Breckenridge officials take steps to make recreation more accessible, starting with a popular trailhead

 #colorado #realestate #breckenridge

Breckenridge has undertaken two projects this summer in an effort to make local trailheads more accessible for those in wheelchairs or who experience other mobility issues.

The town is taking steps to make outdoor areas more accessible, including targeting some well-loved trails with the intent of opening up more recreation opportunities to everyone. 

Reiling Dredge, the first location on the list, encapsulates the area’s mining history. 

Stabilized in 2018 for preservation by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance, the trail brings travelers to a gold dredge that dug up the riverbed in search of gold. As of this summer, it can now be enjoyed by even more people.

The town’s open space department has completed the preliminary stages of retrofitting the Reiling Dredge trailhead on French Gulch Road for wheelchair accessibility. 

Maintenance done on the trail involved putting down material to compact the trail in order to put it at safe grade for wheelchairs. Town staff confirmed the trail is ready to use and is safe for wheelchairs, though final touches on the project are still on the way. 

Two parking spots that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act will be put in the lot across the street alongside a short trail to access Reiling Dredge. The last steps of the project include putting bump outs on a footbridge widen it. The goal is to provide enough room for someone in a wheelchair to be able to turn around on the bridge. 

It is anticipated that the work on Reiling Dredge will wrap by the end of the summer. Yet, with the grading portion of construction complete, residents are already antsy to use the trail.

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Alterra Mountain Co. goes big — bigger than Vail — on a Utah resort for skiers only

#colorado #breckenridge #realestate 

 Alterra Mountain Co. on Thursday announced plans for one of the country’s largest-ever ski area expansions at its Deer Valley resort in Utah. And the ski expansion is quite literal. The new terrain will not be for snowboarders, who are unwelcome at Deer Valley. 

The plan calls for 16 new chairlifts, 135 runs across 3,700 new acres of ski terrain above a new village at the Utah resort. If all goes as projected, Deer Valley will more than double in size to 5,726 acres with 37 chairlifts by the winter of 2025, growing larger than Vail. It’s the largest U.S. resort expansion of new terrain in more than 40 years.

Alterra is partnering with the Extell Development Co. a luxury real estate developer that builds skyscrapers in New York City. Extell has been working on the project — formerly called Mayflower Mountain — since 2014. Extell founder Gary Barnett has acquired nearly 7,000 acres in the past decade and secured bond financing through Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority. 

The new development includes a village with 800 hotel rooms, 1,700 residential units, 250,000 square feet of commercial space and a 68,000-square-foot recreation center. The project could add 2,000 jobs to the region. 

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Colorado icon John Fielder had a wealth of great stories to go with his photos

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To become the most well-known nature photographer in Colorado, John Fielder had to visit locations that are anything but well known.

Fielder built his reputation by photographing the state’s hard-to-reach places, the nooks and crannies that are, quite literally, off the beaten path. And those trips, in addition to photos, also produced many memorable stories.

As noted by Fielder’s biographer, Steve Walsh, in his 2019 book “John Fielder in Focus,” Fielder would have never felt comfortable taking pictures in everyday locations, with other photographers nearby.

In creating this extensive collection, all those incursions into the unknown — the off-trail wanderings, the detours down drainages, the amount of bushwhacking and scrambling that had to occur — resulted in a lot of close calls, near misses and life-threatening situations for Fielder.

I had the pleasure of discussing this topic with him a couple of times in the years before his passing. He managed to survive all of his adventures without any injuries by always maintaining safety as paramount, and he told me sharing that side of his craft is why he was so pleased with Walsh’s book and its easy reading style, which is good for kids who are starting to explore nature.

He sent me a copy of the book and wrote in the inscription that he thought I would enjoy his story of the flying llama, which Walsh included.

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Colorado judge punts ‘massive’ lawsuit involving $300 million Kindred Resort to New York court

#colorado #breckenridge #keystone #realestate

A Breckenridge judge last month granted a stay in a lawsuit involving two firms picked by Vail Resorts to co-develop the $300-million Kindred Resorts, a luxury ski-in, ski-out commercial and residential complex in Keystone.

Describing two “massive” lawsuits, one in New York City and one in his own Summit County courtroom, Judge Reed Owens ruled New York was the proper venue for the dispute, adding he believes the Colorado case had been intended, at least in part, to “harass.”

“Allowing the two actions to concurrently progress would do a disservice to judicial economy and create a potential for conflicting rulings as two separate courts grapple with the same controversy,” Owens wrote in the July 7 order to stay. “This unnecessary and potentially confusing duplication of judicial effort is precisely what the priority rule attempts to avoid.”

But the two lawsuits have belied the glitz and glamor of the ritzy estate as once-business partners have exchanged various claims of fraud, extortion and other multimillion-dollar claims of malfeasance.

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Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort near completion on new lift, expansion projects

 #colorado #realestate #breckenridge #keystone

Though Summit County has seen several balmy, end-of-summer days over the last week, the upcoming winter season is not far away. Soon the warm weeks will give way to fall days, and before long, snow will once again be seen on the slopes of the region’s ski areas.

In preparation for the quickly approaching 2023-24 ski and ride season, Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort have been keeping work moving over the summer, making sure the mountains are ready before lifts start turning again when the slopes are covered in snow.

Two of the major projects that have been taking place over the summer are the upgrade of Breckenridge’s 5-Chair and the development of Bergman Bowl at Keystone.

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Blue River officials express concerns as CDOT moves forward on chain-up areas on either side of Hoosier Pass

 #colorado #realestate #breckenridge

Anyone who has had to travel over Hoosier Pass when the roads are icy knows it can often be a harrowing experience. The Colorado Department of Transportation has been working on one solution help address some of those concerns and expects to have a chain-up station completed near Alma on the Park County side of the pass.

CDOT officials are hoping to begin construction on the Summit County chain-up area in 2024 or 2025, but the application is still under review by the town of Blue River and approval is not certain amid ongoing concerns from the town.

A general lack of compliance with the state’s traction law, which requires vehicles without four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive to be equipped with snow tires or use a traction device such as tire chains, has been cited as one factor in traffic accidents and travel delays over the pass. While some pull-out areas exist along the road, many are shorter, unpaved and unlit, which can make it difficult for semi drivers to use them to install tire chains.

The current pull-off areas also do not meet the requirements that would allow Colorado State Patrol to enforce chain law restrictions on vehicles and drivers heading over the pass, according to Elise Thatcher, a spokesperson for CDOT Region 3.

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‘Big, engaging, unique’: Public art proposed to help get visitors walking in Dillon’s town core

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Public art would be the centerpiece of the Dillon town core under a proposal from a design firm to help reimagine the walkability and vibrancy of the space.

Aiming to entice visitors who are already visiting the town’s amphitheater, marina or town park to wander downtown, the Fort Collins-based design firm Clark & Enersen has proposed turning an alley near Village Place into a pedestrian plaza.

An art installation could be a highlight of that street, Clark & Enersen landscape engineer Helen Davidoski told Dillon Town Council last Tuesday, Aug. 15, and she said it would help turn the plaza into a year-round space for pop-up markets and events.

After soliciting feedback from community members and visitors through surveys and events for months, Clark & Enersen first pitched the pedestrian plaza to positive reviews from the council earlier this year.

Then, after gathering even more community input, the team returned last week with a more complete vision. The “Village Alley,” as the plaza is called in mockups Clark & Enersen displayed on a screen at the town council meeting, once again received positive feedback as the council discussed plans to make some version of the pedestrian plaza a reality.

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Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are almost guaranteed to see an El Niño winter. Here’s what that could mean for ski season.

 #colorado #realestate #breckenridge

It may be August, but early indicators are already brewing for what the 2023-24 winter season could look like in Colorado. 

At Breckenridge Ski Resort, a dusting of white on Peak 6 was photographed on Aug. 11. Whether it will herald another blockbuster ski season remains to be seen, though one factor is nearly certain: atmospheric patterns are set to change this winter. 

“We are going into what looks to be a strong El Niño season,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Bernie Meier. 

El Niño patterns can form when surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (off the coast of South America) rise above average by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive months, according to Meier. 

El Niño pushes the jet stream south and can bring more precipitation and cooler temperatures to southern regions. In Colorado, this can translate to heavier, wetter snow in the southwest, particularly for the San Juan Mountains, as well as the central mountains. In the state’s northern areas, such as Steamboat Springs, weather may be warmer while snow is dryer, Meier said. 

“Not every year is a great snow producer, but if you look at the history, we tend to do better than not for snowfall with El Niño,” Meier said of the southern and central mountain region. 

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Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of Aug. 20

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found on the shelter’s website:  Here

Summit County homeowners sue local officials over short-term rental regulations

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Summit County homeowners filed a federal lawsuit on Monday, Aug. 14, to halt new regulations on short-term rental properties in unincorporated parts of the county. 

The lawsuit alleges the Summit Board of County Commissioners imposed “successively more severe, wide-ranging, misguided and unlawful regulations” when they voted to implement caps on short-term rental licenses and limits on bookings earlier this year. 

Alleging harm to property owners’ livelihoods, the lawsuit states that short-term rentals remain “a supplemental source of income for homeowners, many of whom rely on that income to pay for their mortgages or for other basic needs.”

The complaint goes on to list multiple plaintiffs who it claims will lose tens of thousands of dollars and will not be able to pay their mortgages because of the regulations. It also states the license cap exception for full-time residents creates a “discriminatory treatment of out-of-state residents and, thus, is not legitimate.”

The voices of short-term rental supporters “were ignored by the county,” the lawsuit reads.

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Vail Resorts announces opening dates at Keystone, Breckenridge

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Vail Resorts announced opening days for its largest properties, the earliest coming in October, on Wednesday. Keystone is expected to open in mid-October, dependent on natural snow and the resort’s ability to make snow in the late fall.

Breckenridge is slated to open Nov. 10 along with Vail Mountain.

All opening dates could change, though, depending on weather.

Vail Resorts’ target opening dates

• Mid-October – Keystone
• Nov. 10 – Breckenridge, Vail Mountain
• Nov. 17 – Heavenly, Northstar, Park City Mountain
• Nov. 22 – Beaver Creek, Crested Butte
• Nov. 23 – Whistler Blackcomb
• Dec. 1 – Kirkwood, Stevens Pass

Summit County Assessor’s Office to hold community forum Wednesday

#colorado #realestate #breckenridge

Representatives for the Summit County Assessor’s Office will host a community forum Wednesday, Aug. 16, from 10-11 a.m. at the Summit County Community and Senior Center.

The center is located at 83 Nancy’s Place, Frisco. Refreshments will be provided by Land Title Guarantee Company.

Topics of discussion will include short-term rental regulations, market trends, the record-high home valuations seen this year and the ballot initiative Proposition HH, which aims to curb homeowners property taxes.

The high home valuations, which led to a more than 60% increase on average in residential property values, sparked the most appeals from county property owners in 15 years. County leaders previously held a town hall on June 27 to discuss local and state ideas for how to bring relief to homeowners who are likely to see high property tax bills early next year.

RSVPs for the upcoming event can be made to BRoberts@LTGC.com

Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of Aug. 13

#colorado #realestate #breckenridge

 Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found on the shelter’s Website Here 

The do’s and don’ts of campfires in the backcountry

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It might feel like a night spent outside in the mountains isn’t complete without a campfire. There’s something about that mesmerizing, glowing orange flame that we humans love — but just because we love them, that doesn’t mean they’re always a good idea. Campfires take a toll on the environment, especially in our delicate Alpine ecosystems. 

The past couple summers in Summit County have given us enough moisture that we’ve avoided the strict summertime fire bans we’ve become accustomed to in the West. Those restrictions are more common now because things are getting hotter and drier, and wildfires are becoming more dangerous for humans and our environment. So, of course, if there’s a fire ban in place, you should not be gathering kindling and lighting matches. But what about when fire danger lingers on the low end? There are still plenty of reasons to think twice before building a campfire, whether you’re car camping close to home or backpacking deep in the backcountry. 

No matter where you build your fire, if it’s in a fire ring on the ground, it is inevitably going to leave a burn scar. Some places handle that impact better than others, like established campgrounds with designated fire rings. Other areas, like Alpine tundra, take a long time to recover from this damage. Some backcountry areas allow fires when a fire ban isn’t in place, while others — like protected watersheds and certain parts of designated wilderness areas — restrict them at all times. 

Courtesy of Stasia StockwellRead the full story here

You’ll no longer find plastic water bottles for sale in Frisco starting in July 2024

 #frisco #realestate #colorado

Starting next year, those who want to purchase bottled water will not find it sold in plastic bottles on the shelves of Frisco stores and those who purchase takeout food in town will not get it in containers made of polystyrene.

With a stated goal of reducing plastic waste, these provisions are all part of an ordinance the Frisco Town Council unanimously approved on second reading Tuesday, Aug. 8. The bans in the ordinance are set to take effect in 2024. 

“I had lunch at a local restaurant — it was not a Frisco restaurant — and they served my lunch in a Styrofoam clamshell, they included plastic silverware and they put it in a plastic bag,” Council member Andrew Aerenson said. “And I brought it home, where I used my regular silverware, and I felt really good about what we just did.”

The town’s environmental programs staff first brought forward a conversation about an ordinance to reduce single-use plastic waste in November. The Town Council unanimously approved a first reading of the ordinance July 26, with several members of the public speaking in favor of it and a few speaking against it.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge Distillery’s kitchen set to compete at national level after winning Colorado cooking competition

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

Breckenridge Distillery, which coined itself the world’s highest distillery when it opened in 2008, has made a name for itself for its blended bourbon whiskey and other spirits. And it is now doing so for its cuisine. 

The distillery’s executive chef Robbie Reyes and his team, including cooks Dionisio Hernandez Migeul and Alejandro Rodriguez Valdez, took home a first-place award for their cooking at the Heritage Fire competition in Snowmass on July 29. The event brought together more than 20 high-profile Colorado chefs judged by a crowd of roughly 1,000. 

The Snowmass competition is one of more than a dozen hosted by Heritage Fire across the country, which has led cooking events in cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Miami and Austin. Now, Reyes and his team will go on to compete at a national level with the winners from 13 other states. 

For the full story click here

Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of Aug. 6

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found on the shelter’s Here

Breckenridge International Festival of Arts welcomes Circa contemporary circus as 2023 resident artist

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

From sell-out seasons all around the world including London, Melbourne, Edinburgh and New York, Brisbane, Australia-based Circa contemporary circus is bringing three of their world-renowned ensembles of acrobats to Breckenridge to present the company’s new show “What Will Have Been? at the Riverwalk Center on Saturday, Aug. 19, during the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts.

Circa serves as this year’s resident artist at the festival, so festival attendees will get several chances to experience the act. Reserved seats for the live performance are on sale now for $25 to $65 at BreckCreate.org

Thinking of hiking a Colorado 14er now that late-season snow is mostly gone? Here’s what to keep in mind.

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

The white summits of Colorado’s 14ers are continuing to diminish as summer temperatures bear down on the remnants of an above-average snow season. But while hiking may be more accessible, the state’s most iconic mountains may not see a rush of crowds.

“We’re starting to get to the point where use begins to ebb,” said Lloyd F. Athearn, executive director for the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. “We had a really snowy start to the season … a lot of places really didn’t start to open up until July. I think we’re going to see an even smaller hiking season in 2023 than we did in 2022.” 

A June 30 report by the initiative found the number of people climbing Colorado’s 14ers fell by 8% last year to about 279,000 hiker-use days — the second-lowest level recorded since the initiative began keeping statistics in 2014.

Summiting a 14er leaves hikers exposed to the elements. That’s why there are a slew of essentials to consider when taking one on. 

Colorado’s 14ers range in difficulty from Class 1 to 5. Class 1, according to DeBattiste, usually means hiking on a well-defined trail. While hikes can be strenuous, the only skill this classification typically requires is moving uphill. 

As the class increases, so do the skills needed to move up a trail. Classes 2 and 3 can include rocks and scrambles to reach the top, while 4 and 5 can require climbing gear. 

DeBattiste said it’s important to know your skill level, especially if 14ers are a newer experience. And there’s no such thing as an easy hike on a 14er. 

“When they say they are easy, they mean easy for a 14er. They are not easy,” she said. 

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Breckenridge to kick-off August with 22nd annual art festival

 #breckenridge #realestate #colorado

From Aug. 3-5, the town of Breckenridge will host the 22nd annual Breckenridge August Art Festival.

The event, which will take place at the Village at Breckenridge and Main Street Station on South Park Avenue, will feature over 100 artists in 13 fine art categories. All artists will be present to discuss their original works, which will go before judges.

Other highlights will include a ski gear raffle by Team Summit to raise money for its scholarship program and live music. Admission is free.