Douglas N Beck

Growing Up in Aspen: Life After the Quiet Years Douglas N Beck

Publisher Marketing: Much like many small towns, when the kids did something wrong the parents usually knew before the act was even committed. There was no hiding anything from the "collective" parent population. This being a disadvantage is stating the obvious, but there was an upside. Speaking specifically to my situation, at the age of 3 I was skiing down Little Nell on my own without either of my parents in sight, but watchful eyes were always present and my safety was never in question. At the age of 7 I was working my first job, so much for child labor laws, as a plant "waterer" at the first, yes first, Chart House Restaurant. It seemed to have more plants than the rain forest at least that is how I remember it. At the age of 6 I was going up with the crew that eventually built the Snowmass Ski Area, all without my parents in tow. I was skiing to the top of Aspen Mountain with my friends before I was 10 and I rode my bicycle all over the valley and never once angered a passing car, those were the days. I began writing these stories to preserve them for my children and in the process soon gained a following of readers, many of whom I grew up with in the Aspen valley. Happy reading and thanks for taking the time! I hope the adventures are worth the journey. Contributor Bio:  Beck, Douglas N Historian, author, and information technology professional Douglas N. Beck grew up in Aspen as a fifth-generation (third-generation born) Aspenite, and the town's early history and people continue to inspire him. For this book, Beck has collaborated with the Aspen Historical Society to obtain many of the photographs within these pages.