Sanctuaries in the Snow - The Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass
(including Plaques, Memorials, Displays, Benches, Signs, and other 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:  Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass.  For a listing of these Shrines by mountain, click on "The Shrines" above left on this page.

The creator of this site can be reached at [email protected]   Also a book about the shrines is available for purchase; click on the "Purchase the Book" button at the top of this page.  All money from book sales are donated to charity.

In addition to covering the Shrines, this site also gives coverage to various plaques, memorials, displays, benches, signs, and other miscellaneous items existing on (or immediately adjacent to) the mountains that are not shrines in the strictest sense.  These items include mostly memorial plaques, memorial benches, and other types of memorials, but also include other various items that are neither shrines nor memorials, such as wooden signs, cabins, shacks, an outhouse, sculptures, statues, lift chairs, ski boots, fake alligators, a tepee, an incline lift, and a bedroom, as well as a noose, a wooden chair, elk and deer heads, "todboggans," photos, a bell, a flag, a cross, a knife, walls made of skis, and many other various and miscellaneous items.  For a listing of these items by mountain click on "The Plaques, Memorials, Displays, Benches, Signs, and Other Miscellaneous items" above left on this page.

The purpose of this website is to catalog and document these shrines, memorials, and items, and create a written and photographic record of them.  Whether you like the shrines or not, they are a part of the ski history of Aspen/Snowmass; perhaps just a small part of that history, but nevertheless a part of it, and this web site is intended to help preserve that history.  In keeping with the local custom, this site does not reveal shrine locations.

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 (or a link to a page that has photos).  There are almost 2500 photos on this web site alone.

To the best of the author's knowledge, there are over 150 shrines that exist now, or have existed, on the mountains of Aspen/Snowmass.  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 for use on this site, please send such information and photos to [email protected].   For a listing of the shrines, in alphabetical order by mountain, go to this page:  The Shrines   The author is also aware of over 210 plaques, memorials, displays and other miscellaneous items (other than shrines) on the four mountains.  For a list of these items, in alphabetical order by mountain, go to this page:  /the-plaques-memorials-displays-and-miscellaneous.html

Some of the shrines covered on this site are presently in existence, and some are not. This site endeavors to cover all of the Aspen/Snowmass shrines that have ever existed (to the best of the author's knowledge) whether or not they presently exist.

The Aspen/Snowmass Shrines are homemade covert memorials made by anonymous locals, and hidden in the trees off of the various ski runs of one of the four mountains. They are a packrat's nest of keepsakes and other items, consisting mostly of laminated photos, pictures, license plates, beads, silk flowers, wind chimes, mementos, tokens, plaques, and other memorabilia attached to tree trunks and put there in honor of particular heroes of the locals. They started to appear in the late 1970's, and in the beginning memorialized mostly musicians, but have now expanded well beyond that. They are funky, grassroots creations, and a quirky Aspen tradition that has become a brand of folk art that Aspen can call its own, and born out of the ski culture the town has shaped. The Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass 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. They have been called by some "Sanctuaries in the Snow," "Temples in the Trees," and "Tributes in the Trees," but are most often referred to simply as the "Shrines." Except for a few minor exceptions, the various local creators of the various shrines are not known to the general populace. There are no maps showing their locations; directions to them are all word-of-mouth, and in many cases accurate local knowledge is required to find some that are squirreled away deep in the trees. They are one way the locals have made the tourist-dominated resort their own. Most tourists have never seen one, and in fact, more than a few locals have never seen one either.  https://www.outtherecolorado.com/category/aspen/local-secrets-temples-in-the-trees/article_998e4dd7-0bf0-5070-b725-7584d3617a69.html

Any shrines existing on Forest Service lands violate the Forest Service rules, and are prohibited.  The Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass ski areas contain the most Forest Service lands; Aspen Mountain has the least.

A good summary and introduction to the Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass appeared in an article in the Aspen Times Weekly of February 18, 2006 (“Find Your Shrine on Ajax” by Kimberly Nicoletti.  See: https://www.aspentimes.com/news/find-your-shrine-on-ajax/:

“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.”

This February 24, 2012 article in the Aspen Daily News had this to say about the Aspen Shrines:  "They are funky, grassroots creations. They are a brand of folk art that Aspen can call its own — born out of the ski culture this town has shaped."  http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/entertainment/151993.  The article also refers readers to this web site.

In an article called "Aspen's Best — Outside" in the Aspen Times on September 2, 2006 (see:  https://www.aspentimes.com/news/aspens-best-outside/   the following was stated about the Aspen Shrines:  

"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." 

 For a number of years the official Aspen/Snowmass website (http://www.aspensnowmass.com) made three different mentions of the Aspen Shrines.  Over the years the wording varied; the most recent versions are stated below:

 3.  The "Tips For a Great Vacation" section of the official web site said:  "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://issuu.com/cmnmcreativeteam/docs/winterinaspen2013 (pages 20-21).

In January 2011, Jeff Hanle, Director of Public Relations, Aspen Skiing Company, was quoted as follows: "The [Aspen/Snowmass] shrines are so organic to these mountains.  There are small shrines and pretty big ones.  They are ways for people to honor someone special.  We do our best to make sure people leave them alone so they can be enjoyed by others."  See: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6071140

When, Where, and How Did the Shrines Start?

There is some question as to when the shrines started and which one was first.  Some people think the Elvis Presley Shrine was first; he died in 1977.  Others think the Bob Marley/Jerry Garcia Shrine was first; Marley died in 1981 and Garcia in 1995.  See the pages for the Elvis Presley Shrine and the Jerry Garcia Shrine on this site for more information about which shrine may have been the first one.  For the most part the author of this web site is not aware of the date most shrines were created; if the date is known, it is stated on the page for that particular shrine.  The author is also not aware of the identity of the person or persons who created most of the shrines.  If the identity of a shrine creator is known to the author, and if that person has given the author permission to disclose his or her name, it is noted on the page on this site for that particular shrine.  According to local expert T.C. the Jerry Garcia and John Denver shrines were created at sites that had preexisting wooden benches which had been installed previously by certain locals.  These wooden benches were in place for some indeterminate period of time before the shrine materials were added by others at a later date.     

In Aspen Magazine, Holiday 1995/96, Volume 22, No. 1, there is an article, "Ski Secrets of Ajax" by Bill Kerig. "Bill Kerig ponders Elvis's Highway, Marilyn's Shrine, and other windows on the soul of Aspen Mountain." The article mentions the Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe shrines and says they have existed for 10 years (back to 1985). Mention is also made of the Yankee Stadium sign and also Uncle Wiggly's tree. There is no mention at all of either Jerry Garcia or Bob Marley. At the end of the article is a footnote that says "Aspen Magazine is offering a reward for information on the shrines' creators." The author wonders if they received any information.     

Where are the Shrines Located?

Most of the Shrines are located on Aspen Mountain.  But there are also Shrines on the other three mountains.  See below for listings by mountain.  In keeping with the local custom, this site does not reveal shrine locations.

The Subjects of the Shrines

Fifteen of the Shrines are to musicians or have a musical connection:  Shrines to The Beatles, Bob Marley, David Bowie, Drummers, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Buffett, John Denver (two Shrines), Michael Jackson, Liberace, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Michael Houser of Widespread Panic.

Twelve Shrines have a sports theme:  Auto racing:  Dale Earnhardt. Football:  The New England Patriots and a shrine to Bear Bryant and Alabama football,  Baseball:  There are two baseball shrines--Fenway Park [Boston Red Sox] and Yankee Stadium [New York Yankees].  Golf:  There are five golf-related shrines--Two Shrines honor many deceased greats of the game as a group, another honors Ben Hogan alone, another honors Bobby Jones alone, and one covers the golf movie "Caddyshack."  Hockey:  A shrine dedicated to hockey.  And another one dedicated to the Chicago Black Hawks NHL team.  Bowling:  A shrine dedicated to bowling. 

Tweny three Shrines honor locals, or persons with a local connection: Adam Dennis, Brandon Zukoff, Chris Polk, Christian Daniel Streuli, Christine E. Hardy, Chuck Severy/Todd Olson (one shrine to both men), Eric Smith, Hunter S. Thompson, Jake Foerster, Jeff Walker, John Nicoletta, Kathy Kania, Kiera Elizabeth Tongish, Nancy Pfister, Nicholas Blake Davidson, Patti Seifert, Raoul Wille, Rich Kerr, Robert D. Kesselring ("Señor Kess"), Steve Butts, Suzie W., Ksenija Ilic, Tom Cole, and Tom Sharkey.

The subjects of the remaining Shrines do not fall into any neat categories: The 9/11 victims, Aspen Ski Hall of Fame members and Aspen's Skiing Pioneers, a dog named Bingo, cowboys (The Buckaroo Shrine), Chicks (The Chix Coup Shrine), dogs (The Dog Pound Shrine, the K9 Shrine, and a couple others), cats (The Kitty Cat Shrine), Marilyn Monroe, the Monkey Lounge, mountain bikes, groundhogs, Guinness, the Burning Man Festival, a children's toy called "Pooper Troopers," the cartoon character Snoopy, a shrine to Valentines, unicorns, Calvin and Hobbes, and several others.