‘One step at a time’: Snowmass resident surpasses goal of 85 uphills for his 85th birthday
Mone Anathan on pace to reach 100 days uphilling
Lucy Peterson/The Aspen Times
At the start of the 2023-2024 ski season, Mone Anathan set an ambitious goal for himself: uphill 85 times for his 85th birthday. By the time his birthday came on March 15, he had surpassed 85 uphills and was shooting for 100.
On March 26, he had uphilled in Snowmass 99 times and is planning to reach 100 on March 27.
“Last year, I made the mistake of saying, ‘You know, I’m going to do 85 days for my 85th birthday,’ and at that time, it seemed like a pretty good challenge,” he said. “And when I hit 85, I just couldn’t stop.
“It’s such a thrill to be able to be out there and do what I do,” he added.
Anathan, a longtime Snowmass Village resident, took up uphilling when the COVID-19 pandemic started. It was a way to keep himself active and outside, he said.
Since he started uphilling, he hasn’t been able to stop.
“I just wanted to stay away from the lines,” he said. “And it’s addictive. It’s meditative.”
But he has been skiing since he was in his late 30s, and he moved to Snowmass to have better access to the mountain.
“For me, it’s just like dancing down the mountain,” he said. “Putting miles and miles under those boards until you get a sense of comfort – there’s nothing like it.”
For eight years, he was an on-mountain ambassador, leading tours for guests. Meeting people from all over the world and showing them the mountain on skis was one of his favorite parts of living in Snowmass.
Last season, he uphilled between 40 and 50 days while still serving as an ambassador. But once he set the goal of 85 uphills in one season, he decided to give up the ambassador position.
To reach his goal, Anathan has uphilled about six times a week, and he always sticks to Snowmass. His favorite routes are up Sam’s Knob and Alpine Springs.
And while he’s making his way up the mountain, he’s always listening to opera. Some of his favorites are “The Magic Flute” and “La Traviata,” he said.
Though he loves the exercise, one of his favorite parts of uphilling is the people he meets on the mountain.
“Whether it’s in the locker room or people passing me — because I’m very slow — or people coming down the hill who stop and want to chat,” he said. “And just the sense of accomplishment when you get to the top, it’s kind of special.”
It typically takes him an hour and 45 minutes to make it up the mountain. But he always makes it to the top, “one step at a time,” he said.
Snowmass Ski Area will close on Sunday, April 14, for the season, and uphill passes are required through April 30.
When asked if he would keep going after reaching 100 days of uphilling on March 27, he said: “Of course – I can’t stop!”
