queen, we got the shaft” read one sign — forced Aspen Skiing Co. to the table that a contract between the union and management was signed.  

Writing for our history desk, Tim Cooney, a longtime ski patroller with firsthand experience of his subject matter (he has served as an APSPA negotiator and president) dives into the role patrol has played in holding the SkiCo accountable, through ownership and management changes, in ways that have benefited company employees across the board.

Colorado River management decisions down to the wire

The seven states that use water from the Colorado River – Arizona, California and Nevada comprise the Lower Basin – have just over a month left to agree on how the nation’s two largest reservoirs would be operated and cuts shared in the future before the federal government may decide for them. Sen. Hickenlooper stopped by Glenwood Springs April 15 for a roundtable with Western Slope water users, which Sackett reports on.

In a second story related to the same negotiations, phrases such as “compact call,” which is not even mentioned in the 1922 Colorado River Compact, and the actual meaning behind “will not cause” and “depleted” are at the center of the stalemate in negotiations between the Upper and Lower basin states.

Local parents among those advocating for social media crackdown bill

Colorado parents who lost children to fentanyl overdoses are urging Governor Jared Polis to sign Senate Bill 86, which would require social media platforms to combat illegal activities like drug sales and sex trafficking. The bipartisan bill passed the legislature this month but faces a potential veto over concerns about free speech and privacy.

St. Benedict’s Monastery under contract to undisclosed buyer for undisclosed amount

On March 13, St. Benedict’s Monastery in Old Snowmass went under contract to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed amount; the sale has a proposed closing date of June 9. The 3,700-acre property was listed for $150 million after decisions by monastic superiors were made to close the monastery entirely due to an aging and dwindling population of monks. Local conservation groups are hopeful that the new owner will preserve the land’s ecological and spiritual legacy, but no binding conservation easement is currently in place.

Former White River National Forest supervisor speaks out

With nearly a third of the forest’s workforce cut in the last year, the health of the White River National Forest in the upcoming summer season will depend deeply on the partnerships that former White River Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams and his colleagues have built over the past decade. “It’s pretty bleak right now,” Fitzwilliams said.

How did the Colorado snowpack stack up?

It was a tale of two winters for the mountains containing the Colorado River’s headwaters, with the northern ranges seeing an above-average snowpack peak, while the southern half of the state lagged behind with below-normal snowpack. Locally, the Roaring Fork River Basin peaked on March 23 at 91% of normal. The streamflow forecast for the Roaring Fork River is about 82% of average, as measured at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River.

Thank you for supporting our award-winning journalism!

Aspen Journalism’s work was recognized with seven awards in the 2025 Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition organized by the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Pro Chapter. Awarded categories include climate coverage, public service, investigative journalism, special topic/section, information graphic, and agriculture and environment news. Two of our stories received multiple awards, and in total, 14 of our stories were recognized. Congratulations to Heather Sackett, Laurine Lassalle and Paul Andersen! Read more about the awards here.

Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting the valley’s only nonprofit, investigative news origination.

– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and Executive Director
Aspen Journalism

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