6:00am. That is the start time for the hundreds of backcountry skiers who will compete in the annual Power of Four race covering the uphill and downhill terrain of all four of the Aspen/Snowmass ski mountains on February 24th. For those of you who are not skiers, you might ask, why on earth would anyone be skiing UPHILL? The answer is: because that’s what ultra-athletes do! The race traverses 25.3 miles and scales 11,600 vertical feet. The fastest will finish in 4-5 hours. Most “normal humans” finish in under 8 hours; but even that is fast! (We live in a valley where “normal fitness” is a relative term.
Of course, proper training, focusing on uphill movement is essential as well as efficiency at taking off and putting on the ‘skins’ (a material made to mimic the seal skin that indigenous people used to cover snowy terrain, held onto the bottom of the ski with a strong adhesive. Think of it like Velcro for snow!) The top finishers will not only be super fit, but super-efficient at this equipment change. …not to mention being well-fueled and properly hydrated – And the smartest of them will fuel on Two Leaves and a Bud hot tea! (Maybe with a bit of honey.)
Two Leaves is a proud supporter of this event. As the “The Official Hot Tea” of Aspen/ Snowmass, on the race day, Two Leaves will be sampling our Tart Berry Tea as well as our latest offering, GoChai, a single serving, on-the-go, super delicious chai latte that mixes up creamy and delicious with a dose of hot water. So quick and easy that even a Power of Four competitor could whip one up mid-race!
And while we are at it, Two Leaves tea has been serving up hot tea samples for skiers from all over the world on the Aspen/Snowmass ski mountains for the past five years. Ambassador stations throughout the resort sample our tea, and you’ll also find Two Leaves and a Bud in all the resort restaurants. Tea is the perfect winter warmer and provides good hydration for active days out in the elements and we think is an essential part of this endurance race we all complete in, called “life”. But we would think that, wouldn’t we? (and we hope you do too!)
Here's our founder, Richard Rosenfeld, smiling with staff at the ambassador station at Aspen Highlands.
