August 2005

Keystone Resort has tripled the amount of wind energy it purchases for the resort, to a total of 707,000 kilowatts per year, or enough energy to run its night skiing operation for a season.

Summit County commissioners have informally approved a “zero-waste” approach to trash and garbage, and will continue to pursue new methods and markets for waste, using reduction, education, reuse and increased recycling. The plan will focus on the Jan. 1 opening of the new materials recovery facility at the county landfill, enabling the county to collect additional materials and generate revenues from their sale.

The Frisco Elementary School renovations are right on schedule and on budget. The building should be ready for the first day of school. Frisco is the last of the Summit Schools to undergo upgrading. The $3.5 million project involved removing asbestos, replacing the roof and installing new lighting, mechanical equipment, doors and siding. Three new classrooms and a meeting area will be ready by Thanksgiving.

Summit High graduate Whitney Anderson, who won five Colorado state championships in track and field and cross-country, has qualified for the USA Junior Team. She finished second at the Track and Field Jr. Nationals in California last month in the 5000 meters. She will next compete in the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in Windsor Ontario. She has also earned a full scholarship to Duke University.

What do ski areas do in the summer? I can tell you, having been here over 25 years that they used to turn into ghost towns, kind of like Breckenridge before the ski area. Now the chairlifts run all summer to get you into the heart of the forest or near treeline to enjoy nature, whether your preferred mode of travel is by foot or mountain bike. A recent trend is the creation of special downhill mountain bike trails that encourage the extreme and restrict the slow goers. The base areas are now home to music and art festivals as well as summer long amusement park settings with bungees, zip lines, and sledding tracks. Of course horseback riding has long been popular and many mountain communities are creating white water parks for kayaking. I can tell you that there are multitudes of fun to be had in the summer and you will have the same choices of food and dining options as you do in the winter. We never shut down and the fun never stops in The Rockies.

A-Basin had some big announcements last month. First, like Breckenridge they set an all time high for skier days this past season. They jumped from 275,428 to 326,125 or a whopping 14%. This total meant they passed up the high and mighty Aspen Mountain for the first time and approached the totals of the much larger and more famous Telluride and Crested Butte. A big part of the success is the result of the new snowmaking system, which guarantees an early opening date. Good snowfall this year also allowed them to stay open till late June. Plans for the future include possible expansion over the top to the backside of the mountain, called Montezuma Bowl. The other big announcement was that A-Basin’s owners purchased a ski area in the Sierra Nevada called Bear Valley. The area has 1280 acres of mostly intermediate and advanced terrain with a 1900 foot vertical drop. The locals are said to be excited that some one is coming in that will understand how to make things better while keeping the small time flavor of the area intact, much as they have done at The Basin.

My #1 color tour again this year is: From Crested Butte to Glenwood Springs. Plan a full day for this because there is so much to stop and see along the way. Head west out of Crested Butte toward Lake Irwin and Kebler Pass. Lake Irwin is very scenic and worth a stop but don’t stay too long because after you get over the pass you will be under one of the most amazing canopies of aspens you will ever see. The forest floor is lush with vegetation and you can sit and listen to a multitude of streams along the way. As the road heads down the other side the aspens clear out and the valley becomes arid so go ahead and pick up speed. When you get to the intersection of State Highway #133 turn north and head toward McClure Pass and Carbondale. Make haste until you begin up the pass because you will be greeted with infinite photo opportunities here. Somewhere in that sea of aspens is the largest living organism on the planet, although scientists won’t say where. Aspens can grow hundreds of trees from one root so each cluster is really one tree. That is why you see groups of aspens the same color on a hillside. On the way up there are numerous side roads and trails to stretch your legs and over other side of the pass there are many wonderful spots to stop along the stream and relax. When you hit Carbondale you have to make a decision; into the town of Aspen and dinner, perhaps another color tour to the Maroon Bells tomorrow, or to Glenwood Springs for a dip in the best hot springs in the west?

#2-West of Gunnison on US50, just as you come to Blue Mesa Reservoir, take a left onto State Highway #149. It winds into the heart of the San Juan Mountains through Lake City and over Slumgullion Pass. The route is spectacular and makes a great multi-day trip whether you camp along the Lake Fork or stay in an historic bed and breakfast in Lake City. This area is known for the legend of Alfred Packer, one of Colorado’s most famous criminals. There will be lots of information on him in Lake City if you are curious. Over the pass and through Creede, you will be following the headwaters of The Rio Grande. The cliffs and deep canyons in this area are as beautiful a spot as you will ever visit.

#3-This is my favorite short trip, allow about three to four hours. From Breckenridge take Boreas Pass Road past the ice rink for about thirty miles until you arrive at US285 in Como. From here you can head north to Denver or south to Fairplay and back to Breckenridge. In just a few short miles you will leave civilization and you will be following the old narrow gauge railroad grade up over tree line. This was the railroad that serviced Breckenridge during the mining days. At the top of the pass is an excellent display of interpretive signs and restored ruins for you to learn about the old railroad and its role in keeping Breckenridge alive in the days before the Eisenhower Tunnel. There are some wonderful short hikes from the pass that will give you magnificent views of Summit County, The Continental Divide and South Park. There are some good restaurants in Fairplay for lunch or dinner before returning to Breckenridge.

Happy trails.

One thousand high-paying jobs are coming to the Denver area. Lockheed Martin has entered into a joint venture with Boeing for rocket production. Consequently Boeing is relocating a thousand of their management and engineering staff here. Lockheed currently has about 4500 employees at its Colorado plant.

The Eisenhower Tunnel had its busiest month ever this July with 1.148 million vehicles passing through. The count for the year is up about 2.3% above last year’s record pace.

State tourism figures showed a 4% increase in out of state visitors from ’03 to ’04. A record 25.8 million OOS visitors came through last year. They also spent a record $7.3 billion. The new records were attributed to a $5 million marketing campaign paid for by several cities. Money well spent.

Workers in Colorado received an average 5.9% increase in their weekly pay in the fourth quarter of 2004, compared with the fourth quarter of 2003. The state also gained 27,900 non-farm jobs last year.

Things just keep getting better; Contact Me Today!

Real estate sales in Summit County broke the $1 billion mark in 2004 for the second time in history. The total volume of $1.1 billion for the year represents a 29% increase over 2003, but did not beat the all-time record set in 2000. Of the homes purchased in 2004, 36% were investment or vacation properties.

However it looks like 2005 is going to set new standards. Like I have been saying, since October properties have been selling at a record pace. For the first quarter alone total sales volume was up 37%. Through May, sales were up every month and had already totaled $440 million with the heart of the selling season ahead. The good news is that prices are only up about 10% from a year ago. This will hopefully sustain steady growth and help us avoid the famous “bubble” everyone talks about in some areas of the country.

What has all this got to do with mountain real estate? Contact me and we can discuss things.