Spend your New Year’s Eve ringing in 2023 with concerts, Champagne, fireworks and more

 #colorado #breckenridge #coloradorealtor

There is a lot going on this New Year's Eve.

Just like that, the end of December — and the end of 2022 — has arrived. The colder temperatures are ideal for indoor celebrations, and several are being hosted in Summit County on New Year’s Eve. 

Some restaurants are having Champagne toasts, other venues are playing live music and ski resorts are shooting fireworks off into the air. This list is by no means exhaustive of every business open to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, but it gives a good idea of the entertainment options available.

For a complete list of events click here

False crash reports from skier iPhones flood Colorado ski town emergency dispatch centers

#colorado #breckenridge #realestate

A 911 dispatch center

 Dispatchers at the Summit County 911 Center fielded 71 automated crash notifications from skiers’ iPhones and Apple watches at the county’s four ski areas last weekend. None of them involved an emergency.

But each of them took time to sort out. If the skier did not answer a return call, a special operations deputy contacted ski patrollers to check the location of the automated call.

“We are not in the practice of disregarding calls,” said Trina Dummer, the interim director of the Summit County 911 Center. “These calls involve a tremendous amount of resources, from dispatchers to deputies to ski patrollers. And I don’t think we’ve ever had an actual emergency event.”

Read the full story here

Soaring utility bills send huge waves of people scrambling for help keeping heat and lights on in Colorado

 #breckenridge #colorado #coloradorealestate

Have you received your December utility bill yet?

Have you recovered from the shock of opening it and seeing your bill has more than doubled?

You're not alone.

The fact is that even if a family’s energy consumption isn’t going up, what Xcel Energy is charging them for gas and electricity has risen.

In the last year the Colorado PUC has approved six Xcel Energy electric and gas rate increases.

A main driver in the soaring bills has been the rise in the price of natural gas — a cost that gets passed directly on to consumers.

This year the spot price for natural gas doubled to as much as $8.81 for a million British thermal units before dropping to $5.45 a million BTUs in November, which still left it 25% higher than the start of the year.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has approved three rate increases this year to cover rising gas prices, the last one in September, just before the heating season began.

In June, the PUC also approved a temporary gas rate increase to cover $500 million in fuel costs during 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, which briefly spurred prices to as high as $190 a million BTUs.

On top of that, in October the PUC granted Xcel Energy a $64.2 million increase in the base natural gas rates, and last April, the utility commission also approved a $182 million hike in electricity rates.

Here is their mission statement if you'd like a good laugh: 

Our Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced services.

Contact the Public Utilities Commission and complain.  Phone:  (303) 894-2000.  Email:  Click here to email

 Happy Holidays from Breckenridge, Colorado

In Summit County for the holidays? Here’s a roundup of things to do.

#breckenridge #colorado #coloradorealestate

 After playing numerous board games, watching countless hours of college football and entertaining family members, it is only a matter of time before individuals start to grow bored. 

Luckily Summit County offers visitors and locals alike several options in order to cure the inevitable wave of boredom that sweeps over families every year around the holidays. 

Whether it be heading to a local ski resort, Nordic center, finding a trail to hike or going to see a new movie release, Summit has options to keep everyone entertained.

For the entire list click here

Frisco to begin assessing a fee at electronic vehicle charging stations in 2023

 #breckenridge #colorado #breckenridgelifestyle

The town of Frisco will implement a 25 cent per kilowatt-hour fee for the use of town-owned electric vehicle charging stations beginning in the new year.

Frisco has installed five dual-port charging stations since 2019, and the intent has always been to transition the stations to fee-based usage after an initial promotional period, according to a news release from the town.

On Oct. 11, the town council supported assessing a fee for electric-vehicle charging based on typical fees at other municipal locations in the area, the release states.

The fee revenue will be used to cover the cost of the charging stations, including utility costs and network subscription fees, according to the release. Any additional revenue will go toward maintenance of the charging stations and staff time to respond to customer inquiries and coordinate with the charging station contractor.

After four hours, an overstay fee of $20 per hour — with a maximum of $50 — will also apply in order to promote turnover at the charging stations and allow others to charge their vehicles, the release states.

Breckenridge local legend CJ Mueller blazes his way into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

 #breckenridge #colorado #coloradoliving

How fast have you skied or snowboarded down a mountain slope? For your average skier or snowboarder, most don’t surpass more than 40 to 45 mph, but Breckneridge local CJ Mueller was known for going three times this speed during his speed skiing career. 

John “CJ” Mueller — who has lived in Summit County since the fall of 1970 — has always had a deep love for skiing. After stringing together feats like 240-day ski seasons, Mueller got into the sport of speed skiing sort of on a whim.

It was in the 1980s and early ‘90s that Mueller had some of the best performances of his career. While in Les Arcs, France in 1987, Mueller became the first skier to exceed 130 mph.

Mueller will officially be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame on March 25 at the hall of fame’s induction ceremony at Big Sky Resort in Montana. 

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge Backstage Theatre tells ‘A Christmas Story’ in a familiar — yet new — light

#breckenridge #colorado #breckenridgecolorado

 An important wintertime lesson is to not lick metal poles in freezing weather. Ralphie Parker and friends learned that the hard way in the iconic 1983 movie “A Christmas Story.” The film is an adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s anecdotes from “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash,” and the stage adaptation is currently underway once again at the Breckenridge Theater.

While the story isn’t foreign to the Summit County community — or the public at large with seasonal marathons and a 2022 sequel on HBO Max — this time around director Jacqueline Stone is blending the old and new.

“Some of the vision for this particular production of the show was to really try and retain the spirit of the original story that people know and love from the 1980s movie,” Stone said. “But we also wanted to ensure that the story had accessibility for a modern audience today.”

Stone is also incorporating a diverse cast in terms of both gender and race. The ensemble is made up of four adult performers and seven children ranging in ages from 7 to 14.

For the full story click here

There’s a crappy situation in Colorado’s backcountry: too many pooping hikers

 #breckenridge #colorado #coloradorealestate

Hey, backcountry visitors, do Colorado a favor.

With a handy-dandy poop kit, help solve the crappy crisis of waste littering the state’s trails and dispersed campsites.

The concept of taking along a ready-made poop-disposal kit when hitting the outdoors got a boost last week when the Colorado Tourism Office chose the Crested Butte Tourism Association "Doo"
 Colorado Right effort as one  of 17 recipients of grants designed to promote sustainable tourism.

Amid the other grantee projects that address things like redesigning websites, upping interest in dude ranches and promoting midweek skiing, the Gunnison group’s project stands out for being the only proposal with a focus on defecation.

It’s not really a stretch. Tourism and poop are very intertwined. Where humans go, they do tend to “go,” and that has created a polluting, problem on public lands.

To read the entire "crappy" story click here!

Draft plan would release wolves in area that includes Summit County by end of next year

 #breckenridge #colorado #breckenridgeliving

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s  would release 10 to 15 wolves by the end of next year in an area that includes parts of Summit County and continue annual releases for up to five years.

Based on the plan presented to the CPW Commission last we, wolves would be delisted from Colorado’s threatened species list once 150 of them are observed in the state over a two-year period or 200 are observed in one year. CPW estimates a population of 200 wolves would be about 25 packs covering 2.8 million acres of habitat.

CPW officials have identified two general zones where wolves will initially be released. The northern zone encompasses a broad area that stretches from Toponas to Aspen and Silverthorne to Rifle.

Odell said wolves would be released somewhere in the northern zone next year, with future release locations based on how the first year goes. The plan says between 30 to 50 wolves will be relocated to Colorado over a three- to five-year period.

For the full story click here

November Real Estate Report

 

Breckenridge Ski Resort - Ready for Holiday Visitors! Snow blankets Peak 7 prior to the Peak's opening on Friday, Dec 9!  Several significant snowstorms over the past week, has allowed more terrain to open for skiers and riders! ​Great start for the 2022/2023 ski season for Breckenridge and all Summit County Ski Resorts. Come Visit Soon ⛷️

November Market 2022 Breckenridge  Frisco  Silverthorne  Dillon  Keystone  Copper Mountain

Year to Date Single Family Home Sales:  The chart above shows the number of sales and the average sold price by year for single-family home sales (2022's sales are for 1/1 - 11/30). Also, a section titled Quick Stats shows 2022's sales numbers and any changes from 2021 to 2022 for sales from 1/1 - 11/30 for both years. Year-to-date single-family home sales are down 35%, with the average sold price increasing by 12.4% (for single-family home sales in Summit County, Colorado). ​ Single Family Home Sales for each resort town can be viewed here.

Year to Date Condominium Sales:  The chart above shows the number of sales and the average sold price by year for condominium sales (2022's sales are for 1/1 - 11/30). Also, a section titled Quick Stats shows 2022's sales numbers and any changes from 2021 to 2022 for sales from 1/1 - 11/30 for both years. Year-to-date condominium sales are down 39%, with the average sold price increasing by 17% (for condominium sales in Summit County, Colorado). ​ Condominium sales for each resort town can be viewed here.

Inventory of Residential Properties 'for sale':  The chart above shows the number of properties for sale in Summit County, CO, during the first part of December for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (The dark blue in the back row represents Summit County as a whole and then coming forward each Town). ​ Most interesting...2022's active listings for sale are 197% more than in 2021, 66% more than in 2020, and 41% less than 2019. View PDF of the chart here.

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 Website: buyinbreckenridge.com

RE/MAX Properties of the Summit - Frisco & Breckenridge.  Source: Sold Data from SAR MLS.  Stats pulled on 12/6/22. *SAR MLS Data  Sales 1/1 - 11/30. *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.

Vail Resorts sells 2.3 million pre-purchased passes for 2022-23 season

 #breckenridge #colortado #breckenridgerealestate

Vail Resorts on Thursday said the company expects to have 2.3 million people using its Epic, Epic Local and Epic Day passes this year.

That’s a 6% increase over last year in the company’s pre-purchased pass sales and sales dollars for the upcoming ski season in North America, where the company operates 37 ski areas.

The announcement was part of the company’s earnings report for the fiscal 2023 first quarter, which ended Oct. 31.

An earnings call scheduled for Thursday was delayed due to technical difficulties, but a preview of Vail Resorts’ CEO Kirstin Lynch’s comments was provided in Thursday’s release.

Lynch said Vail Resorts expects to have approximately 2.3 million guests in advance commitment pass products this year, generating over $800 million of revenue and representing over 70% of all skier visits committed. That represents an increase of more than 1.1 million guests in the program from the 2019/2020 season, Lynch said.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

How Breckenridge Ski Resort opens up terrain on all 5 of its peaks

 #breckenridge #colorado #realestate

Despite opening up terrain faster than last year, the resort still receives a fair amount of criticism regarding the opening of terrain. It is easy for guests to look at a snow-capped Peak 6 or Peak 10 and assume that trails on the peak are ready for the public. 

“Everything usually looks good from afar,” said Jon Copeland, vice president of Breckenridge’s mountain operations. “When you get there, you start to see things differently.”

“They see all the snow and they think, ‘Why isn’t this open,’” Vail Resorts spokesperson Sara Lococo said. “There are a lot of other pieces that have to come together to get terrain open than just the snow.”

With nearly 3,000 acres of terrain and five peaks, opening up Breckenridge Ski Resort is a tall task that requires a knowledgeable and robust staff.

The resort tries to follow the same open progression strategy every year. It begins at Peak 8 to offer skiing and riding to the downtown core of Breckenridge before moving to Peak 9. 

“The Peak 8, Peak 9, Peak 7 strategy is the same every year, but obviously Mother Nature can throw us a few curveballs,” Copeland said. “Those are our three main focus points. They are our key base areas, and they link key parts of terrain.”

Read the full story here

Thinking about backcountry skiing in Colorado? Read this guide first.

 #breckenridge #colorado #coloradorealtor

Visualize being at the summit of a ski resort on a bluebird powder day, surrounded by a glorious panorama filled with snowcapped peaks glistening in the distance. Now imagine you and a few ski buddies have the mountain to yourselves. No lifts, no overcrowded dining halls with over-priced burgers, just you and your crew.

With the proper equipment and training, you can have that experience as a backcountry skier. And if climbing mountains on skis sounds too adventurous, imagine climbing a quiet forest trail with a mellow grade on cross-country skis, the only sounds coming from your breathing and the whoosh-whoosh whisper of the skis beneath you. That, too, can be yours on backcountry gear.

“Backcountry skiing is an amazing sport,” said Jeff Woodward, co-founder and CEO of Bluebird Backcountry, a ski area 30 miles north of Kremmling that functions as a training ground for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. “You can get away from the crowds and be out in nature and have a great time, hopefully with family or friends, but still be skiing or snowboarding. It can be life-changing.”

Courtesy of John Meyer

The Denver Post

59th annual Ullr Fest to celebrate all things winter in Breckenridge beginning Thursday

 #breckenridge #colorado #breckenridgeliving

The 59th annual Ullr Fest, a time where locals and visitors pray for snow and throw a winter celebration in homage to the Norse god, returns to Breckenridge Thursday, Dec. 8, through Saturday, Dec. 10. 

Festivities begin on Breckenridge’s Main Street with the crowning of this year’s Ullr king and queen at 3:30 p.m. at Blue River Plaza. Following the ceremony, more than 1,300 people will line up to help the town win back the unofficial title for the world’s largest shot ski at 4 p.m. The parade will then travel down the road at 4:30 p.m. 

The first-place prize for the parade is $1,000, while second place wins $750, and $500 goes to third place. Floats must be registered by noon on Tuesday, Dec. 6

For the full schedule of events click here