In Europe, Vail Resorts finds something similar to its marquee US resorts

 

In Switzerland, Vail Resorts has found something similar to some of its United States properties in the recently linked ski areas of Andermatt and Sedrun.

Vail Resorts on Sunday, March 27, announced it is acquiring 55 percent ownership stake in Andermatt and Sedrun AG a massive ski resort which is the product of two existing ski areas recently joined. When the deal is finalized later in 2022, it will be Vail Resorts’ 41st ski area and its first in Europe.

The effort to link Andermatt and Sedrun began in 2007 with investment from Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris, whose Swiss-based firm Orascom Development put up very substantial financial backing to make the vision become a reality.

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Oops, Breckenridge Town Council assesses energy use of new parking structure

 

As part of an effort to encourage local builders and developers to adopt more sustainable standards for their projects, Breckenridge Town Council discussed one of the larger public energy-users in the town - the new parking structure on the South Gondola Lot.

In recent weeks, council members have met with the building community about a potential new outdoor energy mitigation plan.  The goal of this plan would be to more closely regulate the use of outdoor energy in amenities like heated driveways, outdoor fireplaces and hot tubs and the carbon pollution they emit. 

According to the building plan for the parking structure  there is 30,270 square feet of heated sidewalks and pavement in the garage. According to commercial draft calculator for the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program that calculates the in-lieu fees for projects, based on the area of heated technology installed into the sidewalks, the town would pay $3.48 million in fees for the energy use in the structure. 

The town wants to prohibit you from building an outdoor hot tub, fire pit or a heated driveway, yet they just build the biggest project in town that uses an incredible amount of energy.  Oops.

The amazing lynx

 

Get Wild” publishes on Fridays in the Summit Daily News. Frances Hartogh is a volunteer wilderness ranger and sawyer for the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance, an all-volunteer nonprofit that helps the U.S. Forest Service protect and preserve the wilderness areas in Eagle and Summit counties.

On a hike in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, my fellow volunteer wilderness ranger and I heard eerie cries. Redoubling our pace, we were suddenly treated to an amazing site: two spectacular lynx traveling up a nearby scree slope. We’d heard a lot about these elusive cats but had never before seen them or heard their bizarre vocalizations. We stood mesmerized, listening and watching, as they walked from view.

With snow still deep in the High Country, it is the perfect time to learn more about Lynx Canadensis, also known as Canada lynx. In deep snow, exceptionally large hind paws act as snowshoes. Long back legs make lynx highly adapted to hunt their preferred prey, snowshoe hares. Lynx tracks can be up to 5 inches wide and 8 inches long. The pads are rarely visible due to their furry feet — another adaptation to snowy habitat.

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Be careful out there

 

Multiple avalanches in the area caused emergency crews to rally Wednesday, March 23, but no one was buried or injured.

One vehicle was caught in a slide that came across U.S. Highway 6 on Loveland Pass, but Colorado Department of Transportation crews were able to create a path for the motorist to drive out. CDOT officials conducted avalanche mitigation nearby during the highway’s closure from about 11:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Summit County Rescue Group spokesperson Anna DeBattiste said search and rescue had initially been called to the scene but that they were told no one had been buried.

In the past week, two deaths have been reported across the state, including a 49-year-old man who was killed Saturday, March 19, near Steamboat Springs and a 29-year-old who was buried Tuesday, March 17, near Ophir.

The Steamboat slide happened at about 9,800 feet on a northwest-facing slope that was heavily covered by trees. The man who died was not buried but was found not breathing near a tree, and efforts to perform CPR on him were unsuccessful.

A second skier was injured and evacuated by helicopter.

The Ophir slide killed a man who was snowboarding solo. A Telluride heliskiing crew had spotted tracks heading into avalanche debris but no exit tracks, according to a report by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

For the 2021-22 season, there have been at least 16 individuals caught by snow slides, including 10 who were buried. These slides have resulted in six fatalities in Colorado. Of those six deaths, three were on snowshoes, two were skiing and one was snowboarding.

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Breckenridge and Summit County Colorado Real Estate Update

Nancy Yearout's Real Estate Market Update Breckenridge  Frisco  Silverthorne  Dillon  Keystone  Copper Mountain  January and February Sales - 2022 ​​​​​​​​ Sales are down and prices are up substantially. The percent of the list to sold price is 103%. Multiple offers and over-list price sales are still happening. Keep in mind that January and February sales accounted for only 10.5% of the total sales in 2021.  So, we have a lot more of 2022 to go.   Year to Date Sales - 2022        -  The average sold price today in Summit County is approaching $1.5m.        -  The average sold price for a single family home in Summit County is $2.4m.         -  If one purchased real estate in 2019 they would have an average gain of $550,000.                                        -  The average sold price for a condo in Summit County is $753,232. A gain of $156,000.         -  The number of sales today is down compared to 2021 by 25% but on par with 2019                     and 2020 sales. 2019 and 2020 were pre-COVID. ​ February 2022 Residential Sales in Summit County, Colorado          Sales - The number of sales are down 23%.           Average Price - The average sold price increase is 28%.                Inventory - Today we have approximately100 residential properties for sale in all of Summit County. And compared to the start of March of 2021, it is down 7%.                         Percent of List to Sold Price -The average percent of the list to sold price for residential          sales is 103%. February 2021 was 100%. ​ *Residential property include Single Family Homes, Condos, Townhomes and Duplexes. Detailed Graphs & Statistics Below Market Statistic Details: History of Sales & Average Sold Prices 2004 - 2021, Condominium Sales by Town, Single Family Home Sales by Town, Residential Sales by Town,  Nancy Yearout Broker Associate RE/MAX Properties of the Summit 970-485-0293 nancy@buyinbreckenridge.com nancy@buyinbreckenridge.com RE/MAX Properties of the Summit - 2 Offices in Summit County, CO: Frisco & Breckenridge.  Source: Sold Data from SAR MLS.  Stats pulled on 3/6/22. *SAR MLS Data  Annual sales 1/1 through 12/31. January & February sales for each year are for sales 1/1 - 2/28. *Residential Sales (home, Condo, Townhome & Duplex),  Change is Year over Year 2022 vs 2021. **The information contained herein is based on information provided by others. Accordingly, we make no guarantee of its accuracy and suggest you make an independent inquiry of any matters you regard as important. Each office is independently owned and operated.

 

The story of cutthroat trout in Colorado

 

Don’t let the name intimidate you: cutthroat trout have to be tough to survive in a watery world and maintain their status as Colorado's only native trout species.

However, their name comes from the distinctive red “slash” of color across their “throat,” not from their tough reputation.

They primarily feed on aquatic insects and grow to an average of 8-10 inches long and live in high mountain lakes and streams that have a mix of cool, deep pools and fast-moving riffles and rapids. Cutthroat trout spawn in the spring and the newly hatched fish (a.k.a. fry) emerge from the gravel stream bottom one to two months later.

Four subspecies of cutthroat trout are native to Colorado: The yellowfin cutthroat (currently believed to be extinct); the Rio Grande cutthroat in the San Luis Valley and New Mexico; the greenback cutthroat (Colorado’s official state fish) in the South Platte River Basin; and the Colorado River cutthroat on the western slope, including Eagle County. The Colorado River Cutthroat subspecies is divided genetically into three separate lineages: the San Juan, green, and blue lineages. These genetically distinct populations were historically separated by geographic barriers like mountain ranges. Research is currently being done to learn more about the genetic purity of different lineage populations, and the extent of each lineage’s historic range.

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Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

High Country resorts continue to extend ski seasons thanks to favorable conditions

 

Citing favorable conditions, resorts across Colorado have decided to extend their seasons beyond the original closing dates.

Breckenridge and Copper Mountain have exceeded the 200-inch mark as Summit County ski areas received up to 27 inches of snow in a 10-day period after the last round of storms.

Vail Resorts announced March 8 that seven of its ski resorts will extend their seasons. Vail Mountain, which was scheduled to close April 24, will be open for an extra week, closing May 1.

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Dillon Town Council questions County Road 51 housing project after Forest Service says it won’t apply for annexation

 

A workforce housing project currently in the works for Summit County Road 51 likely won’t be annexed into the town of Dillon, and Town Council is now wondering why it should participate in the development.

Town Planner Ned West told council at a work session, Tuesday, March 15, that the U.S. Forest Service will not apply for the annexation of the land.

The project involves an 11-acre site currently used by the Forest Service for housing, a maintenance shop and storage that would be leased to Summit County.

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Frisco Town Council candidates answer community questions at forum

 Frisco Town Council candidates gathered at 10 Mile Music Hall Thursday, March 10, to speak on local issues. Voters have seven choices to fill three Town Council seats in the upcoming election.

Running are property manager James Hayes Walsh; Next Page Books & Nosh co-owner Lisa Holenko; technology consulting business owner David Rolling; food and beverage retail manager at Basecamp Wine & Spirits, Outer Range Brewing Co. and Birdcraft Joe “Buck” Phillips; Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters owner Elizabeth Skrzypczak-Adrian; Siemens engineer and handyman service owner John Hammett; and incumbent Andy Held, who owns an outdoor and cycling industry sales agency.

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Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge council candidates discuss short-term rentals, housing, crowding

 

Ten candidates are vying for three open seats on Breckenridge Town Council, and before voters cast their ballots April 5, candidates sat down to discuss their platforms in an open forum.

Participants included Slifer Smith & Frampton real estate broker Jason Libby; Summit Mountain Bike Alliance founder Mike Zobbe; self-employed programmer Lenny Weisberg; managing broker and Day Palazola Group Real Estate co-owner Tom Day; real estate broker and Summit County Open Space Advisory Council Vice Chair Todd Rankin; current Town Council member Carol Saade, a founding member of Mountain Dreamers and public affairs consultant; aerospace engineer Ally Doolin; Breckenridge Associates Real Estate partner and broker Nathan Moorefield; and Blue River Bistro and Bistro North owner and operator Jay Beckerman.

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Breckenridge council discusses solutions to child care staffing concerns, shortage

 

Breckenridge children make up slightly more than half of Summit County’s waitlist for child care. To fix that, Breckenridge Town Council members discussed potential short-term solutions to decrease those numbers.

More than 600 children are enrolled in facilities across Summit County, and more than 600 more are still waiting for a spot to open. Breckenridge residents make up 355 of the 620 total children waiting for a spot in one of the county’s child care centers. Of those on the waitlist, infants make up one of the highest proportions, according to previous reporting by the Summit Daily News.

Council member Dick Carleton said he was interested in continued efforts in making licenses for smaller, at-home facilities more accessible. Since there are so many children waiting to get a spot in a facility, approving many smaller operations instead of building several large facilities could be easier, he said.

“We sure would like to support (at-home child care services) in any way we can … as long as they’re safe,” Carleton said. “We want some kind of criteria to ensure they’re safe, absolutely, but I think that’s got to be part of the solution.”

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Courtesy of the Summit Daily News

Breckenridge neighborhood included in statewide effort to mitigate wildfires

 In the Warriors Mark neighborhood of Breckenridge, local and state leaders came together to lower the risk of wildfires in that residential zone. According to the report, the project began in November and continued into the following weeks. The neighborhood — located on the south end of town directly east of Breckenridge Ski Resort — had trees removed in order to help reduce the risk of wildfire activity coming into residential areas.

Specifically, both living lodgepole pine trees and trees killed during the mountain pine beetle epidemic were removed from a milelong stretch on ​​White Cloud Drive, including trees near family homes and rental properties. The timber was taken to a sawmill 60 miles away in Parshall to be made into lumber that carpenters use for framing houses and making furniture.

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January sales volume is strong

 

January is typically a slower month for Summit County’s real estate market, but Land Title Guarantee Co.’s most recent report (for the month of January) shows a promising sign: The monetary volume for the month was up 28% compared to January 2021 sales even though the number of transactions was down 23%.

This means that prices are continuing to rise and demand is still strong, even though the number of actual sales are down.

 As of Wednesday, March 2, there are 74 single-family homes, townhomes and condos for sale in Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Copper Mountain and Keystone that are not deed restricted for local housing. Of the 74 residences for sale, 23 are under construction and not available for immediate occupancy, leaving only 51 residences available for purchase and move-in ready.

There are rumors and worries about what the loom of interest rates and what new short-term rental regulations will do to the market, but for now, it appears to be holding steady and tracking well compared to years in the past.

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The Long Run returns to Riverwalk Center after yearslong absence

 

Eagles fans are used to hiatuses. The popular rock band released its sixth studio album, “The Long Run,” in 1979. The band broke up the next year, didn’t reunite again until 1994 and its next studio album didn’t come out until 2007.

The Long Run — a Colorado-based Eagles tribute band that takes its name from that 1979 record — has been a frequent visitor to the Summit County music scene, regularly performing “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Take It Easy” and other hits to benefit local nonprofit Domus Pacis Family Respite. But the annual event hasn’t occurred in three years.

What: The Long Run benefit concert

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Where: Riverwalk Center, 150 W. Adams Ave., Breckenridge

Cost: $35 for general admission, $50 for VIP and $15 for children 18 and younger. Visit BreckCreate.org to purchase tickets.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge candidate Q&A: Where do you stand on short-term rental regulations?

 

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