much does run pretty seamlessly,
even in a year like this when we face
temperature challenges and weather
challenges. Execution was flawless on
both sides, in my opinion. Our main
role, my main role, the department I
oversee, is providing the snow for the
courses, and also there’s some side
roles as far as helping move snow in
some critical areas.
“Putting the mountain back together
for the following weekend falls
on us, for the most part, and getting
it back to a ski hill after a large event
like that.”
Though the Olympics are quadrennial,
Benson says the X-Games – locally,
anyway – tend to overshadow it, even in
an Olympic year. The Aspen Daily News
estimated a crowd of 115,000 showed
up for the competition’s four days this
past January. But the hype of Korea this
winter hasn’t changed things at Buttermilk,
says Benson.
“Any time there’s Olympics and you
work in the ski industry, there’s a different
feeling to it, but the X-Games
are such a stand-up product and such
a premiere product and showcase of
talent that the X-Games is such a very,
very, very elite event.”
Benson is a native Coloradan whose
family moved to Aspen when he was
in the third grade, where he’s now
raising his own family. He’s known for
having changed direction from a career
in finance to work at Buttermilk.
But for an Aspenite, there’s an added
angle to all the competition.
“One thing I would say is that growing
up in Aspen, it’s always fun to see
local athletes competing,” he said.
“This year we got to see a good handful
of that, ones who are also going
on to the Olympics.”
Of course, a director of trails would
not be worth his weight if he didn’t
sample his own product.
“I tend to go up at least four times
a week. That’s the goal, if not more. It
just depends on the time of year and
the workload overall. But I think it’s
very important not only in my role,
but you have to have your eyes on the
ground and see exactly what product
we’re offering the guests and it’s hard
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the skis on that surface.”
The Buttermilk season ends in early
April but, of course, the work doesn’t end
with winter. Maintaining Buttermilk is a
year-long operation and summer work
can be as serious as the winter.
“Summer is fully upkeep,” said Benson.
“The goal of the summer is to be
able to come into a new winter with
the mountain fully functional the
first day we come back for snowmaking.
And, you know, we hit our opening
days. We do a lot of trail maintenance;
we actually mow 99 percent
of our skiable terrain. And, by doing
so, and that’s actually kind of a huge
part, we mow everything down to
about four inches. We try to mow it
late in the year so we’re spreading the
natural seed, the natural wildflower
seeds with it. But by mowing it down
to four inches, it’s amazing how little
snow it takes to open this mountain
compared to if you had grass bushes
standing 18 inches tall.
“And a lot of that is due to the summer
trails work – not just mowing,
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