Aspen's Rugged Splendor

Through 275 spectacular photographs by National Geographic photographer, David Hiser, and stories by Paul Andersen and other local writers, this coffee-table book explores the history of Aspen, Colorado's Maroon and Castle Creek Valleys and the exploits of the risk-takers who wrote the chapters of Aspen's history. This history is told in landscapes where mountains, rivers, and valleys reveal the legacy of those who came before. Whether it was the pioneers of 1880 or today's top alpinists skiing the peaks of the Elk Mountain Range, the story of Aspen is personalized in memorable exploits. These two valleys speak to the trials and successes of the risk-takers who staked their futures and their lives in the exploration of the mining town which developed into a cultural and recreational Mecca. The book is a tribute to the pioneers, road builders, miners, skiers, mountaineers, and to all who have traveled these mountains and valleys. Aspen's Rugged Splendor invites the reader to: explore the mining era with tales from the Midnight Mine, the Montezuma, and Pitkin Iron; read the most comprehensive history of Ashcroft ever published; appreciate the hardships and pleasures of early Aspen families; look at Mt. Hayden through the eyes of Andre Roch, Billy Fiske, and Ted Ryan; trace the mountaineering history of the Elk Range through Lou Dawson's account; experience a daring winter traverse of Highland Ridge with Neal Beidleman; learn why the Maroon Bells, the most beautiful mountains in the worlk, are known as "The Deadly Bells".

Paul Andersen has been a professional writer and editor for 30 years. He writes books, movies, magazine articles, plays, short stories, and leads the Nature and Society Seminar at the Aspen Institute. He is a regular columnist and contributing writer for the Aspen Times, and has written five books about Aspen and western Colorado. He lives at Seven Castles in the Frying Pan Valley outside of Aspen with his wife, Lu, their son Tait, two cats, and a dog.