Breckenridge Real Estate

Just Listed - 6946 Ryan Gulch Road, Silverthorne, Colorado

2012-01-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Local and second home buyers alike, need to see this beautifully remodeled town home style condo. Slab granite and slate, stainless steel appliances, new wood floors and new carpet. A corner unit with a wrap-around deck with views of the Continetial Divide, the Keystone ski runs and the Gore Range at a very reasonalble price. Views from every window!

Google Takes to the Slopes of Breckenridge

2012-01-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Instead of a figure walking, there's a little skier in the lower right corner of the Google Maps page, in street view mode.

Google has added the slopes of Breckenridge Ski Resort to its Street View special collections, a page that includes world landmarks, business highlights and parks of the world. They say Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Beaver Creek will also be included in the collection.

The idea is to enable browsers to “tour some of the world's most beautiful ski terrain right from your browser,” according to a press release. “Whether you're planning your annual trip to your favorite resort or hunting for a new adventure, Street View can transport you to your desired destination.”

Current resorts on the docket include: several locations at Whistler/Blackcomb, the Gold Coast Face at Squaw Valley and Four O'Clock run at Breckenridge, as well as Deer Valley and Crystal Mountain in Washington.

All snow view imagery was captured by the Street View snowmobile, which made its debut two years ago at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The growing gallery of special street view collections takes browsers from the snow to the beach to city life.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Breckenridge Snow Sculpting Championsips

2012-01-20T19:20:00.001-07:00

Remember when you were a kid, and traipsing through the snow and shaping it into snowmen or igloos or sofas made you feel like a fantastical wizard?

Even if you missed that kind of experience, it's not too late to soak up some of the magic at the 22nd annual International Snow Sculpture Championships. Already, volunteers have spent days stomping down 3- to 4-foot layers of snow, until they created 23 packed snow blocks measuring 10x10x12 feet and weighing 20 tons.

Tuesday, 15 of the best international snow sculpting teams will begin transforming the blocks into amazing fine art pieces in an event cofounder Rob Neyland terms both sport and passion.

“A lot of these teams bring their charismatic color to the event,” Neyland said. “It's important, because at the end of the day, snow sculpting is a performing art; it is a living art form that is performed on the public stage. It is a cross between art and theater. The energy they bring in manifesting their own country's spirit is a big part of the process.”

And it's a process the public has the privilege to take in throughout the week, as people wander among the blocks, watching sculptors use only hand tools — some of which they've literally invented — to uncover the beauty frozen within the blocks.

“The truly wondrous thing to behold is the living process of the sculpture, which very few people experience,” Neyland said. And he's right: Most people view sculptures after they're finished; they don't sit onsite as an artist welds metal or chips away wood or bronze. “Rarely do you get the opportunity to see monumental sculpture being done.”

Kings (and queens) of the mountain
This year particularly stands out in the minds' of organizers because it brings together more teams who have won medals in snow sculpting than any other year, including Team China and Team Canada-Yukon, said Rachel Zerowin, spokesperson for Breckenridge Resort Chamber.

Neyland calls it the “distilled cream of the cream of the cream.”

In selecting 15 of the 32 entrants this year, judges evaluated the quality of design, looking for striking, dramatic and “doable” ideas (with snow, without any supporting materials); a team's pedigree (how many snow sculpting competitions it has attended and how it placed); and the perceived likelihood that members would show up, because in the past, teams from certain countries have told officials two days before the competition they couldn't get visas or plane tickets, Neyland said.

In addition to selecting teams with great track records, Breck officials also strive to bring in new artists.

This year, judges saw more entries than usual, said Vanessa Agee, Riverwalk and events manager. She attributes the high number to Breckenridge's reputation and call-outs. In the past 22 years, Breck's competition has become one of the premiere international snow sculpting competitions, moving from “who's that? to being one of the notches that you need on your belt,” Neyland said, adding that there are approximately 10 first-rate international competitions: about three in Canada, four in Europe, one in Japan, one in China and one in Breckenridge.

In addition to bringing in fresh teams internationally, locally, Neyland and crew have been cultivating snow artists through the Snowflake Challenge, which began in 2008. Team Breckenridge captain Keith Martin came directly through the Snowflake Challenge; after winning it two years in a row, Neyland brought him on board; this will be Martin's second year with Team Breckenridge, which also includes veteran Tom Day, previous Snowflake Challenge competitor Tim West, and Margo Jerkovitz and Betty Richter.

Other United States teams include Team Alaska and Team Wisconsin. Two teams cross boarders. One is Team Greece/USA — Idaho, and the other is Team Australia/USA. Australian Noah Davis started the latter, but he lives in Carbondale, so last year, most of his team members, except his American wife, came from Australia. This year, a few of his mates couldn't make the overseas trip, so Agee recommended a sculptor, and Davis invited another Carbondale buddy to join, resulting in a team mix of three Australians and two Americans.

Three teams hail from Canada (Ontario, Québec and Yukon), and other international teams are traveling from: Catalonia, (Spain), China, Finland, Germany, Baltic (Latvia-Estonia), Mexico and Switzerland.

The luxury at Breck
In 2008, the championship began providing a 59 percent travel stipend, making it easier for artists to attend. Breckenridge also has gained a solid reputation as a cushy place to compete, due to all the benefits competitors receive.

“We really roll out the welcome mat as a community,” Agee said, pointing out that it's not just a town and Breckenridge Resort Chamber event.

Restaurant owners provide free meals for team members on Wednesday night, one sponsor provides massages, and Breckenridge Ski Resort gives lift tickets, and, of course, makes the snow, which is a very big deal: Clean, machine-made, foot-packed snow provides the best medium in which to sculpt. Agee said some competitions scoop their snow from parking lots, which literally results in blocks with cigarette butts, dog waste and other debris.

“We notice the caliber of teams and designs and quality of sculpting has really gone up (every year),” Agee said.

Last year, organizers made the event more comfortable for viewers, as well, by adding leather sofas in the Riverwalk Center and LED lighting. This year, Cadillac has joined Budweiser as a main sponsor; Budweiser is the title sponsor, while Cadillac is the presenting sponsor. The extra support allowed staff to purchase even more leather sofas and install electricity in the Riverwalk parking lot, eliminating the need for loud, messy diesel towers. They also added LED uplighting, which creates more shadows, and thus depth, than just downlighting can.

“In my mind, this is certainly a great art festival for all to enjoy, and it's a very accessible art form,” Agee said, explaining that not everybody is going to be able to go to an art museum and appreciate the pieces, but snow sculptures are fun and easy to enjoy.

Budweiser and Cadillac both have custom, full-size snow sculptures in the Blue River Plaza (and one at Beaver Run). Neyland will be one of the artists creating the gateway sculpture, as he was last year — a role he enjoys because he's not tied to competition rules that limit the number of participants, so he can let friends help sculpt.

Meanwhile, the team he helped form — Breckenridge — from a passion of playing with snow back in the late 1960s and early 1970s to pay homage to Ullr, will create a technically challenging piece, mainly due to the need for suspension, as it builds a carousel.

Courtesy of Summit Daily News

2012-01-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Just listed: 260 Ski Hill Road - Twin Elk Lodge in Breckenridge, Colorado. Great location. Take a look at the video:

And contact me today!

Arts and entertainment events in Summit County for January

2012-01-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Free dinner to check out square dance club

The Timberline Toppers Square Dance Club will be offering lessons to beginners, starting Jan. 24. Square dancing is fun, and is great exercise for the mind and body. The lessons will be given on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. for those who would like to learn this active and social pursuit.

To give those who are curious a chance to try square dancing, the Timberline Toppers will be having a dinner dance party on Jan. 17. At 5:30 p.m., there will be a chili dinner, then at 6:30 a top square dance caller will give everyone a free introduction to square dancing. This will allow those who are unsure about what square dancing is a no obligation opportunity to give it a try.

The Timberline Toppers is the largest square dance club in Colorado, with over 100 members. They dance to modern music and wear modern dress. The dance calls have been standardized and are the same worldwide. Many of the members dance with clubs around the nation when they are visiting other parts of the country. They have found it to be a great way to meet people wherever they are.

To reserve a place at this Jan. 17 dinner dance, call Dave Bittner at (970) 390-1604 or email him at timberline@davebittner.com.

Friends of the Libraries Present ‘The Wizard of Oz and Other Strange Talks of the American West'

You've probably seen “The Wizard of Oz” many times, maybe even read the book, but it turns out that it's a lot more than a great children's story filled with lovable critters, music and color. Rick Hague will give you another side of the story at the first Friends of the Libraries slide show and talk this winter.

Find out what Hague has learned about American history in his talk presented by the Friends of Summit County Libraries at 7 p.m. today in the Blue River Room of the North Branch Library, 651 Center Circle in Silverthorne.

“There is another side of the story of Oz because the film is really a story within a story,” Hague said. “Join me on the yellow brick road, and we'll take a journey into one of the most difficult, contentious and awe-inspiring periods of American history. Our journey even passes through Summit County.”

Join Hague for this free talk (donations accepted) tonight. The Friends of the Libraries presents these talks as part of its fundraising efforts to help the libraries purchase books and other supplies. For more information, call (970) 468-5887.

Summit County's ‘Dream Machine' winter casting call for kids 5-16

“Dream Machine is a local children's musical drama group that strives to develop self-confidence, stage presence, speaking skills and vocal performance through community productions.

This season's musical journey back in time in search of “The Secret of America's Greatness” teaches powerful lessons that will instill thankfulness for the tremendous blessings God has bestowed upon America.

Rehearsals begin the week of Jan. 15th with performances the end of March. For more information contact: Nancie Read at nanread@gmail.com or (785) 409-9180.

Talk on Tibetan murders

In 2006, Himalayan mountain climbers on Cho Oyu witnessed a murder. Tibetan refugees passing their base camp came under fire by the Chinese Border Patrol. Professional mountaineer guide, Luis Benitez, was there and emailed his account to the world. His decision cost him his career and profoundly affected his life. Join Benitez as he explains the complicated world of mountaineering, politics and human self-preservation 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23 at the Colorado Mountain College's Paul & Eileen Finkel Auditorium, 107 Denison Placer Road, Breckenridge. Admission is $10; pre-registration is recommended (use class #65720). (970) 453-6757.

Comedy tonight

The Carriage House Early Learning Center funniest fundraiser is the perfect way to pay homage to Ullr. The Norse God of snow is obviously in a bad mood and the Carriage House and Breckenridge Resort Chamber feel the cure is a good ole belly laugh.

Tonight the Carriage House brings two famous comedians to the mountains for a fun filled night of laughter. Phil Palisoul and Eugene Kenny will perform at Beaver Run Resort for one night only. Tickets are $35 and are available by calling (970) 453-6423. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8.

Headliner Palisoul has appeared on the “Tonight Show,” “Last Comic Standing” and “Premium Blend” but is famous for using his self-deprecating humor to poke fun at some of life's harsher truths. Opening for Palisoul is Denver Comedy Works regular Eugene Kenny. Known for his work on the Black Entertainment Channel, Kenny has performed with Robert Townsend, Larry the Cable Guy and Dave Chappelle.

The show will be hosted by KSMT's Scotty Bondo. The show contains adult content and is not recommend for children under 16. For more details or to purchase advance tickets call (970) 453-6423.

Miner's Ball and Annual Wine Tasting

Celebrate Valentine's Day early on Feb. 11 from 4-11 p.m. at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum's 25th Silver Anniversary Celebration at the Miner's Ball and Annual Wine Tasting. Wear your Victorian finest and sample a variety of wines while you tour the museum, then enjoy an elegant three-course meal. Afterwards join in the fun on the dance floor or one of the card games. Don't forget to take a souvenir home from the silent auction. All proceeds from this special fundraising event go toward the NMHFM to support its mission of telling the story of mining, its people, and its importance to the American public.

Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (719) 486-1229. The cost is $80 per ticket, $600 for a table of eight, or $750 for a table of 10.

‘The Book of Mormon' comes to Denver

The producers of the national tour of “The Book of Mormon,” winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, and Denver Center Attractions announce that single tickets will go on sale Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $35 and will be available at denvercenter.org, by phone or at the Denver Center Ticket Office; limit six tickets per order. “The Book of Mormon” will play a strictly limited, three-week engagement at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House Aug. 14 to Sept. 2.

“The Book of Mormon” features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series, “South Park.” Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker.

To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at (303) 893-4100. Buy online at www.denvercenter.org.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Snowboarding's Beginnings: Jake Burton's original maple-wood boards

2012-01-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Many kids in the 1960s grew up riding a Snurfer in the winter months — after all, Sherman Poppen's invention sold thousands of boards — including Jake Burton. Although he was a talented skier, attended the University of Colorado and hoped to join the ski team before a collarbone fracture, Jake pursued his love for riding single-plank devices.

Upon graduating from New York University in 1977, Jake worked in the financial world for a few months before quitting his job to create Burton Boards. By the 1977-'78 season, he was building homemade snowboard prototypes out of a barn in Londonderry, Vt. Constructed of laminated maple wood, the Burton Backhill was born.

Jake visited shops all over Vermont that winter, marketing his prototype, but he had a similar experience to Winterstick's flop at the 1977 trade shows: No one was very interested. After selling just 300 boards during that season, Jake returned to Vermont in 1979 with a new model known as The Backyard and sold 700 boards — a huge improvement. Regular and goofy stances, as well as binding adjustments (no tools necessary!) were available. Burton had a bright future.

Jake widened the boards, added a urethane base, began signing team riders, and moved Burton to Manchester, Vermont during the 1980s. Over the next few years, Jake competed at snowboarding contests (including the first-ever contest at Ski Cooper in 1981), showing off his groundbreaking products and innovative equipment, including soft boots, metal edges, P-tex bases, highbacks and bindings. The first snowboarding outerwear gear was introduced and Burton expanded internationally — all while campaigning to have ski resorts open lifts to snowboarders. By 1996, 95 percent of ski resorts had opened their doors.

Throughout the 1990s, Jake and Burton Snowboards continued to push snowboarding to the forefront of winter sports by continuing the pursuit of establishing it as a vital part of the Colorado and international market. In 1995, Jake and wife Donna founded the Chill program, which works to “build the self esteem of undeserved youth through board sports.” The program exposes kids, who wouldn't normally have access to these opportunities, to snowboarding.

In 1998, snowboarding premieres at the Winter Olympics and Burton riders captured bronze and gold medals in the halfpipe, including Colorado native Shannon Dunn.

Jake was inducted into the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2010, recognized for his rich history in the establishment and development of snowboarding in the state. Some of Jake's early snowboard creations are on display at the new snowboard exhibit at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum. Several pieces are visible, including the wooden board Jake brought to the first Snurfer competition, generously on loan from Brooke Long.

Jake and Burton Snowboards continue to contribute to Colorado snowboarding by investing personally, sponsoring riders and events, and continuing local research and development.

Sources included:

Off the Chain: An Insider's History of Snowboarding by Ross Rebagliati

“Snowboarding: It's Older Than You Think,” by Paul J. MacArthur, Skiing Heritage Journal, March 2009

Courtesy Summit Daily News

National Snowshoe Championship comes to Summit County

2012-01-04T09:42:00.002-07:00

Farmer's Korner will be the site of the 2012 National Snowshoe Championship, the nation's premier race of its kind, Feb. 24-26 — and like most of other things Summit County hosts, it will be the highest ever.

The event, which rotates from year to year through five regions — Northeast, Midwest, Rocky Mountains, West Coast and Alaska — always attracts some of the country's most talented endurance athletes, many of whom use snowshoeing as a way to stay in shape over the winter season.

The race will anoint national champions for each gender in various age groups, as well as overall national champions, which would be the day's fastest snowshoers for men and women (20 and up), boys and girls (19 and under). Those athletes will then have an opportunity to compete at the world championship.

Race director Darren Brungardt has been busy coordinating with the school district and the U.S. Forest Service to organize the race on the Iron Springs Open Space behind the school. He has also been organizing lodging for competitors, dining and partying events to take place in Frisco. Meanwhile, the United States Snowshoe Association will handle most of the on-course operations.

One key component to any National Snowshoe Championship is a healthy amount of snow, which we currently do not have.

Brungardt is optimistic that Summit will have the required 16 inches before the race; however, backup plans include the Frisco Nordic Center or Gold Run Nordic Center in Breckenridge, facilities that would be both suitable for the race and large enough to handle the influx of racers.

However, the backup venues won't be able to provide the backcountry terrain typical for the event. Proper snowshoe races consist of 1/3 groomed, 1/3 packed snow and 1/3 off-trail, unpacked terrain, and the Farmer's Korner venue provides all those things.

“When we looked at venues, the high school is a great place to have it because we have all those different options over there,” Brungardt said. “I know it'll work out. We still have two months to go before the event happens. We only need about 16 inches of snow, and hopefully we get that between now and then.”

Brungardt also said Summit County was selected based on the accessible location, strong local transportation and other fun things to do in the area.

Colorado racers, who usually represent well at the event regardless, will have a strong advantage this year with the championship being held at the highest altitude in its history. One guy to look out for is Vail's Josiah Middaugh, a four-time national champion.

“I definitely think the Colorado racers will be at an advantage,” said Brungardt. “We had them in Utah a couple years ago and (Middaugh) won that race pretty easily, beat a guy from New York who was highly touted to win the title. I think it was held at about 5,000 feet, and that was considered a big deal.”

Locals are encouraged to qualify at one of three regional races, the first of which is on Saturday in Silverthorne at the Swift Skedaddle Snowshoe Adventure. The top 10 overall finishers and top three in each age group will earn a start at the national race.

Other qualifiers include the Colorado State Championships in Leadville at the end of the month and the Love Me Tender race at the high school, which will serve as a precursor to the championship, on Feb. 11.

The whole operation is aided by sponsors on both the national and local levels, so businesses interested in getting involved should contact Brungardt at (970) 227-9452.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Copper Mountain: Union Creek quad performs better than expected

2012-01-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Copper's new Union Creek High-Speed Quad has been in operation since mid-December, and so far, it's performing beyond resort officials' expectations.

The lift replaced the slower High Point double chair, which served Copper since 1976 and hauled people up the mountain in about 10-12 minutes. Now, with two queues feeding the lift, four seats on each chair, and a 5-minute, 22-second ride, the well-used advanced-beginner West Village area sees far less congestion.

“It's worked out even better than expected,” Copper marketing director Pete Woods said.

It's the closest lift to shuttle service, a fact that was often previously ignored by guests, largely because the hassled lift service voided the shuttle's convenience.

Now, though, people have figured it out, and Woods said he's seeing traffic head to West Village to take advantage of the area's beginner terrain (it's where the ski and ride school is based) and to take laps on the Woodward at Copper Central Park terrain park (which links up directly with the lift).

Woods said intermediate skiers and riders are also accessing “great” terrain off the lift previously left empty due to circulation problems at the base. That alleviates some of the pressure from other areas of the mountain, such as the Timberline lift, which can get congested with skiers wanting to do quick laps on one chair.

“This moves so many more people,” Woods said of the Union Creek chairlift. “People are surprised and amazed at how fast that lift is, because High Point was not.”

Beyond benefiting the holiday guest and local visitors who want to ski that side of Copper Mountain, the Union Creek quad should facilitate boardercross training that's been ongoing at Copper for several years — and help the mountain better host the USASA Nationals in spring.

Guests benefit from other changes

This summer, Copper also invested in other West Village improvements, such as an outdoor sitting and eating area off the Union Creek cafeteria.

“It's an entirely new layout for the learning area,” Woods said of the face-lift. The smallest Magic Carpet lifts are closest to the deck so parents and guardians can relax and watch the youngsters learn. The meet-up and drop-off area is “just steps away” from the deck, which helps draw down the ski school hassle for parents.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Crowds pack Summit County for Christmas, New Year's

2012-01-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

With the national economy on a slow path to stabilization, crowds of vacationers came surging back to Summit County, packing the resorts, restaurants and roads over the holidays.

As the busiest week of the year draws to a close, initial numbers and reports indicate tourist visits between Christmas and New Year's were at least on par, and possibly up from last year despite the lack of snow.

The number of incoming cars from the Eisenhower Tunnel this weekend surged from last year's numbers. More than 23,000 vehicles passed through the tunnel on Interstate 70 westbound Friday, up by nearly 5,000 vehicles from Dec. 30, 2010.

Almost 19,000 vehicles were counted heading westbound through the tunnel on Thursday and westbound counts on Saturday had exceeded 4,000 vehicles by noon.

Lodging occupancy in Breckenridge was expected to hit 75-85 percent between Christmas and New Year's, and room rentals between Dec. 27 and Jan. 1 are on track to be flat or up from last year, according to the most recent numbers provided by the Breckenridge Resort Chamber. Final numbers will not be available until January.

“The really encouraging sign is that we appear to be on a path to growth, despite below-average snow …” said Breckenridge Resort Managers president Toby Babich, who heads up the Breckenridge Lodging Association. “This holiday season again demonstrated the loyalty of our destination visitor seeking the Breckenridge holiday experience.”

Those in the ski and hospitality industry countywide had similar positive reports following the holiday week.

“It's been busy,” Keystone Resort spokeswoman Laura Parquette said. “The village has been bustling.”

Restaurants also reported an increase in business this week from holidays in the past. Some chalked the increase up to the lack of snow, which they said might have encouraged people to spend less time on the slopes and more in restaurants.

“I think it was almost busier than normal,” Dillon Dam Brewery general manager George Blincoe said of the Christmas to New Year week. “I wish we had better snow, but I think people know we have more vertical than Nebraska or Kansas ski areas, so they're here. And we're glad they are.”

Courtesy Summit Daily News

EpicMix photo sharing widespread

2011-12-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

As of early last week, Vail Resorts claimed that just under 40 percent of skiers and snowboarders at its resorts had activated EpicMix accounts, generating more than 280,000 posts on Facebook and Twitter — that's more social posts already than in the entire 2010-11 season.

The reason for the success is attributed to the new photograph addition to EpicMix, allowing skiers and snowboarders to get a photo taken that is quickly uploaded to that person's EpicMix account.

Visitors and local residents alike can be seen stopping for a photograph when they might have otherwise just kept on skiing. One reason is that it's free.

“It's awesome,” said Lyall Gorenstein, from New York. “What better way to describe it — free — because not much in Vail is free.”

Gorenstein had three Epic Mix photos taken with his family and plans to pick the best one and frame it for what he calls his wall of shame, which features nothing but ski photos. Vail Resorts offers a higher resolution version of the photos for $19.95, while the digital lower resolution versions are free.

For those that use social media, the photographs are a great way to share images with friends almost instantly. The Epic Mix photographer scans each person's pass before taking the photo, and that's how the photo automatically uploads to that person's EpicMix account. Once the photo is there, you can post it to Facebook or Twitter, or you can arrange your Epic Mix settings to do that for you automatically.

Local professional skier Drew Rouse said the new photo feature isn't for him, but he has seen his friends “go crazy with it.”

“The tourists I talk to at work love it,” Rouse said. “I would say that Vail Resorts has a big hit with the public.”

And that was the point all along. When Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz announced the new photography component of Epic Mix in August, he knew it would be hugely valuable for the company as a marketing tool.

“If you think about social media, and especially for resorts and vacation destinations, word of mouth always comes up as the No. 1 reason why people choose (a destination) — not that marketing and other things don't help, they do — but word of mouth is so strong and powerful,” Katz said. “... Photo sharing is the fastest growing area in social media. We want people to take these photos and show them to other people.”

For some visitors, the new system will take some getting used to. Ben Barrocas, from South Florida, said he'll give it a shot but said he misses the Sharp Shooter photographers.

Vail Resorts replaced the Sharp Shooters, a company it contracted out to take on-mountain souvenir photographs, with its own EpicMix photographers this year, but Barrocas said the EpicMix photographers are harder to find.

“On top on one of the lifts, near Buffalo's, there was nobody to be found,” he said. “I didn't find that many photographers — only found one today. The Sharp Shooters were visible — they were everywhere.”

Vail Resorts hired about 200 photographers total for all six resorts — Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar. The Epic Mix mobile application and website debuted last season, which brought the resort a lot of buzz in the social media world.

The photo addition, however, seems to be surpassing all the buzz created in 2010-11. With more than 280,000 Facebook and Twitter posts as of Dec. 13, and with Facebook's estimate that each user has an average of 130 friends, Vail Resorts estimates that Epic Mix has already generated more than 36 million social impressions.

Vail Ski and Snowboard instructor Stacey Burns said she sees EpicMix photos being uploaded to her friends' Facebook accounts every day.

“I like it, I think it's fun,” Burns said. “I don't have to bust my phone out on the lift to take a picture anymore.”

Local resident Nathan Malone said because it's free, how could anyone not use it?

“It certainly seems that skiers are engaging more with social media, too,” Malone said, via the Vail Daily's Facebook page. “That kind of advertising is priceless for (Vail Resorts).”

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Summit County Year in Review: October-December 2011

2011-12-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

Max Dercum, A-Basin and Keystone co-founder, dies at 98

Co-founder of two of Summit County's four ski resorts and local legend Max Dercum died Sept. 30 just days shy of his 99th birthday.

Dercum passed away at a retirement home in Evergreen, where he died of natural causes.

The champion skier, former forestry professor and visionary, along with his wife, Edna, was among a group of seven who started Arapahoe Basin in 1946 and was the driving force behind the founding of Keystone Resort in the early 1970s.

Woman killed in collision with moose near Frisco

A 31-year-old woman from New Castle was killed the night of Oct. 2 when the vehicle she was in struck a cow moose on Interstate 70 near Frisco.

The moose was killed in the accident, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Mike Porras said, adding that the meat was donated per protocol. Tishe Marie Quintana was the passenger in the vehicle. The driver was taken to Denver Health Medical Center and was released with minor injuries, according to Colorado State Patrol trooper Nate Reid.

On Sept. 25, a young bull moose was hit and killed in a traffic collision in nearly the same spot, though it was on the eastbound side of I-70. The car was totaled but there were no injuries. There have been six moose killed along Summit County's roads this year, including the two along I-70.

Others have been hit on Highway 9 both north and south of Silverthorne.

Dirt bikers seek Tenderfoot terrain near Dillon

October became a big month for off-road motorcycle riders on Oct. 11, as the Forest Service initiated the evaluation process for the Tenderfoot Mountain Motorcycle Trails System, which could add nearly 30 miles of trail on Tenderfoot Mountain to the recently revised White River National Forest travel management plan.

Due to an oversight in the travel management plan process, 15 to 20 miles of existing trails on Tenderfoot Mountain weren't inventoried along with the roads and the rest of the travelways in the White River National Forest and therefore weren't considered for inclusion, Dillon Ranger District recreation staff officer Ken Waugh said.

Now, he's working with Summit County Off-Road Riders (SCORR) to design an approved trail system in the area.

CDOT gives I-70 pacing green light for 2012

The Colorado Department of Transportation plans to implement a pacing program, intended to keep traffic moving smoothly, on eastbound Interstate 70 on peak Sundays next year, officials announced Oct. 18.

In a Sept. 25 test of the program — also known as rolling speed harmonization — traffic slowed from 60 mph down to approximately 30 mph when the test ended near Empire Junction.

CDOT and local law-enforcement agencies will pace traffic primarily on Sundays from 1 p.m. until approximately 5 or 6 p.m. as needed.

During rolling speed harmonization, law-enforcement vehicles pull in front of traffic with emergency lights activated and lead cars at a steady speed through a specific stretch of highway.

A new middle school for Summit County?

A new private middle school is being developed as an educational option for Summit School District families.

The idea is to start with grades 6-8 before expanding one grade each year to include grades 6-12 within five years. Roughly a dozen people are working on details ranging from admissions and enrollment to curriculum and accreditation to tuition and tuition assistance.

The Peak School's lead organizer, Chris Renner, said creating the school has nothing to do with current issues in the school district — such as contention about equal access, multiple initiatives being implemented at once and more.

$60 million approved for Twin Tunnels widening

The $60 million widening of the eastbound Twin Tunnels near Idaho Springs is a go, after members of the Colorado Transportation Commission approved a plan to fund the project along with several others Oct. 20.

The budget supplement approved by a unanimous vote distributes $222 million in found dollars statewide, furnishing Summit County's CDOT region 1 with $76 million for the Twin Tunnels project, surface treatment work and other regional priorities.

Crackdown coming on booze, tobacco sales to kids in Summit County

For the first time in years, tobacco and alcohol compliance checks are happening in Summit County.

The initiative, which started in November, is a collaboration between local law enforcement and the Summit Prevention Alliance in an effort to prevent local retailers from selling such products to minors.

“We're pretty confident (selling to youth) is actually taking place — it's not unlike anywhere else,” Summit County undersheriff Derek Woodman said. “We know that's an ongoing issue and it has not been really monitored over the past few years. It's time for us to re-educate the retail market and make sure we get everybody in compliance.”

Student-led equal access petition submitted to Summit School Board

Eighth-grader Jackie Myers was among eight students to stand before the Summit School District Board of Education during the Oct. 25 meeting to present more than 2,000 signatures agreeing with a petition against equal access.

Equal access is an instructional method implemented school-wide at Summit Middle School and in some classes at Summit High School that puts students of all learning levels in the same classroom to be taught high-level curriculum. Teachers then divide students into ability levels to work together on the material and form assessments by ability. The practice is in contrast to the traditional model — where honors and other high-achieving students are taught separately.

“The majority of honors students feel we are being cheated out of the education we could have without equal access,” Myers read to board members. The Summit Honors Alliance letter stated that assignments are average, curriculum is explained repeatedly and non-honors students seek to use honors students as a source for answers, which they say is distracting.

Voters shut down DA's bid for a third term

Summit County voters shut down District Attorney Mark Hurlbert's bid for a term-limit extension to three terms, with 60 percent voting no on ballot question 1A.

In Eagle, Lake and Summit combined, close to 66 percent of voters opposed extending term limits for the district attorney.

“I'm disappointed, but also I appreciate that (the question) got to a vote,” Hurlbert said. “Part of being a prosecutor is the will of the people, whether it's a jury or in politics. I always defer to the will of the people, and I'm glad we got this to a vote.”

With the Nov. 1 electorate decision, Hurlbert will be term-limited in 2012 and will leave office in January of 2013.

Summit School Board incumbent ousted; new board takes shape

Election results showed a close race for the four vacant seats on the Summit School District Board of Education.

Incumbents Alison Casias and Erin Young and newcomers Dave Miller and Sue Wilcox won seats on the new board, while incumbent Brad Piehl trailed in early results and lost in the final results, totaling 17.9 percent of the vote.

Frisco, Breck voters give pot tax the thumbs up

More than 70 percent of voters in both Frisco and Breckenridge supported ballot questions proposing 5 percent excise taxes on the sale of medical marijuana.

Both towns said the taxes were needed to help offset the administrative, legal and enforcement costs brought on by the centers and the still-changing regulations on medical marijuana coming down from the state and federal levels.

The taxes will go into effect in January.

Outlets at Silverthorne working to attract more stores

Despite the departure of a few big-name stores and a vacancy rate of 22 percent, the Outlets at Silverthorne is slowly recovering from the economic downturn and stepping up its game to attract more “quality brand names” to the center.

Outlet sales and foot traffic are up within the past year, and sales tax revenue for the town was up 1.38 percent in November, even with the store closings.

Today, the outlets make up 35 percent of the town's total sales tax revenues.

Dillon's town manager leaves for Front Range post

After four-and-a-half years in the town's top post, Dillon Town Manager Devin Granbery is moving on.

Granbery recently accepted a position as city manager of Sheridan, a role he stepped into Dec. 5. His last day with Dillon was Dec. 2.

“I'm definitely going to miss Dillon, and I'm really going to miss working with the great Town of Dillon staff. They're one of the best staffs I've ever worked with.” Granbery said prior to his departure. “It's bittersweet, but at the same time, I'm excited at the opportunity in Sheridan.”

Summit County wins lawsuit against same-sex couple

After only a few hours of deliberation, a seven-member jury ruled in favor of the Summit County government Nov. 10 in a discrimination lawsuit brought by a same-sex couple, who claimed officials delayed the construction of their house ultimately causing foreclosure.

Hazel and Rodgers accused specific county officials of treating them differently from straight couples in similar situations when resolving problems that arose with the installation of the septic system in the couple's house and with the damage of surrounding wetlands.

The county claimed there had been no discrimination, but that the plaintiffs were inexperienced homebuilders who got themselves into a mess they could not afford to get out of.

Silverthorne: ‘Walkway' definition under contest in Blue River Trail trial

In Day 1 of a two-day trial concerning whether the Town of Silverthorne can build a multi-use trail in its “public walkway” easement across private land, plaintiffs — who are property owners in the Blue River Mesa Subdivision — brought Metro State College linguist Marina Gorlach to the stand Nov. 15.

Much of the day was spent establishing the definition of the term “walkway” as plaintiffs understand it, because the language of Silverthorne's easement through the Blue River Mesa Subdivision states the easement is for the purpose of “installation, use and maintenance of public utility services, drainage services and public walkways.”

Dillon bank robber pleads guilty, gets 10 years

The man who pleaded guilty to robbing Alpine Bank in Dillon in November 2010 was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the minimum mandatory sentence for his crime, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert announced Dec 1.

Lincoln Carpenter, 24, entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated robbery in September.

He will serve his sentence in a state prison.

Carpenter, originally from Massachusetts, was arrested two days after he entered Alpine Bank in the fall of last year, demanded money from a teller and threatened to use a weapon.

ATM Bandit nabbed in Avon

A man authorities believe to be the so-called ATM Bandit was arrested in Avon Dec. 1 on suspicion of involvement with as many as 35 burglaries over the last two years, police said.

Eric Callaghan, 24, is being held in the Eagle County jail on $100,000 bond while the district attorney's office compiles the charges against him.

“He's looking at a significant amount of jail time,” DA Mark Hurlbert told the Vail Daily.

Callaghan is thought to be the same individual who broke into at least six ATMs in Summit County and several in Eagle County earlier this year, Hurlbert confirmed Saturday. He is suspected of involvement in dozens of burglaries totaling an excess of $100,000 in damages and losses.

Fugitive Breckenridge lawyer Scoop Daniel nabbed in Calif.

Almost five years after he disappeared with more than $500,000 of his clients' money, notorious Breckenridge attorney Royal “Scoop” Daniel III was arrested Dec. 7 as he crossed into the U.S. from Mexico.

Daniel was extradited from San Diego and is being held on a $500,000 bond at the Summit County Jail. He faces eight counts of felony theft and five counts of commercial bribery.

Daniel went missing April 27, 2007 after, it was later discovered, he allegedly bilked clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through real estate exchanges, which allowed him to hold large sums of money during property transfers.

Walgreens wall debacle reaches a conclusion in Dillon

The Town of Dillon is being partially reimbursed for its costs associated with fixing the 2010 Walgreens wall failure, which released about 170,000 gallons of water onto Little Beaver Trail below.

Town council voted unanimously Dec. 13 to approve a proposed settlement, in which Dillon is splitting $1.625 million with Walgreens and Pace Dillon, the owners of the property.

The town's take is $623,350, or 78.5 percent of its out-of-pocket expenses related to the incident, which amounted to an estimated $793,258 for staff time, emergency water line installation, road closure expenses, wall installation and legal counsel.

The wall failed in May of 2010 after a push-on joint in an underground water line separated and released about 170,000 gallons of water, spilling onto Dillon Valley's Little Beaver Trail below. The road, one of two entrances to Dillon Valley, was shut down to stabilize the wall and move debris before opening up as one lane. The road closed again earlier this year for reconstruction, which finally finished up a few months ago.

Silverthorne Lowe's opening delayed until summer

Breckenridge marks 50 years of skiing Dec. 16

New Shuttle Service from Fairplay to Breckenridge

2011-12-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

A new private transit service, Blue River Shuttles, is now open for business, providing a long-awaited connection between Fairplay, Alma, Blue River and Breckenridge.

Long-time local and owner Eric Munden said he started the fledgling shuttle business where he saw the greatest need.

“As far as I know, there isn't any sort of shuttle system that does exactly what I do,” Munden said. “I know that Summit County is incredibly easy to get around without a vehicle, but up until now that wasn't the case from Blue River onward. I'm hoping to change that.”

Many people who work in Breckenridge live in Alma or Fairplay and, without a bus service, have to commute by car. Limited parking availability is an ongoing problem in Breckenridge.

The Summit Stage, Summit County's free public bus system, doesn't run any farther south than Breckenridge.

The new shuttle service doesn't eliminate the need for a southern public bus route in Summit County, Blue River officials said. But it does provide a needed service while the Summit Stage transit board and the Town of Blue River are working on the expensive project of a expanding the Stage service.

“(A bus route) is still in our visioning and our long-range plans,” Blue River Mayor Lindsay Backas said. “But for the interim we're thrilled (to have Blue River Shuttles). It's wonderful for the people of the town and the people who are renting out their homes, because up until this point we've had nothing.”

Hoping for tourist business too

This is the first season Blue River Shuttles has been in business. So far, its riders have been primarily employees commuting between Fairplay and Breckenridge, but Munden said he hopes the service will catch on with tourists as well.

“It's designed for employees and tourists,” Munden said. “It might take a season or two, but I think this is going to be a pretty dependable system.”

Currently, the shuttle runs as a “call and demand” service with regular routes. Blue River Shuttles operates two vans and two buses, which depart from Fairplay at 90 minute intervals in the morning, stopping when and where they're requested in Alma, Blue River and finally in Breckenridge. The buses and vans then leave Breckenridge, again at regular intervals, in the afternoon.

In between, the shuttle service runs 24 hours a day on reservations wherever and whenever its customers ask to be picked up and dropped off.

“Currently it's reservation only,” Munden said. “That's because I cover so much ground from Fairplay to Breckenridge. There are so many stops it would take to be convenient that it would take an hour-and-a-half for the route to be complete.”

By working on a reservation-only system, Munden said his route takes a total of about 45 minutes.

A shuttle ride between Fairplay and Breckenridge costs $10 roundtrip for an adult and $8 roundtrip for kids age 15 and younger. Blue River Shuttles offers discounted 10 one-way-trip and 40 one-way-trip punch passes as well as discounts for employees.

More details are available online at www.bluerivershuttles.com.

Deep-sky Gazing at Keystone Science School

2011-12-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Look up at the sky.

Do you wonder the name of that bright celestial object?

How about the Zodiac constellations crossing the sky at 9 p.m.?

Keystone Science School's StarQuest program has been a go-to family adventure for Summit County visitors in summer and winter — and the organization is looking to build its winter participation this year.

“As the new specialty programs coordinator, I'll be largely in charge of our StarQuest program ... our weekly astronomy program open to the community, held on Monday nights throughout the winter (pending weather, of course),” Keystone Science School specialty programs coordinator Audrey Dignan said.

She's becoming versed with the delicate, $50,000 reflecting telescope donation. It can be finicky: It's very particular about being “put to bed” in the right alignment, and having the operator know-how to tell it to enhance the view of various celestial objects.

The biggest challenge, Dignan said, is learning what's in the sky in winter. She's more familiar with guiding star-gazing in the summer, which has a completely different night sky.

Nonetheless, Dignan is excited to put her knowledge to the test come early January, when the winter StarQuest program is scheduled to kick off. It runs every Monday evening starting at 8:30 p.m. and costs $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12.

She plans to use the two hours to show off the sky's most unusual objects, and to talk about the science and stories behind the stars and objects passing through the sky all the time.

Like Jupiter. Or the Andromeda Galaxy. Or the Orion Nebula. Explaining (and showing) the differences between red giants, white dwarfs, yellow stars, double stars and more should also be part of several of the lessons.

She's able to use star maps with the naked eye, binoculars and low-powered telescopes to keep participants engaged throughout the program.

“It's very romantic,” Dignan said, implying that it's good for couples on vacation or looking for something different to do. The Keystone Science School is looking to partner with Keystone Ranch's sleigh ride program to do a “drive-by” star program after dinner, which they plan to call “Cosmic Cowboys.”

The StarQuest program can also be catered to children, and it's her duty to make sure the program meets the needs and desires of her participants.

“Families are very excited to be able to look at deep space objects,” said Seth Oglesby, who used to run the StarQuest program, but now serves as Keystone Science School's camps and outreach assistant director.

He said participants are often surprised that they can see the cracks and crevices of the moon, or view Jupiter as closely and clearly as it appears in the telescope.

“They're amazed and they leave happy and appreciative of what we've shown them,” Oglesby said.

“How could you not be excited when you're looking at a galaxy in a high-powered telescope?” Dignan added.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Breckenridge, Ski Area Working on a Transit Agreement

2011-12-26T11:57:00.002-07:00

Four months ahead of the April municipal elections, Breckenridge Town Council members and ski resort executives are still working on a transit agreement that might keep a lift ticket tax question off the ballot.

After several weeks of closed-door meetings, council members involved in the talks with Vail Resorts and Breckenridge Ski Resort (BSR) executives wouldn't say whether the two entities were nearing an agreement.

Breckenridge Mayor John Warner did say that nothing is on the table yet.

If they have not reached an agreement with the resort by the deadline to add to the April ballot, councilmembers said they would move forward with the tax question.

“I think we have the support from the council to put it on the ballot and then let the voters decide,” Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron said. “That's if the ski area and the town can't come to terms.”

The revenue from a lift ticket tax could help fund a coordinated ski area/town bus system in Breckenridge, town officials have said.

But the lift ticket tax — also called an amusement or admissions tax — question seems to be getting mixed reviews from the public, based on the results of an informal Summit Daily poll.

The majority, 56 percent, of the more than 370 respondents to the online survey as of Sunday said they wouldn't vote for a lift ticket tax at all, and only 6 percent said they would support the tax because the town needed the money to improve transit.

Almost 35 percent of respondents said they would vote yes on a lift ticket tax because they thought Vail Resorts should have a tax on its sales as other businesses do.

Close to 15 percent of those who participated in the poll said they didn't think the town needed the lift ticket tax revenue and 40 percent held that it's not the right time to be imposing new taxes on Breck's visitors.

Vail Resorts collects a sales tax on food, merchandise and rentals, but no tax is currently imposed on lift or admission ticket sales in Breckenridge.

The Town of Vail does levy a 4 percent lift ticket tax, which Mayor Andy Daly called “a major revenue source for the town.”

Breckenridge Ski Resort executives have expressed strong opposition to the tax proposal and have made it clear if the question is put on the ballot and approved, the cost will be passed on to their customers.

“Ultimately an amusement tax is not a tax on Breckenridge Ski Resort, but a tax that would be borne by guests and locals alike who ski and ride at Breckenridge,” Vail Resorts spokeswoman Kristin Williams said. “There is a strong anti-tax sentiment across our state and across the country — with intense scrutiny being put on even the hint of a new tax.”

Town officials said many people's support for the tax is “vindictive” against Vail Resorts and said it was possible a citizens' group would put the tax question on the ballot even if the town and the resort reached a transit agreement.

If approved by voters, the tax could be applied to summer fun park revenue, bar and restaurant cover charges, theater tickets, sleigh ride revenue and event ticket sales as well as lift ticket sales.

A 4.5 percent tax would bring in an estimated $2.9 million annually from lift ticket sales alone. No decisions on the size or scope of the tax have been made.

The Vail Daily contributed to the reporting of this story.

The Christmas Bird Count Begins

2011-12-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Bird Count has begun.

During the holidays, thousands of bird watchers armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists get ready to bundle up and head out in search of feathered friends during the 112th annual Christmas Bird Count.

What's been deemed the longest-running citizen science project in American history runs until Jan. 5.

The purpose is for volunteers to identify and tally every bird in their specific route and designated 15-mile-wide circle counted annually. The goal is to get an annual census of which birds — and how many of each species — are using a particular habitat. By repeating the process year after year, wildlife managers are able to document and analyze long term trends in species abundance and health.

“The information gathered by scientists and volunteers is invaluable to determining long-term trends in bird populations,” said John Koshak, a watchable wildlife specialist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Birds are sensitive to changes in the environment. By studying trends, we can determine which bird species are declining and which ones are on the increase.”

According to Leon Bright, membership coordinator for the Arkansas Valley Audubon Society, this year's counters in his area are seeing lots of species, but not as many individuals as in years past. “We documented 127 species at Pueblo Reservoir, which is two short of the all time record. The total number of birds, however, was down.”

Bright said the same trend was observed in the Wet Mountain Valley count near Westcliffe.

“The lower number of birds might be related to the drought conditions,” he said.

According to the Audubon Society, the Christmas Bird Count is a family tradition for their members.

On Christmas Day 1900, the first Christmas Bird Count was done as an alternative to what was known as a “side hunt.” According to the Audubon Society's web page, a “side hunt” was when people formed teams to see which team could shoot the largest bag of feathered and furred wildlife. Recognizing that this kind of intense hunting might have a serious impact on wildlife populations, the national association of the Audubon Society began organizing volunteers to count birds on Christmas Day rather than shoot them.

By tradition, the modern Christmas count takes on the guise of a friendly competition, as groups vie with each other and with history to find more species than their peers did. After a day in the field, often in raw conditions, birders gather to compile their totals and recount the best sightings of the day.

Bright cites two reasons people participate in the Christmas Bird Count.

“They love birds and want to help out as citizen scientists. And they love the camaraderie of being with others,” he said.

The Christmas Count is a way for new and novice birders to learn about bird habits and bird identification skills from experienced birders. Old hands derive satisfaction from knowing that their observations are part of an enormous body of scientific data that's important to bird conservation in Colorado and beyond.

For many birders, the highlight of the day is spotting a species they have never seen and adding it to their life list. Others will marvel to the unpredictable and sometimes dramatic interactions between species like raptors and their prey. A lucky few may see a unique bird or a species never before recorded in their circle.

Give the gift of science this holiday

Avid bird watchers or folks even slightly interested can give the gift of time and viewing skills as a participant in this year's Christmas Bird Count.

There is a specific methodology to the CBC, but everyone can participate. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. Each circle is led by a Count Compiler. Beginning birders can join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.

The CBC tallies species but also counts all birds all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day. If observers live within a CBC circle, they may arrange in advance to count the birds at their feeders and submit those data to their compiler.

To find the posted date of a count near you, or to join a CBC, go to www.audubon.org.

65 Years at A-Basin

2011-12-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

This season, it seems ski areas are just bustin' at the seams with birthdays. One week after Breck celebrated its big bash, the Basin is right on its heels, 15 years wiser, with its 65th year of turns.

Rather than recite some boring timeline, we're including some fun quiz facts to keep aging brains sharp, as well as a look back at ski business notes. But before we do, here are a couple things you need to keep in the forefront of your mind:

Saturday: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Santa and his elf will hang out in the Basin's base area surrounded by the music of the Summit Chorale Society. At 1 p.m., swing by for free birthday cake and wassail.

Now, a glimpse at highlights from the Basin's 1946 annual report:

The first line of the 1946-47 “Annual Report of Arapahoe Basin, Inc.” reads: “The first year of the corporate existence of Arapahoe Basin, Inc. has been a difficult one at times and only now after twelve months is the picture considerably brighter.” It built its assets from “nothing to over $117,897.45 as of April 30, 1947; by selling 113,388 shares of stock ... and by operating on a small scale during the past winter.”

The best part about owning stock: If you made a $500-$1,000 investment, you got a “life pass on lifts and tows and a $1 reduction on lift tickets for family members, as well as reduced waiting time on crowded days.” More than $1,000 earned a free life pass for an individual and immediate family members plus the opportunity to purchase private land and build a cabin in the basin. However, below the benefit list it reads: “The details of some of the before-mentioned benefits have yet to be definitely decided.”

Ironically, the annual report reads: “Luckily, the December and January snows were light ...” Huh? Seems the lack of snow saved on costs; it “permitted operation of a truck service into the basin at no great expense.” The truck actually served as a substitute for a chairlift.

The report points to a day where people didn't take debt so lightly. It says: “It can be seen that despite the continuing stock sales the corporation has been seriously hampered by having tied so much money up in materials ...” and talks about people like Max Dercum making trips back East to sell stocks — resulting in $59,657 and “a vast amount of fine publicity ...” making the Basin “already well-known in the skiing world.”

But already, resort owners compared the numbers Loveland. “Some 2,500 people visited Arapahoe Basin this ski season — small in comparison to the estimated 20,000 at Loveland Pass, but gratifying nevertheless. The general impression created has been most favorable. The skiing is constantly being compared to that at Aspen and Sun Valley and never to our disadvantage.”

Interestingly enough, groups and individuals already were asking to build homes in the basin, and in the annual report it reads: “This possibility still exists although it is now felt that the price of the land is too high for the corporation to consider taking up its option to buy at this time.” If they only knew ...

Now for a little quiz:

• What year did A-Basin open?

If you can't get this one, you either a) smoke way too much “medical marijuana,” or b) need to go back to first-grade math, c) completely missed the big, fat headline on the top of the page, or d) all of the above.

• How did people get up the mountain?

Skiers were transported to the base of the tow rope, situated midway up the mountain, in an Army weapons carrier pulled by a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

• How do you really spell Pallavicini?

We at the Summit Daily toiled over this question for years so rigorously, it pained us to no end. We found ourselves tossing and turning at night, shouting in the newsroom, getting into such embroiled, passionate arguments that one, if not all of us, had to immediately grab our gear, drive up to the Basin and head to said lift to memorize the exact spelling of the double-seater. And, once there, it was not enough to merely jot down the spelling at the base of the lift. No, we were deeply committed to our journalistic duty. We rode up the lift to ensure mountain operations spelled it the same way at the top as they did at the bottom.

Then, of course, we had to double check the spelling at the bottom, and then again at the top. Then, after triple and quadruple checking, we'd return to the office, only to check the ski area map we stashed at the office and see that, indeed the map spelled it differently than the sign at the chairlift. So, the next day, we began our quest for the truth. And on it went, day after endless day, season after long season.

So, finally, as the intrepid A&E editor, on this 65th anniversary, I asked — through email — the great communications coordinator Leigh Hierholzer if she remembered the debacle, because over the years, after diligent research, I have noticed A-Basin, has, indeed, resolved the inaccuracy.

“Yes, of course I remember it,” she replied, immediately. “We sometimes have people write in and tell us what the correct spelling is and why, that's why it has changed occasionally. We finally decided on ‘Pallavicini' a few years ago, and we're sticking to it. ... Sometimes it takes a while to make the full transition with all of the signage, trail maps, etc. We hope we are getting closer to completing that transition.”

So there.

And, now, back to the mind-bending quiz:

• How much did a lift ticket cost in 1946?

$1.25; in 1974, a ticket set skiers back $7.50.

• In 1945, a development team estimated construction of A-Basin would cost about $150,000. In 1972 a ski patroller, Joe Jankovsky bought it for how much?

It all depends who you talk to. The Ten Mile Times reported in 1997 that he bought it for $400,000, while coloradoskihistory.com says he paid $850,000 — quite a discrepancy. Still, if you look what the Ten Mile Times says it sold for six years later, Jankovsky didn't do too poorly, no matter who's right.

• The first season, 2,500 skiers visited the Basin, according to the annual report. How many came the second season?

13,000.

• And these days?

More than 425,000

• (Put your second-grade silly joke brain on for this one) Why did dogs fall in love with the Basin in 1978?

Because Ralston-Purina bought it. Arf, arf, arf! OK, ya might've found that one funnier if you were on “medical marijuana,” because if you're in second-grade, you probably don't know the brand Ralston-Purina and wouldn't get the joke. (Here's a stat to feed a bit of your brain: The dog-food company purchased it for about $1 million, according to a 1997 Ten Mile Times report; now that's the way to be a ski patroller.)

Sad but true: We've used all our brain cells on that last one, so we're out to make some turns and eat some cake. Maybe afterward, we'll crash into our Corporate Suites (which, during this holiday season is turning into corporate sweets, where readers drop off snowflake cupcakes and cases of Strawberry Crush (who knew such a drink even existed), and hijack a Summit Up writer, or something). Happy holidays!

Courtesy of Summit Daily News

The Summit Foundation: A unique community foundation

2011-12-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Community foundations are nonprofits that serve a large region of people by working to improve the quality of life in their area. The Summit Foundation is the only community foundation in Summit County and is a little different than your average foundation — read on to learn how!

How do community foundations differ from other nonprofit organizations?

Instead of specializing in certain programs or a specific need like individual nonprofits, foundations research the entire community to find the areas of greatest need. Then a foundation's board and staff identify individual nonprofits and programs best suited to meet these needs. By granting funds to multiple nonprofit organizations in one region, community foundations can cover a larger scope of programs and meet more needs than one small nonprofit.

Why invest in a community foundation like The Summit Foundation?

Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create permanent charitable funds, such as Donor Advised Funds or Scholarship Funds to help their region meet challenges and needs as they arise. The foundation manages these funds to meet a donor's desires.

The Summit Foundation (TSF) provides donors with thorough research on community need, effectiveness of programs, and recommendations from experienced board members who interview all grantees. With more than 90 nonprofit organizations funded this past year, TSF also ensures a broad distribution of funds throughout the community.

The Summit Foundation is like a United Way, right?

Well, yes and no. The Summit Foundation is a unique organization in that it shares some characteristics similar to United Way and characteristics more typical of the average community foundation. The majority of community foundations were founded from large endowment gifts, meaning the organizations operate from the interest on these large sums of money. Because of this, most community foundations do not undertake (or need to perform) large annual fundraising campaigns to meet the financial needs of their communities.

United Way agencies on the other hand, operate mostly through annual charitable contributions, like donations obtained through payroll deduction programs. The Summit Foundation utilizes a combination of all strategies mentioned above in order to be most effective in Summit County.

What else makes The Summit Foundation unique?

The Summit Foundation is one of a few community foundations in the U.S. established by a ski resort. TSF began as the charitable arm of the Breckenridge Development Corporation, which in 1984 decided to broaden the impact and scope of charitable work in our community by turning their giving arm into a stand-alone nonprofit, The Summit Foundation.

Want to know another great thing about being established by a ski resort? Thanks to the generosity of our local ski area partners, TSF is one of a few foundations able to sell transferable ski privileges as a fundraising mechanism. So you can support our community by purchasing a ski pass that can be used not only for yourself, but for all your friends, family, and clients too!

Utilizing multiple fundraising strategies, TSF is able to accomplish a very high distribution (or giving) ratio. The Summit Foundation is able to grant a tremendous – and increasing – amount back to the community each year.

What does all this mean for you?

It means if you would like to contribute to our community, but aren't sure where to put your funds, we can help! The Summit Foundation's board and staff take care of all the research for you. Each grant cycle, we research community needs, program effectiveness, and interview each nonprofit's staff to make sure your money is going to the most efficient and necessary programs. Each year, The Foundation donates nearly $1.5 million to local nonprofits operating in Health & Human Service, Education, Art & Culture, Sports & Recreation and Environmental Stewardship. Your gift to The Summit Foundation, at any level of support, can make a $1 million dollar impact.

Due to the generosity of local businesses, full and part-time residents, The Foundation has been able to make a difference in our mountain community by granting over $14.4 million since 1986!

Giving Back is written by Jennifer Stein and Kasey Geoghegan, specialists of marketing and development at The Summit Foundation, the leading philanthropic organization for Summit County and its neighboring communities. Submit questions to Giving Back at tsfevents@summitfoundation.org or visit summitfoundation.org.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Breckenridge Marks 50 Years of Skiing

2011-12-18T16:29:00.001-07:00

The morning itself may have been similar to Dec. 16 half a century ago, but celebrated skiing pioneer Trygve Berge noticed quite a few changes.

In particular, he was treated like a celebrity. And, as he skied the fresh corduroy he's come to enjoy, he pointed out that the soft, man-made snow churned up by groomers was a commodity not available in 1961.

There were just a handful of Breckenridge celebrities gathered for the “understated” start of Breckenridge Ski Resort's 50th birthday, spokeswoman Kristen Petitt-Stewart said, but it was great to see Berge doing what he's been doing for the last 50 years. He rode the first chair along with his friend Greg Gutzki; Nancy Macy, who rode the first chair in 1961 and still skis four days a week; and Bob Brown, who was born on Dec. 16, 1961 and was granted the wish to ride first chair.

“It was a special moment,” she said. “It probably wasn't that dissimilar to when they took the lift 50 years ago. It was a cool, crisp morning that was memorable.”

Berge, who turns 80 on April 19, doesn't mind being recognized for his work in starting the ski resort; in fact, he says he sort of likes feeling like a movie star. But he acknowledges he's just a regular person.

“It's fun to be recognized, but other than that, I'm just me,” he said.

He's also quick to say his wasn't the only hand at work in recreating the town of Breckenridge by starting the ski resort.

“It was Sigurd (Rockne) and me who got the ball rolling,” he said.

Rockne, who still lives in Breckenridge, was not available for comment Friday.

Berge was invited to the United States by 1952 Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen, his friend and employer in Voss, Norway, where Berge mounted steel edges on 12,000 pairs of skis to make a living during ski racing. (He competed in the 1956 Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, but didn't place. He lost his ski just before the finish.)

Eriksen had come to the United States, lending a hand and making a living off ski area startup. He wanted Berge to run his ski schools in Heavenly, Aspen and Boyne Mountain, Mich. — a role he'd fall into again once Breckenridge's lifts started turning. Trygve's is still the learning area at the mountain. (Ericksen still lives in Deer Valley, Utah.)

While he was in Aspen, a friend, Bill Rounds, encouraged Berge and Rockne to visit the open valley between the Continental Divide and the Tenmile Range that was to be flooded to create Dillon Reservoir. They saw the opportunity to build there, and created the Norwegian Construction Company and built the Anthem Lumberyard, which would eventually become the Breckenridge Building Center. That was in the fall of 1960.

Birth of a ski area

“There was nothing here, just rock piles all over,” Berge said. They planned to build cabins around the lake, but wondered what people would do in winter.

Rounds asked if it might be possible to ski. So they set out to scout.

“We looked at the slopes, the snow, the exposure, and rode up the old mining road to where the Colorado Superchair ends right now,” Berge said. The threesome hiked to the top, and decided they'd build the ski area. They headed back to the car, pulled out some scotch, mixed it with spring water spouting from the hillside nearby, and tossed one back to the ski area. Not long after, they had the permit to move forward.

They marked the runs in the spring and summer of 1961, and crews from Aspen came to cut the slopes. That winter, the ski area opened with Springmeier (named for an old mining character who lived next to the Gold Pan), Rounder's Run and Callie's Alley (named after Rounds and his wife), Eagle Lane at the bottom and the Constam T-bar on Trygve's beginner area.

Building a town

A sliver of the land of opportunity, Breckenridge attracted all kinds of entrepreneurs. Unlike Vail, which was funded by investors, Breckenridge was build more haphazardly, with developments scattered throughout the valley.

“It was a crazy time,” Berge said, though it was exciting for him to see people coming with new ideas; ideas both for building the town and having fun. “The enthusiasm was incredible.”

Locals who remained in the mining version of Breckenridge thought the skiers were nuts.

“They didn't understand the future of the skiing business,” Berge said.

Meanwhile, the town was dying, and just a few hundred people remained.

“Without the ski area, there would be nothing here,” he said.

Changes: The best and the worst

Berge commends the direction leaders have taken the town — from its visual appeal to the economy on which it thrives. He appreciates the investments (though, he admitted he sometimes thinks it's too much) in various activities that cater to broad audiences, such as the recpath.

However, he laments the change in opportunity. It's not as easy for people to come and make a life here, between the town's red tape and the already developed valley.

“It's so hard to do something small anymore,” Berge said.

And though skiing has remained a somewhat social activity, younger generations view it somewhat less so than the old-timers, who still take the time to meet each other at Fatty's on Ridge Street after a day of skiing — as they did on Friday to kick off Breckenridge's afternoon of festivities. Some of them have known each other since the beginning, or at least for several decades.

Nonetheless, Berge

Looking back and looking forward

The expansions since the start of the Peak 8 Ski Area fall into Rounds', Berge's and Rockne's original vision. Berge said he vizualized the entire Tenmile Range being a ski area, with Peak 1 and Bill's Ranch making the most ideal terrain. He'd walked the land in its entirety, and envisioned a monorail connecting it all together.

Berge smiles and his gaze is far away as his hand demonstrates the graceful turns and jumps of the long, wide moguls formed by straight skis.

He remembers the days when he and Rockne were strong youths, building houses, cutting trails and creating the ski area's foundations for ski instruction.

“We've always been close friends and nothing will change that,” Berge said. He laughs and looks away shyly when asked to share stories of their friendship — he never did spill any beans.

Eventually, Rockne moved into the restaurant business while Berge stayed in ski school and ski shops. Both still live close, with Rockne in Breckenridge and Berge renting here and living primarily in Lakewood.

“I don't like to shovel snow, but I like to ski on it,” he said with a grin.

As he reflected on the many years spent dedicated to Breckenridge, he said, “It's good to look back, but it's kind of sad; I don't know where those 50 years went. It's also good to look forward, because the future doesn't seem to come as fast as the past goes.”

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Loews to Delay Opening in Silverthrone

2011-12-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Frigid temperatures in Summit County are causing construction projects in Silverthorne, including Lowe's, to be delayed.

Lowe's anticipates pushing back its opening several months to late June or early July, according to spokeswoman Stacey Lentz. The home improvement warehouse was originally slated to open toward the end of January or early February.

“This delay is due to two reasons beyond Lowe's control. The initial construction was delayed due to the pending resolution of the original lawsuit against the town concerning the town's approval of our project,” Lentz said. “The second delay has been weather conditions that make certain construction materials and activities either infeasible or cost prohibitive.”

Crews will continue to seal off the rear of the store and finish the roof in early winter, and they aim to complete the interior during the cold months. Silverthorne planning director Mark Leidal said crews have also completed the $2 million in off-site improvements, with some on-site items left to complete.

“They'll wait for things to warm up until they finish up the exterior,” Leidal said, explaining that materials like stucco and concrete require curing periods and temperatures the weather's not permitting.

Silverthorne spokesman Ryan Hyland said it's not uncommon for winter weather to affect construction projects.

For instance, construction of the new AutoZone in town is complete, but will have to wait on exterior paint and landscaping. Leidal said they'll be able to open prior to Christmas, as planned, but town officials will hold cash or a letter of credit in the value of the work to be done in escrow, to guarantee its completion come spring.

“Summit County weather is great for ice castles and skiing, but lousy for construction,” Hyland said.

Leidal said AutoZone was issued its certificate of occupancy this week, so employees will likely be stocking shelves and getting ready to open in the next week or so.

Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church and Buffalo Mountain Metro District are also facing delays, according to Leidal, but they're not necessarily weather-related.

Buffalo Mountain Metro District has completed a new sand storage building, but is still working on its new employee housing unit and new office building.

“We've been talking to them for years for a land swap so the intersection (at Lowe's) could be accommodated. We finally finished that land swap,” Leidal said. He said he suspects completing the land swap prompted them to move forward with reconstruction.

“Sometimes construction activities take longer than expected,” he said.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Dew Tour Hits Breckenridge

2011-12-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Between the U.S. Grand Prix and the Dew Tour's Nike Open, which kicked off with competition yesterday, Summit County has been packed with freeskiing and snowboarding superstars the last couple weeks, and they're just getting warmed up.
Returning for its fourth year, the Nike Open at Breckenridge is the first of three Winter Dew Tour stops and includes six competitions spanning across three rounds: qualifiers, semifinals and finals. The Breckenridge event will include contests in men's freeskiing superpipe and slopestyle, and both men's and women's snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle.

Other Dew Tour stops include Killington, Vt., and Snowbasin Resort in Ogden, Utah, early next year. At season's end, the overall points leaders are crowned champions and awarded the Dew Cup — and a bunch of cash — in eight disciplines. For the first time this year, women's freeskiing will also be thrown into the mix (at later venues).

Last season's Dew Cup champions include Louie Vito (men's snowboard superpipe), Kelly Clark (women's snowboard superpipe), Torstein Horgmo (men's snowboard slopestyle), Jamie Anderson (women's snowboard slopestyle), Kevin Rolland (ski superpipe) and Breck's Bobby Brown (ski slopestyle).

With all the star power of the X Games, the Nike Open is a great opportunity for spectators to witness the best in the business without the zoo-like atmosphere and competitive viewing of the annual Aspen event.

And this year, when we say the “world's best” will be on hand, we mean it quite literally as gold medal-winning Olympian Shaun White will be returning after a two-year hiatus with hopes of reclaiming the Dew Cup, which he won in the 2010 season. If history is any indicator, the rest of the field, made up by the likes of 2011 U.S. Grand Prix podium finishers Luke Mitrani, Vito and Greg Bretz, among others, will be battling it out for second.

“The Dew Tour does an awesome job of putting on a really good contest in Breckenridge,” said Olympic halfpipe snowboarder Elena Hight. “There's always a really good pipe and a really good turnout of athletes. It's a fun contest because it's the first one of the year, so everyone is just getting back together and there's a lot of fun energy.”

Finding their groove.

Every athlete approaches these early competitions differently — some are looking to simply get back in the groove, while others are hoping to charge out of the gate and debut new tricks and concepts. Hight, for one, plans to pull out a couple new inverts this week, while Kelly Clark, coming off a decisive win at the Grand Prix, hasn't yet thrown her season into sixth gear.
“Early-season, I really think everyone is looking to get their feet back underneath them. I think everyone really looks at (the early comps) as an opportunity to get back into the competitive mindset and get their bodies back into it. I typically have been a bit of a slow starter,” said Clark, this week's frontrunner.

For Summit County resident Simon Dumont, the Nike Open is a sweet event because it's close to home. “The slopestyle course here at Breckenridge is usually pretty top-notch. They build a good park all year, so it's not too hard to transition to adding a couple features and making the jumps a little bigger,” he said.

This year is more of a fun, less-intense season for veterans like Dumont, who will spend time filming before buckling down in anticipation of halfpipe skiing's Olympic debut in 2014.

Size matters.

This will be the second year that the Dew Tour will feature an Olympic-size, 22-foot halfpipe. The event was previously held on an 18-footer, which lent itself to inconsistency among the X Games, Grand Prix and Olympics. Athletes are pleased that the size seems to finally be standardized throughout the major competitions.

“With the 22-foot pipe, it adds a little more room for error because you have more transition,” Dumont said. “It makes it more capable for higher airs, and I think its more exciting.”
In past years, especially Olympic years, the 18-footer prevented top-level athletes who didn't want to mess with their rhythm from participating.

“The 22-foot pipe has been the natural progression for snowboard halfpipe,” Hight said. “It was necessary for the Dew Tour to remain a serious event to bump up to a 22-foot because that's all we ride anymore.”

For women of the Dew Tour, one step forward and one step back
With the acquisition of women's freeskiing for the 2011-12 season, women's snowboarding has consequently lost one of its events at the Dew Tour (and incidentally the Grand Prix as well).

While there seems to be universal agreement among snowboarders that involving female skiers is a positive addition, there is also concern about eliminating events.

“Obviously, for us, that's a huge step back in the wrong direction,” said Hight. “We've worked over the past eight years or so to get equal prize money for women, equal contests. So to have them take away an event like that is really unfortunate. … I think it's great they added the girl skiers; they should have been added a long time ago because they're killing it. But not having equal events and limiting prize money is unfortunate.”

Clark agrees that female skiers deserve a spot on the circuit, but she shares Hight's concerns about eliminating women's events.

“Unfortunately, snowboarding was kind of taken away to add the skiing events,” Clark said. “Although I'm happy for the skiing women to get an opportunity, at the same time I don't think we're really solving the problem by pushing it around. Hopefully we'll see more women's equality in the events to come.”

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Summit County Gets Green Light for Recpath Extension

2011-12-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Summit County gets green light for recpath extension

Summit County government's proposal to extend its recpath to Copper Mountain's Far East Lot has been approved by the U.S. Forest Service.
Though it's approved, the best-case scenario shows trail construction beginning in late summer next year, Summit County open space and trails resource specialist Brad Eckert said. Because it hasn't gone to bid, no price estimate has been released.
With the decision issued, those in the public who have commented can appeal the decision for roughly the next month.

The trail extension is designed to improve safety on the county's recpath system east of Highway 91 near the Interstate 70 interchange, where the path currently disintegrates into utility trail and frontage road access to Copper Mountain and Highway 91.
“It's confusing and deteriorating and it doesn't allow a smooth flow of traffic through that area,” Eckert said.

The proposal includes construction of a 12-foot-wide asphalt recpath and two-foot soft shoulders to connect the Highway 91/Copper Road intersection and Highway 91 south of Copper Mountain's parking areas. The proposed trail extension covers roughly 7,200 feet, Eckert said.
A bridge to be constructed on Copper Mountain's land will span Tenmile Creek and allow users to gain access to the Highway 91/Copper Road intersection. The existing stock bridge east of Copper's parking lot will be replaced to allow users to continue riding along the west side of Tenmile Creek between it and Copper's Far East Lot before terminating the trail at Highway 91. The existing bridge at the northern terminus of the recpath will be upgraded with new railings and resurfaced with asphalt. All bridges will be designed to meet Forest Service scenery guidelines.

Two letters were received during the environmental assessment comment period, one support letter from Copper Mountain and one from the Colorado Trail Foundation, which recommended additional design criteria to protect the existing integrity of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, which has similar general alignment with the recpath.

White River National Forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams said in his decision that the paved recreation path will be immediately adjacent to the existing Copper Mountain Far East Lot, and the Continental Divide Trail will be located to the east of the paved recpath as it extends to Highway 91. A vegetated buffer between the paved recreation path and the Continental Divide Trail will be maintained and/or created, where appropriate.

Summit County Government is responsible for constructing the recreation path.
Fitzwilliams specified that “all project design criteria ... as well as two additional design criteria requested by the Colorado Trail Foundation, are required to be adhered to by Summit County Government.”

For instance, where the recreation path abuts Tenmile Creek and associated wetlands, the width of path shoulders will be minimized to avoid and minimize impacts. French drains will also be installed under the recpath to allow water to continue flowing beneath the paved surface. Where the stream channels intersect the path, culverts and bridges will be built to accommodate or restore the flow.
“Each of these features will improve how water is currently transferred to Tenmile Creek and at the bridge location where the stream channel is restored,” Fitzwilliams said. “Aquatic habitat will be improved adjacent to Tenmile Creek.”

An environmental assessment was created and distributed for public comment in October. It was the basis for Fitzwilliams' decision.

He evaluated another alternative, the no-action alternative, as required by the analysis process, but found the proposed action more suitable.
View the full environmental assessment and record of decision online at http://1.usa.gov/uEE8gy.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Avalanches - Take Note

2011-12-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Summit County: Efficiency in avalanches

According to Swiss “beacon expert,” Manuel Genswein, guide companies can rely on their guests to rescue them from an avalanche — if they're taught properly.
It was part of a two-day public avalanche rescue training at Copper Mountain hosted by the Summit County Rescue Group, the Summit County Sheriff's Office, and Copper Mountain. Genswein spent several hours lecturing ski patrollers, rescue group volunteers and trainers, and the interested public on Friday, reviewing beacon technology history as well as practical training techniques. On Saturday, he exercised the group's application skills in the field.
Genswein's focus was effective training and streamlined practice. Many of his points came back to meticulous training, including being a strict trainer who corrects mistakes immediately. Being a well-oiled machine makes for an effective rescuer, he pointed out.
Genswein addressed the time crunch that prohibits guides from running through basic avalanche safety with guests. He said many guides claim a guest would be unsuccessful in performing a beacon search, locating a victim or victims, and digging them out in a reasonable amount of time, even with basic instruction. So Genswein did a study.
He found that guide service clients, at the median age of 53, could recover a burial in 4 minutes, 20 seconds at the best, and 22 minutes, 30 seconds at the worst. Men aged 73 and up, another clientele demographic, performed the simulated rescue in nearly 7 minutes at their best and 27 minutes at their slowest.
That was after giving them a fine-tuned 15-minute tutorial on avy basics.
“Even though you only have a quarter hour of time, you can be very efficient,” Genswein said, noting that streamlined instruction must also be coupled with the best and easiest to use equipment. According to Genswein, the added bonus of teaching novices avalanche basics, is that they enjoy it. The clients in his study enjoyed themselves — even though they were digging into bottomless powder instead of skiing it.
John Reller, a Chicago Ridge snowcat guide at Ski Cooper, said as he listened, he considered ways he could change his own safety talk. Given more equipment, he might cover the more detailed 15-minute training, he added.
“The more people who know how to use the tools correctly, the better off we all are,” he said.
Genswein has done several of these studies, which take a look at how training can impact backcountry safety.
In another study, he found that giving three 45-minute modules in companion rescue can be highly effective. A four-burial situation was cleared in about 36 minutes with the short course.
Genswein said that the key in any sort of training is to teach how to be systematic.
“This is the key to success in mountain rescue,” he said, pointing out that eager participants who chaotically searched the debris field were far less effective than those who were systematic.

Taking it to the field
Being systematic and therefore effective was the theme of Saturday's beacon field workshop, too.
For new Arapahoe Basin ski patroller Greg Dumas, Genswein's course took his personal and basic professional knowledge to the next level.
“What I found valuable was that it was geared more toward experienced users,” Dumas said, adding it was helpful to have the rundown of beacon history and how technology has evolved, as well as getting international insight on avalanche rescue concepts.
With five stations set up that involved local professionals, the field course catered to novices as well as advanced professionals. Novices learned and asked questions while the advanced folks taught.
Dumas called the Friday and Saturday tutorial “professional development,” which was helpful. It was also helpful to interact with the broader professional community of which he's now a part.

Courtesy Summit Daily News

Breckenridge in the 1990s

2011-12-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

In the 1990s, when Interstate 70 wasn't the gridlock it is now and Summit County was continuing its growth as a major international ski destination, Todd Richards came to town.

The snowboarder got caught in Boulder on a cross-country trip (they were headed to Southern California, where Richards now lives full time) because of its beauty. It wasn't long before Richards and his fellow snow-loving buddies discovered the mountains. A New Englander, Richards came to Colorado thinking he was at the top of his game, but admits he was sorely mistaken.

Colorado, he proclaims, was the place where competitors were bred. Now in his 23rd year as a professional snowboarder, Richards swallowed the pill, turned up his competitive edge and took on the challenge of competing for No. 1 in the game.

Today he has “World Champion competitor” and “Olympian” to add to his list of accomplishments, and has since evolved into a commentator for circuits such as the Dew Tour and fulfills other roles in the TV and online broadcast worlds.

In the early 1990s, “day-glo” apparel still reigned from the 1980s, but it wasn't long before the urban grunge of the skaters-turned-snowboarders took over. It was the era where the single board was despised by those on two planks, and Richards' memory of Breckenridge during the decade stays true to that divide. It was clique-y, he said. The same is true today, but now there are more types from which to choose.

“The town was still funky,” he said, explaining that everyone in his circle lived 10 to a condo in the Baldy Mountain Townhomes (he might not be exaggerating) and worked at either Pasta Jays, Mi Casa or Fajitas.

There were still mining folk in town, like Buck, the “crazy,” grizzly man who lived up French Creek and showed up in town with guns and knives strapped to him, Richards recalled.

“This was before people were building million-dollar snowmobile homes,” he added.

Work for your jumps

Richards remembers it wasn't easy developing into a snowboarding trickster. You had to want it. The halfpipe wasn't built until January most years, and terrain parks were non-existent. Logs and shovels were the best tools they had. They'd create natural jibs, and use shovels to build jumps.

“We had to work for our jumps,” Richards said. “We would ride around on the hill with shovels. We had designated shovel days” when conditions weren't ideal.

“We would make do with what we have,” he said.

Now, he said, he rides the lifts and scans the entries to his old stomping grounds. There aren't even tracks to the old hotspots.

With terrain parks what they are, and resorts competing to open the first halfpipe, Richards, too, heads to the ready-to-go features.

“I paid my dues,” he said. “I feel really lazy now.”

Richards was around when snowboarding went from the ugly stepchild to an eye-popping extreme sport. The latter half of the 1990s saw the Winter X Games begin (1997) and the snowboard halfpipe and slalom added to the Winter Olympics (1998). When Richards first arrived in the county, Copper Mountain was the hotspot, but it wasn't long before Breckenridge became home base for the cutting edge athletes.

“If you wanted to ride pipe, you lived in and around Breck,” he said of that time period.

From his Baldy Mountain Townhome, he could scope out the pipe and follow the machinery as it refinished the pipe, which at that time wasn't carved into the clean “U”-shape it now has. Richards said it was more like an “L.”

Nonetheless, “We knew the cut schedule,” he said.

1990s: The heyday, and the urban transition

The late 1990s was the heyday of snowboarding — when people were making money as urban grunge hooligans said Richards.

“Everything was very urban slope-thug,” Richards said, adding that one of the main jumps once the terrain park developed was the “Wu-Tang” jump. The landing was so hard, it sounded like a gun going off.

Youth with basic editing knowledge and a camera in hand began making their own videos — Richards remembers filming footage during three weeks in spring at Arapahoe Basin — and modern snowboarding took shape.

Snowboarders who showed up without a dime began grinding rails, ollie'ing down stairs, and generally “applying the skate template to snowboarding.”

“It was gritty,” Richards said, adding that there were a few women, like Christine Sperber and Wendy Powell, who were also pushing the sport from the female side.

“The companies had no idea they should be paying us so much money,” Richards said with a sly smile. “They were paying us to (screw) around.”

Courtesy of Summit Daily News

2011-11-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Breckenridge bids for weekend finish in 2012 Pro Cycling Challenge

Stellar feedback from locals and businesses on the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 5 finish this year has the Town of Breckenridge hankering for the opportunity to host another weekend finish for the 2012 race.

The town touted its lodging base, central location and success putting on this year's finish and other big events to tempt the tour of Colorado back to Breckenridge. Town officials have again committed up to $150,000 to a race finish for 2012.

The town's bid requested a Friday or Saturday night finish.

The winning host cities and towns for the 2012 Pro Cycling Challenge were expected to be named Thursday, but the announcement was pushed back a couple of weeks, as race organizers continue to consider the choices.

“We had an overwhelming response from so many cities,” race spokeswoman Stacie Lange said. “We were quite surprised by the reaction. We just thought we would take a little more time and due diligence and really make the right decision for 2012.”

The Denver Post reported the circulation of a proposed route map, which indicated Breckenridge could one of the possible hosts for either a start or finish, and Boulder might be the site of the final finish.

Lange insisted a final course hasn't been decided yet.

Stiff competition

For Breckenridge, the competition is fierce. Even the success of last year's Saturday finish, an event that drew approximately 50,000 spectators and concluded with a concert by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, doesn't guarantee the town will be selected to host again in 2012.

“We would do, at a minimum, as much as we did last year,” Breckenridge spokeswoman Kim Dykstra DiLallo said. “However, we understand and recognize that there are a lot of communities vying for a piece of this successful event. … From a global view, you need to keep that cycling event fresh and exciting and ever-changing.”

But race organizers said having hosted a finish this year will not necessarily hurt the town's chances of being selected again, either.

“We had a great year last year,” Lange said. “We exceeded expectations on many fronts and the host cities are a big reason for our success. We're looking for unique locations in Colorado that can be a post card to the world.”

Locations that boast challenging terrain and routes that will keep the race “fresh” for the professionals and can provide “great hospitality,” will also have an edge in the selection process.

Twenty-seven cities and towns statewide are pushing to be a part of next year's race, including Winter Park and Grand Junction.

Breckenridge put on a show for the Aug. 27 Stage 5 finish, complete with an expo, a day of events and a concert following the teams' arrival and awards ceremony.

“Hearing back from the USA Pro Cycling (Challenge), they do recognize that we really went over and above the call of duty last year,” Dykstra DiLallo said. “We really made Breckenridge shine and we made the Pro Cycling Challenge shine.”

Breck attributes

The town and local organizing committee held up Breckenridge's more than 3,000 lodging units, central-state location west of Denver and multiple scenic arrival routes including a possible south-entrance that would take teams over Hoosier Pass, in its 2012 bid.

The bid was submitted with the enthusiastic backing of the town, the Summit Board of County Commissioners, the Breckenridge Lodging and Restaurant associations and the many local business owners.

Local merchants who responded to a post-race survey put out by the town were overwhelmingly supportive of the event, with the majority saying it had been good for the town and their business and many calling for the town to host another finish in the future.

“I think we should aggressively seek this event again next year and (in) years to come,” said one restaurant owner, who commented in the town's survey. “We can tweak some things to make it work better now that we know how it works.”

Survey respondents suggested shifting the finish-line location and implementing strategies such as lodging packages to help keep spectators, who last year reportedly seemed anxious to follow the race out of town, in Breckenridge for the weekend.

The race was wildly successful for Colorado as a whole, with an estimated $83.5 million economic impact statewide, according to a statement from the Pro Cycling Challenge.

Of the 1 million spectators who turned out across the state for the race in its first year, 94 percent said they planned to return next year, according to the statement.

The Denver Post contributed to the reporting of this story.

Courtesy The Summit Daily News

Fido Not Welcome at some Breckenridge Events

2011-10-16T16:43:00.000-06:00

Pets are no longer on the guest list for some Breckenridge events, and crashing the parties could mean fines for their owners due to an ordinance passed by town council.

The new measure, passed at the most recent town council meeting, prohibits animals, except for those involved in the event, from attending certain pre-designated “no pet” or “no animal” events.

“It's primarily based around safety issues and food issues,” Breckenridge chief of police Rick Holman said.

The ordinance requires the town to post signs saying pets are prohibited at the entrances of “no pet” events, and gives Breckenridge officers license to write tickets, associated with a possible $100 fine, to people who do not comply with warnings to remove their animals.

The ordinance follows the Stage Five finish of the Pro Cycling Challenge in Breckenridge Aug. 27. The event drew crowds of more than 50,000 people, but pets were not allowed in.

In recent years there have been more and more events held in Breckenridge that do not allow animals, usually due to the presence of food or large crowds of people. While the majority of pet owners have been compliant with the rules, authorities have recently had people challenging the policy, according to a town memo.

The ordinance gives police the power to write tickets to uncooperative pet owners, Holman said.

Not all events will be pet free. An event committee will decide whether pets will be allowed at individual events.

The town is following a precedent set in other municipalities in Colorado, Breckenridge officials told council members prior to the vote Oct. 11.

“Grand Junction passed a very similar ordinance to this, but they banned animals in all of their downtown special events categorically,” town manager Tim Gagen said. “We're not the only ones looking at regulating animals in these situations.”

Event staff or Breckenridge authorities will first give verbal warning to people that bring animals into no pet/no animal events and will “continue to educate and warn to gain compliance,” according to the memo.

Let the Ski Season Begin!

2011-10-13T14:43:00.000-06:00

Arapahoe Basin opened today, the second Colorado ski resort to start turning lifts for guests this season.

The Oct. 13 opening is just 100 days after it closed on July 4. It's not the earliest, though. In 2009, the mountain opened on Oct. 9, and in 2007, it opened on Oct. 10.
“It seems like we just closed, but we're excited to get it open again,” spokeswoman Leigh Hierholzer said, adding that everyone has their fingers crossed for a snow year along the lines of 2010-11.

According to Hierholzer, snowmakers at the mountain have been working throughout the week to create an 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run along with several features in the High Divide Terrain Park. There is no beginner skiing open at the mountain.

Several inches of fresh snow this week helped snowmakers finish the task and open Black Mountain Express at 9 a.m. today.

“We're open for the season,” Hierholzer said.

Wolf Creek Ski Area in southern Colorado was first in the state this season. It opened Saturday, but has not remained in operation. Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort outside Las Vegas claims it was the first in the nation to open, beating Wolf Creek by 27 minutes.

This morning, the day begins with a tribute to Arapahoe Basin founders Marnie Jump and Max Dercum, who both died this year. The tribute will take place before the lifts open to the public. Local radio station KYSL will do a live morning show and give away lift tickets on-air. KSMT will also be on site in the base area with a live remote, playing music and handing out give-aways. More info

What: Arapahoe Basin opening day

When: 9 a.m. today

Where: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Cost: Adults — $59; Youth ages 15-18 — $49; Children ages 6-14 — $30

The ski and snowboard rental shop, tune shop, food and beverage service, the 6th Alley bar and retail shop will be open to the public. Snowsports lessons will be available on a limited basis.

Loveland opens Friday

Last year, Loveland Ski Area beat out Arapahoe Basin in the race to opening day — their lifts started turning on Oct. 24 with the Basin following the next day. This year, Chair 1 at Loveland starts turning at 9 a.m. Friday.

“Warm weather delayed the start of snowmaking, but cold temperatures settled in and our snowmaking crew has done a great job making up for lost time,” said Rob Goodell, director of business operations at Loveland. “We still have some work to do, but the mountain looks great and we have 18 inches of snow from tree-to-tree for skiers and riders on Friday morning.”

Loveland's open terrain includes a single top-to-bottom run, dropping 1,000 vertical feet in a little over a mile via the trails Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun. Snowmaking was going nonstop since last Thursday with the exception of a short stoppage on Tuesday.

Loveland will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and designated holidays. Early season lift tickets are $47 for adults and $22 for children ages 6-14.

Breckenridge to Get New Library

2011-10-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

A plan to construct a new, bigger library in Breckenridge seemed to win favor with Summit County Commissioners and the public this week after developers Tuesday presented two plans: one to expand and another to replace the facility.

The project is intended to fix growing crowding problems in the south library branch's current building and to identify space for the district attorney and probation offices on the justice center campus.

The architectural firm charged with designing the new facility submitted two proposals for the project. One would remodel and expand the south branch of the library located on Airport Road in Breckenridge, but wouldn't increase the size enough to meet the community's long-term needs. The other, more expensive plan proposes constructing a whole new facility on Rankin Avenue in Breck.

“Even though (expanding the existing library) would more than double the space, if you look at the type of community you are and benchmark yourself against other similar communities in the region, even at that expanded size, you'd be small for the population served,” project architect Bruce Flynn told residents at a public open house Tuesday night.

A new building would also provide more opportunities for green construction and sustainable, Flynn from Denver's Barker Rinker Seacat, the firm leading the project, said. Both projects include additional space on the justice center campus for the probation and DA's offices. If a new library is constructed, the old building will be renovated to provide the office space.

The price tag on a new facility, for which architects presented two different layouts, could range from $2.5-$2.9 million. Renovating and expanding the old facility would cost between $1.7 and $2.1 million.

From residents at the meeting, the response was almost unanimous.

“I'd just hate to see you spend $1.5 million on this building, when it might not serve the (community's) needs down the road,” Breckenridge resident Stan Hodge said. His sentiment was echoed by others in the room, who called the decision a “no-brainer” and said, as taxpayers, they'd rather see their money invested in a facility that will last.

The county prioritized the project to expand or replace the south library branch due to space and crowding problems.

The library in Breckenridge had 92,000 visitors last year, compared to 86,000 at the main branch in Frisco and 80,000 at the north branch in Silverthorne, though it is smaller than both of the other facilities.

“We do the best we can with the space we've got,” library director Joyce Dierauer said. “But we need to have a bigger, better facility so that we can do a better job of serving the public in that end of the county.”

The funding to build that facility will likely come primarily out of county government's pockets. The project rises to the top of the list for capital funding next year, county officials said.

Funds raised from private donors and revenue from the sale of the building that currently houses the DA will also help cover the cost of the project.

County commissioners are expected to select one of the proposals by later this year. Fundraising efforts and a more detailed design process will take place through 2012, with construction likely to begin in 2013.

Courtesy of Summit Daily News

The Race is On!

2011-10-06T18:32:00.000-06:00

It's a domino effect: First Copper Mountain, now Loveland Ski Area.

Snowmakers at Arapahoe Basin shouldn't be far behind.

Making snow at Summit County's ski areas has begun, leading the way among Colorado Ski Country USA member resorts. A fall storm that pushed into the mountains Thursday lent a hand with a few inches of snow to get things going — bringing with it the race to opening day.

Crews at Loveland were on a 24-hour standby before they fired up the guns at 2 p.m. Thursday. They start at Catwalk at the top of Chair 1 and work their way downhill to Mambo and Homerun to create a top-to-bottom trail that's more than a mile and nearly 1,000 vertical feet. When it's complete, they can announce Opening Day 2011.

“We had to wait out some warm nights,” said Eric Johnstone, Loveland's snowmaking and trail maintenance manager. “We thought we might be able to start last night, but the weather did not cooperate. Fortunately, the cold temperatures arrived today and we were able to fire up the snow guns this afternoon. The forecast is looking good, and we are ready to take advantage of the cold temperatures.”

On the other side of the Divide, at Arapahoe Basin, officials have intimated a high probability they'd begin making snow Thursday night. And at Copper, “production has begun, not a ton last night, but we're coating the ground in white,” spokesman David Roth reported from the snowmaking crews.

All the while, snow gracing the valley for the first time has snow enthusiasts itching for the real season to begin.

It typically takes about two weeks for Loveland's snowmaking team to cover the opening day run with an 18-inch base and tree-to-tree coverage for opening day, Loveland spokesman John Sellers wrote in an email. Loveland opened on Oct. 24 last season. Arapahoe Basin opened a day later.

“Firing up the snow guns in the middle of a blizzard is a great way to kick off the countdown to the season,” Sellers said. “The start of snowmaking means that opening day is just around the corner. Both employees and guests alike have been eagerly awaiting this day, and we are excited to get started. We are starting a little bit later than previous years, but we are still optimistic that cold temperatures will allow our crew to be very productive and keep us on track for our typical October opening.”

Stay posted on the Loveland crew's progress at skiloveland.com/snowmaking.

Snow in the forecast for Summit County Tonight

2011-10-05T15:44:00.000-06:00

With a blast of cold weather moving in from the west, snow is in the forecast for Summit County Thursday and into the weekend.

The higher elevations could get 2-4 inches of snow Thursday, while the valleys will likely see a rain/snow mix starting Thursday afternoon, according to weather forecasters at the National Weather Service in Boulder.

After dark, there could be some accumulation on the roads at Loveland Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel as the storm continues to move through the area, but there likely won't be more than a light dusting at lower elevations by Thursday night.

There is a 70 percent chance of precipitation Thursday, and temperatures are expected to sink into the 20s overnight tonight.

Friday is expected to be cool, with highs in the 40s, but dry before the next wave of wintry weather moves in this weekend.

More snow may fall Friday night and into Saturday with possible accumulation of less than 3 inches in the lower elevations and 3-6 inches on the peaks, according to forecasts.

Temperatures likely won't reach 40 degrees on Saturday.

While Summit County is only expected to see cold temperatures and limited precipitation, the storm is expected to hit other parts of the state hard.

Southwestern Colorado is under a winter storm warning and could see up to 12 inches of snow by Thursday night.

Hikers and motorists are encouraged to be ready for quickly changing conditions over the next few days.

Next week the weather may clear out and warm up again with “no storms on the horizon that we see right now,” said NWS meteorologist Bernie Meier.

So far, only the highest peaks around Summit have seen short-lived dustings of snow.

With good news in the forecast, Arapahoe Basin is gearing up for its annual race to opening day with Loveland. The ski area is shooting to start the season sometime in mid to late October.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.

The aspens in all their autumn glory

2011-09-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

The aspens, and other plants, in their fall colors. Michael shot this just across Hooser Pass on Saturday. That's Mt. Lincoln on the right and Mt. Democrat on the left.

Tax compliance not so simple for vacation rentals

2011-09-25T17:18:00.000-06:00

The county has begun using new software to identify and collect unpaid sales and accommodations taxes from vacation rental owners, but some owners say they'd be happy to pay if they only knew how.

Complying with local municipal sales and accommodation tax and licensure requirements may not be as simple as it sounds, some owners say.

“I truly want to get into compliance,” said one vacation rental owner, who asked that his name be withheld. “It hasn't been clear … who is trying to collect the tax. Is it the county? Is it Breckenridge? Is it the state? I've had a business license, but there are no instructions, rules or anything about what you do. Actually collecting and delivering the taxes to somebody, that wasn't part of the explanation.”

Owners of vacation rental properties can contact their local municipality's clerk or finance offices for more information on how to comply with local tax and licensure laws. Private companies, like Hotspot Tax Services out of Denver, can also help individuals understand and file taxes on their short-term rentals.

From the Summit Daily News

Breckenridge Oktoberfest Video

2011-09-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

A short video from yesterday's Oktoberfest in downtown Breckenridge and the first Annual RE/Max Properties of the summit Oktoberfest party. Even though it rained off and on all day, everyone had a good time. The festivities continue through today, ending at 5 p.m.

Breckenridge Oktoberfest Underway

2011-09-17T12:45:00.000-06:00

Breckenridg's Oktoberfest is underway today - in the RAIN.

I can't remember a September that has been as wet as this one in the last 20 years!

But there are a ton of people downtown braving it out. The beer probably helps!!

Breckenridge Receives a Gold Award for being Bike Friendly

2011-09-15T16:28:00.000-06:00

With enhanced bike lanes, a communitywide bike-to-work program and, recently, some of the best cyclists in the world passing through its streets, Breckenridge was upgraded this week to a gold-level bike-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.

The town is now one of only 14 communities in the country to have received a gold designation, an elite group that includes Fort Collins, Steamboat Springs, Seattle and San Francisco.

Breckenridge's ties to and note in the bicycling community now rival those in the ski community, town officials said following the announcement of the award Tuesday.

“This is one of those arrows in the quiver to make Breckenridge more of a sustainable community,” town spokeswoman Kim Dykstra-DiLallo said. “The more people ride bikes and the easier it is to ride bikes, the less people have to rely on fossil fuel vehicles. It's a testament to how committed we are to cycling. It's a reflection of this community.”

This year, Breckenridge has put a renewed focus on improving the community for cyclists through infrastructure projects, events and programming that promote cycling in the community.

In the last year the town has created designated bike lanes on Main St. and Park Ave., as well as increasing educational resources about biking on its website, passing bike-friendly ordinances and increasing signage for bikes. This summer, Breck hosted a bike week complete with around-town rides with Mayor John Warner and director of the Colorado Tourism Office Al White and the stage five finish of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, one of the biggest spectator events in state history.

“We think that those are some of the reasons why we were increased up to the gold level,” Dykstra-DiLallo said. “The USA Pro Cycling Challenge put a good spotlight on Breckenridge. That probably had something to do with it as well.”

The League of American bicyclists ranks communities on a four-level scale - with bronze being the lowest, gold being the second highest and platinum the highest level - as part of its Bike Friendly America Program.

There are currently only three platinum-level bike-friendly communities in the country, one of which is Boulder, but Breck already has its sights set on getting to that highest level. Officials said they will be communicating with the League to get suggestions on ways to improve the ranking.

There are currently 190 ranked bicycle-friendly communities in 46 states nationwide that have implemented “successful, long-term bicycle plans and programs that provide quality of life improvements for their citizens,” League president Andy Clarke stated in a recent release. “Cities are choosing investment in bicycling, even in tough economic times as a key to building the places people want to live, work and visit.”

The bicycle friendly community award is given to communities that commit to improving conditions for bicycling, educational programs, infrastructure and pro-biking policies. The application process too receive the award is “rigorous,” according to the League. Out of 490 applications, only 190 communities have been given a bronze, silver, gold or platinum designation. The designation lasts four years, and in renewing their application communities can attempt to improve their rankings.

Additional information about the Bicycle Friendly America program is available online at www.bikeleague.org.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Will Return to Breckenridge in 2012

2011-09-14T17:18:00.000-06:00

After a successful inaugural year, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be back in 2012 for seven days of challenging cycling from August 20-26, officials announced Tuesday.

Race organizers have already begun planning for the 2012 race, and an official request for proposals for cities across Colorado to apply to be a 2012 host city will be issued at the end of the month.

Breckenridge, Copper Mountain Resort and Frisco have been specifically invited to submit proposals, said Allison Johnson, spokeswoman for the challenge.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge considers a number of criteria when evaluating a potential host city, which at a minimum includes full city services support. The race also considers commitments in the areas of lodging, volunteer recruitment, marketing and local tourism.

In return, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge supports in-bound tourism efforts, attracting spectators from all over the world to stay, shop and dine in the host communities, according to the challenge.

In November of 2010, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge named 11 host cities for the inaugural race in August. Those cities included Colorado Springs, Salida, Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte, Gunnison, Aspen, Vail, Avon, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, Golden and Denver. All 11 of these cities have expressed interest in returning as a host city in 2012.

“The 2011 host cities were our earliest and most significant supporters. We are deeply grateful for that,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the challenge. “Now our attention turns to 2012. We are proud of the postcard we have created for Colorado with this race and are excited to offer the opportunity for other cities to also be showcased to a worldwide audience. So while our loyalty is with the cities who stepped up as early supporters, the field is wide open for which communities might be a host city in 2012.”

The request for proposals will be posted online at the end of September at www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com as well as sent directly to numerous Colorado cities that have expressed interest. Proposals are due on Oct. 31, and an announcement will be made by the end of November to name the next host cities for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

For seven consecutive days, 135 of the world's top athletes raced across 518 miles through the Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they ever had to endure, more than two miles in elevation. The race featured the best in professional cycling, competing on a challenging course through some of America's most beautiful scenery, including cities such as Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.

Nearly 1 million spectators viewed the race from the roadsides along the route while more than 25 million watched the race on television in 161 countries and territories, including NBC and Versus. The USA Pro Cycling Challenge was one of the largest cycling events in United States history.

Spectators of the race saw Olympians, World Champions and the Tour de France podium finishers Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck.

On the final day, Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack was awarded the Quiznos Leader Jersey and crowned the first-ever champion of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in front of a crowd in downtown Denver. Elia Viviani took the Smashburger Sprint Jersey, Tejay Van Garderen the Sheets Best Young Rider Jersey, Rafael Montiel captured the Nissan King of the Mountain Jersey and the Exergy Most Aggressive Rider Jersey of the final stage went to Timmy Duggan, a part-time Summit County resident.

Summit County: Remembrance on Peak 1

2011-09-12T10:40:00.000-06:00

On Sept. 16 nearly a decade ago, yet another Western family formed at the base of Mount Royal. They gathered to carry timber, steel and an American flag to the summit of Peak 1 to erect a memorial for those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
Michelle Foster was one of those gathered for the original Hike for Freedom, which brought roughly 40 people together not only in their love of nature, but for their love of country. She was also one of about 20 people who came together Sunday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the hike and the 9/11 tragedy.

“I read about it in the paper. I didn't know a lot of these guys then,” she said. She now knows many of them well through work and the close-knit community. “It was a big event for everybody, and I wanted to take part in it. Everyone was united and came up here... These guys did a good job of bringing the community together.”

Between that day and Sunday's hike, Foster has visited Peak 1 at least twice.

“It always holds that meaning,” she said, referring to the first time she summited, just days after the trauma rippled across the country.

Others involved in that first hike returned to the summit on Sept. 11 each year until about 2005, said Kurt Kizer, a mastermind behind the memorial. They'd replace the flag, which is weather-worn after a winter on the blustery peak.

Visits dropped off for a few years after the Forest Service opted to remove the flag in 2004, said Dave Simmons, another original organizer. The Peak 1 site has been the center for other political statements — like the 2003 incident where the flag was burned, presumably in protest of the war in Iraq, based on handwritten notes and computer printouts left behind.

While it lasted, though, scores of people ascended the 12,805-foot peak to contribute to the memorial or just to take it in. Tim Putz, who was also on the hike, said he's encountered New Yorkers who climb the peak just because they'd heard there was a flag on its summit.

Though revisiting the site dropped off when the memorial disappeared, Simmons and Kizer felt they had to revive the event on its 10th anniversary.

“Neither of us wanted to make the hike. We're fat and out of shape,” Simmons said. “But this is what we do. Kizer and I started brainstorming (a decade ago). We gotta do this because this is what we do and we gotta pay our respects. And it's gotta be something unique — Summit-County style.

This time around, it attracted a few more folks who, through their 2011 Peak 1 experience, have joined the family. For many of Sunday's hikers, it was their first time ascending Peak One. It was also a chance to reflect for several hours.

“I wanted to commemorate the event and think about the friend I lost,” Denver's Susan Harrington said, her voice choking up and tears welling up in her eyes. “It's just peaceful to be in nature and have a lot of time to think while hiking,” she added.

Kenny Cubas had become like an older brother to her when she moved to Boston for work. He and his wife befriended Harrington, inviting her over for dinner and just to make her feel at home. They'd vacation on Martha's Vineyard, and stayed in touch when Cubas and his wife moved to New York City. Harrington said Cubas had made it out of the building safely, but because he was a designated safety person for his area of the building, he went back in to help.

“He didn't make it out,” she said. “So many amazing people were lost. Can't we stop the fighting and have peace?”

Ray Anderson wore a New York Police Department T-shirt he purchased on a visit to Ground Zero sometime during the last decade.

“It was a very solemn experience,” he said, adding that he chose to do the hike to “be in nature and be closer to some of those we lost.”

Remembering the day most of us can't forget, the electrical engineer said he heard something unclear about planes hitting the World Trade Center on the radio as he pulled into his office in Golden that fateful day 10 years ago.

There's also the stories of the college students who left a class their teaching assistant didn't cancel to watch what was happening across the country.

And the stories from high school seniors, who were confronted with the news as they walked to class and thought the news was a bad joke — until their friend didn't smile or deny that it was true.

“It's been a heck of a decade,” Anderson said. “Everything has changed for us. Everything will change from here out.”

Despite the ripple effects of 9-11, including altered personal philosophies, political strategies, security measures and war on an ambiguous threat, people across the country found ways to re-unite over their patriotism on Sunday — and Summit County was no different.

Overlooking the Earth below, Kizer and Simmons pulled a tattered American flag from a pack, calling to the family of about 20 to come together for a photo. Everyone held a corner of the flag or each other, snapped a photo and became quiet for a moment of silence.

“It's simply amazing,” said Johnny Welsh, who runs Peak One regularly to train for competitions, of the hike. He added, “Out here, we're family. We stick together through thick and thin.”

Summit Stage Awarded $35,000 to Study Future Needs

2011-09-09T16:13:00.000-06:00

The Summit Stage was awarded $35,000 to fund an extensive future needs study that could look at, among other things, ways to streamline routes and reduce delays, Stage officials announced Thursday.

The grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation, which will have to be matched locally, will help cover the expenses of the study to be conducted during the winter season.

“This study is needed because the Summit Stage is facing a number of service capacity issues now and in the near future,” Stage board president Kent Willis said in an email. “The study will allow us to address the current and future needs and growth of the Stage in a proactive manner instead of reacting to problems after they have occurred, which is never as efficient or satisfactory.”

The study will confront ongoing problems in the Summit Stage's service, from falling ridership to increases in expenses and to political discord over an internal Frisco loop. The service is also experiencing growing route times, which inconveniences riders.

“Actual travel times are increasing on the Frisco to Breckenridge route and the Silverthorne to Keystone route due to increased number of stops on these routes, traffic and ridership patterns,” Willis said. “Because it takes longer to travel these routes, our service is not as convenient to our riders as it used to be, which adversely affects ridership numbers. In addition, the Stage is receiving requests for additional services, such as a bus to Blue River. This study is needed in order to determine the best way to address these problems.”

The $70,000 study, which will include feedback from riders, is a starting point for the Summit Stage, allowing officials to take stock of the transit service before confronting serious questions regarding the funding, future service and administrative structure of the system.

Among those questions are requests for service from the towns of Blue River and Heeney, both of which have asked to be included in the system.

Facing a $500,000 budget shortfall next year, Stage officials are also considering asking voters for a .25 percent increase in the transit tax.

Another possibility on the table is a complete restructuring of the Summit Stage administration. Currently a division of the county government funded by taxes, officials are contemplating the idea of transforming the Stage into a rural transit authority, a move that would mean breaking with county government to establish an independent system.

This Summer's Countywide Pilot Composting Program to Continue

2011-09-08T10:32:00.000-06:00

This summer's countywide pilot composting program had more than 60 participants — causing proponents to call it a success and shoot to keep the program running for individuals.

Summit County government and the High Country Conservation Center recently partnered with Faction & Company, owned and managed by Erick Becerril and Ethan Mason, to hand off the project on Sept. 22 to the private entity.

It will keep momentum on the effort to divert food waste from the landfill and thereby lend a hand to Mother Nature and the Earth.

“When food waste ends up in the landfill, it breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen) and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas,” HC3 officials say.

Becerril and Mason currently collect compost, recycling and trash from residences and businesses and, later this month, will take on transporting what's dropped off at the Frisco Recycling Center to the landfill operation.

“We're already partnered with HC3 in our compost and recycling curbside pickup,” Becerril said. “So we decided to take on the drop-off because there's a lot of interest from not only existing participants, but HOAs who are looking at doing something similar to that.”

For $17 each month, compost program participants receive a 4.5 gallon compost collection bucket that can be emptied once a week at a time that's convenient to them. Faction & Company will provide a lock combination in lieu of scheduled drop-off times.

It's an honor system, where people tally their visits and Faction & Company tracks the weight of their pick-up and compares it to a rough calculation of what the weight should be.

Tunnel pace car idea to get another trial

2011-09-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

An Aug. 13 test of a pacing process that keeps cars moving at a constant, but controlled speed to the Eisenhower tunnel from Silverthorne was successful, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said.

They plan to follow the test up with a longer trial run to Empire Junction later this month.

“Operationally, it went well,” CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson said.

Regional law enforcement and CDOT, agencies that partnered for the first test, will join forces again Sept. 25 to implement the longer trial pacing process from Silverthorne through the Eisenhower Tunnel to Empire Junction.

“Then what we'll do is another test in December when we have colder weather and driving conditions may be more winter-like,” Wilson said. “If all goes well, we'll start looking at possible implementation.”

The first test, conducted on a slower Saturday in the summer, allowed CDOT and law enforcement agencies to try out the pacing process, known officially as “rolling speed harmonization.” The various entities involved were able to communicate effectively and soon discovered they were able to keep traffic moving at a constant 55 miles per hour — just 5 miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit — by running patrol vehicles ahead of traffic with their lights activated in five-minute intervals from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The practice is intended to keep cars moving up the 10-mile incline from the Silverthorne interchange to the Eisenhower Tunnel and beyond at a slower, more constant pace, which officials hope will prevent accidents and cars getting stuck with wheels spinning on icy roads.

“The idea was we could reduce accidents that happen when there are differential speeds or uncontrolled drivers in icy conditions,” CDOT traffic engineer Bernie Guevara told the Summit Board of County Commissioners at a recent joint meeting.

The process might also reduce the need for metering at the tunnel, officials said. Often, on busy weekends when traffic gets heavy, CDOT has to stop, or meter, traffic at Eisenhower for up to 20 minutes to prevent a gridlock inside the tunnel, which would isolate cars inside and prevent emergency vehicle access.

“If it results in the benefit of less metering we're all better off,” CDOT regional director Tony DeVito said of the pacing process. “What we'd like to do is delay that congestion if at all possible.”

If the longer test of rolling speed harmonization later this month and the December test both produce positive results the program might be implemented early next year, most likely on Sunday afternoons or peak travel days and weekends such as Martin Luther King Day. Officials said specific details are still to be determined.

Ambiance after dark in your yard

2011-09-04T18:18:00.000-06:00

The love of being outdoors lures us to drift from afternoon to evening to nighttime enjoyment of our patios and backyards. That's partly because outdoor living resonates with our primal needs to connect with nature that get thwarted as we fight for space on the freeway and work in hermitically sealed offices.

At the end of the day, that lounge chair on the patio by the pot of petunias is ever so inviting. And when we can stretch late-day relaxation into the nighttime hours, it's all the better.

But if your patio or deck is well lit and the rest of your yard is pitch dark, you know that uncomfortable feeling of sitting in light while being surrounded by darkness. The cozy ambiance of soft lighting and candles where you relax is simply undone by the darkness that stretches beyond. That can feel a little creepy.

The solution, of course, is to add more light — but not too much and not too bright. Adding light to outdoor living areas has to be done strategically and with subtlety.

Lighting up interesting areas of the yard makes the whole landscape more enjoyable after dark — and it cures that uneasy feeling of being surrounded by total darkness. Adding better light to the area by the grill means more food prep can be done outdoors, and that's also a convenience factor with fewer steps back and forth to the kitchen.

Outdoor lighting is one of the more recent bells and whistles for landscaped areas — but it's also one of the most affordable options. It can be installed cost-effectively in a new yard and it can also be retrofitted later for not much more expense.

If you're thinking about lighting up the night around your home this season, think about security and safety as well as atmosphere. Notice whether people can see your address clearly at night, whether the sidewalk — and especially steps — are well lit. Outdoor lighting increases home security, and it's one of the top items on the list for curb appeal to consider if your home is about to go on the market.

Courtesy Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and Neils Lunceford, a landscaping company based in Silverthorne that is a member. You may contact them at (970) 468-0340.

Tips for Travel Along I-70 this Weekend

2011-09-02T17:41:00.000-06:00

From the Colorado Dept. of Transportation:

The last major summer holiday is nearing and that means motorists can expect more vehicles on Colorado highways. In general, traffic volumes increase about 10 percent during the summer months including over the Labor Day weekend. Typically, Friday tends to be the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend with steady traffic volumes the remainder of the weekend.

The heaviest traffic volumes during the weekend are expected on I-70 from Summit County to Denver as motorists head to the high country for the weekend. Last year, 164,535 vehicles traveled through the Eisenhower Tunnel during the holiday weekend. The peak travel time for westbound I-70 will be on Friday, September 2nd from approximately 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The heaviest travel time for eastbound I-70 will be on Monday, September 5th from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“The traffic volumes at the Eisenhower Tunnel give us a good perspective on travel patterns for the entire state during the holiday weekend” said Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Don Hunt. “To minimize delays during the holiday weekend, CDOT will suspend all construction projects, but motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the peak travel times.”

You can plan your trip or check current traveler information by visiting www.cotrip.org or calling 511. You can also sign up for e-mail and text message alerts by visiting www.coloradodot.info and clicking on the cell phone icon in the upper right corner under the search function. Once on the sign-up page, you can select the lists that pertain to your travels and interests.

Colorado Ski Resorts are Spending More on Projects this Year

2011-09-01T18:11:00.000-06:00

Colorado ski resorts are pumping more money into chairlift improvements this year after taking a breather last season.

Four new chairlifts are being built this season compared to only two last season, according to Colorado Ski Country USA, a state trade association, and Vail Resorts, which doesn't belong to the association.

Colorado Ski Country USA said Tuesday its 22 member resorts are spending $50 million on capital improvements for the 2011-12 season. That includes everything from high-profile projects such as chairlifts and terrain enhancement to essential but less sexy steps such as grooming machines.

In addition, Vail Resorts' four ski areas are spending tens of millions of dollars on improvements, easily boosting the state ski industry's investment over $75 million. Vail Resorts operates Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.

VR said it is making up to $90 million in on-mountain and lodging improvements company-wide, but that includes ski resorts outside of Colorado. No figure was available for the improvements just in Colorado.

The Aspen Skiing Co. is one of the resorts investing in a new chairlift. The new Tiehack Express at Buttermilk will be a high-speed, four-passenger chair. It replaces the Eagle Hill and Upper Tiehack lifts and reduces the ride time from 18 to 7 minutes. The Tiehack side of Buttermilk will also add gladed terrain.

Other new chairlifts in Colorado's ski country include:

The Rose Bowl high-speed quad chairlift at Beaver Creek. It will serve all terrain levels from novice to extreme.

Copper Mountain is replacing the High Point Lift in West Village. The Union Creek high-speed quad chairlift will have a new alignment designed to improve skier circulation out of West Village.

Loveland will replace a Chair 4 with a fixed-grip triple-seat chair.

Several resorts are also building new restaurants or remodeling existin g eateries.

At Aspen Highlands, the Skico is gutting and remodeling the interior of the Merry-Go-Round Restaurant. The Skico also started construction on a new Elk Camp Restaurant which will open in the 2012-13 season. The new restaurant, which will replace Cafe Suzanne, will seat 300.

Vail is opening a 13,000-square-foot restaurant that will offer table service.

Other notable projects include Copper Mountain's development of a training center in a partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “To support and develop the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper, the resort is implementing a new automated snowmaking system, as well as safety, communications and timing equipment necessary to develop a unique training venue,” Colorado Ski Country USA said in a press release.

The training center will operate from Nov. 1 through Dec. 10 each winter to bolster the U.S. teams' ability to train for speed events before their competitive season begins.

Ski resort spending dropped before the 2010-11 season as operators dealt with the effects of the recession and the lingering economic hangover. Ski areas across the country invested heavily in high-speed chairlifts over a 20-year period starting in 1990. Now, many of those first-generation, high-speed chairlifts are nearing the point where they need to be replaced, according to an industry official. That will likely absorb capital improvement funds for the next several years.

Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival

2011-08-31T18:01:00.000-06:00

The tradition continues over Labor Day weekend and will feature over 100 artists with a wide range of media. Be sure to take a stroll through this event.

Where: Wellington Lot in Breckenridge

When: September 3- 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: FREE

More information: Mountainartfestivals.com

Beautiful $3 Million Dollar Home in Silverthorne

2011-08-29T18:51:00.001-06:00

Beautiful home in exclusive Ruby Rance subdivision in Silverthorne. Contact me for more details - 970-485-0293 or email at Nancy Yearout

USA Pro Cycling Championship End Stage Five in Breckenridge

2011-08-25T19:55:00.000-06:00

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Comes to Breckenridge.

Breckenridge will host the stage five finish of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge, a demanding seven-day road biking race that has attracted many of the top cyclists in the world. The race will roll through Breckenridge this Saturday , August 27.

RE/MAX Properties of the Summit in Breckenridge will be hosting a party at their office from around Noon to 5 p.m. The finish is expected to roll through Breckenridge between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Come join us for a celebration of the return of Pro Cycling to Colorado and Breckenridge.

Breckenridge RE/MAX Properties of the Summit.

220 South Main Street

More information: USA Pro Cycling

Or give me a call - 970-485-0292 or an email - nyearout@colorado.net.

I hope to see you there!

Please Visit the Photographers for Shelter Pets Website

2011-08-23T19:27:00.000-06:00

Please visit this site. It is a wonderful resource for finding beautiful, loving animals that are available for adoption all across the country.

Photographers for Shelter Pets

Another View of the Downtown Breckenridge Town Home

2011-08-22T17:10:00.000-06:00

Another view of this beautiful downtown Breckenridge town home. Contact me
for the details: 970-485-0293 or email: Nancy Yearout

Downtown Breckenridge Town Home

2011-08-19T15:58:00.000-06:00

A beautiful town home in downtown Breckenridge. Just across Main Street from the Quicksilver lift. 2 bedroom, 2 bath in perfect condition. Contact Nancy Yearout at 970-485-0293 for the details. Or visit: Nancy Yearout

Breckenridge Distillery Wins Gold

2011-08-17T18:17:00.000-06:00

Some of the best bourbon in the world is being distilled right up the road. The Breckenridge Distillery was awarded a prestigious gold medal in the 2011 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) category for its Breckenridge Bourbon.

Founded in 1969 and held in The United Kingdom, the IWSC is considered to be the oldest and most prestigious competition of its kind. The awards given by the competition are of the highest honours in the industry. Judging includes a blind tasting consisting of panels selected from over 300 fully experienced and qualified industry judges followed by a detailed chemical analysis.

In the category of Bourbon, aged less than 10 years, only three gold medals were awarded this year, and Breckenridge Bourbon was ranked No. 2 in the world.

According to the judges, the bourbon has: “Gorgeous youthful swipe of fresh flavours of corn, spice and oak. Baked apple and ginger meld with sweet corn and clean oak. Surprisingly complex for its age with all the nose had coming out in full flavors and the fruit and vanilla really taking control. Lively, spicy, fruit filled finish.”

Producing small batch craft spirits at 9,600 feet above sea level, Breckenridge Distillery is the world's highest distillery, according to the owners, and creates award-winning spirits under renowned master distiller, Jordan Via.

Visit www.breckenridgedistillery.com to learn more.

Another View of my Mountain Side Listing

2011-08-16T16:36:00.000-06:00

What a great location. This small stream runs all summer long. You should hear the lovely sound it makes from the deck of this 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit at Mountain Side Condos. Priced to sell NOW.

Contact me for more details:

nyearout@colorado.net

More News on the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

2011-08-15T16:20:00.001-06:00

The Colorado Department of Transportation has issued restrictions for campers and others who want to watch the upcoming USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

State officials said Monday parking and camping will be allowed along Colorado highways as long as it's no more than 24 hours before the race and spectators stay off the road and clear their trash.

Race officials are estimating the race may draw more than one million spectators over the course of seven days beginning Aug. 22.

The race will cover more than 500 miles of Colorado terrain, including Aspen, Avon, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Denver, Gunnison, Salida and Steamboat Springs.

For more information go to: http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/

The Care and Feeding of Trees in Summit County

2011-08-14T15:57:00.000-06:00

Trees, they are often quite stately standing next to our homes and offices. They shade our homes and our picnics. But they usually don't grab our attention like the lawn does every Saturday morning because unlike the lawn, they don't clamor for weekly maintenance.

It's easy to take them for granted and think they pretty much take care of themselves. Think again.

Even though our tree species are limited at this altitude, trees are often one of the biggest costs when we first landscape our homes. And unlike most home improvements, they don't decrease in value—they actually increase in value over time if kept healthy. As property owners, we need to know that trees can require different care from year to year.

What's different about tree care this year?

We had an extreme dry winter on the front range and extreme wet, cold up here followed by a record wet spring and each one of these conditions had its own impact on trees. Because of the dry winter, there are a lot of dead branches. The wet spring—particularly the rains in May—brought fast growth and more growth than we usually see.

We need to prune out the dead wood from the winter and also, get excessive new growth out before it snows again. Heavy snowfall can be very damaging to trees and the way to avoid it is with proper pruning, this year in particular.

Insects

In 2011 we have two tree problems that aren't major ones and two that are more serious. This is a banner year for aphids and we know it from their tell-tale honeydew—that drippy residue. Aphids are really more of a nuisance than a serious threat to the trees' health.

The other non-serious problem this year is oak blister. Property owners need to be aware of it more so they know it's something they don't need to worry about because the symptoms are unsightly. This disease is only on the leaves of oak trees. It causes leaves to fall off the tree and 10-20 percent of the leaves will turn brown. All of this makes people worry about their oaks, but it looks more serious than it is.

What are the serious tree problems?

European elm scale

This problem relates to elm trees and we have many of them along the Front Range. This scale affects only the twigs and branches of the tree. The scales suck out the sap and that causes the branches to die. Scales are treatable and this is one problem you should monitor and treat, as needed, for the health of the tree.

Mountain pine beetle

This is the same problem we've faced in the mountains for several years that has destroyed so much of the pine forest. It first hit Denver last fall. Most arborists are worried about the threat to Scotch pine and ponderosa pine, in particular. This problem can only be treated as a preventive measure. Once the tree is attacked, it's too late.

Arborists and others who have been watching pine beetle think the beetle will start attacking trees along the Front Range in August/September. If you have trees at risk that you want to protect, it's best to schedule treatment before the outbreak.

Courtesy Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and Neils Lunceford, a landscaping company based in Silverthorne that is a member. You may contact them at (970) 468-0340.

17th Annual Summit County Parade of Homes

2011-08-13T16:53:00.000-06:00

Smart planning, concern for sustainable building practices and the economy have all factored into Smart Space Planning in the 2011 Parade of Homes. You should find something for everyone. Square footage for this year's entrants ranges from under 1,200 square feet in the multifamily residences, to just over 10,000 square feet in some of the true luxury residences. The common trend is livability. The homes all feature common gathering spaces for friends and family with central gourmet kitchens complimented by private quiet spaces. With an average of four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, these all-suite rooms feature sensuous bathrooms, fireplaces, sitting areas and great outdoor living spaces.

Most of the homes feature multiple decks, terraces, patios and covered porches that include fire pits, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, comfortable furniture, mood lighting and other amenities that used to be found only indoors. And when the weather is not conducive to enjoying these outdoor living areas, the homes bring the outdoors in with expansive windows and natural materials.

Single function home theaters have been replaced by more multi-functional game rooms that include large-screen TV and surround sound systems, but also incorporate pool tables, kitchens and other features that encourage guest interaction.

The 17th Annual Summit County Parade of Homes is Sept 17, 18, 24 & 25. Tickets are $10 each and good for entry to 19 homes. A portion of the proceeds benefit The Summit Foundation. Official programs are available starting August 20 in Mountain Living Magazine, at most Summit County Real Estate offices, Visitor Information Centers & City Markets. Tickets may be purchased at www.summitcountybuilders.org/paradeofhome and Summit County City Markets. Please read the Summit Daily News for trends to look for at the 2011 event. “Like” us at www.facebook.com/summitparadeofhomes

Breckenridge preps for Pro Cycling Challenge

2011-08-12T15:41:00.000-06:00

As teams prepare for the more than 500-mile, high- alpine bike race that begins in just over a week, the Town of Breckenridge, Stage 5 on the Pro Cycling Challenge tour, is making preparations of its own.

The race, which will bring hundreds of cyclists and thousands of spectators to town Aug. 27, will take over the town with pre-race events, the big Stage 5 finish and a concert in the evening.

Race, town and county officials as well as law enforcement officers held two informational meetings Thursday to prepare locals for the event.

The teams are expected to reach Breckenridge from Steamboat Springs between 3:15-4:30 p.m., but road closures and impacts will be felt as early 2 countywide and, in Breck, the festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a beer garden and other pre-race programs and activities.

The town, which fronted $150,000 to back the event, saw the opportunity as a chance to build on its reputation as a summer biking destination.

“From the very beginning, when it was just a rumor that this was going to happen our town council jumped on it,” Breckenridge spokeswoman Kim Dykstra-DiLallo said. “We really look at this … as part of an overall strategy to show the world what a great biking community we are. It's part of a larger marketing strategy that we really feel is important.”

A local organizing committee put together a bid for Breckenridge to become a stage on the race, highlighting the town's track record of executing major events such as the International Snow Sculpting Championships.

Organizers are hailing the race as the largest spectator event in Colorado history, and Breckenridge, local officials noted gleefully, landed the only Saturday stage.

Race officials say they expect crowds in town comparable to the Fourth of July weekend or the Saturday of Oktoberfest, in what will likely be a highly visual, colorful event at the finish line.

Teams will come down Swan Mountain Road, where many of the spectators are expected to gather for a great view of the fastest leg of the race in Summit County, turn left at Farmer's Korner onto Hwy. 9 before merging on to Park Avenue in Breck. They will follow Park down to the south end of town before racing north back up Main Street to the Wellington Road intersection.

The event has drawn the interest of 400 volunteers, though organizers are still hoping for additional local volunteers who are more familiar with the town.

But regardless of how much help is available, the event is shaping up to be a logistical challenge for people trying to navigate the county and particularly Breckenridge the day of the race. Rolling and day-long closures will be implemented countywide and Breck will shut down Main Street all day and Park Avenue (Highway 9) for the better part of the afternoon and evening.

Drivers will be directed toward parking in the satellite lot on Airport Road north of town, though there will be some parking available in town. The yellow and purple Free Ride routes, which will be running frequently in the morning, will be stopping service in the afternoon as the teams approach. The yellow route will run through 1:15 p.m. departing from Breckenridge Station and the purple route will run through 1:45 p.m. also departing from Breck Station. Full Free Ride service is expected to resume at 5:45, but organizers advise everyone in the county to “be where you need to be by 2 p.m.,” whether that is watching the race or not. They say it is best not to plan to drive until after 4.

Spectators interested in watching the race are encouraged to ride bikes — and bring bike locks — rather than trying to navigate the complicated road closures and difficult parking situation by car. The bike race is a no-pet event.

Colorado Department of Transportation Testing New Method for I-70

2011-08-11T18:20:00.000-06:00

The Colorado Department of Transportation is testing a new method to cut down on traffic congestion on Interstate 70 in the mountains.

The Colorado State Patrol and Silverthorne police will use pace cars to slow eastbound traffic heading for the Eisenhower/Johnson tunnel beginning Saturday. All three lanes will be open, but traffic will be limited to speeds between 45 and 55 mph.

Spokeswoman Stacey Stegman says when back-ups occur, the department now stops vehicles from entering the tunnel, allowing traffic to clear before releasing more traffic into the tunnel.

The department said Thursday the test will help determine the feasibility of pacing vehicles during heavier traffic periods in July and August and winter weekends during the ski season.

River Mountain Lodge Condo for Sale

2011-08-10T15:43:00.000-06:00

Here's a video of a "cute as a button" studio unit at River Mountain Lodge in Breckenridge. Great location and great views. Contact me for more details: nyearout@colorado.net

Mountain Side Condos - Price Reduced for a Quick Sale

2011-08-09T17:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a video of my Mountain Side Condo for sale. Price was just reduced by $5,000. It is a great buy.

Contact me for more details: nyearout@colorado.net

Guitarist Leo Kottke Returns to Breckenridge

2011-08-08T12:52:00.000-06:00

Unique acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke will return to Breckenridge Thursday for the first time since his 2009 concert for the Breckenridge Music Festival's Blue River Series.

The self-taught musician has been described as “singular” stylistically, blending influences of blues, jazz and folk music for a sound with classical precision and popular appeal.

“My music is maybe hard to categorize,” Kottke stated in a recent release from the BMF. “It doesn't fit conveniently into the bins at record stores. That works for me, though. I don't rise and fall with trends. Most listeners seem to have room for this stuff. It's been great that way.”

Kottke is a nearly 40-year veteran of the acoustic music scene, with a resume that includes his Chewing Pine (1975), Balance (1979), Time Step (1983), My Father's Face (1989), Great Big Boy (1991), Peculiaroso (1993) and One Guitar, No Vocals (1999) albums.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverwalk Center.

A complete schedule for the BMF as well as online tickets are available at http://www.breckenridgemusicfestival.com/.

Lot Sales Hold Even

2011-08-06T17:28:00.000-06:00

With five lots sold in June in Summit County, at an average price of $192,200, the first half of 2011 is nearly even with each of the past two years. The last good year for land sales was 2008 with twice as many sales at nearly twice the average price. There are 424 lots for sale this week and 36 have sold through June.

Inventory has peaked for the year and now stands at 2,400, down slightly over last week and has been nearly unchanged for the past month.

Current stats:

2,740... properties listed for sale August 7, 2010.

2,401... properties listed for sale August 6, 2011 — down 12 percent.

Forest Service Approves Breckenridge Plan

2011-08-05T18:43:00.000-06:00

Forest Service officials have approved a modified Breckenridge Forest Health project that incorporates citizen concerns voiced during the public involvement period.

The project is a hazard tree-removal project within 5,600 acres extending from Farmers Korner, to the north, to Golden Horseshoe on the east, to Hoosier Pass on the south and the base of the Tenmile Range on the west.

It's designed to reduce expected hazards and threats to public health and safety posed by dead and dying trees resulting from the widespread mountain pine beetle epidemic. Dead trees means increased fuels in recreation and administrative sites, and along roads where the risk of human caused fire ignition is greater.

There is no appeal period, but the decision was made after an objection period in which three objections were received and resolved.

Much of the proposed project is within the areas identified in the Summit County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Summit Estates, Peak 7, Peak 8, Golden Horseshoe, French Gulch, Boreas Pass/Baldy Road, Warrior's Mark, Blue River, Fredonia Gulch and Quandary Village/Alpine Breck/Valley of the Blue are all included.

Forest Service officials initially modified its proposed action to accommodate recommendations from other agencies and organization during the collaboration period. They further altered the project to address public concerns about the size of the treatment areas, the visual effects on the Peaks Trail, what method would be used to harvest the trees and the effects of road construction and road use during implementation.

Resource specialists with the Forest Service also added their two cents, upon request, after reviewing each treatment unit for suitable Canada lynx habitat that aren't considered high priority for fuels reduction. It resulted in 622 acres of treatment from areas that contain suitable habitat.

“I requested this additional exercise to emphasize the importance of balancing our responsibility to protect human life, property and resources from wildfire, while at the same time maintaining important wildlife habitat characteristics,” wrote Dillon Ranger District ranger Jan Cutts in her decision.

According to the Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact report, “the selected alternative for the Breckenridge Forest Health and Fuels Project strikes a balance between meeting the purpose and need for fuels reduction within the (wildland-urban interface), while also being considerate of local community concerns, issues raised by members of Colorado Wild and protecting habitat utilized by the Canada lynx.”

The report also states that the project meets the definition of “authorized project” under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act because it would be conducted on federal land in a wildland-urban interface and the project contains an active insect epidemic that poses a “significant threat to an ecosystem, component or forest or rangeland resource on federal land or adjacent non-federal land.”

Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival

2011-08-04T18:35:00.000-06:00

The Bluegrass and Beer Festival takes over River Run Village this weekend and promises to be bigger and better than ever, as organizers have gone all out for the 15th anniversary celebration. Eight bands will play the 2011 festival, up two from last year, with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band headlining and a third stage at the village entrance to help accommodate the acts. The number of breweries is also up, from 23 to 30 this year, offering a combined total of 60-70 delicious and diverse frothy microbrews to sample.

“This is one of our most popular events of the summertime,” said Keystone spokeswoman Justine Spence. “Most people in the Keystone area have a countdown to this event. It's one of the longest standing beer festivals in the county, and we're proud of that.”

The Hollyfelds kick off the festivities tonight with a free

8:30 p.m. performance at Warren Station. The Denver-based group combines country, rock, pop, folk and bluegrass into what the Westword described as splitting the difference between alt-country and mainstream, with “just enough of the whiskey and heartache that makes great country music.” In 2010 the Hollyfelds placed in the top 10 of the Denver Post's annual Underground Music Showcase critics' poll.

Nashville singer-songwriter Shannon Whitworth opens Saturday's events with a free workshop on songwriting at Warren Station; attendance is limited to the first 30 people. At 12:30 p.m. she performs the River Run Events Plaza stage. Some compare Whitworth to Patsy Cline or Billie Holiday, describing her as “smoky, elegant, a bit husky, patient at all the right moments and equally adept at the phrasing of a jazz chanteuse.”

Both Steel Pennies and The Farewell Drifters return this year after playing Bluegrass and Beer in 2010. Steel Pennies has a sound that “harkens back to the heyday of bluegrass music,” giving their original and traditional songs “a timeless feel.” They take their name from the zinc-coated steel pennies made in the U.S. between 1943 and 1945 in a wartime effort to save copper for munitions - only to corrode, get stuck in vending machines and be mistaken for dimes. The name reflects the band's “rusty, lonesome sound.”

The Farewell Drifters are a group of 20-something roots-inspired musicians whose recent album, “Echo Boom,” explores themes important to their generation.

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band headlines the event with a free 3 p.m. Saturday concert on the River Run Events Plaza stage followed by a 9 p.m. performance in the more intimate Warren Station Saturday night for $10. The band will play again on the “Montezuma Plaza” stage in front of the parking lot at 3 p.m. Sunday. Led by the Grammy-winning Rowan, who is also a perennial Telluride headliner, the band released their debut album, “Legacy,” in 2010. Rowan himself is a former member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys as well as the legendary Old and In the Way with Jerry Garcia. At 11 a.m. Sunday, he will deliver a free 1-hour interactive workshop on the intricacies of vocal harmony; this workshop is also free but limited to the first 30 people.

Loose Cannon Bluegrass, The Honeycutters and Honey Don't round out the bands for this year's Bluegrass and Beer Festival.

“It just makes sense that you should be listening to bluegrass music with a frothy beverage looking at beautiful mountains around you,” Spence said. “It's refreshing and it's a great way to get together with your friends and hang out in a laid back atmosphere.”

To promote the event, organizers held a Keystone-beer-naming contest for a 2-day brew pass prize. Online voters chose “The Flying Dutchman” by Jamie Goswick and “River Run GondolALE” by Sarah Porter Graham out of nearly 200 submissions. Melissa Pike earned an Honorable Mention for “Ina's Way IPA,” which recognizes the 87-year-old fixture of Keystone's past and present, Ina Gillis, a former ski instructor who now heads up River Run's landscaping in summer and greets skiers at Ina's Bridge every morning in winter.

Bluegrass and Beer draws 3,000-5,000 people each year and raises more than $4,500 to support the High Country Conservation Center and Lake Dillon Theatre Company.

To sample the brews until you can't take anymore, the cost is $40 for one day or $75 for two, and the price includes a charming glass mug commemorating the festival's 15th year. Nearly all of the music is free, so the other options are to listen to bluegrass sans suds or shop for $5 pints one at a time at the Shock Top Beer Garden. Regular KidZone activities are in place, as are lodging/festival deals and “down-home cooking” from festival vendors. Please note that pets are not invited, even those who appreciate bluegrass (or beer).

Frisco Mountain Side Condo 251C Price Reduction Coming Soon

2011-08-01T17:53:00.000-06:00

Great amenities at this project - tennis courts, volleyball courts, pool and hot tubs. Great 2 bedroom unit at a very affordable price. And I think the price will be reduced a bit in the next few days.

Contact me for more deatils: 970-485-0293 or email at: nyearout@colorado.net

Dillon Water Taxi

2011-07-31T17:07:00.000-06:00

In Summit County, everyone's going somewhere: downhill on skis, uphill on a mountain bike, to or from Denver on the highway.

The water taxi, a cheerful little pontoon boat owned and captained by insightful locals, is going to Dillon or Frisco via Dillon Reservoir every day of the week during the summer. But, unlike most skiers, bikers and vehicles on the interstate, they're happy to give people, and their pets, a lift.

The peaceful 360-degree view from the lake, as well as the calming atmosphere out on the water, are unique and make boating stand out among the county's summer recreation options. But most water-bound activities, including sailing, kayaking and boat rentals, tend to eat at least half a day out of well-planned vacations.

By contrast, the water taxi gets its passengers out on the water, while fitting in with other plans. Passengers can hop on one of the 10 or more trips the water taxi makes daily, enjoy a hike in Dillon or shopping and lunch in Frisco and then return on a later voyage.

The 30-minute journey is both relaxing and informative.

Weekend captain CJ Giordano, a year-round resident, pilots the pontoon between tree-lined islands while taking questions and offering insider information on everything from the intricate workings of the lake, which is actually a reservoir and Denver's primary drinking-water supply, to the local landscape, weather, wildlife and history.

The 32-foot boat feels something like a water-bound deck, with its passengers invited to recline in lawn chairs, bring food and drinks aboard and enjoy the surrounding views. The solid little watercraft is never pushed much beyond 10 or 12 miles per hour and is not prone to rocking. On clear days, a pleasant breeze on the reservoir cuts the mid-day heat from the sun, which is two miles closer and often more intense than at sea level.

Visible from the reservoir on the crossing to Dillon are Buffalo Mountain and the distant 14,000-foot peaks of Torreys and Grays as well as Mt. Baldy. On the return trip to Frisco, the taxi cruises toward panoramic vistas of the first eight peaks of the Ten Mile Range.

Crossing between Dillon's marina and Frisco's, the taxi crosses over the old town of Dillon. The town was vacated in the early 1960s when the decision to construct the reservoir was made and now lies beneath 75-80 feet of frigid water, Giordano explains.

The reservoir is now closely monitored and maintained by Denver Water, a utility company. It is central, not only to the city's water supply and Summit County's summer recreation, but also to the regulation of water flows during the spring and summer runoff, which can impact both Breckenridge upstream and Silverthorne downstream.

Fare for a cab ride across Dillon Reservoir is $10 one-way and $19 round-trip for adults. Leashed dogs ride for free and bikes for $1. Owner Mike Russo said many people choose to ride Summit County's carefully maintained recpath between Dillon and Frisco in one direction and load their bikes onto the water taxi for a relaxing return trip.

The boat can also be chartered in the mornings and evenings for private tours of the reservoir.

Dillon Dam Road to be Closed for a Month

2011-07-30T16:07:00.000-06:00

Projects planned for the Dillon Dam Road will begin Monday. August 1, shutting the road down through Sept. 2.

While Denver Water crews implement safety improvements intended to allow the road to remain open to traffic 24 hours a day, the county will work to rebuild the recpath in places, resurface the road and enlarge Old Dillon Reservoir.

The county projects to improve the recpath and road will cost a total of $450,000.

When the road reopens in September, officials promise drivers will notice significant changes and improvements.

A reconstructed recpath will be finished with brick-red coloring to help differentiate it from the street where it runs adjacent to the road.

“When you're coming from the Frisco side, the first thing people will see is a beautiful new red recreation path alongside the roadway,” assistant county manager Thad Noll said. “That's going to be spectacular. It will have a nice surface on it and it will make the riders safer and the vehicles safer.”

The road itself, which has suffered the normal wear and tear of Summit County winters, will also be resurfaced where it runs alongside the recpath near the campgrounds.

County officials also promise a bigger Old Dillon Reservoir out of the project, which will hold a surplus water supply for Dillon, Silverthorne and Summit County when needed. (Old Dillon Dam is located between the Dam Road and I-70 and is not visible from the road.)

Security enhancements

The Dillon Dam security taskforce, a coalition of Denver Water and local government and safety officials, is behind the other set of projects to be completed next month, which, they say will enhance security on the road and allow traffic access 24 hours a day.

The project includes a new guard shack and roundabout at each end of the roadway, as well as some improved lighting. Dam guards have been working out of their vehicles over the past several years since additional security measures were implemented.

“The security buildings will be very good looking and will look like somebody really thought about what was going in there,” Noll said.

Traffic will be able to pass through the site without interruption from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. when the work is complete, but drivers will experience minimal delays when crossing the road at night, officials stated.

Access to the campgrounds in Frisco will not be impacted by the work, Noll said, though there will be occasional closures on the recreation path.

“Bicycle and pedestrian access will remain open for most of the time, but will need to be closed for a few days early in the projects to allow for a deep trench to be cut across the road and recpath,” Noll said in an email. He said the county would keep the public informed of those occasional closures using the SC Alert system.

New Listing in Frisco - Priced to Sell Now

2011-07-27T15:50:00.001-06:00

Here's a video of one of my latest Listings. A nice 2 bedroom condo at Mountain Side Condos in Frisco, Colorado. Great views and a small stream runs through the property. Priced to sell right now. Contact me for more information: 970-485-0293 or email: Nancy Yearout

New Hotel for Breckenridge?

2011-07-25T19:08:00.002-06:00

Following a recent developer proposal for a 125-room branded hotel and conference space to be built in the F-Lot just off Main Street in Breckenridge, town council members put out a request for other hotel proposals for the site.

“We want to make sure that the council understands every possible alternative to maximize the value of the assets we have in town,” Councilman Mike Dudick said. “We owe it to the taxpayers to make sure that if we're going to do a deal, that we get the best deal possible.”

The council's request yielded two additional proposals, both bigger than the first, according to town documents.

A proposal submitted by Jack Wolfe of Wolfe & Company includes plans for a five-story150-room luxury hotel, a bar, 46 multi-family residence units for sale and a parking garage with 380 public spaces and 150 hotel spaces.

“This is really a tremendous setting,” Wolfe said of Breckenridge. “F-Lot is literally the doughnut hole of Breckenridge, the center of Breck, and we really don't have that grand hotel or town-center hotel.”

Wolfe said that was what he aimed to envision in his proposal.

Ascent Resort Partners joined forces with Hunn Consulting Group and O'Bryan Partnership architects to put forward a proposal for a branded 243-key hotel with a restaurant and bar, 40 residential units for sale and a parking structure holding 382 public spaces and 169 spaces reserved for the development, according to town documents.

Maryland-based builder Triumph Development came forward at a town council meeting in May with the initial proposal for a branded hotel, likely a Mariott. The developer called the project a public-private partnership, asking that the town make the land and density for the hotel available free of charge because the hotel would bring additional guests, beds and sales tax revenue to town.

Having a major name hotel, like Mariott, in Breckenridge would attract an entirely new brand-loyal customer base to the community, Triumph principal Steve Virostek told the council in May.

The Triumph proposal suggests harmonizing the hotel property with the nearby town-owned Riverwalk Center as well.

To date, the town council has offered little reaction on the idea of a hotel on the F-Lot property or Triumph's request for a donation of the land and density, although, they did express concerns at the council meeting in May that a new hotel might compete with existing restaurant and lodging businesses.

“It's not something we're going to pull the trigger on until the seven of us, along with staff, talk extensively about this,” Breckenridge Mayor John Warner told the Summit Daily in May.

The next opportunity the council will have to do that will likely be at their Aug. 9 meeting when developers may be given time for brief presentations of their concepts.

Highway 9 South of Breckenridge Floods

2011-07-23T19:02:00.000-06:00

Water fed by recent rain and heavy runoff is cascading over Highway 9 on in Blue River, but Colorado Department of Transportation officials say they won't be able to address the problem until water levels recede.

The flooding over the highway is approximately an inch deep during the day and rises to up to 4 inches at night, according to CDOT officials who say the problem is likely caused by blocked culverts that normally allow the water to pass beneath the road.

“There's nothing we can do right now,” CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson said Wednesday. “It's low enough that we can keep the road open, but until the water level goes down we can't get in on those pipes.”

But, for Blue River residents and officials, a wait-and-see approach isn't comforting.

“It sort of cuts our town in two, because it's the only route to the southernmost part of Blue River,” town roads manager Nick Doperalski said.

Officials are concerned the situation might turn into another Coyne Valley Road, wiping out the roadway completely and forcing residents south of the break to find what will inevitably be a much longer route around the problem.

Mayor Lindsay Backas said at a town board meeting this week that CDOT would recommend people travel all the way down to Buena Vista to circumnavigate a closure on Hwy 9, but acknowledged that most people would actually use the Boreas Pass route, which is considerably shorter.

“Everybody's initial fear was that it was going to wash away like Coyne Valley, but CDOT said they were going to be watching it,” Backas said. “If the road holds they (said they) probably wouldn't do anything this year, because it's really not in their budget. It's a little scary, I think, for people that go through there, but it seems to be safe.”

Repairs of any kind will likely cause the road to be closed for some period of time, forcing drivers to take much longer routes around the problem, according to Backas. She said fixing the culverts, which appear to be blocked, would take several hours, while repairing the road should it wash away could take more than a week.

In the long term, Blue River is considering constructing alternative routes to the south end of town around the highway, but those plans are at least a few years out, officials said.

“In our long-term planning, we're looking at a second or even third alternative route where we can connect our roads around the highway,” Doperalski said. “But that's a long time out, and we're looking at budget constraints as well.”

For now, drivers in the area are encouraged to use extreme caution and to cross the submerged stretch of highway very slowly.

Old Breckenridge Building Center Coming Down

2011-07-22T10:37:00.000-06:00

Demolition work on the old Breckenridge Building Center office on the corner of Main and French streets in Breckenridge has begun, with a new residential housing development eventually planned for the site.

The new complex, expected to be built in the next several years, will include 21 market-rate duplex and single-family units and possibly two workforce units and a single-family residence. Remaining land parcels at the site will be left as public and private open space.

The Town of Breckenridge has been eager to see the old building, described in recent planning commission documents as “heavily disturbed and re-graded with few improvements or vegetation,” removed this year, as it is out of place with Breckenridge's historic and carefully maintained Main Street. The former BBC building and an abandoned lumberyard currently occupy the site.

Maybe, just maybe Interstate 70 will get some Improvements

2011-07-17T17:05:00.000-06:00

An environmental assessment of a potentially $105 million project to widen one or both bores of the Twin Tunnels just east of Idaho Springs is now in the early stages, following the work of a “visioning task force” earlier this year.

Colorado Department of Transportation officials said if all goes smoothly crews could start work on the project as early as spring or summer 2013.

“Taxpayers want to see something done,” CDOT mountain corridor manager Jim Bemelen said. “We've been studying a long time.”

A team of experts convened in February to determine possible solutions for the Twin Tunnels recommended an estimated $55 million plan to widen the eastbound bore from two to three lanes.

But with extra money potentially available, some CDOT officials are hoping to double the project's cost and scope to widen both tunnels to three lanes.

“If we're out there anyway, we've got the tunneling expert out there, we've got a detour set up … (we) might want to consider adding the westbound bore,” Bemelen said of the suggestion made to the transportation commission that will ultimately decide on the scope of the project.

Swan Mountain Road Bike Path Complete

2011-07-16T18:04:00.000-06:00

SAPPHIRE POINT — Under blue skies and sunshine Friday morning, some 40 people from various public agencies, private groups and bike clubs stood atop Swan Mountain, snacking on cookies and lemonade and gazing at a red ribbon and, beyond it, a very long-awaited bike path.

County commissioners and others close to the $4.6 million dollar process of constructing a bike path between Summit Cove and Farmer's Korner cut the ribbon in a short ceremony Friday morning and officially opened the last section of the path cyclists have waited nearly 10 years to see completed.

Officials called the project, which was finished $8 million short of initial projections and was funded with help from a number of private and public entities, a testament to Summit County's ability to collaborate.

“(This is) one more example of how well we all work together and how we all get along,” County Commissioner Thomas Davidson said at the ceremony. “It's not like this everywhere. It's a special place.”

Crews began working on the last leg of a bike path, which now completely circles Dillon Reservoir, in May. The path runs separate from the street for a short stretch near Sapphire Point and rejoins Swan Mountain Road as a roadside bike lane down to Farmer's Korner. Planning for a bike path that would go over Swan Mountain began in 2003, when initial estimates put the total cost close to $12 million. The county began tackling the project slowly, laying down the 1.7 mile Lowry section in 2007. In late 2009 they tried to take up the project again, but work was stalled by snow. The Sapphire section was finally completed in July of 2010, followed closely by the .8-mile stretch at Summit Cove completed the same year.

“It was a lot of hard work and people working creatively together to make all of the sections come together,” County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier said just before the ribbon was cut. “It takes not just a village. This project took an entire state.”

The path was constructed with contributions from the towns of Breckenridge and Frisco, subsidies from county government, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Parks and even Great Outdoors Colorado, the organization that distributes money from the Colorado Lottery — a representative of which called Summit County's “one of the best trail systems in Colorado.”

Though maybe one of the best in the state, Summit County's trail system is not finished, speakers at the ceremony promised.

County officials said they plan to put down a 1.5-mile path near the Conoco gas station at Copper Mountain, which will cross to the other side of the river to enhance biker safety up to Highway 91. CDOT is expected to make shoulder improvements to Hwy. 91 for the safety of cyclists this summer as well.

Officials also talked about working with Park County to construct a bike path over Hoosier Pass and with Leadville on a safe and complete path over Fremont Pass.

Silverthorne Flood Worries Subside

2011-07-15T18:18:00.000-06:00

After a week of heavy rain and high water, inflows to the Dillon Reservoir are beginning to drop off to less alarming levels, Denver Water announced Thursday, allowing Silverthorne residents to breathe a sigh of relief.

“We've been fortunate not to experience any significant flooding problems in Silverthorne with the higher flows we've seen over the last week,” Silverthorne spokesman Ryan Hyland said in an email. “We are pleased to see the Dillon Reservoir inflows dropping and we're hopeful that we will soon see flows in the Blue coming down.”

Despite the decline in water levels, a National Weather Service flood advisory remains in effect on the Blue River in central Summit County through 1 p.m. today.

Denver Water officials reported water flowing into the reservoir dropped to just over 1,950 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) from the nearly 2,200 cubic feet per second dumping into the lake early this week.

The reservoir is now less than a foot from its capacity, and when it fills completely Denver Water will have to release as much water out of the reservoir as is flowing into it.

The utility company has kept outflows at just under 1,900 cfs — slightly more than the lower Blue River's 1,800 cfs capacity — this week in an attempt to avoid releasing heavier flows downstream when the reservoir fills.

With Thursday's waning inflows, it looks like they may have succeeded.

“If the inflow continues to decline, we should soon feel comfortable reducing the outflow to the Blue River,” Denver Water raw water supply manager Bob Steger said in an email Thursday.

But with scattered thunderstorms in the forecast through the weekend, the situation remains tentative for Silverthorne.

“Although Denver Water may soon be able to reduce the inflow into the Blue, the flows will still be fast and high for quite some time,” Hyland said.

Summit County is facing a 30 percent chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms today, according to the National Weather Service, and the same forecast continues throughout the weekend, with rain possible between noon and midnight Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures could approach 80 degrees both days.

Dillon Reservoir isn't the only Colorado reservoir filling up quickly this year. Carter Lake, a Bureau of Reclamation reservoir near Berthoud, is also completely full ahead of schedule, and Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins is expected to reach capacity in less than two weeks, according to information reported by the Loveland Reporter Herald.

The two lakes are filling with Western Slope snow melt, carried east by a system of pipes, tunnels and rivers to Larimer County.

The lakes haven't been this full in seven years, according to the Reporter Herald.

Silverthorne Still Safe from Flooding

2011-07-10T19:15:00.000-06:00

SILVERTHORNE — Overnight, water has flooded the banks of the Blue River in Silverthorne, swamping bike paths in some areas and creeping closer to the yards of houses along the water.

The Town of Silverthorne closed the river between 6th Street and the dam to recreational users except for kyaks Saturday as enough water to exceed the Blue River's 1,800 cubic feet per second (cfs) capacity was released from the Dillon Reservoir to avoid a more dire flooding situation in the next week or two.

There have not been any problems in town and it does not currently appear that Denver Water will be forced to raise downstream water levels any higher, according to Silverthorne chief of police Mark Hanschmidt,

“We're just keeping a watchful eye on the river, that's the most important thing,” he said. “The community awareness is pretty high, so I feel good about that.”

He said the town's primary concern now is keeping bridges clear and keeping people away from the swift water.

Water levels are expected to reach their highest point at night, when Straight and Willow creeks, tributaries of the Blue River, reach their peaks between 10 p.m. and midnight. Silverthorne is working with Denver Water to ensure the utility reduces the water released from the reservoir during those hours.

“They want to make sure they're doing the right thing and not flooding people out,” Hanschmidt said. “So they're going to back the outflow out of the reservoir a little bit to take into consideration the increased flows from Straight Creek and Willow Creek. Everybody's safety is No. 1.”

Denver Water made the decision Friday to begin releasing more water from the reservoir, in order to keep levels as low as possible while runoff and this week's rain water flow into the lake at an alarming 2,500 cfs. When the reservoir hits capacity, which could happen in the next week, the utility will have to release exactly as much water out of the reservoir and down into Silverthorne as is flowing into it.

Saturday, Denver Water allowed water levels flowing into the lower Blue River to hit 1,900 cfs, on par with 1995, when unlucky spring weather patterns resulted in a fast snow melt and similar flooding concerns to this year's. In 1995, the act now, stay dry later strategy worked. County and town officials are hoping the same will be true this year.

Possible Silverthorne Flooding

2011-07-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

A rainy week in Summit County may bring on the flooding local officials have been waiting for and trying to avoid.

In the wake of a week of thunderstorms, Denver Water is preparing to release enough water from Dillon Reservoir downstream today to overflow the banks of the Blue River in Silverthorne.

“With all the rain we've been having it's causing some extra problems,” assistant county manager Thad Noll said. “It also causes snow to melt faster. That's the double whammy of rain.”

Denver Water has kept reservoir levels low all season, anticipating high runoff levels after record snowfall last winter, but heavy rain this week has increased inflows to the lake, raising water levels and leaving Denver Water and Silverthorne with a tough choice: release slightly more water than the Blue River can handle now and buy some time keeping the reservoir levels as low as possible, or keep controlling the outflow from the lake and be faced with a lot more water coming downstream when the reservoir finally fills.

The Blue River, downstream from the dam, can officially handle about 1,800 cubic feet of water per second (cfs). But current inflows to the reservoir are exceeding 2,400 cfs and once the reservoir fills completely, that is exactly how much water will have to be released downstream.

“Once the reservoir fills, then water in equals water out,” Noll said. “So sometimes raising (outflows) a little higher than 1,800 might be the better option.”

To keep reservoir levels as low as possible and put off the reality of so much water flooding the Blue River in the coming weeks, Denver Water expects to increase outflows to 1,900 cfs today.

“If (they) don't raise it, Silverthorne could have a problem later on,” Noll said.

Citizens and businesses in Silverthorne, particularly those along the Blue River should be prepared, officials stated in a Friday-night release, for high water over the next few weeks.

Denver Water has taken similar precautionary measures before, raising outflows as high as 1,902 cfs in 1995 when inflows peaked at more than 3,400 cfs.

Second Phase of the Valley Brook Attainable Housing Moving Forward

2011-07-08T16:17:00.000-06:00

The Town of Breckenridge is pressing forward with the second phase of the Valley Brook attainable housing neighborhood while increased its subsidy of four of the 20 homes making them Housing and Urban Development (HUD) low-income units.

“There is a lot of demand for HUD low income and (we got) very favorable pricing for the construction,” Breckenridge spokeswoman Kim DiLallo said. “It's going to be better for the town's finances in the long run.”

The town council also considered the importance of avoiding competition with Wellington homes on the market in a slightly higher price range when deciding to convert the units to HUD low income. The competition of government-subsidized housing with fair-market units is a common complaint from local real estate professionals.

Lowe's Home Improvement Store for Silverthorne?

2011-07-07T16:33:00.000-06:00

After roughly 18 months of planning, permitting and coordination, ground has been broken in Silverthorne for a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, though controversy still looms in the background with a citizens' lawsuit yet to play out.

After the original lawsuit — essentially a dispute over a zoning technicality — was dismissed April 19 by District Court Judge Karen Romeo, Lowe's officials closed on purchasing the old Vista Subaru building and its land along Buffalo Mountain Drive at the gateway to Wildernest for nearly $4 million. In May, company officials and contractors met with the Town of Silverthorne to coordinate road construction with building construction.

Since then, attorney Rob Waterman has refiled his case against the town, now with 23 plaintiffs instead of four. The goal, he said, is to establish standing — or, prove these residents' property values and quality of life are directly and negatively impacted by the big box's presence — and move onto the argument about Silverthorne's zoning classification for the store.

Town manager Kevin Batchelder said he and the town council are disappointed about the case being refiled.

Art and Wildflower Celebration

2011-07-06T19:33:00.000-06:00

Art and Wildflower Celebration - July 7 - 10

Celebrating art, nature and outdoor recreation with something for everyone; featuring plein air painting and art show, guided wildflower hiking and biking, art workshops and demonstrations, and more.

Where: Arts District of Breckenridge & Edwin Carter Museum.

For more information please call: 970-453-3875

Must Love Dogs!

2011-07-05T14:56:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 6 - Must Love Dogs!

Children will learn about Steven Huneck and George Rodrigue who have made themselves famous with their dog-inspired paintings and prints. Children will create their own dog paintings and prints. A live dog model will be provided!

Where: Fuqua Livery Stable

Time: 2 - 4 p.m.

Cost: $25, includes all materials

More information: 970-453-3364

Arapahoe Basin Closes for the Season - Finally!

2011-07-04T16:42:00.000-06:00

ARAPAHOE BASIN — About 4,000 skiers and snowboarders got in one last day on the slopes on Independence Day, the last day of the season at Colorado's Arapahoe Basin ski resort.

Resort spokeswoman Kimberly Trembearth says it's the latest the resort has closed since 1997, when it kept running till Aug. 10.

In 2003, the resort stayed open till July 2. It usually stays open until early June.

Arapahoe Basin is known for opening early and closing late because of its elevation, which captures snow sooner and holds onto it longer than many other resorts. The resort's high point is 13,050 feet above sea level.

Arapahoe Basin's website says it averages 350 inches of snow a year. The resort also uses snow-making equipment.

Joint Upper Blue Master Plan Update

2011-07-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

An update to the Joint Upper Blue Master Plan, a intergovernmental agreement guiding all planning matters in the Upper Blue Basin, was approved Thursday after months of negotiation among local governments and planners.

The master plan, first adopted in 1997, provides broad guidance for planners from the county and towns of Breckenridge and Blue River as well as the Upper Blue Planning Commission on development issues with the goal of preserving the basin's natural resources and community character.

“This plan is proof that jurisdictions can work together toward a common goal in the best interest of all three communities,” Breckenridge Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron stated in a town release. “It will protect the interests of the citizens in the Upper Blue Basin for years to come, helping to guide the amount and type of development we will see in the basin in the future, as well as goals toward transportation and transit, open space and trails, water protection, affordable workforce housing and so on.”

The sweeping intergovernmental agreement was due for a revision, officials said, that would bring it up to date with current conditions, concerns and build-out estimates in the valley.

Like the original document, which froze the basin's development potential — measured in density units — the updated draft seeks ways to reduce the current potential build out of the basin in an effort to preserve community character and quality of life.

Final approval of the updated master plan was not easily won, as the parties involved struggled with how to resolve some issues, including ways of mitigating the impacts of affordable housing, one of the few exceptions to the document's freeze on the creation of new development space.

“It is an important plan for the area as it identifies what the community will look like in 10 or 20 years,” Joint Upper Blue update committee and former Upper Blue planning commissioner Robin Theobald stated in the release.

The Upper Blue Basin includes unincorporated Summit County from Farmer's Korner to the Hoosier Pass summit as well as parts of the towns of Breckenridge and Blue River. The master plan serves as a guiding document for planning and development in the basin, used by the Upper Blue Planning Commission, the Summit Board of County Commissioners and the planning commissions and governments of Blue River and Breckenridge as a reference for planning decisions.

A Full Slate for the Fourth in Summit County

2011-07-01T14:48:00.000-06:00

Frisco

Today

3-10 p.m. — Extreme Ink Festival at Summit Blvd and Marina Road, rides and carnival games for all ages

Saturday

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. — Extreme Ink Festival at Summit Blvd and Marina Road, rides and carnival games for all ages

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — 3rd Annual Downtown Frisco Art Fair on July 4th Weekend, 304 Main Street

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Founders Day, Frisco Historic Park — This fun-filled day at the park will have activities for the young and old alike as well as refreshments and ice cream for sale with proceeds benefiting the Summit County Preschool.

10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Donkey rides, face painting, sidewalk chalk art and gold panning at the historic park

11 a.m. to noon — Entertainment, The Legendary Ladies at the historic park

Noon to 1 p.m. — Entertainment, Summit Concert Band at the historic park

1–1:45 p.m. — Entertainment, The National Repertory Orchestra at the historic park

2–2:45 p.m. — Entertainment, The Legendary Ladies at the historic park

3 p.m. — Entertainment, Luv Brothers at the historic park

Sunday

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. — Extreme Ink Festival at Summit Blvd and Marina Road, rides and carnival games for all ages

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — 3rd Annual Downtown Frisco Art Fair on July 4th Weekend, 304 Main Street

Monday

8 a.m. — Pancake Breakfast — 3rd Avenue and Granite, benefits team Summit

9-11 a.m. — Kids Fishing Derby — Meadow Creek Park (Kids must bring poles)

10-11 a.m. — Summit Concert Band at the Frisco Historic Park

11 a.m. to noon — Timberline Toppers at Frisco Main Street

12:30 p.m. — Fourth of July Parade on Main Street from Madison to 6th Ave.

1:30-3:30 p.m. — Money Shot at the historic park gazebo

7-9 p.m. — Opie Gone Bad at the Frisco Bay Marina

9:30 p.m. — Fireworks over Frisco Bay Marina. Fireworks are choreographed to patriotic music and simulcast on Krystal 93 (93.9 or streaming on www.krystal93.com)

Dillon

Today

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Farmers Market On Buffalo Street

7-9 p.m. — Friday Night Concert at the Amphitheatre featuring the Nacho Men

Saturday

10-11:30 a.m. — Saturday Morning Adventures, Tales from the Past: A perspective on the Dillon Cemetery, meet at Marina Park by the concession stand at the amphitheatre

4-9:45 p.m. — Never Forget Our Soldiers: An Evening of Tribute featuring United States Air Force Academy Band & Randall McKinnon, at the amphitheatre

Sunday

7-9 p.m. — Doo Wop Denny's Rockin Oldies Show, island shirt night, at the ampitheatre

Monday

10 a.m. — National Repertory Orchestra, Dillon Amphitheatre. Start your Fourth with this fabulous NRO show. Come early as seats fill fast.

11 a.m. — BOCCE tournament registration, play starts at 12:30 p.m., at Dillon Town Park. Play as either a team or an individual.

Noon — Children's bike decorating and parade, town park. Decorations supplied with participation awards for everyone and top honors for the best of the best.

Noon — Apple pie eating contest, town park

Noon — Watermelon eating contest, town park

Noon — Children's crafts, town park, supplies provided.

Noon — Meet Zinnia the police horse and Sgt. Kipple, town park. Collect Zinnia's trading cards and learn about the important work of a police horse.

3 p.m. — Boat parade on Lake Dillon, Marina Park. Cheer on decorated boats as they compete for top honors in the annual boat parade. (Best seats near Crow's Nest.)

7 p.m. — USO Show: Reveille 3, Dillon Amphitheatre. Step back in time to an era of swing music and GI's! This original show is inspired by and pays tribute to the 1940s and WWII through the music made popular by the Andrews Sisters.

9:30 p.m. — Fireworks display, Marina Park. Enjoy spectacular fireworks over Frisco Bay, Lake Dillon (time approximate).

Breckenridge

Saturday

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Arts District Grand Celebration at the Corner of S. Ridge Street and E. Washington Ave. Open studios, artist demonstrations, make and take art projects for children, music, dancing and more. This is a grand celebration for the arts.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — 28th Breckenridge July Art Festival, at Main Street Station, free admission. Features more than 80 juried artists from around the country.

7:30 p.m. — NRO Concert “Music of Hollywood,” at the Riverwalk Center. Corigliano - Red Violin, Broughton – Themes from Silverado, Conti – “Gonna Fly” from Rocky, Williams – Jaws, Herman – Psycho, Badlet, arr. Rickets – Pirates of the Caribbean and Gershwin – An American in Paris.

Sunday

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — 28th Breckenridge July Art Festival, at Main Street Station, free admission. Features more than 80 juried artists from around the country.

Monday

7 a.m. — Independence Day 10K Trail Run. This scenic 10k trail running race offers up some of the best views in the Breckenridge area, while finishing just in time to catch the Main Street parade and other festivities. Register at www.townofbreckenridge.com or call (970) 453-1734.

9 a.m. — Fourth of July Garden Party. Annual Breckenridge Heritage Alliance Garden Party at the Barney Ford House Museum. Watch the Breckenridge Fourth of July parade in style from the best view on Main Street. Cost $15/$40/$75 reservations required. Call 970.453.9767 for more information.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — 28th Breckenridge July Art Festival, at Main Street Station, free admission. Features more than 80 juried artists from around the country.

Reading of the Declaration of Independence by George Washington (C.J. Mueller): Following the parade in the Blue River Plaza.

12:30-2:30 p.m. — Kids' Water Fight on Main Street. Kids can join the Red, White & Blue Fire Dept. in an old time water fight. Free.

12:30-3 p.m. — Viper ‘Show and Shine' - Vipers will be parked on Main Street allowing spectators to view the cars.

2 p.m. — Rusted Root at the Riverwalk Center.

8:30-9:30 p.m. — Fire dancing show by Cosmic Fire Dance, Main Street by the Welcome Center.

9:30 p.m. — Fireworks display, downtown Breck, it will be most visible from the Riverwalk Center lawn, the Blue River Plaza and Main Street National Repertory Orchestra patriotic concert will be simulcast in the Blue River Plaza at the same time.

Keystone

Today

10-10:40 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. — The Red Cape — Keystone Children Theatre, Quaking Aspen Amphitheatre.

7 p.m. — Comedy Night featuring Guy Seidel and Marcus, Warren Station at Keystone in Keystone's River Run Village.

Saturday

3:30 p.m. — River Run Rocks, River Run center. Free concert featuring Five 13 & The Six Million Dollar Band.

9 p.m. Fireworks following the River Run Rocks concerts.

Monday

8 a.m. — Kid's fishing derby, Lakeside Village. Registration at 8 a.m., fishing at 9 a.m. for kids 13 & under.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — KidsFest, River Run Village. Enjoy a petting zoo, train rides, caricatures, face painter, balloon artist, crafts, games, mascots Olivia and Oliver, spin art, kids' show, bounce houses and more.

9 p.m. — Fireworks

Copper Mountain

Today

5 p.m. — Jeremy Dion at Green Fariy

Saturday

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — SPORTS Expo at the Pavilion lawn

9 a.m. — 10K race

10 a.m. — Kids' Primp My Ride Decorating at West Lake. Decorate your bike, skateboard or roller skates with recycled and reused decorating supplies.

11 a.m. — Kid Powered Parade led by the Copper Mountain Fire Department

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Copper's Conscious Carnival — Solar bubble tower, cosmic fire, poi spinning, juggling, giant mural, hula hoop workshops, face painting and kids' story telling.

Noon — Kids' Mini-Marathon (1/3 mile ages 3-10yrs)

Noon — Free Family Concert — The Salteens

1 p.m. — Big wheel rally, kids and adults

4-6 p.m. — Spin Cycle with DJ Laundry on West Lake

6-8 p.m. — Free concert on Burning Stones Plaza main stage, The Salteens

8-9 p.m. — Spin Cycle with DJ Laundry on West Lake

9 p.m. — Fireworks

Sunday

9 a.m. — 1/2 marathon race start

9:15 a.m. — Copper 5k Start

10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Live music with Jeremy Dion at Incline Bar & Grill

Keystne and Breckenridge Ski Improvements

2011-06-30T18:53:00.000-06:00

They're not installing new lifts, but Keystone Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort are asking for Forest Service approval for improvements to the skiing and biking experience and to the efficiencies of on-mountain infrastructure.

A letter was recently released asking for public comment on the proposals, which would likely be implemented late this summer. Comments are due June 24.

White River National Forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams wrote in the scoping letter that the proposed projects don't need an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, however, he's calling for public feedback prior to making a decision.

Keystone hopes to:

Relocate a vault toilet from the top of the tubing hill to the top of the Peru Express chairlift;

Remove two trees near the wastewater treatment facility to improve snowcat parking;

Enhance less than .5 acres of small vegetation regeneration areas on the front side of the mountain by transplanting some species to other areas of the mountain, mainly those affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle;

Remove about 20 trees from the egress routes of the north and south bowls to improve skier exit from the areas as well as grooming of the routes;

Realign three mountain bike trails — Paid in Full, Let it Ride and Eye of the Tiger — to improve the overall bike trail system and decrease soil runoff; and

Develop a Family Adventure Zone in the tree islands surrounding the trail Schoolmaster, involving timber removal and spot grading.

Breckenridge hopes to:

Install a water line on the Freeway trail on Peak 8 to improve snowmaking efficiency, involving 1,300 feet of ground disturbance;

Develop a ski school trail on Peak 7 between Swan City and Monte Cristo, approximately 14 feet wide with disturbance on about an acre;

Install about 2,500 feet of cable to support the race course on American;

Construct hiking trails, approximately 1,000 feet long, from the top of the Colorado SuperChair on Peak 8 and Independence SuperChair on Peak 7;

Realign a trail 50-foot long connection between the Pioneer bike trail and Southside bike trail; and

Install about 1,500 feet of cable from the bottom of Chair 6 to the existing weather station to improve the station's capabilities.

To learn more about the projects, call Dillon Ranger District snow ranger Shelly Grail Braudis at (970) 262-3484.

To submit comments, address them to Scott G. Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor c/o Shelly Grail Braudis, Dillon Ranger District, P.O. Box 620, Silverthorne, CO 80498; or email them to wrnf_scoping_comments@fs.fed.us. Include your name, address, telephone number, organization represented (if any) as well as the name of the project and specific facts supporting any concerns.

4th of July Shortbread Sundaes

2011-06-29T18:00:00.000-06:00

Is there a better place to spend the Fourth of July than in our mountain towns? I don't think so. Fireworks, music, parades, craft fairs, good food, smiling people and a sense of community that is a true representation of what's best about our country. Yup, we've got a lot to celebrate!

With so much to do on Independence Day, nobody wants to spend time in the kitchen creating an intricate dessert. It's a day to serve something that's easy to prepare and sure to please folks of all ages. These Fourth of July Shortbread Sundaes fill the bill. The cookies can be made way ahead of time and frozen until the day they'll be used. The berries and ice cream that they accompany require no cooking at all; Just combine and macerate the fruit, scoop the cold stuff, decorate with the shortbread and you've got a tasty, pretty and patriotic ending to a wonderful day.

Vera Dawson, a chef instructor with CMC's Culinary Institute, lives in Summit County, where she bakes almost every day. Her recipes have been tested in her home kitchen and, whenever necessary, altered until they work at our altitude. Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.

Fourth of July Shortbread Sundaes

Adjusted for altitudes between 8,000 and 10,000 feet

Makes 8-10 sundaes

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Ingredients

Cookies

(This recipe makes from 20-30 star-shaped cookies of varying sizes)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces

1/2 cup of butter (8 tablespoons, one stick), softened if making with mixer, cut into eight pieces

1 pint of strawberries

1 pint of raspberries

1 pint of blueberries

1 pint of blackberries

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 quart of vanilla ice cream

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Make the star cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center position. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. Don't grease it, the cookies might spread. Place a second cookie sheet under the one on which you'll bake the cookies to provide insulation and prevent the bottom of the cookies from overbrowning. With a food processor: Put the sugar and the flour in the bowl of the processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add the vanilla, the pieces of cream cheese and the cut-up butter to the bowl and pulse until the dough starts to come together but stop just before it forms a ball. Turn the dough out of the processor and gently knead until it is smooth and coherent.

With a mixer: Beat the softened butter with the softened cream cheese until very smooth. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy. Stir in the vanilla, and then gradually add the flour, stirring only until it is no longer visible after each addition. When the dough starts to come together, stop stirring and gently knead until it is smooth & coherent.
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Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill until it is firm enough to roll out. (This takes about an hour in the refrigerator) Place the disc of dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll to a thickness of just under a fourth of an inch. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and, using star cookie cutters (I used three different sized cutters) dipped in flour before each cut, cut out the cookies and place them about an inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Re-roll the scraps of dough and cut out more cookies. If the dough gets so soft that it sticks to the cutter, chill it again before cutting out the second batch of cookies. Place the cut-out cookies, on the cookie sheet, in the freezer and freeze for about 7 minutes, until they are very firm. This helps prevent them from spreading while they are baking.

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Bake in the preheated oven until the top is set and the bottoms and sides of the cookies are just golden. This takes about 9-13 minutes in my oven, but times will vary. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately transfer them to a rack to cool. Store for two days in an airtight container at cool room temperature of freeze for longer storage.

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Prepare the berries: At least one hour and up to four hours before serving, gently wash and dry all the berries, hull & quarter the strawberries and combine them with the others in a large bowl. Add the sugar and carefully toss (don't bruise the berries) until coated. Cover and refrigerate until serving time, stirring occasionally.

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To serve, place a scoop or two of ice cream in each bowl, spoon the berries over and around them, making sure there are equal amounts of both blue and red berries. Top with a couple of the cookies and serve. You may have some berries left over.

Pets in Summit County

2011-06-28T18:56:00.000-06:00

As we roll into our summer season and the county begins to pack with visitors and seasonal residents alike, Summit County Animal Control reminds you of some very important pet owner responsibilities.

Dog licensing in Summit County is the law. All dogs over the age of 3 months are required to have a valid Summit County Pet Animal License after the dog has been owned, kept, maintained or harbored in the county for any consecutive 14-day period. Licenses may be obtained at the shelter in Frisco for all dogs residing in unincorporated county, Dillon, Silverthorne and Blue River. Dog owners need to bring a copy of their dog's current rabies vaccination record. The cost for a one-year license is $15 for a spayed or neutered dog and $50 for an intact dog.

There are many benefits that go along with licensing your pet aside from abiding by the law. First of all, you are more likely to have your pet returned to you by an animal control officer if your pet is wearing a valid license. If your dog is injured, the officer will be able to contact you. You also may avoid costly impound fees and fines if your dog is wearing a valid license. License fees support the animal control and shelter .

Even though it may seem like a good idea to take your pet along to run errands or accompany you on an outing, leaving a pet in an unattended vehicle can be deadly, and you may be ticketed. Animal control reserves the right to enter any unattended vehicle where an animal is in distress. The temperature outside may be comfortable, but inside, it can double or even triple within an hour. Even with windows cracked, your pet can be at risk of overheating and death. If you must leave your pet in a vehicle, remember to provide proper ventilation and water and park in the shade whenever possible. Check on your pet regularly to be sure they are not in distress from the heat. It is best to avoid the risk and leave your pet at home where he will be more comfortable.

In most areas of unincorporated county, the law is immediate control, unless otherwise posted. This means control of an animal by the physical presence of a responsible person, within 10 feet of the animal and such responsible person does exhibit voice control over the animal so as to prevent it from being a public nuisance or from being in violation of Summit County Animal Control resolutions.

The laws on bikeways, all wilderness areas, national forest campgrounds, including A-Basin are considered “physical control,” which means control of an animal by means of a tether or a leash no longer than six feet in length, attached to the animal and held by a responsible person; or, confinement within a locked vehicle or locked enclosure sufficient to prevent the animal from escaping or making contact with other persons or animals. Also be aware that dogs that harass wildlife may incur you a $300 fine as well as being dangerous to your pet.

When planning a hike with your dog, be sure to condition your best friend by working up to the distance and terrain you plan to tackle. Pay attention to your dog's feet when crossing scree and other rough terrain as their pads can get torn up causing the dog to become immobile. Remember to be courteous to other hikers and bikers on trails and keep your animals under control when approaching others. If your animal causes an accident or injury, you as an owner are responsible for all costs incurred.

Lastly be mindful of picking up after your pet. It's not only the right thing to do but is required by law.

For questions or concerns, contact the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter at (970) 668-3230, or log on to www.co.summit.co.us/animalcontrol to view our laws and resolutions.

Photographers for Shelter Pets

2011-04-22T17:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Earth Day.

Please visit this site:

Photographers for Shelter Pets

Photographers doing what they can to help make a difference - No More Homeless Pets.

Pass it along to friends and encourage them to visit.

Total Sales up

2011-04-17T16:41:00.002-06:00

Total sales through March continue to run more than 20 percent ahead of the same period last year. While prices are still declining, the pace of that decline has slowed. The average sale price to date was $443,000. Buyers seem to realize that the bottom is near as well priced properties enter the market and sell more quickly than normal.

There are still about 1,850 properties for sale this week. The inventory isn't increasing as fast as it normally does at the end of ski season.

Cell Phone Service Might Improve

2011-04-04T12:35:00.000-06:00

Recent news that AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA within the next year could be good for local AT&T subscribers, as representatives of the cellphone company say the buy-out will improve 2G, 3G and eventually, 4G service throughout the state.

The service improvement process will be expedited, AT&T reps say, by the fact that T-Mobile operates on a similar system, allowing AT&T to begin using existing T-Mobile cell sites, including a tower at Beaver Run in Breckenridge.

“At the end of the day, this is really just going to be good for customers,” AT&T spokeswoman Sandy Goldberg said. “It's going to improve service, enhance long-term evolution (LTE) and (allow) more efficient use of the wireless spectrum.”

The acquisition, which is expected to be complete in a year's time, will bring LTE, essentially 4G, service to approximately 46 million more AT&T customers nation wide, growing the networks reach from 80 to 95 percent of the U.S. population.

It's good news for local AT&T cellphone users who consistently experience service gaps in various parts of the county, though nearly every major network has a noted local “dead zone.”

For AT&T the drive from Frisco to Farmer's Korner is patchy at best. The Summit Daily News has also heard complaints about the network's service in Frisco as well as on the mountain at Breckenridge and Keystone, particularly at peak times.

Ten Mile Canyon and Summit Cove seem to be dead zones for multiple service providers and Verizon customers say coverage is also bad between the Summit Medical Center and the County Commons.

Service through the Interstate 70 mountain corridor to Denver is also bad for AT&T customers, though it is unclear whether the T-Mobile acquisition will improve it.

Arts Around the County

2011-03-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

Sandy Greenhut has been fighting for not only the arts community, but also the towns and ski resorts of Summit County to work together rather than compete with each other. It's been done before; about two decades ago, ski areas promoted winter as “Ski the Summit” and even sold passes to all four resorts.

But since then, Greenhut has seen Summit County towns, ski areas and arts organizations tend to fragment with more of an individualistic mentality than a countywide focus. Greenhut started Arts for the Summit, a monthly meeting with 23 nonprofit art organizations that produces a calendar of daily art events called Arts Alert, which tries not to schedule activities on the same evenings.

Now, she's taking her cause even further with Fall for the Arts, a countywide weekend event Sept. 9-11, full of free music, history tours, art presentations, kids' workshops, theater and more.

For example, the Breckenridge Festival of Film will show a movie, the Summit Historical Society will captain pontoon boat tours, the Summit County Arts Exhibit Committee will lead a bike ride, Summit Public Radio will sponsor a hike up to its tower (complete with a live musician performing on top of the mountain), the Silverthorne Pavilion will host square dancing, the Silverthorne Recreation Center will hang art pieces, and the National Repertory Orchestra will bring in chamber music groups and simulcast opera.

Every town and ski resort will host at least one event, and restaurants and lodging companies will participate in special deals.

Nice little home!

2011-01-08T12:34:00.001-07:00

Nice little 7,500 sq. ft. home in Breckenridge, bank owned, only $2.5 million. Make an offer! Michael shot this image just a few days ago.

Silverthorne North Pond Park Ice Rink is Open

2010-12-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Town of Silverthorne North Pond Park Ice Rink officially opened on Thursday with more than double the ice surface of previous years as crews have cleared a larger area in preparation of the town hosting the Pabst Colorado Pond Hockey Tournament at the park in February.

North Pond Park is located directly across the street from the Silverthorne Elementary School at Hamilton Creek Road and Colorado Highway 9. Free amenities include a warming hut, restrooms, parking and access to true pond skating.

Non-skaters can view the rink while staying warm inside the heated warming hut or relax on the dock.

Skating is available from dawn to dusk and the warming hut is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The ice is maintained by the town's Public Works Department.

For more information, call the Silverthorne Recreation Center at (970) 262-7370, or visit www.silverthorne.org.

Happy Holidays to Everyone

2010-12-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

Engine Number 9 Arrives in Breckenridge Today

2010-12-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Engine Number 9, built in the 1880', originally served the Denver to Breckenridge route over Boreas Pass delivering mail and people, arrived in Breckenridge today. The fully restored steam engine will reside at the Rotary Snow Park at the south end of Breckenridge. Pictured here is the engine still on the truck that hauled it in. It will be placed on the tracks in the next few days. Pretty exiciting to see an 1880's engine that once steamed through Breckenridge back in place.

New lodging tax raises some ire

2010-11-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

With a voter-approved 1 percent tax increase on accommodations going into effect Jan. 1, some Breckenridge lodging owners are concerned about the impression the tax hike will leave on pre-booked guests.

The ballot question, passed with over 70 percent of the vote, mandates that a 3.4 percent tax (up from 2.4 percent in 2010) be charged on rooms rented on or after Jan. 1, 2011, regardless of when the rooms were booked. Many rooms booked before the tax increase was approved were sold with the old tax rate, leaving a 1 percent difference that renters and lodging companies will either have to tack on to guests' bills or absorb themselves after Jan. 1.

One Breckenridge lodging owner said increasing taxes on his clients is unfair and will upset them, but absorbing the difference would be a significant hit for the business.

“To me, it's a matter of the integrity of the situation,” said Mitch Weiss of Pine Ridge Condo Rentals. “I think going back on the business agreement that was made just doesn't leave a good flavor in somebody's mouth.”

But others in the lodging community say they don't expect a strong reaction from customers.

“Most of the guests are just going to pay, not even blink and not even know there's a difference,” said Bruce Horri with Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center. “We're prepared if someone really does scrutinize it and really has a challenge, we're going to deal with it on a case-by-case basis. But that is not the majority of the business.” Horri also sits on the Breckenridge Marketing Advisory Committee, which manages the Breckenridge marketing budget, funded in part by the lodging tax.

The tax is expected to furnish Breckenridge with $740,000 annually, new dollars to fund marketing efforts to draw destination guests to Breckenridge.

With the new funds, Breckenridge will have approximately $3 million earmarked for marketing next year from a variety of sources. The additional dollars were intended to put Breckenridge's marketing spending on par with nearby competitors such as Vail and Aspen.

Making an exception to the tax increase for pre-booked rooms would not only violate the language of the law passed by voters, it would also cost Breckenridge as much as $200,000 in marketing funds next year, according to town manager Tim Gagen.

Approximately 40 percent of Breckenridge's reservations for the remainder of the season are already on the books, representatives of the lodging community said.

Weiss said for his company, absorbing the 1 percent difference for all pre-booked clients could cost thousands.

The lodging community supported the tax increase when it was proposed as a ballot item earlier this year, but members of the community say they didn't realize how the tax would work for pre-booked guests staying on or after Jan. 1.

“This is something that probably could have been handled better, before the measure was put on the ballot and voted into law,” said Toby Babich, owner of Breckenridge Resort Managers and a member of the Breckenridge Lodging Association. “But nobody really recognized the issue with prior reservations until after it had been voted in.”

The Breckenridge Town Council offered a compromise, suggesting property managers collect full payment on pre-booked rooms before the end of the year so they would not have to pay the increased tax rate. But Babich said few lodging companies will go that route because it will create accounting problems.

With the law approved by voters and ready to go into effect, there are few options available now to improve the tax increase implementation process for lodging companies, Babich said.

“It's just too late,” Babich said. “We're about three weeks behind when we should have been talking about this.”

Weiss said he has had customers unhappy about having to pay a higher rate than they were originally quoted, but has not lost any reservations as a result.

- From the Summit Daily News

It is snowing - a whole lot!

2010-11-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

Blizzard conditions tonight. 12 inches of snow today, 30 mph winds. It is winter!

Excellent early winter conditions.

Time to come ski and take a look at a second (or third, or fourth) home in Breckenridge or anywhere in Summit County.

Real Estate Update

2010-11-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Winter is in full swing - we've had 44 inches of snow since Oct. 1. Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Copper Mountain are all open for the ski season.

Strong Pace of Sales in 3rd Quarter. Why? An exceptional selection of properties that are “on sale”, along with ridiculou...sly low interest rates.

Its been many years ago that we have seen the cost of money and real estate to be “on sale” at the same time! As a result, the 4th quarter has started out with a “bang” - already sales are up over the whole 3rd quarter a whopping 58% and we have two more months to go!So, if you are still “toying” with the idea of a Summit County Rocky Mtn. getaway or retirement home, there has been no better time than now and the next few months.

So, book your flights, tune your skiis, have little fun and then set aside a bit of time to find your mountain get-away with me. nancy@realestate-breckenridge.net, www.realestate-breckenridge.net & NLY direct, 970-485-0293.

Silverthorne approves mill levy

2010-11-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Silverthorne Town Councilors again approved a mill levy to cover municipal services at a new development north of town.

It's the fourth time the mill levy has been approved, Silverthorne director of finance and administrative services Donna Braun said. Mill levies must be re-approved each year.

An initial review of the South Maryland Creek Ranch development of 83 residences over 361 acres showed the need for minimal police and administration services amounting to approximately $6,359.

A General Improvement District was formed in 2006 with the approval of the property owner to enable the certification of a mill levy. The Silverthorne Town Councilors act as the district's board of directors.

The district's board of directors annually certify a mill levy of 30 mills and allot a temporary credit of 30 mills to create a net zero levy until the property is developed, Braun said.

The goal is to set a precedent for the residents of the future development, Braun explained. The levy and its temporary credit should continue until the economy picks up and the land can be developed, she added.

Early winter update

2010-10-30T13:37:00.000-06:00

Trick & Treat – after a glorious fall, Old Man Winter was feeling the Halloween spirit this past week, by tricking us into thinking it was January with our 1st early season storm with 26 inches on the mountain!

Strong Pace of Sales in 3rd Quarter. Why? An exceptional selection of properties that are “on sale”, along with ridiculously low interest rates. Its been many years ago that we have seen the cost of money and real estate to be “on sale” at the same time!

As a result, the 4th quarter has started out with a “bang” - already sales are up over the whole 3rd quarter a whopping 58% and we have two more months to go!

So, if you are still “toying” with the idea of a Summit County Rocky Mtn. getaway or retirement home, there has been no better time than now and the next few months. So, book your flights, tune your skiis, have little fun and then set aside a bit of time to find your mountain get-away with me. nancy@realestate-breckenridge.net, www.realestate-breckenridge.net & NLY direct, 970-485-0293.

Mortgage Rates

U.S. averages as of September 30, 2010:

30 yr. fixed: 4.32%

15 yr. fixed: 3.75%

1 yr. adj: 3.48%

Upcoming Events and Dates of Interest

11/05/10 Keystone Ski Area Opens

11/07/10 Daylight Savings Ends – Set your clocks back one hour!

11/12/10 Breckenridge Ski Area Opens

11/25/10 Thanksgiving

12/04/10 Lighting of Breckenridge

12/31/10 Yamn – New Years Eve Celebration at the Riverwalk Center

01/09/11 Ullr Fest – 7 day event begins

01/13/11 Ullr Fest Parade

01/25/11 Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships

What's New in New Housing Design

Below are the products that are currently grabbing the most attention of the home building and remodeling industries:

Appliance Drawers. Small warming drawers, modest-sized dishwasher drawers for small loads, refrigerator drawers and microwave drawers.

Counter-depth refrigerators. Some are only 24 inches deep.

Motion-detecting faucets. Like you'd find in the restrooms of businesses.

LED lighting. These are used under cabinets and in ceiling fixtures as a longer-lasting, more efficient alternative to compact fluorescent lamps and incandescent bulbs.

Electric heated floors. A nice touch in bathrooms,

Showers with multiple heads and body sprays. Bathtubs are out.

Also, according to Pantone, has deemed turquoise “color of the year for apparel and home for 2010. Turquoise has made its way mark on the fashion side and is slowly moving into home accent furnishings.

Yes, winter is here

2010-10-28T18:36:00.000-06:00

The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed Independence Pass for the season. The pass was temporarily closed on Monday due to the snowfall, adverse conditions and the winter storm forecasts.

This closure includes the area from just east of Aspen to west of Twin Lakes, approximately 18 miles. A re-opening of the pass following the storm was determined not to be feasible and safe, so will remain closed.

The pass's regularly scheduled seasonal closure is Nov. 7 each year. The 12,095-foot pass is closed for the winter every year for the safety of the traveling public. It is often closed temporarily before the goal date-last year, the pass closed for the season on October 29, for similar early storms. Each spring, CDOT plans the opening of Independence Pass for Memorial Day weekend in May, weather permitting.

Loveland wins the opening race

2010-10-25T19:30:00.000-06:00

LOVELAND — Sunday's opening day at Loveland Ski Area had locals and folks from the Front Range feeling a little puff of powder under their planks.

Between a little help from Mother Nature — five inches of fresh snow — and some hard snowmaking work from Loveland employees, Chair 1 opened at 9 a.m. to an excited crowd. Winterhounds out for the first day saluted Loveland's opening day triumph — beating Arapahoe Basin by a day this year.

Loveland won the race from 1999 to 2005 until the Basin unseated the champion in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, the resorts tied for an opening day, but last season, Loveland regained the title.

Highway 9 widening project almost complete

2010-10-18T16:13:00.000-06:00

The Highway 9 widening project is expected to wrap up this week, a few weeks later than previously expected.

Crews will replace a section of curb on the road and put some additional striping on the bike path at Coyne Valley before the job is concluded.

“The project is essentially finished with a few minor punch list items left to do,” said Bob Smith, project engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation.

In June 2009 crews began construction to widen a one-and-a-half-mile segment of Highway 9 between Frisco and Breckenridge to four lanes. Though the project was originally scheduled to be completed in November, later estimates suggested the work might be done by late September.

Smith said utility delays in moving phone lines to construct a sound wall at Fairview Boulevard slowed the project down.

“We appreciate the public's bearing with us while we were doing this, we know there were some delays,” Smith said.

The speed limit along the wider sections of highway was set at 45 miles per hour. Smith said there are no plans to increase it. What is up with that? We make it a 4-lane divided highway and decrease the speed limit?

The recpath was also moved back from the highway and a bridge was put in over the Blue River north of Valley Brook as part of the $9.25 million stimulus-funded project.

Plans are under way to continue widening the highway between Tiger Road and the Agape Outpost Chapel, but the project will not move forward until additional funding becomes available.

“It's all designed, the right of way is purchased, right now there's just no funding for it,” Smith said.

Breckenridge hosts craft distillers festival

2010-10-09T13:13:00.000-06:00

Colorado distillers will gather in Breckenridge on Oct. 15-16 for a showcase of handcrafted spirits complemented by restaurant specials and a downtown pub crawl.

The Craft Distillers' Still on the Hill Festival is a new Breckenridge Restaurant Association event, born of Colorado's rapidly growing artisan spirits industry, a news release said.

In the release, Jordan Via, master distiller at the Breckenridge Distillery, said he's not aware of anywhere else in Colorado where a small distiller's festival or similar event takes place.

The Grand Tasting, slated for 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 16, features several of Colorado's most talented craft distillers at an informal, walk-around event hosted by Beaver Run Resort.

From today through Oct. 16, restaurants throughout town are to offer dining specials at $18.59, an homage to Breckenridge's founding year.

The Downtown Poker Run and Pub Crawl, set for Oct. 15, lets players sample Breckenridge's best drinks and pick up cards at each location. The best hand wins craft spirits at the Grand Tasting.

Lodging specials starting at $96 per night will be offered throughout October as part of the Craft Spirits Festival and fall leaf-viewing season.

For lodging information or reservations visit www.gobreck.com or call 877-593-5260.