This 4-year-old just became the youngest girl to hike and ski Highland Bowl

News | Mar 27, 2025

Westley Crouch
Aspen Times

**Hayden Springstead on top of Highland Bowl on Friday, March 21.**
*Sophia Madsen/Courtesy photo*

At just 4 years old, Hayden Springstead has tied the record for the youngest person ever to hike and ski the Highland Bowl — and becomes the youngest girl to accomplish the feat.

She completed the hike and descent on Friday, March 21, alongside her father, Nick Springstead, a ski patroller at Aspen Highlands.

The previous record was set in 2004 by Aspen native and eventual World Cup racer Bridger Gile, who also summited and skied the bowl at age 4.

“Anyone who is 4 years old and can hike up that hill is pretty special,” Gile told The Aspen Times on Wednesday. “That is not a normal thing for 4-year-olds to be doing. That is awesome.”

Hayden’s feat prompted a little fortune telling from Gile.

“I think if she can do that,” he said, “she has a good career in skiing ahead of her.”

Hayden’s stepmother, Sophia Madsen, said the family is “really proud of her.”

“We went down and skied part of G2 and into Childsplay,” Madsen said. “Hayden skied it completely on her own.”

Madsen said that after learning about Gile’s achievement, it felt meaningful to see Hayden’s name mentioned in the same breath.

“Hayden started skiing when she was 2 years old, and she started with the leashes. Then, last year, she started skiing on her own,” she said. “Totally unprompted, Hayden said that she doesn’t want the leashes anymore and that she can do it by herself.”

Hayden takes a break while skiing down Highland Bowl with her father Nick Springstead on Friday, March 21.

Hayden’s rapid progression took off last season at Panda Peak and, remarkably, led to her skiing a double black diamond run — Corkscrew Gully — on Aspen Mountain.

“We kinda teased her that if she continued to progress this fast, then she is going to be skiing Highland Bowl next year,” Madsen said. “She loved that idea, so all this season, she kept asking when she could go up and ski the bowl.”

That moment arrived last weekend. Madsen said the family checked the weather and snow conditions carefully before heading out.

“We woke up, checked all the weather cameras, looked at the bowl, and said to Hayden that it looked a little stormy and wintery,” she said. “Hayden turned to us and said, ‘Are you kidding? We can still do it.’ She was totally motivated on her own, and it was awesome.”

Hayden, who currently attends Honey Tree Preschool in El Jebel — where her mother is a co-owner — already has big ambitions. Madsen, who is pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in Boise, Idaho, said Hayden dreams of following her father’s path to ski patrol before becoming a doctor herself.

“The entire morning was pretty awesome on Friday. It took us an hour and 10 minutes to get from the cat drop-off to the summit,” Madsen said. “Hayden chugged along, and we put a bunch of jelly beans in her pocket, so she could have a sugar rush if she needed it.”