Introduction

Sanctuaries in the Snow--the Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass
(including plaques, memorials, displays and miscellaneous items)

This site, SANCTUARIES IN THE SNOW (The Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass) covers the mystical shrines hidden in the trees on the four ski mountains of Aspen/Snowmass.  These four mountains are:  1.  Aspen Mountain (referred to by locals and on this web site as "Ajax"),  2.  Aspen Highlands,  3.  Buttermilk, and 4.  Snowmass. 

This site also gives coverage to various plaques, memorials, displays and other miscellaneous items on the mountains that are not shrines in the strictest sense.  These items include mostly brass memorial plaques, memorial benches, and statues, but also include other various items such as cabins, shacks, an outhouse, lift chairs, ski boots, alligators, an incline lift, and a bedroom, as well as a noose, a wooden chair, an elk head, and walls made of skis.

The purpose of this web site is to catalogue these shrines and items, and create a written and photographic record of them.  These shrines and other items are a part of the interesting ski history of Aspen/Snowmass, and this web site is intended to preserve that history.

There is a separate page for each shrine and each item.  On each such page a general description of the shrine or item is first given, and then there are photos of the shrine or item.  There are over 550 photos on this site. 

This site covers the 33 shrines, of which the author is aware, on the mountains of Aspen/Snowmass.  There could be more shrines out there, and if you know of some, please e-mail the author at aspenshrines@aol.com.   For a list of these 33 shrines, click on the "The Shrines" button above left for the list.  The author is also aware of 67 plaques, memorials, displays and other miscellaneous items.  For a list of these 67 items, click on the "The Plaques, Memorials, Displays and Miscellaneous items" button above left. 

If you know of other shrines, plaques, memorials or other items that are not covered on this site, and if you would like to share information and photos on them with the author for use on this site, please send such information and photos to AspenShrines@aol.com.

A good summary and introduction to the Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass appeared in the Aspen Times Weekly on February 18, 2006:

“For about two decades, locals have been ducking into favorite hideouts on Aspen Mountain and nailing pictures, license plates, beads, silk flowers, wind chimes and other memorabilia to tree trunks in honor of their particular heroes. The spruce trees and lodgepole pines hide sanctuaries dedicated to musicians, beloved locals, buckaroos, soiled doves and even toys and cartoon characters.” (Article by Kimberly Nicoletti, “Find Your Shrine on Ajax”)  See:  http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20060218/RECREATION01/60222004

 As of 2006, the official Aspen/Snowmass web site (http://www.aspensnowmass.com) made three different mentions of the Aspen Shrines: 

 3.  In the "Inside Tips" section of the web site says:  "Visit the shrines on Aspen Mountain!  Can you find the John Denver shrine hidden in the trees?  You won't find them on any trail map, but hidden in the trees are tributes to Elvis, Marilyn, Jerry and other deceased luminaries. Ask a patroller or local to point them out."   See:   http://www.aspensnowmass.com/companyinfo/tips.cfm?id=1248

The Aspen Chamber Resort Association makes a reference to the Aspen shrines on its web site:  See:  http://www.aspenchamber.org/Our-4-Mountains-Aspen-Mountain-pl1041.cfm

The Town of Snowmass Village Marketing Dept. Public Relations web site mentions the 5 shrines that are located at the Snowmass ski area (The Eric Smith Shrine, The Frank Sinatra Shrine, The Golf Shrine, The Hunter Thompson Shrine, and The Nicholas Blake Davidson Shrine.)  See:  http://www.snowmasspress.com/statswinter.html 

In an article called "Aspen's Best — Outside" in the Aspen Times Newspaper of September 2, 2006, the Jerry Garcia Shrine on Ajax was declared to be "The Best Shrine."  This is a quote from that article:  "The shrines of Aspen Mountain set it apart from virtually all other ski areas. They add mystique, culture and local flavor to a mountain that's already rich with mining and skiing lore. And the shrine to Jerry Garcia, the late and great guitarist for the Grateful Dead, shrine is without a doubt the biggest, baddest, most popular and most colorful shrine of them all."   See:  http://www.aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060902/ASPENWEEKLY/109030053&template=printart

In an Aspen Times Weekly article of September 1, 2007 ("Aspen's Best") the following was said about the "Best Shrine":  Jerry Garcia has dominated this category in recent years, but Elvis appears to have come back to life.  Other vote-getters in this uniquely Aspen category included John Denver, Jimi Hendrix, Fort Frog, “lady shrine highlands” and “naked lady smoke shack.”  Yankee Stadium made the list, and this one piqued the staff’s interest: “Future Harley Baldwin.”  See:  http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20070901/ASPENWEEKLY/70830033&SearchID=73313928557614

The Aspen/Snowmass shrines all started over two decades ago with the Elvis Presley Shrine and they have grown from there.  For the most part the author of this web site is not aware of the date most shrines were first created or the identity of the person or persons who created each shrine.  If that information is known to the author, it is noted on the page for that particular shrine.  

Of the 33 shrines, 25 of them are located on Ajax.  There are 5 on Snowmass, two on Aspen Highlands, and one on Buttermilk.  Most of the shrines are dedicated to deceased famous people:  Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, John Denver, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, the Golf Shrine (dedicated to 16 deceased greats of the game, including Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan), Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and Hunter Thompson.  Some of the shrines are for locals:  Raoul Willie, Eric Smith, Nicholas Blake Davidson, and Steve Butts.  Two shrines are for sports places:  The Yankee Stadium Shrine and the Fenway Park Shrine.  The 9/11 shrine is a tribute to those who died on September 11, 2001.  There is a shrine to the cartoon character, Snoopy.  There is a shrine to a dog named Bingo.  There is a shine to cowboys (Buckaroo Shrine), there is a shrine to a children's toy (Poop-a-troopers),  The Aspen Ski Hall of Fame Shrine remembers many of those involved in the early ski history of Aspen, including Stein Eriksen, Walter Paepcke, Klaus Obermeyer, Friedl Pfeifer, Andre Roch, and others.  Most of the shrines are to deceased persons, but one shrine is to a person still alive:  Jimmy Buffett.  There is a shrine to the Beatles and also Widespread Panic (some members of these musical groups dead, some alive).  There is only one shrine to a female:  The Marilyn Monroe Shrine.  The rest of the shrines do not fit into any neat categories. 

What this site does not cover are exact locations.  Half the fun of finding and seeing a shrine is finding it yourself.  The locations of the shrines are not shown on the official trail maps, with only one exception:  For some odd reason, the location of the Elvis Presley Shrine is shown on the "Kids' Mountain Guide" trail map.  What you will find on this site are very general location descriptions, which you can use to go the general location area and look around for yourself and find them.  Or perhaps ask a Ski Ambassador or Ski Patroller for directions (and they might decide to help you if you are lucky.)  A final alternative is for you to check past issues of the Aspen Times newspaper; some articles from that newspaper give some very detailed descriptions of how to find most of the shrines.

The shrines of Aspen/Snowmass are special. Find them, look at them, enjoy them, and take your photos. But please leave them as you found them.

One matter concerning the Shrines to keep in mind is that they are ever changing.  New items are put up and old items fall down or give in to the elements.  So the Shrine you visit may not look exactly like the photos on this site. However, all the Shrines on this site are out there in one form or another (except as indicated) and at one time or another looked like the photos shown on this site.

All photos on this site are by the author except as indicated.  All photos on this site can be enlarged by "clicking" on them.