SEVERAL YEARS AGO I experienced a summer day I’ll never forget. In the morning I biked Hunter Creek Loop, an oft-traveled trail, but on this day a young black bear was also surveying the single-track. After reminding myself that berries, not I, were his breakfast of choice, I continued into town for the Saturday market. By late afternoon I was on the Aspen Meadows campus for a captivating seminar with then-Senator Barack Obama. I capped the night with dinner at Taka Sushi and a rock show at Belly Up. At the concert it struck me: Only in Aspen can such a day exist. This heady mix of physical and cultural adventure, all within a 15-block radius, is why town has us hooked.

This memory has particular resonance this summer, as town celebrates two great minds that envisioned such brilliant days. With this issue, we honor the 60th anniversary of what eventually became Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke’s legacy: the Aspen Idea. We commemorate this integration of mind, body and spirit with their grandson, Nicholas DuBrul. As a special contributor, DuBrul honors the Aspen Idea with a firsthand account of growing up Paepcke.

Aspen Peak is celebrating, too, with our special fifth anniversary issue. In keeping with that theme, check out our “Top 5s,” from design to nightlife, throughout the issue. And with the graceful Melanie Griffith as our cover star, we have particular reason to rejoice, as she divulges her passion for both Aspen adventure and our community, a testament to town’s common ground.

Aspen’s culinary community also stars in this issue, and we salute town’s top chefs and spirits experts with a piquant feature on the future of Aspen’s food-andwine scene. In addition, Chef Mario Batali and wine guru Joshua Wesson talk about the FOOD & WINE Classic, and we profile town’s top mixologists.

True to Peak form, town’s movers and shakers make an impression. Designers Todd Heimel and Barbara Mullen share their tricks of the trade, musician John Oates catches up with bassist Edgar Meyer, John Speers of The Little Nell lists his Aspen “Top 10,” and Chip Comins has a talk about the environment with renewable-energy trailblazer Amory Lovins. Of course, fashion is never far from our minds: We go behind the scenes at Aspen Fashion Week and channel our inner ’70s chic in “The Art Collector.”

After winter’s sobering headlines and a late spring, I welcome the new energy an Aspen summer brings. There’s never a shortage of new memories to be made in our resilient town. Enjoy!

ERIN LENTZ