• July 13, 1992
• Vol. 38
• No. 2

Eerie Aerie

Aspen May Be a Nice Place to Visit—but Strange Stuff Happens in Them Thar Hills

OURS IS A WORLD OF MYSTERY, WHERE INEXPLICABLE PHENOMENA LOOM behind the ordinary, and where the laws of logic and science, indeed of common sense, often seem to be suspended. Scoffers may scoff, but the questions remain. Do ships and planes really disappear in the Bermuda Triangle, or are they just running very late? Are we being buzzed by UFOs? How does Ross Perot get that haircut? Do the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti and Bigfoot really exist—and is it possible to get them on a conference call?

And, finally, what exactly is the deal with Aspen?

Yes, Aspen, playground of the rich, the surgically enhanced and—often—the judgment impaired. What makes them flock there from all over the world, plunk down gazillions of dollars for condos and then do things that get them into deep trouble? Is it the rarefied Rocky Mountain air, or something in the water? Is it the proximity to John Denver? Or is there something more sinister at work? Is there an Aspen Triangle, a place where the totemic might of Rolex and BMW are powerless in the face of darker forces?

The evidence is admittedly anecdotal, but maybe, just maybe, it adds up. And maybe, just maybe, there's something on those slopes besides snow, something that makes lives go, well, downhill.