A Brief History of ‘Aspenization’

By Courtney Lowery, 1-31-08

David Frey's off-season journey through some of the Rockies’ premier ski resort towns took him in search of the "next Aspen," whatever that might mean. "Aspenization" is seen as either a blessing or a curse in ski towns and in this five-part series, David sets out to find out which is which in Western towns that, along with their neighbors, have undergone some of the most dramatic recent changes in the West.

As David points out in Part I of the series, these communities also serve as bellwethers as more and more towns become caught up in an economy based less on traditional resources than on lifestyle. It’s not even about skiing anymore. It is about people seeking out a corner of the West that calls to them.

Click below to catch up with the other parts of the series...

• Part I: Park City, Utah: 'Where Have All the Ski Bums Gone?'
  
• Part II: Ketchum, Idaho: A Five-Star Dilemma
  
• Part III: Big Sky, Mont.: It's a Community. Is it a Town?
  
• Part IV: Jackson Hole, Wyo.: ‘Every Town Has its Song’
  
• Part V: Aspen Colo.: Devil or Guardian Angel?

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