Chris LeBlanc rests during a hike from Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado. Now’s a good time to look for flights to Colorado. Pam LeBlanc photo
The current heat wave has me pressing an iced tea glass to my forehead and scanning airline schedules for flights to Colorado.
Turns out American Airlines is operating daily non-stop service from Austin to Aspen this summer. And while the daily route was originally scheduled to end on Aug. 14, American recently extended it through Labor Day.
Read more: A rare retreat to mountainside luxury at Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
The flight leaves Austin at 9:37 a.m. on weekdays and arrives at 11:20 a.m., giving you plenty of time to take a nice cool hike in the mountains before happy hour. The return flight departs Aspen at 12:45 p.m. and gets to Austin at 4:02 p.m. Flights are slightly different on weekends.
Read more: I blindfolded myself for the trip over this Colorado mountain pass
A quick check shows you can nab the weekday flight to Colorado for about $400 round trip.
Once there, the memory of the Austin inferno will fade from memory and you’ll find plenty of cool things to do.
One good idea? Make the hike from Aspen to Crested Butte, stay the night, then hike back the following day.
It’s classic.
