GIVING THANKS THIS HOLIDAY!

On December 5th, Patti and I will be travelling to Africa to visit our son who is on a study-abroad program with Bowdoin College. We will be visiting Zanzibar and Tanzania. Our son, Matt, has mentioned that the local schools are in need of quality supplies.

We asked the brokers from our Slifer Smith & Frampton offices in Summit County if they would be interested in donating notebooks, pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, stickers, coloring books, soccer balls and footballs. A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED (SEE PHOTO).

Patti, who works at Frisco Elementary, has also asked students for donations and she is receiving some great school supplies.

We are going to hand-deliver these supplies to the local schools during our stay so we make sure they get in the hands of the kids that need them.

NORDIC CENTER UPDATE

Here's the latest from Breckenridge, Gold Run, and Frisco Nordic Centers:

BRECKENRIDGE NORDIC CENTER - the staff and volunteers have worked hard at "Nordic Snowmaking": shoveling, moving, and packing snow. Their efforts have paid off! BNC has a 1k loop open for skiing at this time. The Shop is open with great deals, equipment rentals, lessons, and snowshoe tours.

GOLD RUN NORDIC CENTER - no trails open yet, but the shop will open this Friday (11/28) at 10 am, with great early season equipment specials (lots of demos and last year's skate skis on sale) and all of the new 08/09 retail clothing and gear. The shop will be open 10am - 2pm everyday until they can get the trails open. Then they'll be on our normal hours, 9am - 4 pm.

FRISCO NORDIC CENTER - no trails open yet, but snow making has started. They have had some very productive nights and hope to have some skiing available by the middle of next week.

FEATURED DEVELOPMENT: ONE SKI HILL PLACE, BRECKENRIDGE

The first Breckenridge ski-in/ski-out resort that combines extravagance, legendary service, and impeccable design with the definitive Colorado ski vacation location. One Ski Hill Place is just steps away from the Colorado and Rocky Mountain SuperChair lifts and the new seasonalBreck Connect Gondola which connects Peak 8 with downtown Breckenridge. The cornerstone of the Peak 8 master plan will feature 90 wholly owned residences, ranging in size from studios to 4-bedrooms, each with a 5-piece master bath, spacious deck and distinctive interior finishes.

Above and beyond the luxurious appointments, residents will enjoy legendary RockResorts service and an exceptional variety of proposed amenities including an aquatics center with twopools and two hot tubs, a fitness facility with steam room, sauna, sports massage and fitness equipment, a bowling alley, conference center, owners’ ski lounge with storage lockers and shower facility, full-service skier restaurant, café and lounge, and a lively après ski bar, movie and game lounges, an exciting snow-front plaza, and heated underground parking.

http://www.oneskihillplace.com/

KEYSTONE RESORT ANNOUNCES PREMIER PARKING FOR CARPOOLERS THROUGHOUT THE SKI SEASON

Four or More in a Car Receive Close-In Parking in the Montezuma Lot, Steps Away From the Lifts.

Carpooling Program Helps Skiers and Riders Save Money and Reduces Traffic Congestion and Pollution.

Keystone Resort today announced a new carpool incentive program that encourages skiers and riders to drive together to Keystone. Skiers and riders who arrive at Keystone Resort with four or more people in a car will be able to park in a premier parking section in Keystone’s Montezuma Parking Lot which is a short walk to the new River Run Gondola. Keystone has one of the closest free parking locations in Colorado that allows skiers and riders to walk to access the lifts. Now, carpoolers can gain even closer parking throughout the ski season without paying a premier price.

“As one of the closest major resorts to the Front Range, Keystone chose to develop a program that encourages carpooling among our guests to our Resort. This program will help alleviate congestion on I-70 and also help protect the environment,” said Pat Campbell, Chief Operating Office of Keystone Resort.

The premier parking is available on a first-come, first served basis and will be open for guests everyday throughout the ski season. Keystone parking attendants will direct any car that meets these requirements to the close-in section. The carpool parking will be open during peak hours of the morning until 11 a.m. or the lot is full each day.

For more information please visit http://www.keystoneresort.com/

New York Times

If you are planning a trip to Breckenridge for the Thanksgiving holiday or any time this season, the following link to a story in the New York Times will give you some fun options for your vacation. Enjoy! http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/travel/20hours.html?scp=1&sq=January%20Breckenridge&st=cse

Featured Communities of Frisco, Dillon and Silverthorne

Frisco, Dillon and Silverthorne. Charming mountain towns with rich and colorful histories. You can still tour 11 original 1880 buildings in Frisco's Historic Park. The lakeside Town of Dillon was moved three times.

In winter, the premiere Summit County resorts are only minutes away. Enjoy cross-country skiing and ice skating, snowmobiling and sleigh rides or an old-fashioned holiday.

In summer, the beauty of Colorado surrounds you. Alpine rivers and streams. Scenic Lake Dillon. You can pan for gold or shop at over 70 brand name stores in Silverthorne. Enjoy a lakefront cocktail at the Dillon Marina Tiki Bar or the Island Grill at the Frisco Marina.

In Summit County, you’ll find new condominiums and townhomes, riverfront and golf course properties. The Community at Three Peaks in Silverthorne offers generous, private, wooded homesites that back up to U.S. Forest Service land. A true Rocky Mountain setting. The convenience of city living. Frisco, Dillon and Silverthorne.

Featured Community: Copper Mountain

With 2,450 acres, Copper Mountain is Summit County’s largest ski area. At Copper you can enjoy Colorado’s first high-speed detachable six-passenger chairlift, the “Super Bee” and an award-winning trail system that naturally separates snowriders by their ability levels.

The Village at Copper is a pedestrian-only, high alpine community with spectacular Colorado views. Listen to a storyteller, watch a laser light show in the sky overhead or enjoy fine dining. In 1997, Intrawest purchased Copper Mountain and began a $500 million expansion plan. More lodging units, superb dining and a variety of shops are being created in the New Village. And townhomes, single-family residences and extraordinary ski-in/ski-out estates are transforming Copper Mountain into the new neighborhoods of Lewis Ranch, The Cirque and Passage Point.

In the summer, your senses will be enhanced by fresh wildflowers and a Colorado blue sky. You can hike, bike, golf on a championship course or go whitewater rafting in nearby Buena Vista. A high alpine village. A nearly perfect mountain experience. Copper Mountain.

I was Copper Mountain's public relations director for six years. Please let me know if you would like information on the hot skiing spots!

Drifting into Winter

Last night, some friends and I attended our local Trout Unlimited Chapter event featuring the epic fly fishing film, DRIFT, written by Tom Bie, editor of the Drake Magazine. DRIFT took us on a cinematic adventure across the flats of Belize and the Bahamas, down the tailwaters of the Green, Frying Pan and the Big Horn, spey casting on the Deschutes, and exploring the exotic rivers of Kashmir, India.

Going into winter, this film was a great way to keep me excited about fly fishing. It definitely jazzed up my brother-in-law, Willie, who called me first thing this morning asking if I wanted to head out on the Colorado River for one last drift before winter on his hand-made Dory Drift Boat. Unfortunately, I was scheduled for a floor shift at our office this morning so I am hoping we can re-schedule for later this week or next... I'll take some photos of the trip for the blog.

We are very blessed with great fly fishing rivers and mountain lakes within a two-hour drive of Breckenridge. If you are ever planning a fishing trip to Summit County, please feel free to contact me regarding local fishing spots, conditions, area fly shops and recent "stories"... always fun to talk fly fishin.... We have some great fly fishing enthusiasts working in our offices including Jeff Moore, Sarah Barclay (President of the local Trout Unlimited Charter), Marty Frank and Casey Kellermann. We will try to share some fishing stories throughout the winter!

Contrasts

I love contrasts...

This morning, I received a call from one of my clients in Desert Mountain, Arizona. He said he was enjoying a cup of coffee on his back deck near the pool in almost perfect conditions. I thought, "wouldn't it be great being in Arizona enjoying the morning sun and planning an afternoon golf outing..."

However, we are enjoying almost perfect conditions for Fall in the Colorado Rockies...it is 46 degrees and sunny in Summit County. On this cool, crisp mountain morning, I decided to quickly change my thoughts from golf and head out for a trail run on the Frisco Pennisula Recreation Area. It was absolutely beautiful with images of the snow capped mountains reflecting in the still waters of Lake Dillon. The trails are partially covered in snow and I did not see another runner or mountain biker the entire run.

During the hour-long run, I thought of my son, Matt, who is in Africa for a study-abroad program with his college...he recently sent an e-mail with a description of a training run in the Jozani Forest in Zanzibar (he is trying to keep up his training for the Nordic Ski Team at Bowdoin College)...here is a portion of his e-mail "I did the coolest run I have ever done. It was like an hour of running through dense rainforest with monkeys running through the trees next to me and over my head right at sunset. It was pretty out of control. Then, the forest transitions into Mangroves and I ran along the boardwalk above all of these crazy crab and fish filled pools. It was really surreal."

Ahhhh, contrasts...

Featured Community: Keystone

Keystone. More than a destination, it’s a way of life. In the winter, four challenging mountains on over 2,200 skiable acres, an 11.5-hour ski day and A51, one of the largest night terrain parks in North America. In the summer, two championship golf courses, fly-fishing and whatever activity you can dream up. Year-round, Keystone features award-winning dining, and shops in River Run and Lakeside Village. Ski under the stars and lights, enjoy the Wine Jazz and Art Festival or relax along the seven miles of the Snake River that runs through town. Enjoy award-winning dining at the Ski Tip lodge, the Keystone Ranch, or the Alpen Stube. In Keystone, there’s something for everyone. At Settler’s Creek, you’ll find townhomes with stunning vistas, surrounded by wetlands and the White River National Forest. And River Meadows at Ski Tip features single-family homes and duplex residences. Celebrate adventure. Keystone. Pure. Simple. Pleasure.

Visiting Summit County Soon? Check out these great maps.

BRECKENRIDGE AND KEYSTONE RESORTS EXPAND TERRAIN WITH ADDITIONAL TRAILS AND LIFTS FOR EARLY SEASON SKIERS AND RIDERS
- Terrain Updates
- Early Season Lodging Deals
November 14, 2008 – Breckenridge and Keystone Resorts have had some help from Mother Nature this week to open more terrain in time for this weekend’s skiers and riders. Thanks to cold temperatures and snowfall in Summit County, snowmakers have been able to expand the trail offerings at each Resort.

Keystone will continue to offer top-to-bottom skiing on Spring Dipper and Lower River Run Trails via the new River Run Gondola. Keystone will also open additional beginner and intermediate terrain on the Schoolmarm Trail as well as the Montezuma Express Chairlift and Kokomo Carpet Lift. The Dutchman Trail will also be open with 22 features from Keystone’s top-ranked A51 Terrain Park giving the Resort 107 skiable acres, three lifts and four trails.

Breckenridge Ski Resort has beginner and intermediate terrain across 70 acres on Peak 8, with newly opened Spruce/Crescendo for a total of three trails accessible via the Colorado SuperChair and Chair 7.

Visit www.breckenridge.com or www.keystoneresort.com for terrain updates, snow reports, event details and lodging deals.

Early Season Lodging Deals
Keystone Gondola Grand Opening Sale. River Run Condos from $132. Celebrate the opening of the new gondola. Stay in Keystone’s River Run condos starting at $132 per night. Valid all Season. www.keystoneresort.com (Must book by Dec. 1)
Breckenridge for a Buck - Ski and Stay for $1 - Early Season. What a great deal! Stay one night and ski one day for only ONE buck with a four night stay in Breckenridge. Prices starting at $289 per person (including lift ticket). Your dollar will go farther with additional discounts available on activities, dining and shopping in Breckenridge.

Keystone Friday Night Lights Concert Series
Keystone is celebrating the return of winter in the Rocky Mountains with a free concert series next to the new River Run Gondola. Dates and artists include:
November 21- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
November 28- DeVotchka
December 5- Girl Talk
Guests can ski into the night and listen to music under the lights for a truly exceptional experience. During Friday Night Lights, ski and stay packages can be booked from $89 per person/per night at the Inn at Keystone.


Vail Resorts Season Pass Sales—Time is Limited!
The Colorado Pass™ AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH! The Colorado Pass™ offers unlimited access at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin with no restrictions, plus 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek with restricted dates.* The Colorado Pass™ is offered at $459 for adults, $339 for teens, ages 13-18 and $219 for children, ages 5-12.

The Summit Pass™ AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 16TH! The Summit Pass™ provides unlimited lift access at the top Summit County resorts - Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin - with no date restrictions at $419 for adults, $319 for teens and $209 for children (ages 5-12).

The Epic Season Pass™ AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 16th!
The Epic Season Pass™ makes an “epic season a reality” at $579 for unlimited, unrestricted skiing and snowboarding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Heavenly in Lake Tahoe. The Epic Season Pass is $279 for children (5-12).

For more information on Vail Resorts season pass products, visit www.coloradopass.com or www.epicpass.com or call (888) 215-3867.

Vail, Beaver Creek and Heavenly Opening Soon. Vail and Beaver Creek Resorts are scheduled to open on November 21 and 26 respectively, giving Colorado skiers and riders access to all four Colorado Vail Resorts. Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe will also open on Nov. 21.

Featured Community: Breckenridge

Victorian. Family-oriented. Breathtaking natural beauty year-round. Enjoy countless outdoor activities, winter and summer, because Breckenridge averages over 300 days of sun each year. With over 1.4 million skier days last year, Breckenridge is one of the most popular winter resorts in the country. Highlights include a state-of-the-art children’s center and thrilling terrain parks. Throughout the year, cultural events like the Breckenridge Film Festival, the Music Institute, Genuine Jazz or the Backstage Theatre will entertain you. Quaint streets feature fine dining and endless shopping opportunities.A master plan guides ski resort development for the next 20 years and will provide new real estate opportunities. Recently, the resort opened a gondola linking town with the ski area and a new Skyway Skiway. With an array of ski-in/ski-out housing opportunities, you only have to throw open your front door and go. The resort comes right down into town, so you can ski home for lunch. And the limited availability of these properties makes them highly valued. Breathtaking alpine vistas. The perfect mountain town. Breckenridge. Home.

During this past year, I have been donating 5% of my net commission from each real estate transaction to “Mountain to Mountain," a local Breckenridge-based aid organization. Mountain to Mountain creates ties between mountain communities through education, and empowers individuals to become catalysts for community development at home and abroad. During the inaugural year, Mountain to Mountain raised over $100,000 for Central Asia Institute. This amount represents two schools to be built and endowed in Central Asia to educate girls in remote mountain villages. Mountain to Mountain is currently supporting the village of Gudel, a remote village in the Solukhumbu region of Nepal almost completely overlooked by government and aid organizations. Mountain to Mountain and the dZi Foundation will raise money and awareness to help the village of Gudel accomplish sustainable community development through educational initiatives focused on literacy, healthcare and income generation. Please visit http://www.mountain2mountain.com/. My goal is to select a different local-based organization to support each year. Please watch for an announcement of the local organization for 2009.

November Real Estate Market Insider

Breckenridge and Keystone Opened This Past Weekend!

OPENING WEEKEND EXCITEMENT AND SNOW IN THE FORECAST PROMPTS VAIL RESORTS TO OFFER ONE FINAL CHANCE FOR COLORADO AND SUMMIT PASS SALES THIS WEEK
· Vail Resorts offers an additional week for Colorado and Summit Pass sales at fall prices through Nov. 16
· This is the last week for Epic Season Pass sales, through Nov. 15
· Breckenridge and Keystone opened this weekend for the ski season. Vail opens Nov. 21 followed by Beaver Creek on Nov. 26.
BROOMFIELD, Colo.— Nov. 10, 2008 — With the start of the ski season at Breckenridge and Keystone this weekend, as well as snow in the forecast today, Vail Resorts is giving Colorado skiers and snowboarders an additional opportunity to purchase the state’s most popular season passes – The Colorado and Summit Passes. The Colorado and Summit Passes will stay on sale at fall prices through Sunday, Nov. 16 at select Front Range locations.*
“We’ve been getting phone calls and e-mails from panicked Colorado skiers and snowboarders who didn’t buy their Colorado or Summit Pass before our deadline,” said Heidi Kercher-Pratt, vice president of corporate marketing for Vail Resorts. “With the new snow and the kickoff of the ski season at Breckenridge and Keystone this weekend, Colorado skiers and snowboarders are excited and eager to take their first turns of the season. So we’re giving our loyal guests one more week to buy our state’s most popular season passes (The Colorado and Summit Passes).”

According to Kercher-Pratt, Coloradoans love to ski. “Now more than ever we need to feel that exhilaration of being back on skis … that sense of awe when we stand at the summit of a mountain … the rush of adrenaline when we make that first turn of the season. We don’t want anyone to miss out on these opportunities with their friends and family this winter. That’s why we’re giving Coloradoans another week to buy their Colorado or Summit Pass.”

Summit and Colorado Passes Back on Sale through Nov. 16
Sunday, Nov. 16 is the last day to purchase Colorado’s most popular ski passes – $419 for The Summit Pass™ and $459 for The Colorado Pass™ - at the fall prices.

The Summit Pass™ gives skiers and snowboarders unlimited, unrestricted access to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin for $419 for adults, $319 for teens (ages 13-18) and $209 for children (ages 5-12). The Colorado Pass™ offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin all season with an additional 10 days* at Vail and Beaver Creek for $459 for adults, $339 for teens (ages 13-18) and $219 for children (ages 5-12).

Visit www.coloradopass.com for more information.

* The Colorado Pass is restricted from use at Vail and Beaver Creek: Nov. 28-29, 2008; Dec. 27-31, 2008; and Feb. 14-15, 2009.

Epic Season Pass on Sale through Nov. 15
Time is ticking. This is the last week to purchase an Epic Season Pass - Saturday, Nov. 15 is the deadline to buy Vail Resorts’ Epic Season Pass™ - $579 for adults and $279 for children. The unlimited, ski-as-much-as-you-want, unrestricted Epic Season Pass™ with no black-out dates features more than 18,000 acres of skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Arapahoe Basin for the entire 2008-2009 season and is considered one of the best on-mountain deals in the industry this season. Visit www.epicpass.com for more information or to purchase your Epic Season Pass.

Pass Renewals and Pass Sales Locations
Pass renewals for Summit and Colorado passes are available online at www.coloradopass.com. Renewals or new passes may be purchased at the following locations through Nov. 16:

Front Range: Boulder Ski Deals (Boulder), Colorado Ski and Golf (Aurora, Arvada, Colorado Springs and Littleton), REI (Denver Flagship, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Englewood, Boulder and Colorado Springs), Breeze Ski Rentals in Lakewood and Dumont, as well as Flatiron Crossing Mall, Park Meadows Shopping Center, The Shops at Northfield in Stapleton and The Orchard Town Center.

Resort pass sales: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone (check for times and exact locations)

For more information about the Summit or Colorado passes or sales locations and time, call 888-215-3867 or visit www.coloradopass.com. Visit www.epicpass.com to purchase your Epic Season Pass™ or for more information about this new season pass.