Bob and Ruth Wade exemplify the outdoor life in Aspen. They have made a lasting impact on Aspen’s outdoor, recreational, and athletic culture by generously and enthusiastically creating opportunities for the community to experience their favorite pursuits.
Their store, Ute Mountaineer, has been the “go-to” store for climbing, camping, hiking, uphill and xc skiing gear since it was first opened in 1977. Bob and Ruth shared their love for these sports by creating cherished community events such as America’s Uphill, the Golden Leaf half-marathon, the Ute Nordic Series, Owl Creek Chase and Ski for the Pass.
Both top athletes, Ruth and Bob have competed in competitions like the grueling Grand Traverse together and are regulars at the Cliff House full moon dinners and breakfasts for uphillers.
Ruth was born in the old Aspen Community Hospital and raised in a family of five girls by parents Dr. J.S. Baxter, a family doctor in Aspen, and Peggy Baxter, a homemaker.
In high school, she took an interest in Nordic skiing, and was soon competing nationally, skiing for Middlebury College and then the U.S. Ski Team from 1975-1982.
Ruth returned to Aspen in fall of 1984 and helped the Ute open the Aspen Cross Country Center, the same season that the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council was formed by Bob and his friend, former Olympian Craig Ward. This extensive network of trails connecting Aspen and Snowmass are free for anyone to enjoy. Ute Mountaineer holds free introduction to cross country skiing days at the Center, supplies youth groups with equipment and supports the Aspen school’s Experiential Education trips with equipment, just to name a few of their contributions to the community.
Ruth was at Bob’s side helping organize cross country and uphill events, the AVSC ski team equipment buys, numerous wilderness slide presentations and book signings, and the Ute-sponsored Banff Film Festival movies at the Wheeler.
Bob got his start as a wilderness enthusiast running whitewater trips down the Grand Canyon. His “dream job” in one of the most beautiful places on earth
allowed him to introduce people to the many amazing facets of the Canyon. It also motivated him to make geology his major at University of Colorado, Boulder. There he began rock climbing and also started working at the Boulder Mountaineer shop for his climbing and business mentor, Bob Culp.
On a on a climbing trip to Aspen in the early 70’s, he and Culp noticed that the town lacked a climbing shop. By 1977, with the help of Culp family and future wife Ginny, the dream became a reality. Ute Mountaineer started in an office space in what was then the Mason and Morse building, moved over to Mill St., and then expanded in 2010 into its current location in the Elks Building.
Bob and Ruth were married in 1994 and both became immersed in volunteer activities. Ruth served on the ACES board for six years; Bob has been on the board of the Independence Pass Foundation for more than two decades, including serving as its president and volunteering regularly on restoration, trail, and other projects. He’s been a board member of the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council and for more than 35 years He also regularly works with young men in recovery through Jaywalker Lodge in Carbondale.
After losing son his son Robbie in a tragic skateboarding accident in 2002, Bob joined the board of the Chris Klug Foundation. Robbie had been impressed by Chris Klug’s presentation at the high school on organ donation and listed himself as a donor, which led to his organs being transplanted, saving multiple lives.
Bob received the Pitkin County Cares “Environment and All-Around Outdoor Enthusiast” award in 2020. Now with their induction into the Aspen Hall of Fame, Bob and Ruth Wade have cemented their place in Aspen’s history.