General Participant Information

Anderson Ranch is located in Snowmass Village, Colorado (population approximately 2,800), ten miles west of Aspen. You will find a variety of restaurants, a gift/liquor store, post office, sports equipment rental center and other shops within a 10-minute walk or a free shuttle bus ride from the Ranch. Bus service between Aspen and Snowmass Village is free (www.rfta.com). In Aspen, you will find a great selection of restaurants, shops, and galleries. For a packet of general information about the area, please contact Stay Aspen Snowmass or the Aspen Chamber at 888/649-5982.

All program and workshop participants are required to sign a general liability waiver as part of the Ranch’s pre-arrival process. Please click the links below to view and download the waivers.

GENERAL LIABILITY WAIVER

MINOR LIABILITY WAIVER

Climate and High Altitude

The Ranch is located at an elevation of 8,200 feet. Some people experience high altitude sickness (a.k.a. mountain sickness); symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and other symptoms) for up to 72 hours after arrival. We advise you to: drink a lot of water or juice; take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for headaches; avoid alcoholic beverages, caffeine, and salty foods because they tend to dehydrate; get plenty of rest for a few days before you get here and after you arrive. If you feel the altitude could cause a problem, please consult with your physician before signing up for a workshop. It is important to stay hydrated at high altitude, which is why we encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle with an attached top. These can be refilled at many locations around the Ranch. And please remember to bring any prescriptions, epipens, inhalers, etc., that you may require while here.

Seek medical care if your breathing problems worsen, you have chest pain, you have a bad headache that is getting worse, you have trouble walking, or you have trouble thinking clearly.

Summer weather at the Ranch is generally sunny and warm during the day (65 to 85 degrees) and cool at night (35 to 55 degrees). Though the daytime relative humidity averages 15 percent, we often have brief thunderstorms in the afternoon, which usually clear by evening.

Winter weather at the Ranch is generally cold and snowy, with January being one of the coldest months of the year. The average daily temperature is from a low of 9 F to a high of 29 F, with colder temperatures at night. An annual snowfall of 191.3 inches in Snowmass Village means that it is one of the snowiest places in Colorado, with January averaging around 31 inches of snow.

Office Hours

The Welcome Center, ArtWorks Store and gallery at Anderson Ranch are open year-round. Summer office hours are 9AM to 5PM (Mountain Time) Monday through Friday, and 12PM – 6PM on Sundays. Throughout the rest of the year, the office is open from 9AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday.

Telephone and Cell Service

Cell phone service from most major carriers works fine on our campus. In case of an emergency, a phone message may be left for you with the receptionist at the Welcome Center 970/923- 3181. We ask that cell phones be turned off in the studios. There are also house phones located on campus in the Library as well as the Wyly House lounge.

Internet Access

The Internet is widely available at Anderson Ranch. There is free WiFi access in all buildings on campus; the password is ‘workshops’ (all lower case). In addition, we have student work stations located in the Library and Dorm Lounge that will be available for Internet use. To ensure that you will have access to the Internet it is recommended you bring your own laptop that is WiFi capable.

The ArtWorks Store

The ArtWorks store, located in the Welcome Center, offers a wide selection of art supplies, clothing, books and artwork. Art supplies include canvases, watercolors, oils, soft pastels, oil pastels, acrylics, ceramic tools, brushes, charcoal pencils, sketchbooks and watercolor papers. Anderson Ranch’s store carries many faculty recommended supplies.

Students receive a 10% discount on art supplies and books! Visit store.andersonranch.org and use the workshop course code in the checkout. Order online by the Wednesday before your workshop and choose “pickup in store” and we will shop for you and deliver your items to your workshop. The discount does not apply to shipping, tax or online workshops.

What to Pack

Summer: Dress at Anderson Ranch is informal. Bring a variety of casual clothes, including a warm jacket, shorts, t-shirts, jeans, etc. Be sure to include a rain jacket (a rain hat and/or umbrella are advisable also), warm socks, light jacket, sweaters and/or sweatshirts for keeping warm in the evening, and sturdy, comfortable shoes. The sun is intense at this altitude, bring sunglasses and sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Please also plan to bring ample face coverings. Be sure to bring everything stated on your supply list and a flashlight for walking around the Ranch at night.

Winter: Expect winter weather in the months of November-April. Parkas, hats, gloves, boots, stabilizers/yak traks and a flashlight are strongly recommended. Because the sun is intense at this altitude, bring sunglasses and sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Dress at Anderson Ranch is informal. Bring a variety of casual clothes to layer.

Pets and Service Animals

Pets are not permitted at Anderson Ranch on the grounds, in cars in the parking lot or in Ranch provided housing. There are few housing facilities in Aspen or Snowmass Village that allow pets. If you must bring your pet, please ask us about an appropriate local kennel.

Anderson Ranch complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students who plan to bring a service animal must notify the Registrar at the time of registration, at which time we may ask if the service animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the service animal has been trained to do. A service animal must be under the handler’s control at all times, and the handler is expected to clean up after the service animal. For housing guests, a fee will be charged should there be any damage to the room.

Orientation

On the first Monday morning, there will be a short general orientation in the Schermer Meeting Hall at 8:45 a.m. We encourage all participants to attend as important announcements are made, and winter program instructors and Anderson Ranch staff are introduced.

Studio Access

Studios are open 24 hours a day and on weekends for students enrolled in multiple weeks, with limited use of equipment due to safety requirements. The machine rooms are only available when monitored – weekdays 9 AM-5 PM & Tues./Thurs. 7-9 PM.

Ranch Parking & Permits

You do not need a vehicle while you are at Anderson Ranch. Free buses and shuttles run throughout Snowmass Village and Aspen. Taxi service and airport limousines are also available.

If you choose to bring your car to Anderson Ranch, please be advised that parking is limited. Anderson Ranch shares a parking lot with the Snowmass Chapel and the Snowmass-Wildcat Fire District. Please help us be a good neighbor by following the guidelines below.

• Parking permits are required to park in the Anderson Ranch parking lot and can be requested using the pre-arrival form.
• Cars should be parked in the main parking lot in Anderson Ranch designated spaces. Cars parked in fire lanes, unmarked areas or in spaces designated for the Snowmass Chapel or Snowmass-Wildcat Fire District may be towed.
• There is no parking allowed on campus or in the back gravel lot.
• Anderson Ranch’s 15-minute spaces are for pick up/drop off only.
• Town of Snowmass Village ordinances prohibit camping in tents, RVs or vehicles (including car camping) on the Anderson Ranch campus and within the town of Snowmass Village.