Aspen the Mountain Pup: The new top dog of the ski slopes?

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Aspen the Mountain Pup finds Internet fame

Dog has 120,000 followers on Instagram

CNN  — 

The X Games might be taking place at one of the world’s top ski resorts this weekend – but there’s only one Aspen with the real X-Factor.

Yes, that’s right – meet Aspen the Mountain Pup, the golden retriever who’s taking Instagram by storm.

The four-year-old, who lives for most of the year with his owners Hunter and Sarah Lawrence in the Colorado mountain city, is making the name his own as thousands of adoring fans line up to coo over him.

This dog can sled, captain a canoe – and even has his own sunglasses and backpack in case he gets caught short while out hiking.

“I always swore I would never take an Instagram of him, and I was on my phone one day and thought what the hell is happening?” Hunter Lawrence, a professional photographer, told CNN.

“I honestly saw it as sort of silly before I started doing it. I thought it was a waste of time to dress my dog up, make him look certain ways and then share it with random strangers.

“But once I realized I actually had created some really beautiful content of Aspen from places all over the USA and Canada that I was really proud of, I sort of just bit the bullet and went for it.

“People seem to love it and to be honest, I really love it now. Even if his feed never gained popularity I probably would still do it, because I enjoy it – I guess that’s all that really matters.”

Aspen has 120,000 followers on Instagram – more than five times the city’s resident population – and is attracting more every day.

His adventures are being chronicled by his owners, showcasing the dog’s penchant for the great outdoors.

Lawrence, whose other passion is snowboarding, says Aspen’s love of the white stuff makes it easy to take him along.

“Aspen is so at home in the snow, even if he sometimes tries to eat snowballs,” he laughs.

“He loves getting buried in the snow and he really likes the cold water and diving in.”

Aspen has been on many trips with his owners, both close to home in Aspen and further afield to Canada, posing for pictures at Lake Louise in Alberta – one of the prestigious stops on the World Cup skiing circuit

“Ever since he was little, my wife has always said it takes us ages to get anywhere because he’s so cute,” Lawrence adds.

“Every time we take him out there’s always a crowd of people around him – he’s a great dog.”

Aspen, the resort, is one of the leading ski destinations for celebrity and winter sports athletes.

The glitz and glamor, combined with the natural beauty of the area, makes it a favorite with the rich and famous.

While the dog might be attracting all the attention at the moment, Aspen will be hoping to steal the show this weekend.

The X Games provides the backdrop for some of the world’s most exciting extreme sport stars to show off their talent.

And who knows, maybe Sarah and Hunter might get an invite to the big event with their own Aspen – the dog whose popularity keeps on snowballing.

Read: Best of Colorado skiing

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