Scanning the restaurant’s patio from the chairlift, I spotted my friend’s burnt-orange snow pants. I watched as she raised her glass to toast our friends. It was a particularly warm, glorious day with not a cloud in the sky, and it finally felt like spring. Thus, I was delighted to see that they sat us outside on the wraparound deck for our 11:30 a.m. reservation. I eased off the lift and skied up to the entrance of Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro at 10,825 feet of elevation on Aspen Highlands. I propped my skis up against the rack and eagerly made my way to the patio to join my friends. A magnum bottle of Entourage rosé positioned in a wine cooler of ice was waiting for me patiently upon arrival. Almost immediately, I swapped out my helmet and goggles for a Cloud 9 hat that I purchased on site at the Veuve Clicquot ice bar. The notorious Cloud 9 hats are kind of like Mickey Mouse ears. You can’t go to Disney World and not purchase the illustrious ears — it’s just part of the experience.