▁Bo om ▁in ▁nearby ▁Le ad ville . ▁Asp en ▁fl our ished ▁as ▁a ▁min ing ▁community ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁until ▁the ▁silver ▁crash ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁coal ▁min ing ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁of ▁the ▁Cry stal ▁emer ged ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁extract ive ▁industry , ▁one ▁that ▁has ▁nearly ▁entirely ▁van ished ▁( co al ▁is ▁still ▁extracted ▁south ▁of ▁Mc Cl ure ▁Pass ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁North ▁F ork ▁Valley ). ▁ ▁Geography ▁The ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁Valley ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁W aters hed , ▁which ▁includes ▁the ▁F ry ing pan ▁and ▁Cry stal ▁River ▁valle ys . ▁The ▁valley ▁extends ▁for ▁approximately ▁ ▁sout heast ▁to ▁north west ▁from ▁Asp en ▁north west ▁to ▁Glen wood ▁Spr ings ▁at ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁on ▁the ▁Colorado ▁River , ▁r anging ▁in ▁width ▁between ▁. ▁It ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁mountains ▁on ▁all ▁sides , ▁in ▁particular ▁on ▁its ▁south west ▁edge ▁by ▁the ▁high ▁El k ▁Mountains ▁that ▁are ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁Asp en / S now mass ▁ski ▁resort s . ▁The ▁upper ▁( s out heast ) ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁valley ▁is ▁sometimes ▁called ▁the ▁Asp en ▁Valley , ▁but ▁loc als ▁simply ▁refer ▁to ▁it ▁as ▁" up - val