Aspen's smoking, Vail's left behind

It isn't a great news day for the big boys of Colorado ski resorts.

First, a state health study said the air quality in Aspen last year was worse than some of the biggest cities in Colorado because of dirt roads, wood burning and restaurant grills. The study by the Colorado Department of Public Health rated Aspen worse than Boulder, Brighton, Fort Collins and Greeley. The study reported that certain areas in heavily populated Denver even scored better.

Over at Vail, the hipness factor went down a few points, as MHD, MTV's high-definition network, moves out of its studio on Vail Mountain for new digs in New York. Last year, Lt. Gov. Jane Norton joined Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom in announcing the opening of the studio atop Eagle’s Nest, a restaurant complex at 10,350 feet, in what Vail Mountain officials said would help market the channel to the coveted 18-to-34-year-old demographic.

“We had a one-year contract with MTV to host the studio at the top of the mountain and had a very successful partnership with MTV last year,” said Jen Brown, spokeswoman for Vail Mountain. Mariana Agathoklis, MHD spokeswoman, said the network might return for a special concert.