Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson worked out of a downtown hotel and ran unsuccessfully for county sheriff.

Both figures popularized Aspen among the counter-cultural youth of the 1970s as an ideal place to live, and the city continued to grow even as it gained notoriety for some of the era's hedonistic excesses (particularly its drug culture).

Outdoor recreation in the surrounding White River National Forest serves as a summertime counterpart to the city's four ski areas.

[9] Aspen is the world's second-highest-rated ski resort in terms of "the quality and reliability of their conditions and their capacity to withstand climate change.

"[10] The city's roots are traced to the winter of 1879, when a group of miners ignored pleas by Frederick Pitkin, Governor of Colorado, to return across the Continental Divide to avoid a Ute uprising.

In 1883, the Apostolic Vicarate of Colorado's Bishop Machebeuf had the Reverend Edward Downey establish the first Catholic mission in Aspen.

Economic collapse came with the Panic of 1893, when President Cleveland called a special session of Congress and repealed the act.

It was proposed that silver be recognized as legal tender and the People's Party (populists) adopted that as one of its main issues.

Davis H. Waite, an Aspen newspaperman and agitator, was elected governor of Colorado on the Democratic ticket, but in time the movement failed.

The Aspen Skiing Company was founded in 1946 and the city quickly became a well-known resort, hosting the FIS World Championships in 1950.

Paepcke also played an important role in bringing the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation to Aspen in 1949, an event held in a newly designed tent by the architect Eero Saarinen.

Notable celebrities frequented the town and ski slopes, also John Denver was one of the more famous permanent residents.

The impetus for the resolution was the increasing number of trailer parks that housed the migrant workers employed locally in the service sector and ski industry.

The move was led by Terry Paulson, an Aspen City Council member, and supported and guided by national groups such as the Carrying Capacity Network, and the Center for Immigration Studies.

[21] The city's character has transformed dramatically in recent decades by skyrocketing property values and the proliferation of second homes, increasingly shutting low- and middle-income workers out of the city and creating a large pool of commuters from nearby bedroom communities such as Snowmass, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs.

At the same time, in stark contrast to its historic character, the city has emerged into international fame as a glitzy playground of the wealthy and famous.

[22] The downtown has been largely transformed into an upscale shopping district that includes high-end restaurants, salons, and boutiques.

[23] Stores such as Gucci, Prada and Fendi dot South Mill Street and act as a "Rodeo Drive" of Aspen.

[34] Homes purchased through Employee Housing programs typically contain deed restrictions to maintain a degree of affordability for local residents, but even deed-restricted properties in the area can cost close to $1 million.

Aspen natives Torin Yater-Wallace and Alex Ferreira are both freestyle skiers who compete in the Winter X Games and have very successful careers.

Both Torin and Alex have represented the United States of America in Men's Ski SuperPipe at the Olympic Games.