Category

Breckenridge

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Market, resources

Real Estate At A Glance: Summit County Land Sales

bildeThe average land price in Summit County won’t increase by 45 percent this year like it did in January. There were only three lots sold in January and one of them was for $850,000. Land prices and sales did increase last year and that trend will probably continue, just not at the pace set in January. Prices in the next three months will almost certainly beat the really low prices of early last year, so prices will look a lot better.There are just over 1,500 properties for sale and 350 of them are vacant land.  A real estate fact of the week: $481,200 is the average sale price for land in January of 2013.  $229,800 is the average sale price for land in January of 2012

Click here to read the entire article.

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Market, resources

Vail Resorts Closes on Sale of Land at Breckenridge Peak 8 Base for Timeshare Development

1imagesYesterday Vail Resorts, Inc. finalized the sale of approximately 2.1 acres of land at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 8 to an affiliate of Breckenridge Grand Vacations Inc. The sale price was $11.1 million in cash.

Breckenridge Grand Vacations is the developer of several premier timeshare properties in Breckenridge, including the popular Grand Timber Lodge and Grand Lodge at Peak 7. The Peak 8 property will be developed as a 75-unit, ski-in/ski-out timeshare resort with a host of amenities including a public restaurant and full-service spa. The project will also improve skier circulation at the base of Peak 8 by widening certain key ski trails.

The timeshare development is the latest addition to the overall master plan and vision for developing vibrant base areas on Peaks 7 and 8 and creating a strong connection to Breckenridge’s historic Main Street. To date, The Breck Connect Gondola, One Ski Hill Place, Crystal Peak Lodge and The Grand Lodge at Peak 7 have been developed under the Peak 7 and 8 Master Plan.

Breckenridge Ski Resort also recently announced its plans to greatly enhance on-mountain summer activities, subject to applicable regulatory approvals, and is in the final stages of the Peak 6 expansion accessing 543 acres of new terrain which is scheduled to open next ski season.

“This is an exciting time for Breckenridge Ski Resort, with continued investment both on the mountain and at our base areas,” said Alex Iskenderian , senior vice president and chief operating officer for Vail Resorts Development Company. “Improving the bed base at Peaks 7 and 8, and having a gondola taking our guests to and from town, has transformed the Breckenridge experience.”

In addition to enhancing the look and experience at Peak 8, the timeshare project is expected to generate $2.5 to $3.0 million to the Town of Breckenridge through real estate transfer tax revenues, said BGV’s Rob Millisor . “I would like to thank Vail Resorts for the opportunity to bring such a visionary project to life, as well as the Town of Breckenridge for its partnership and thorough development review process,” Millisor said.

The Peak 8 timeshare development will be at the site of the Bergenhof Day Lodge, which will be torn down this spring. Vail Resorts has committed to partnering with the Summit County Recycling Center to recycle materials that are eligible for recycling and Breckenridge Grand Vacations plans to incorporate reclaimed materials into its new building. Some grading and utility work in the area will begin this summer and vertical construction of the timeshare project will begin in the spring of 2014.

“Breckenridge Grand Vacations has been a great partner at the Grand Lodge at Peak 7, and we look forward to continuing that partnership at Peak 8,” said Iskenderian.

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Culture and Nightlife, Breckenridge History, Breckenridge Recreation, resources

What Can I Do If I Don’t Ski (or Snowboard)?

Whether participating in arts workshops, exploring the community's rich history or just cruising town, Breckenridge offers many activities beyond the slopes. Photo by Bob WinsettBreckenridge, Colorado is known as a ski and snowboard Mecca (and for good reason). For those not interested in the slopes, this historic town and the surrounding backcountry offer numerous ways to play. You asked. We’re answering.

Whether participating in arts workshops, exploring the community’s rich history or just cruising town, Breckenridge offers many activities beyond the slopes. Photo by Bob Winsett

Unleash creativity – From fine arts and textiles to photography and functional pottery, workshops in the Breckenridge Arts District span a variety of media. Work with artists-in-residence, catch a performance by the award-winning theater company, or make your own earrings. Check out the Breckenridge Arts District Calendar for a schedule of off-the-slopes arts events.

Explore the past – More than 10 local museums and historic sites serve as a window into Breckenridge’s gold mining history. Whether on a walking tour or browsing through local museums, you’ll meet Colorado’s original naturalist, an escaped slave-turned-prominent businessman and the townsfolk that still haunt some of Breckenridge’s oldest saloons. Visit BreckHeritage.com for a list of sites, museums and tours.

Click here to read the entire article.

adminstew
In Aspen, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek

Timelapse: Super Moon Rising Over the Rocky Mountians

imagesAstrophotographer Cory Schmitz braved a brown bear in order to capture some wonderful images of the full Moon rise on July 22, 2013. This composite shows a series of images of the moonrise, and below is a beautiful timelapse.

A series of photos combined to show the rise of the July 22, 2013 ‘super’ full moon over the Rocky Mountains, shot near Vail, Colorado, at 10,000ft above sea level in the White River National Forest. Moon images are approximately 200 seconds apart.

adminstew
In Aspen, Aspen Recreation, Breckenridge, Breckenridge Recreation, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail and Beaver Creek Recreation

Vail, Breckenridge & Aspen Flourish As Year-Round Desinations

dt.common.streams.StreamServer.clsThis is a great article from the Vail Daily about the increasing shift of mountain communities into year round destinations.

There was a time when mountains were enough — when skiing down or hiking up forested slopes, fishing and rafting rivers or biking or riding horses through the hills provided enough entertainment to last a week. As mountain resort communities grow and compete with one another for tourism dollars, the mountains simply aren’t cutting it. Visitors want more.

Ziplines. Trampolines. Alpine coasters. Extreme mountain bike trails. Paragliding. Ropes courses. Slacklines. Mini golf. Disc golf. Rock-climbing walls. Whitewater parks. Terrain parks. Skateboard parks.

Growth in visitors and sales tax revenues proves that ski towns are real communities no longer serving the very narrow niche of winter sports. The in-your-face overload of countless activities doesn’t stop with recreation. Summer events and festivals are filling up the calendars, giving guests from far and wide all the more reason to find their Rocky Mountain high. Event planning has taken off in the mountain region, and in many cases the public sector has its hand in it like never before. The mountains have become everything from a foodie’s paradise to a place to unwind to a spa or golf destination. Festivals focusing on music, art, food and dance plump up weekends that used to be desolate as recent as a few years ago.

Click here to read the entire article.

 

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Culture and Nightlife, Breckenridge Golf, Breckenridge History, Breckenridge Recreation, Breckenridge Ski Resorts, resources

Laid-back Breckenridge Isn’t Just For Skiers

BreckenridgeThis is an article I recently read that made me want to drop everything and head to Breckenridge!

Some mountain towns are touted for their luxury accommodations, fine dining or arts scene. Some are known as places to go for spas, hiking or biking. Others, for golf or world-class fishing.

Breckenridge may have the best combination of all those attributes.

Known for its massive ski resort, Breckenridge also has plenty to offer in summer and fall, with a wide range of activities, reasonable prices and a low-key vibe, all set in the picturesque Colorado Rockies. “The weather is great, it’s clean and it’s well-kept, the prices are not exorbitant and you can find anything that you want to do,” said Monroe Buford. The Gulf Shores, Ala., resident has spent summers in Breckenridge with his wife, Sue, since 1994. “It’s just an ideal place for people who like to get out of the heat in the summertime.”

Breckenridge, about 82 miles west of Denver, was founded as a mining town during the mid-19th-century gold rush. It became a resort town in the 1960s with the opening of the ski area, which attracts more than 1 million skiers every year. Over the years, the town that locals call Breck became a summer and fall destination as well. It’s easy to see why. Breckenridge sits along the Blue River, just above where it feeds into Dillon Reservoir, and below the 14,000-foot peaks of the Ten-Mile Range. Panoramic views are visible from pretty much anywhere in town.

Click here to read the entire article.

 

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Culture and Nightlife, resources

Breckenridge Bourbon

SkuThere has been a lot of scuttlebutt lately about bourbon bottlers who don’t distill their bourbon but buy it from other distilleries and bottle it.  In Scotland, these are called independent bottlers.  Chuck Cowdery calls them Non-Distiller Producers or NDPs.  Given all the attention they’ve been receiving, I thought I’d sample a couple of  independently bottled bourbons this week.

Breckenridge Distillery is an actual distillery (meaning one that actually distills) in Breckenridge, Colorado.  The current Breckenridge Bourbon is a sourced Kentucky bourbon made from 56% corn, 38% rye and 6% barley aged from two to six years old (note that their website says two to three years but they told me that was out of date).  Breckenridge is making their own bourbon but they haven’t marketed any of it yet. Once theirs is ready, they plan to blend it with the sourced whiskey and eventually transition to using only bourbon made at the distillery.

Click here to read the entire article.

adminstew
In Aspen, Aspen Culture and Nightlife, Aspen Recreation, Breckenridge, Breckenridge Culture and Nightlife, Breckenridge Recreation, Crested Butte, Crested Butte Culture and Nightlife, Crested Butte Recreation, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs Culture and Nightlife, Steamboat Springs Recreation, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail and Beaver Creek Culture and Nightlife, Vail and Beaver Creek Recreation

Colorado’s Top 13 Family Vacation Ideas for Summer 2013

indexSummer is just around the corner and you don’t need to look far to have a world-class vacation with your family. From theater hikes to Outhouse Races to free events galore, we have the inside scoop on All Things Colorado.

Aspen/Snowmass

It may be summertime but Snowmass has returned to the Ice Age with the Snowmass Ice Age Discovery Center that features the most significant Ice Age ecosystem find in Colorado history (and it’s free). Touch a mastodon tooth, marvel at a half-sized 6-foot Wooden Mammoth Skeleton, do a dig of your own or a daily Ice Age Discovery Hike by  Environment Studies.  Visit the Snowmass Rodeo on Wednesday nights (June 12- August 28) and sign up your kids for the Calf Scramble and Mutton Busting. Ride the Elk Camp Gondola up Snowmass Mountain where the Elk Camp Restaurant will open for activities including downhill biking, dinner, campfires, live music, movies, Stryder Park and Kid’s Playground on Friday evenings. Try your hand at some slopeside bowling at the new bowling alley below Venga Venga Cantina featuring eight full-sized lanes, a lounge area with full bar, wood-fired oven pizzas, upscale bar food and more. Then, get inspired at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a stellar place for kids of all ages to take workshops that include sculpture, photography, painting, beading, and mask-making.

Click here to read about all the other fun Colorado towns.

adminstew
In Aspen, Aspen Market, Aspen Ski Resort, Breckenridge, Breckenridge Market, Breckenridge Ski Resorts, Crested Butte, Crested Butte Market, Crested Butte Ski Resorts, Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs Market, Steamboat Springs Ski Resorts, Telluride, Telluride Market, Telluride Ski Resort, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail and Beaver Creek Market, Vail and Beaver Creek Ski Resorts

2012-13 Skier Visits Creep Up by 4 Percent in Colorado

Arapahoe Basin Ski AreaColorado’s ski areas hosted 11.4 million skier visits last season, a nearly 4 percent increase over the previous season’s 11 million.

The 11.4 million mark, while an increase over the dismal and dry 2011-12 season, is the third-slowest season in the past decade, and the annual increase falls well below the national spike of 11 percent.

Colorado Ski Country USA, the trade group that represents 21 of the state’s 25 ski areas, reported 6.4 million skier visits in 2012-13, an increase of 3.8 percent, or 235,000 skier visits, over 2011-12. Vail Resorts’ four Colorado ski areas — Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone and Beaver Creek — saw about 5 million skier visits.

Colorado’s 2012-13 season started slowly, with weak snow and local skiers staying home. Storms in late December and late spring fueled a rebound in visitation. But it wasn’t enough to pull the state closer to the 12 million-skier-visit benchmark it reached in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011.

Declining skier visits does not necessarily correlate to decreasing revenues, as evidenced by ski areas that saw increased revenues in 2011-12, which saw record declines in visitation.

adminstew
In Breckenridge, Breckenridge Ski Resorts, Park City, Park City Ski Resort, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail and Beaver Creek Ski Resorts

The Epic Pass Will Include Canyons Next Season

indexThe Epic Pass, a prized multi-resort ski pass sold by Vail Resorts, will include access to Canyons Resort during the next ski season, a result of the lease deal between Talisker Corporation and Vail Resorts involving Canyons Resort.

In a prepared statement announcing the lease, Vail Resorts says people who buy the Epic Pass will be able to use it at the Snyderville Basin resort on an “unlimited and unrestricted” basis.

The Epic Pass is also good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, which are in Colorado, and the Lake Tahoe-region resorts of Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood. It also offers holders five days of skiing at a resort in Switzerland and a combined five days at three resorts in Austria, including St. Anton.

The statement says the Epic Pass for the 2013-2014 ski season is currently priced at $689 for adults, lower than the price of a season pass at Canyons Resort during the most recent ski season.

The Epic Pass is well known in the industry for offering buyers flexibility between two of North America’s prime skiing regions, Colorado and Lake Tahoe.