Tag: Birds-of-a-Feather

Premier Resorts – WRPR (Declined, Evolved or Moved)

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45+, Couples, Affluent Empty Nests, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry (Mammoth Lakes, CA)

11Y1T1, God’s Country, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry (Boulder, CO)

23Y2T2, Greenbelt Sports, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, Country Comfort (Aspen, CO)

Distant Exurbans – WRDE (Declined, Evolved or Moved)

48Y3T4, Young and Rustic, 20-29, Striving Singles, Rustic Living (ParkCity, UT)

Community Neighbors:

High Country Eagles

Rural Cowboys– HCERC

45Y3T3, Blue Highways, 20-29, Striving Singles, Middle America (Dillon, CO)

For those BOFs with 09M1T1 lifestyles flying from Whitefish, Montana, and touching down in Summit County they may have felt right at home.

Three Wireless Resorter communities welcomed new nesters.

The 09M1T1 Premier Resort lifestyle, two lifestyles living in Maturing Resorts and the third rustic living Distant Exurbans.

Except, something happened along the way.

Half of Dillon’s Wireless Resort lifestyles turned over.

Including the Premier Resorts 09M1T1 and Distant Exurbans Young Rustics.

The same lifestyle that left Copper Mountain and Frisco.

What Were Frisco and Copper Mountain Like Before the Great Recession?

Part One: Summit

With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

5-Year Time Frames — 2003 – 2008

What about Frisco and Copper Mountain Resort?

Comparing lifestyle changes over the next five year period, what happened?

Shouldn’t you expect a similar abrupt change in community neighborhoods?

First of all the Dillon Reservoir separates Dillon and Frisco by 6 miles and the route takes under 15 minutes to drive.

But the distance between Breckenridge and Copper Mountain resorts, 21 miles by car on 1-70 and CO 9, may take 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic and road conditions.

Getting there takes time, but if you could travel as a crow flies, you’d soon discover their ski runs share opposite sides of mountain peaks fairly close together.

I-70 delivers you within minutes of Copper’s entrance.

Will that fact make a difference over the ensuing five years?

Location At-A-Glance

Region: Western United States

State: Colorado

Travel Region: Northwestern Colorado

County: Summit County

Patchwork County: Monied Burbs

Town: Frisco — Copper Mountain, Copper Mountain Resort

Population Density: Town and Country

Real Estate Phase: Early-Maturity

Zip Codes: 80443

Profile At-A-Glance (Summer 2008)

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Families, BabyBoomers, EmptyNests, Midlife,

Ages: 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+, 45-65

Community Neighbors:

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45+, Couples, Affluent Empty Nests, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry (Mammoth Lakes, CA)

05F1T1, Country Squires, 45+, Family, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry (Lake Arrowhead, CA)

April 25, 2019June 26, 2019

11Y1T1, God’s Country, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry (Boulder, CO)

23Y2T2, Greenbelt Sports, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, Country Comfort (Aspen, CO)

Distant Exurbans – WRDE (Declined, Evolved or Moved)

48Y3T4, Young and Rustic, 20-29, Striving Singles, Rustic Living (ParkCity, UT)

You’ll find out a little later that Frisco and Copper Mountain “lost” their only Distant Exurban lifestyle.

Those 20-29 year old singles used to rustic living – 48Y3T4 “flew” to Breckenridge and Durango in Colorado, Incline Village in Nevada, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, Bishop in California and to Whitefish in Montana.

Not only that, unlike Breckenridge, two community neighbors with four core lifestyles did not change.

Why?

Or why not?

Did the Great Recession treat the mountain communities differently?

Highlights and Headlines.

Winter 2007 – 2008

Arresting Development Copper Style

Snowball Trial

SNOWBALL. FIGHT. ARREST. Colorado. Copper Mountain. A seasonal worker from Australia is scheduled to go on trial Thursday for allegedly injuring an acquaintance when he launched a snowball at her last season at Copper Mountain.

High Alpine Bowls, Not Enough?

Backside Of The Mountain Preserved For Wildlife

MOUNTAINS.WILDLIFE. Colorado. Copper Mountain Resort has begun to open portions of their high alpine bowls on the backside of the mountain preserved for wildlife.

Environmental Report Card vs. Development

Copper and Breck on Bottom of Environmental Report

Top 10 ski resort scores, by score 1. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort – Colo. A 88.9 2. Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort – Colo.

IntraWest owns Whistler, Copper and Steamboat.

MOUNTAINS. VAIL RESORTS. INTRAWEST. Colorado. Vail. Bill Jensen, the top executive at Vail Mountain and president of its mountain division, is leaving Vail Resorts to work for rival ski company Intrawest that owns Whistler, Copper and Steamboat.

Base Area Redevelopment Plan

Density, parking and transportation will be some of the key topics as the Board of County Commissioners starts to scrutinize Copper Mountain Resort’s latest base area redevelopment plan at a 1:30 p.m. work …

10-Story Hotel

Copper Mountain’s proposal to concentrate density in the core of the resort includes preliminary plans for a 10-story hotel on the site of the existing Chapel parking …

Leadville to Minturn

Interstate 70 Is Closed At MM 195

Westbound Interstate 70 is closed at MM 195 due to multiple accidents. An alternate route is to use Highway 91 from Copper Mountain to Leadville and then take Highway 24 to Minturn.

Leapers and Super Pipes

Main Vein Super Pipe

Copper Mountain’s Main Vein Super pipe will be closed Monday, Feb. 25, re-opening Friday, Feb.

Leap Day Take The Day Off And Ski And Ride Day

Today, leap day, Copper Mountain Resort is holding their first annual National take the day off and ski and ride day or N.T.T.D.O.A.S.A.R.D. Leapers get to ski for free, while everyone else just gets to play

Summit County Community

Summit High School Alpine Team

Coach Tory Hauser was pleased with the Summit High School alpine team’s performance in Friday’s giant slalom at Copper Mountain, even though the Tigers were unable to top the podium.

Fundraising For Summit Community Care Clinic

Summit Community Care Clinic will be holding its first ever major fundraising event on March 8 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Copper Mountain Conference Center.

Spring 2008

Season Passes Lowest Possible Prices

Season passes for three of Colorado’s favorite resorts –

” Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Steamboat, all of which have enjoyed incredible snow this season – ” are available for the lowest possible prices …

Which is Worse?

Bicycling Accidents, Snowboarding Emergency-Room Visits

Not counting bicycling accidents, snowboarding injuries accounted for a quarter of all emergency-room visits related to outdoor sports injuries in 2005-2005, according to a new federal report.

What’s Right Around the Corner?

Summer Music Acts, Cycling, And Running Events

Copper’s Summer schedule features national music acts, cycling, and running events.

Summer 2008

Run the Rockies

Colorado. Copper Mountain. Frisco.

Johannes Rudolph celebrated his 43rd anniversary of being alive by winning Run the Rockies Saturday in Frisco with a time of 1 …

Half-Marathon Is 75 Percent Downhill

COLORADO. MOUNTAINS. SKI-TOWNS. Colorado. Copper Mountain. The half-marathon is 75 percent downhill and the Tenmile Creek is 100 percent downhill.

Just Like That

Surprise Road Closure

Denver Water closed our road without communicating with anyone in Summit County, the towns of Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Montezuma and the Keystone community.

Cross Promotion Beery Good

Promotional Use Of The Resorts’ Logos By MillerCoors

MillerCoors LLC has reached a joint marketing deal with Colorado’s Copper Mountain and Winter Park ski resorts that includes event sponsorship and promotional use of the resorts’ logos by the brewer.

Master Plan Development

Copper Mountain’s Development Proposal

Tenmile Planning Commission hearings on Copper Mountain’s development proposal When: Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Where: Ptarmigan Room, Copper Mountain Conference Center.

Master Plan With 600 New Residential Units

The Tenmile Planning Commission gave Copper Mountain Resort the green light to build nearly 600 new residential units under a reconfigured master plan.

Fall 2008

What About Jobs?

Local Job Fair

The Frisco Workforce Center and the Town of Silverthorne will host a free job fair this Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. ‘We had a steady group of …

Reduce and Realign

Intrawest Will ‘Reduce And Realign’ Its Workforce

MOUNTAINS. Colorado. Copper Mountain. Intrawest announced Wednesday that it will ‘reduce and realign’ its workforce, but the Canadian-based resort company did not specify if any of the cuts would be felt at Copper Mountain.

Intrawest – Think Global, Act Local

10 Ski Resorts In Canada And The United States

Intrawest owns or manages 10 ski resorts in Canada and the United States, 16 resorts and “villages” in Canada, the United States and France and both Canadian Mountain Holidays Heli Skiing and Whistler Heli Skiing.

Solitude, Squaw Valley, Mammoth Keystone, Copper and Winter Park

Intrawest is best known as the developer of mountain villages in Whistler BC, Panorama BC, Blue Mountain ON, Mt. Tremblant QC, Stratton VT, Mountain Creek NJ, Snowshoe WV, Solitude UT, Squaw Valley CA, Mammoth Lakes CA, Keystone CO, Copper Mountain CO, Winter Park CO and Arc 1950 France.

Developing Or Re-Developing “Villages” June Lake And Steamboat Springs

Intrawest is also currently developing or re-developing “villages” at June Lake CA, Steamboat Springs CO

Mountain Resorts By The Numbers

The Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition Rates 53 Of The 83 Resorts

MOUNTAINS. SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD. Colorado. Utah. The Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition says that region-wide, 53 of the 83 resorts it reviewed this year boosted their scores, but seven received failing grades.

Colorado Copper Mountain’s “F,” Expansion And Real Estate Development

The resort with the lowest score was Colorado’s Copper Mountain, which ranked at 31.9 points for an “F,” the coalition said. Copper Mountain’s score was almost entirely due to an expansion of terrain and real estate development, coalition research director Hunter Sykes said.

Colorado’s “A” Aspen Mountain to “F” Copper Mountain

# Name Grade

1 (A) Aspen Mountain Ski Resort 85.7%

20 (F) Copper Mountain Ski Resort 31.9%

The Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition. Intrawest Ski Areas

# Criteria Maximum Points Awarded Points

10 ski areas totaling 21,913 acres of skiable terrain.

# Name Grade

1 Copper Mountain Ski Resort 31.9% (F)

2 Steamboat Ski & Resort 61.1% (C)

3 Winter Park Resort 48.9% (D)

Winter 2008 – 2009

Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Business Could Drop Between 5 And 15% This Season

The leadership of the Aspen Skiing Co. anticipates business could drop between 5 and 15 percent this season.

Practice, Practice, Practice

U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix

MOUNTAINS. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX. Colorado. Copper Mountain. Halfpipe superstars from across the globe have descended upon Copper Mountain this week in preparation for the season’s first U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix coming up …

Part Three:

Steps:

Summit

Monied ‘Burbs, Celebrities, Ski Resorts: Pre-Great Recession Lifestyles Profiles-At-A-Glance

This contours along the “Continental Divide, an imaginary line that marks the flow of precipitation. Rain falling on the west of the Divide makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. Rain on the east makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.”

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

As you leave Telluride, the next travel region on your BOF bucket list takes you to Northwestern Colorado.

Where is it?

South of the Wyoming state line.

Along the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, but east of Utah state line.

It includes Mesa, Pitkin and Summit counties.

If you are like most people you’d recognize the region in relation to Interstate 70.

Well, draw a line 50 to 100 miles south and you’ve found its southern border.

Follow I-70 from the western portal of the Eisenhower Tunnel in the east to the Utah state line in the west and you’ve got it covered.

Wikitravel describes the region this way:

Splitting the Difference at the Continental Divide – WikiTravel

This contours along the Continental Divide, an imaginary line that marks the flow of precipitation.

Rain falling on the west of the Divide makes its way to the Pacific Ocean.

Rain on the east makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Exploring Summit County first, makes the most sense, because more resort towns ranging from innovation to early maturity can be visited in fewer vacation days.

And, guess what?

Patchwork Nation says Summit County can be added to the “Monied Burbs List.”

Across the county you’ll discover 8 or 9 towns that might capture your imagination.

In fact you’d probably recognize the names of the four major ski and snowboarding resort areas already.

Keystone
Copper Mountain
Arapahoe Basin
Breckenridge.

And, you’ll find out that two reservoirs store water for local recreation and home owners as far away as Denver.

Summit County, Colorado. Source: Google Maps

And as you learn later, the Summit Daily News features news and information about the towns and resorts.

To be honest Summit County confused me years ago when we began our coverage.

Here’s why.

Zip Codes.

80424 – Breckenridge
80435 – Keystone and Dillon
80443 – Copper Mountain and Frisco

Oh, and in my knowledge base, I discovered more confusion.

Just like Santa Cruz County in California and Santa Cruz County in Arizona, there are other Summit Counties in other western states.

One closer by in Utah.

So let’s start with the least confusing.

Breckenridge.

Some like to call the most popular ski resort in the U.S.

Probably their Chamber of Commerce, right?

Unlike Durango, Breckenridge citizens live within one zip code, 80424.

Location At-A-Glance

Region: Western United States, Rocky Mountain Region

State: Colorado

Travel Region: Northwestern Colorado

County: Summit County

Patchwork County: Monied Burbs

Town: Breckenridge

Population Density: Town and Country

Real Estate Phase: Early-Maturity

Ski Area Citizens Scorecards:

(F) Breckenridge Ski Resort 36.1% (Fall 2008)

(D) Breckenridge Ski Resort 41.5% (Winter 2009 -2010)

5-Year Time Frames — 2003 – 2008

Breckenridge, CO Zip Code 80424 – Google Maps

Profile At-A-Glance (Summer 2008)

Zip Codes: 80424

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers

Ages: 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 55+

Community Neighbors:

Wireless Resorters

March 21, 2019March 21, 2019

11Y1T1, God’s Country, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Declined, Evolved or Moved to Boulder, CO)

23Y2T2, Greenbelt Sports, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Aspen, CO)

33F3T2, Big Sky Families, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Declined, Evolved or Moved to Park City, UT)

28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (St. Helena, CA)

Distant Exurbans – WRDE (Declined, Evolved or Moved)

56Y3T4, Crossroads Villagers, 20-29, Striving Singles,Rustic Living, WRDE Distant Exurbans, Wireless Resorters (Declined, Evolved or Moved to Telluride, CO)

Community Neighbors:

High Country Eagles

Rural Cowboys– HCERC

45Y3T3, Blue Highways, 20-29, Striving Singles, Middle America HCERC Rural Cowboy, High Country Eagles (Dillon, CO)

Over the next five years Breckenridge changed the most.

Compared to the other Summit County mountain resort towns.

Of the four Maturing Resorts community lifestyles only two remained.

And, the lone representative of the Distant Exurbans vanished as well.

Breckenridge said goodbye to couples, families, and mid lifers in the 30-44 age range.

Three “anchor lifestyles” remained – singles, empty nesters and Baby Boomers ages 20-29, 25-54 and 55+.

Why?

To find out, let’s start with how things were in 2008.

And, with the December, 2007 to February 2008 ski and snowboard season.

Highlights and Headlines.

Winter 2007 – 2008

History and Holiday Arts

Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and the Summit Historical Society

Edwin Carter Log Cabin Naturalist Museum Source – Wikipedia

“It’s one of few of its kind that exists.” The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and the Summit Historical Society recently announced that the William W. Boyd Horseshoe Collection will be on display at the Edwin Carter Museum in Breckenridge.

Third Annual Arts District Holiday Party

The third annual Arts District Holiday Party is Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Breckenridge Theatre at 121 S.

Providing Medical Services

Level V Trauma Center Breckenridge Medical Clinic

Breckenridge Medical Clinic recently passed a re-certification test to stay a Level V Trauma Center with a perfect score from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Trauma Services Division.

Land and Water Conservation

Plan For Carter Park

“This probably represents more of a compromise” Following a recent presentation about a plan for Carter Park designed by a community advisory group and recommended by the majority of citizens who got involved, Breckenridge Town Council gave the go-ahead.

We’re Protecting The Land And The Water

“I’m representing the people of the state of Colorado to make sure we’re protecting the land and the water” The massive budget bill passed by the U.S. Congress this week includes nearly a $1 million in federal funds for the Highway 9 widening project bet

Mining Town to Destination Resort

One Of America’s Favorite Alpine Destinations

Breckenridge, Colorado is one of America’s favorite alpine destinations. Breckenridge was founded over 140 years ago as a mining town.

2nd-Home Market In Old-Style Victorian Mining Town

“This is really a 2nd-home market” The holiday rush may be over, but January and February don’t slow down in Breckenridge, Colorado, an old-style Victorian mining town turned modern ski mecca.

Films, Festivals and Fun

Mountainfilm in Telluride

Mountainfilm in Telluride, a festival of adventure, cultural and environmental films, is partnering with Breckenridge’s nonprofit Mountain to Mountain by bringing three nights of film to the Speakeasy. MountainFilm support and attendance helped CRMS Thank you to all who supported and attended the Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s presentation of Telluride MountainFilm on Tour this year.

North American Open Freeskiing Videos

Watch freeskiing videos from this weekends North American Open in Breckenridge, hosted by Simon Dumont and Jon Olsson.

Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships

For the 18th year, Breckenridge is hosting the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge.

Celebrities and Salaries

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Breckenridge, Colorado is among the hot spots to be featured on the new season of E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Salaries Of The Breckenridge Town Council Members

An ordinance that will increase the salaries of the Breckenridge Town council members elected this spring recently passed the second reading with a 5-to-1 vote.

Spring 2008

Hut, Hut, Hut …

Backcountry Shelter Considered By Summit Huts Association

The Summit Huts Association is considering several spots near Breckenridge for a new backcountry shelter, but proponents are wary of environmental concerns that scuttled the last effort.

Summer 2008

Early Signals?

Hotel Occupancy In Vail, Aspen And Breckenridge

Whatever the cause, hotel occupancy this year in Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge is down slightly this year from the first six months of 2007.

Victorian Historic District

Eco-Friendly Solar Panels Into The Town’s Historic District

Colorado – Breckenridge officials are grappling with how to usher eco-friendly solar panels into the town’s historic district while preserving its renowned Victorian charm.

First Documented Gold Strike On The Western Slope

Breckenridge is home to the first documented gold strike on the Western Slope, but the story as told may be inaccurate.

Foundation Endowment

$100,000 to the Summit Foundation

The Grand Lodge on Peak 7 recently gave $100,000 to the Summit Foundation for an endowment through which the donors can designate the specific beneficiaries.

Local Celebrity

Breckenridge Snowborder

DeAnna Pappas is down to two final bachelors on this season of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelorette.”

Festivals and Celebrations

Summer Festival of Film

The Breckenridge Festival of Film, which took place June 5-8, 2008 has announced its choices for best of this year’s festival.

28th Annual Breckenridge Festival Of Film

High drama, suspense and political intrigue drew audiences from the four corners of the nation for the World Premiere of “Washington, You’re Fired” at this year’s 28th annual Breckenridge Festival of Film.

Parade Down Main Street

The fun begins on July 4th, with a parade down Main Street.

Second Annual Kingdom Days Celebration

Mobile outhouses, mine tours and gunfights aim to lure folks to Breckenridge this weekend for the second annual Kingdom Days celebration.

Kickoff Of The Up With People

Special to the Daily FARMER’S KORNER – Lovisa Cehlin traveled from her home country of Sweden to Breckenridge for the kickoff of the Up With People …

Quaint Shops

New Tin Shop Artists Arrive

The Arts District of Breckenridge’s Tin Shop is located at 117 E.

Hamlet’s Bookshoppe

“While vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado, over the Fourth of July weekend, I stopped by a quaint little bookstore in town called Hamlet’s Bookshoppe,” emails publicist Amber Childres.

Retreats

Signature Health And Wellness Retreats

Sacred Tree, a holistic health and wellness center in Breckenridge, is launching a line of signature health and wellness retreats.

Mountain-Pine Beetle Aftermath

Turned From Removal To Replanting

The Breckenridge mountain-pine beetle program’s emphasis has turned from removal to replanting.

Music, Touring and Walking

Blue River Series at the Riverwalk Center

The Breckenridge Music Festival will present Cowboy Junkies with special guest Monahans as part of the Blue River Series at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Cowboy Junkies were …

Continental Divide Land Trust Walking Tour

A walking tour of Breckenridge highlighting what remains of the wildflowers and native landscapes indigenous to our area will be offered on Saturday, August 2, by Continental Divide Land Trust.

Ride The Rockies Bicycle Tour

After seven days and 435 miles, over 2,000 cyclists will cross the finish line in Breckenridge Saturday for this year’s Ride the Rockies bicycle tour.

On and Off the Road

A Dozen Thefts Of High-End Road Bikes

Breckenridge police believe thieves are targeting high-end road bikes after a dozen thefts since June.

Surprise Road Closure

Denver Water closed our road without communicating with anyone in Summit County, the towns of Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Montezuma and the Keystone community.

Breckenridge Free Ride’s New Diesel-Hybrid Bus

A bright grin under a white bucket hat and Wayfarer-style shades greeted riders boarding Breckenridge Free Ride’s new diesel-hybrid bus Friday.

Fall 2008

Early Start to New Season

Making Snow After First Big Winter Storm

The first big winter storm allowed the resort at Breckenridge, Colorado to start making snow.

Top 10 Resorts

7. Breckenridge, Colorado and Whistler, British Columbia,

18 – 20 Inches of Base Depth

As I write this, nothing but sun is falling anywhere in the Western U.S., but in the last few days and weeks snow has begun to accumulate. In Colorado, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Loveland, Copper, and Wolf Creek are open and reporting a base depth of 18 to 20 inches.

Snowboarder Tara Weldon

After a taste of Breckenridge for an episode of MTV’s ‘Made,’ aspiring competitive snowboarder Tara Weldon is devouring the whole meal.

What’s So Funny About That?

First Laughs And Lifts Comedy Festival

If you’re all smiles today with Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper mountains opening for the season, the good vibe continues into the night and weekend with the first Laughs and Lifts Comedy Festival in Breck.

Putting the Twang in Country and the Cult in Culture

three20south in Breckenridge

Bringing a mix of country, rock and a little bit of twang, the Colorado band Great American Taxi is bringing its self-proclaimed ‘Americana without borders’ sound to three20south in Breckenridge on Saturday.

‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

In Breckenridge, will show the 1975 cult classic, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, on Friday and Saturday at 6:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. on both days.

Where to Go for Drugs

New Owners Of The Drug Store In Breckenridge

Mark and Mary Waldman recently purchased the Drug Store in Breckenridge and say they plan to build on the Drug Store’s tradition of service and convenience. The Waldmans will host a grand opening at the Drug …

Getting Around Past and Present

Historic Locomotive

Breckenridge town council on Tuesday gave the nod – by a 4-3 decision – to install historic Locomotive No.

Modification Of Breckenridge Freeride Routes

Breckenridge Freeride routes have been modified for this winter to accommodate the community and its visitors more efficiently

An Explosive Situation Leading to Stress Reduction

Dynamite Found in Frisco

What’s selling, who’s buying, who’s selling.

Tibetan Massage Therapy

A man who lived three years in a cave, escaped China on foot and nearly passed out in the trunk of a taxi now practices Tibetan massage therapy in Breckenridge.

Keep in Clean Now

Cleaning Up The Water In Breckenridge

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is helping clean up the water in Breckenridge.

What about Frisco and Copper Mountain Resort?

Part Two: What Were Frisco and Copper Mountain Like Before the Great Recession?

Steps:

Mammoth Lakes: From Hardships to Hope

Then in June, management at Mammoth Mountain, the resort that dominates the town, trimmed staff, cut salaries and announced the shuttering of its June Mountain ski operation.

By the Winter of 2013 -2014 the first Premier Resort lifestyle segment flew into the scene – midlife families on the fast-track taking advantage of the real estate deals.

An excerpt from Book Five in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams in the Sierra Mountain resorts.

Final Installment in a Seven Part Series:

Part One: Mammoth

Part Two: What Was Mammoth Like Before the Great Recession?

Part Three: Chains that Bind – Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and No Snow

Part Four: Stuck in the Middle with You

Part Five: Breathtaking Mountain Panoramas and Bullet Holes

Part Six: Temple of Folly, Clocks Cleaned and Repaired

Highlights and Headlines

5-Year Time Frames 2009 – 2014

Winter 2012 – 2013

Hoping for a better future

How Bad Things Have Been This Year

Before we get to the early snow, the new businesses, the zipping skiers and beaming boarders at Mammoth Lakes, let’s remember how bad things have been this year for this corner of the Eastern Sierra.

How bad was it?

Scant Snow In The 2011-12 Season Shuttering Of Its June Mountain

First, Mother Nature delivered scant snow in the 2011-12 season, driving tourism down just as the larger economy seemed to be recovering. Then in June, management at Mammoth Mountain, the resort that dominates the town, trimmed staff, cut salaries and announced the shuttering of its June Mountain ski operation — a painful blow to the tiny mountain community of June Lake, 20 miles north of Mammoth.

Financial Hardships

Mammoth Lakes Declared Bankruptcy

Oh, and in July the town of Mammoth Lakes declared bankruptcy after it lost a breach-of-contract lawsuit. Recovery, town officials said, would depend on layoffs, pay cuts and a plan to make debt payments of $2 million a year for 23 years.

June Lake Local Businesses Are Doing Without

These have been hard times, especially in June Lake, where local businesses are doing without their own ski mountain for the first time in decades.

Deals to bring skiers and boarders back for new season

Westin Monache Resort Mammoth

Westin Monache Resort Mammoth, 50 Hillside Drive, Mammoth Lakes; (760) 934-0400, http://www.westinmammoth.com. Some 230 rooms (all with kitchenettes) in contemporary style, with Whitebark restaurant downstairs. Winter rates $299-$599 for most rooms, more during peak time.

Village Lodge

Village Lodge, 1111 Forest Trail, Mammoth Lakes; (800) 626-6684, http://www.thevillagelodgemammoth.com. Vacation condos. Winter rates $289-$669 for a one-bedroom condo, plus $20-a-night resort fee.

Swiss Chalet Bed & Breakfast Inn

Swiss Chalet Bed & Breakfast Inn, 101 Hill Street, Mammoth Lakes; (760) 914-3452, http://www.swisschalet-mammoth.com. Opened this summer, the inn has two rooms with private baths in a modern log home with a spacious great room, picture windows and a deck with whirlpool. Winter rates typically $200-$275.

Mammoth Mountain Inn

Mammoth Mountain Inn, 10001 Minaret Road, Mammoth Lakes; (800) 626-6684, http://www.themammothmountaininn.com. A short walk from the lift lines, but gets mixed marks on TripAdvisor. Some 217 rooms. Winter rates $129-$398

Our second profile glance picked up some of changes to Mammoth’s community.

Profile At-A-Glance (Winter 2013-2014)

Life Stages: Singles, Families, Baby Boomers, Empty Nests

Ages: 25-54, 35-54, 55+

Community Neighbors:

Wireless Resorters

20F2T1, Fast-Track Families, 35-54, Families, Young Accumulators, Landed Gentry, WRPR Premier Resorts, Wireless Resorters

July 2, 2018March 22, 2019

23Y2T2, Greenbelt Sports, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters

28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters

32F3T2, New Homesteaders, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters

33F3T2, Big Sky Families, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters

By Winter of 2013 -2014 the first Premier Resort lifestyle segment flew into the scene – midlife families on the fast-track taking advantage of the real estate deals.

Two of the WRMR – Maturing Resort – lifestyles, 55+ age Empty Nests and Mainstream Families depart.

But, another Mainstream Family, age 25-54, moves in.

In 2008 Mammoth said goodbye to the younger 20-29 Millennials.

Now, two Baby Boomer lifestyles fly away.

The first, 32F3T2 families, like in South Lake Tahoe, disappear from all the California, Nevada and Colorado mountain towns we visited.

But, the second, 28M2T2 Empty Nesters, show up in almost all of the those towns surrounding Lake Tahoe.

As well as in these Colorado towns:

And, then in California:

Tahoe City,
LonePine, and
Bishop / Swall Meadows.

Like snow flurries that fall and don’t stick, at the end of the season in spring, Mammoth said hello and then goodbye to its only Premier Resort, Fast Track family lifestyle.

They, the 35-54 year old Young Accumulators (20F2T1), moved on to Olympic Valley – Squaw Valley.

Reading some of the 2013 headlines, in hindsight, you can notice some new opportunities and something positive was in the air.

Were things returning to normal?

Three seasons of highlights and headlines provide some clues.

Highlights and Headlines

5-Year Time Frames 2009 — 2014

Spring 2013

Extending Spring Snow Conditions

Tons Of Snow And Will Be Open Through Memorial Day

But not to worry, the resort has tons of snow and will be open through Memorial Day; In the meantime, it’s using those balmy temperatures as part of this quirky lodging deal:

Thriving in Lifestyle Businesses

Howard Sheckter, The Weather Sage Of The Eastern Sierra

A hailstorm ignited Howard Sheckter’s obsession with the elements. For three decades, the real estate agent has doubled as the weather sage of the eastern Sierra.

Range in Temperatures

Daily High Temperature At Main Lodge

Officials said the daily high temperature is based on the high temperature at Main Lodge recorded on the ski patrol website. To book, go to mammothmountain.com/VacationPlanning/Deals/.

Deals and Incentives

Discounts For Two Or More Nights

If you stay two or more nights at Mammoth from Saturday to May 23, you will receive a nightly discount based on the high temperature for the previous day. That means if it’s 50 degrees, you’ll get a $100 discount upon checkout for your two-day stay.

Summer 2013

June Mountain Season Passes https://www.junemountain.com/winter/plan-a-vacation/plan-a-vacation/deals-packages

Open for Family Fun

Reopening Of June Mountain In Winter

This coming season also marks the reopening of June Mountain, the family friendly neighbor that closed last season. At Mammoth, meanwhile, Unbound Playgrounds and Adventure Zones, which offer a go-slow introduction to terrain parks for beginners and children, will have some additional interactive elements this winter.

Water Rights Settlement

LADWP Drops Two Lawsuits For $5.8 Million

In return for $5.8 million, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power drops two lawsuits. Each agrees not to challenge the other’s water rights.

Snowboarding Training and Contests

U.S. Olympians Training Ground

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Assn. has chosen Mammoth Mountain as an official training ground for U.S. Olympians in freeskiing and snowboarding. Mammoth Mountain, celebrating its 60th season this year, will help them prepare for upcoming Winter games in Sochi, Russia, which start in early February.

Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix

Around since the late ’90s, freeskiing involves jumps and tricks on terrain park features usually reserved for snowboarders. Additionally, the 2014 snowboarding team for halfpipe will be announced at Mammoth during the final Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Jan. 18 and 19.

Fall 2013

Fall Colors in Creeks and Canyons

Quick Trip To Mammoth For Brilliant Fall Colors

California: Near Mammoth, fall color starts to creep in. Don’t believe California has fall color? Neither did a Vermont friend, so I took her on a quick trip to Mammoth last year so she could see for herself. She was surprised.

Rock Creek May Be At Its Brilliant Best This Weekend

Timing and elevation are everything, of course, so if you’re planning a trip this year, know that colors are beginning to appear at higher elevations. In fact, Rock Creek may be at its brilliant best this weekend.

Lundy Canyon, Bishop Creek and Rock Creek Canyon

From our trip last year, here’s what we saw along with some early color reports from this month. Just north of Lee Vining is Lundy Canyon, identified by California’s Eastern Sierra Color Guide and Map as one of the best places to see color (we also chose Bishop Creek and Rock Creek Canyon).

Waterfalls And Trails, Vistas And Forests

None of the drives was more than about 40 minutes from Mammoth. Lundy Canyon and Lake is beautiful any time of year, with waterfalls and trails, vistas and forests, but fall is special.

Color Has Now Descended To The 7,000 Feet In Elevation

Color spotter Christie Osborne reports in CaliforniaFallColor.com that color has now descended to the 7,000 feet in elevation and is approaching full peak at Mammoth Lakes, five hours away from L.A.

60s Daytime Temps Nights In The 20s And 30s

Poimiroo says daytime temps have been in the 60s with no wind. Nights remain cool in the 20s and 30s, providing optimal conditions for fall colors to intensify. The canyon roads west of Mammoth are always aflame in October, and the June Lake Loop is a can’t-miss destination.

Deer Spotting

Feeding Deer at June Lake, Past Village, Down Along Silver Lake

Best June Lake stretch is just past the village and down along Silver Lake, where tunnels of aspen line the road and deer come out to feed just before dusk. Bring a book, a camera, a camp chair and something to sip. Leave the rest to Mother Nature.

Steps:

Bishop’s History and Migrating Lifestyle

Who were the first non-Native Americans to roam the northern end of Owens Valley?

The one BOF lifestyle to say goodbye to Bishop, said hello to three Colorado and three California mountain resort towns.

An excerpt from Book Five in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams in the Sierra Mountain resorts.

Bishop: Part One

What do we already know about Bishop?

Having driven through Owens Valley on this trip we know it’s at the northern end of the valley.

And we know that the Sierra Nevada range is west while the White Mountains lie east of town.

Rock climbers gravitate to Bishop for the over 2,000 volcanic tuff and granite challenges.

Wikipedia fills in the main hiking and climbing attractions.

“Numerous peaks are within a short distance of Bishop, including Mount Humphreys (13,986 ft.), to the west, White Mountain Peak (14,242 ft.) in the northeast, and pyramidal Mount Tom (13,658 ft.) northwest of town.

Basin Mountain (13,187 ft.) is viewed to the west from Bishop as it rises above the Buttermilks.”

Bishop promotes itself “The Gateway to Eastern Sierras” and as the “Mule Capital of the World.”

For almost half a century Bishop Mule Days celebrate the contributions that pack mules made to settling the area every week leading up to Memorial Day.

“More than 700 mules compete in 181 events and the largest non-motorized parade in the United States.”

But, mules aren’t the only draw.

Tourists come for an arts and crafts show and a country and western concert.

And maybe, Bishop should celebrate cattle too.

First of all, the town’s named after a creek that’s named after Samuel Addison Bishop.

Was Sam the first to inhabit the northern Owens Valley location?

Of course not.

Maybe on maps.

But, not in fact.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) may control much of the upstream and surrounding area but, the Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony control land just west of the town.

Bishop Paiute women’s Labor Day parade float, 1940

Here’s how Wikipedia sheds light on Bishop’s Native American heritage.

“The Bishop Paiute Tribe, formerly known as the Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Mono and Timbisha Indians of the Owens Valley, in Inyo County of eastern California.”

As of the 2010 Census the population was 1,588.

More recently, the tribe counts 2000 enrolled tribal members making it the fifth largest in California.

Five elected members govern via a tribal council.

“The tribe has its own tribal court and many programs for its members.

For economic development, the Bishop Community created the Paiute Palace Casino and Tu-Kah Novie restaurant in Bishop.”

In the winter of 2013 the Los Angeles Times reported that stolen petroglyphs were recovered.

“Thieves stole from an Eastern Sierra site sacred to Native Americans about 15 miles north of Bishop.

Vandals used ladders, chisels and power saws connected to electric generators to remove the panels from cliffs know as the volcanic tableland.”

The sheered slabs measured 15 feet above ground and many were two feet high and wide.

“Native Americans had carved hundreds of lava boulders and cliffs with spiritual renderings: concentric circles, deer, rattlesnakes, bighorn sheep and hunters with bows and arrows”.

Covered by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the site supports sacred ceremonies local Paiute Native Americans, so …

“they are priceless to Native Americans, who regard the massive tableaux as a window into the souls of their ancestors.”

Who were the first non-Native Americans to roam the northern end of Owens Valley?

The Bishop visitor center named Kit Carson, Ed Kern and Richard Owens, as well as, Samuel Bishop as early explorers and settlers arriving in the middle 1800s.

Kit Carson had become a celebrated “Indian fighter” by then.

Carson, Kern and Owens mapped the Eastern Sierra territory.

Kern County and Owens Lake and Valley drew their names from Ed and Richard.

But, what about the core founding story of Bishop?

Bishop came into being due to the need for beef in a booming mining camp some eighty miles to the north, Aurora, Nevada, (Aurora was believed to be on the California side of the border at that time and was the county seat of Mono County, California).

“In 1861 cattlemen drove herds of cattle some three hundred miles from the great San Joaquin Valley of California, through the southern Sierra at Walker Pass, up the Owens Valley, and then through Adobe Meadows to Aurora.”

When Bishop and his wife, and a few trail hands drove 600 cattle and 50 horses on that long journey from Fort Tejon in the Tehachapi Mountains into the valley they experience an epiphany.

Why not just settle there instead, raise the cattle and sell their beef to the miners and businesses selling to miners in Aurora?

The McGee brothers joined them as the first white settlers in the valley.

“Remnants of these early settler’s stone corrals and fences can still be seen north of Bishop along Highway 395 in Round Valley (barbed wire fencing was not invented until 1873).”

Enough of that.

What about present day?

What happened to the lifestyle that took flight?

The one BOF lifestyle to say goodbye to Bishop, said hello to three Colorado and three California mountain resort towns.

The 11Y1T1 30-44, Midlife Couples, ditched Bishop’s Wireless Resort, Maturing Resort community and possibly migrated to:

Mammoth Lakes, California
Truckee, California
Tahoe City – Sunnyside, California
Durango, Colorado
Telluride, Colorado or
Frisco – Copper Mountain, Colorado.

So keeping things local, let’s now turn to Mammoth.

Steps:

20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?

26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.

27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?

June 22, 2018March 22, 2019

Bishop

Bishop is a welcomed retreat with much (much) warmer weather than Mammoth.

We put together a “Birds-of-a-Feather” lifestyle list of possible communities across western states.

An excerpt from Book Five in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams in the Sierra Mountain resorts.

We introduced this section with a story about building a life on your own terms with Whitefish, Montana residents figuring it was time to move on because of their property tax burden.

We put together a “Birds-of-a-Feather” lifestyle list of possible communities across western states.

And we narrowed the choices to the Rocky Mountain states, specifically Colorado, before visiting and sizing up towns in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

For our Swall Meadows family, we honestly don’t know how the next chapter of their story unfolds.

Each neighbor faced gut wrenching choices.

Start over.

Fight.

Or flight.

But, to where?

Their lifestyle profile opens up their relocation options to the same communities we already profiled.

So we can speculate.

Swall Meadows falls within the broad Bishop zip code, unlike Tom’s Place, Rock Creek Lodge, McGee Creek and Crawley Lake which claim Mammoth Lake’s zip code.

If they planned to rebuild (hopefully their financial planner made certain their fire insurance coverage was current) and needed to find a temporary home in the area, they probably chose either Bishop or Mammoth Lakes.

In both places they will find neighbors who fit their lifestyle and share their values.

Mammoth School District employed the husband as a math teacher.

Choosing Mammoth would certainly cut their commuting expenses, while like their other neighbors, they rebuild.

But, first the “from” before the “to”.

Choosing Bishop.

Location At-A-Glance

Region: Western United States

State: California

Travel Region: Sierra Nevada Region; Eastern Sierra

County: Inyo County,

Patchwork County: Service Worker Center

Town: Bishop, Swall Meadows

Population Density: Town and Country

Zip Codes: 93514

Profile At-A-Glance (Summer 2010)

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers

Ages: 20-29, 30-44, 45-65, 55+

Community Neighbors:

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45-65, Empty Nests, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry

Distant Exurbans — WRDE

11Y1T1 God’s Country, 30-44, Couples, Midlife, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry

28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+ Baby Boomers, Country Comfort

48Y3T4,Young Rustic, 20-29, Striving Singles, Rustic Living

Bishop, California Zip Code 93514 — Nearby Zip Codes: 93513, 93512, 93526, 89010, 93546, 93628

At the time of the 2010 financial check up, Bishop counted four Wireless Resorter lifestyle profiles in its zip code.

But, six years later one of the two Maturing Resort lifestyles, 11Y1T1 — 45+ Affluent Empty Nesters disappeared.

Profile At-A-Glance (Winter 2016)

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers, Seniors

Ages: 20-29, 45-65, 55+, 65+

Community Neighbors:

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45-65, Empty Nests, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry

Distant Exurbans — WRDE

28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+ Baby Boomers, Country Comfort

Resort Suburbans — WRRS

43M3T3, Heartlanders, 55+Boomer, Cautious Couples, Middle America

48Y3T4, Young and Rustic, 20-29, Striving Singles, Rustic Living

High Country Eagles

Rustic Eagles – HCERE

57M4T4, Old Milltowns, 65+, Sustaining Seniors, Rustic Living

Service Worker Centers

Midsize and small towns with economies fueled by hotels, stores and restaurants and lower-than-average median household income by county.

By the winter of 2016 one High Country Eagle lifestyle, the Rustic Eagle 57M4T4 joined Bishop’s zip code.

The rustic living, sustaining senior citizen lifestyle joined another newcomer, the 43Y3T3 55+ Baby Boomer, cautious couples.

In 2016 Bishop included lifestyles from all four Wireless Resorter communities – Premier Resorts, Maturing Resorts, Resort Suburbans (with the 43M3T3 newcomers) and Distant Exurbans — and the first High Country Eagle lifestyle (57M4T40).

Taking off and saying goodbye to Bishop, the 11Y1T1 30-44 year old successful midlife couples, having also left Breckenridge may have landed in the Lake Tahoe Basin in Tahoe City or Sunnyside.

Or in Southwestern Colorado Region along the Animas River in Durango .

Or in Dillon, Colorado – like Finnmark did.

What else should we consider about Bishop, according to Wikipedia?

The population was 3,879 at the 2010 census, up from 3,575 at the 2000 census. (304 more over 10 years)

To that the Bishop visitor center adds

The “greater Bishop area,” which includes unincorporated nearby neighborhoods such as West Bishop, Meadow Creek-Dixon Lane, Wilkerson Ranch, Rocking K, Mustang Mesa and Round Valley includes an additional 11,000 residents.

Bishop is a welcomed retreat with much (much) warmer weather than Mammoth.

With 5.18″ average yearly precipitation and only 6 inches of snow, Bishop makes the perfect combo vacation – ski, golf, fish and bike year-round.

Part Two: Bishop’s History and Migrating Lifestyle

Steps:

26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.

October 12, 2017March 22, 2019

Regions

“Mountains, canyons, waterfalls and unusual landforms give life to wide variations of vegetation. Year round recreational opportunities satisfy lovers of fishing, hiking, bicycling, rafting, hot air ballooning, skiing, ice-skating and snowmobiling.”

How have the Pagosa Springs profiles changed between Summer of 2008 and the Winter of 2013-2014?

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

Continuing in the Rocky Mountain states region, let’s explore first what the South Central Colorado (Pagosa Springs ) and then the Southwestern Colorado travel regions have to offer.

You’ll enjoy an extended vacation in four towns that are relatively close together.

Pagosa Springs, 81147;

Durango, 81301 and 81303;

Silverton, 81433; and

Telluride 81435

We initiated coverage in 2008 and 2009 which gives us a view of the neighborhood evolutions for each like it did for Whitefish, Montana.

You will recall we introduced you to Pagosa Springs already.

“Pagosa Springs … The Colorado You’ve Always Dreamed Of.”

Mountains, canyons, waterfalls and unusual landforms give life to wide variations of vegetation. Year round recreational opportunities satisfy lovers of fishing, hiking, bicycling, rafting, hot air ballooning, skiing, ice-skating and snowmobiling.

Does it meets the quality-of-life criteria for a resort town?

You can say an emphatic “Yes” to three key questions

Does it offer a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities?
Do the weather patterns in winter or summer make you want to live there year round, or only on a seasonal basis.
Does it have potential over the long term to develop into a high appreciation real estate investment while being affordable for mid-life or empty nesters?

Off the beaten path, part of the Four Corners region located in the Colorado Sunbelt, just 35 miles north of the New Mexico border and along the Western slope of the Continental Divide.

“The combination of high desert plateau and Rocky Mountains to the North and East of town creates an unusually mild climate. Pagosa Springs is located in the upper San Juan Basin, surrounded by the nearly 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness Area.”

Two US highways bisect the region – US 550 cuts through the forest along the north / south, while US 160 divides along the east / west axis.

“Covering 1.9 million acres in southwestern Colorado, lies the San Juan National Forest, with elevations in the forest range from 6,800 feet at Junction Creek to 13,000 feet at Wolf Creek near the Continental Divide, and over 14,000 feet at Mount Wilson in the Lizard Head Wilderness.”

Wolf Creek for Ski and Snow Boarding Enthusiasts

For ski enthusiasts, a 23-mile trek brings you to Wolf Creek Ski Area on US 160 at the top of apply named Wolf Creek Pass.

U.S. 84 is a great drive that covers 151 miles between Santa Fe and its western terminus, Pagosa Springs, population: about 1,700.

Pagosa Springs, where everyone says you should try a soak at the Springs Resort.

Baggage Claim at the Durango/La Plata County Airport

The nearest commercial airport to Pagosa Springs is the Durango/La Plata County Airport near Durango, which offers commuter air service to the major airports at Denver and Phoenix.

Durango is about 60 miles west of Pagosa Springs on US Highway 160.

The central part of Pagosa Springs, where the hot springs are, is small and easily walkable.

However the outer parts of town are growing quickly, especially the western part where there’s plenty of new residences and big box stores.

Here’s a snapshot first taken in the summer of 2008 describing Pagosa Springs’ more permanent physical profile.

Location At-A-Glance (Summer of 2008)

Region: Western United States, Rocky Mountain Region

State: Colorado

Travel Region: South Central Colorado

County: Archuleta

Town: Pagosa Springs

Real Estate Phase: Innovation Towns

Population Density: Town and Country,

And, the neighborhoods falling within Pagosa’s zip code.

Profile At-A-Glance (Summer 2008)

Zip Code: 81147

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Midlife, Empty Nests, Seniors

Ages: 20-29, 30-44, 45-65, 65+

Community Neighbors:

Premier Resorts –WRPR

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45-65, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry

25Y1T1, Country Casuals, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry

Distant Exurbans — WRDE

56Y3T4, Crossroads Villagers, 20-29, Striving Singles, Rustic Living

Community Neighbors:

High Country Eagles

Rural Cowboys — HCERC

45Y3T3, Blue Highways, 20-29, Striving Singles, Middle America

Rustic Eagles –HCERE

58M4T4, Back Country Folks, 65+ Sustaining Seniors, Rustic Living

How did the neighborhoods evolve?

By the winter of 2013-2014 Pagosa Springs, just like Whitefish, Montana gained two new Wireless Resorter lifestyles to replace the migrating Distant Exurbans WRDE 56Y3T4 – both Maturing Resorts – WRMR: 23Y2T2 and 28M2T2.

Pagosa Springs kept their Premier Resorts WRPR lifestyles over the 5-year period between the summer of 2008 and the winter of 2013-2014 (09M1T1 and 25Y1T1).

But their Distant Exurbans WRDE 56Y3T4 migrated somewhere else.

In fact, across mountain towns, as you’ll discover later, in California (Mammoth), Montana (Whitefish) and Colorado (Durango and Silverton) the younger Distant Exurbans 56Y3T4 Millennials disappeared entirely.

The Rustic Living (T4) lifestyle, Rustic Eagles HCERE 58M4T4 migrated with the flock that took off from Whitefish, Montana.

Later, you’ll discover they landed in Silverton and Vail, Colorado and along US 395 in Lone Pine, California.

So, Pagosa Springs evolved from T4 Rustic Living to a more upscale T2 Town and Country ranking with the second Rural Cowboy HCERC 28M2T2.

Overall Pagosa Springs dropped the two lifestyles ranked lower for affluence and status (86% lower that the most affluent ) 56/66 and 58/66 respectively.

The only less affluent lifestyle remaining is ranked 45/66 (68% lower)- Rural Cowboys — HCERC 45Y3T3.

Like Whitefish, Pagosa Springs added another Wireless Resorter lifestyle – Maturing Resorts – WRMR 23Y2T2.

Which as you’ll see populates many if not most of the resort destinations we’ve explored.

Here’s the most recent profile to determine the degree of fit for you, if you’ve migrated recently from or any other town

Profile At-A-Glance (Winter 2013 – 2014)

Zip Code: 81147

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers

Ages: 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45-65, 55+

Community Neighbors:

Premier Resorts –WRPR

09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45-65, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry

25Y1T1, Country Casuals, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry

Maturing Resorts – WRMR

23Y2T2 Greenbelt Sports, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, Country Comfort

28M2T2 Traditional Times, 55+, Couples, Empty Nest, Country Comfort

Community Neighbors:

High Country Eagles

Rural Cowboys — HCERC

45Y3T3, Blue Highways, 20-29, Striving Singles, Middle America

So, Pagosa Springs slowly evolved into a more Wireless Resorter destination resort with four lifestyles, two remaining in premier resort communities and two new neighbors maturing resort communities.

If you fall within the 20 to 29, 25 to 54, 30 to 44 or 55+ age groups you might love Pagosa Springs.

There you’ll find neighbors who remain single, have found a partner, experience the ups and downs of midlife, and the suddenly empty households as children move out, and of course, age as Baby Boomers.

Should you keep it on your quality-of-life resort bucket list?

Of course the choice is yours, but on your visit keep your eyes open for

“A new look that includes intelligent town planning for increased human interaction; and abundant open space; flexibility in home design; planning for safety; shared facilities; and high-tech communications infrastructure.”

In the meantime, you should search the web for back articles about what really goes on, what life is really like and how it evolved over two 5-year timeframes, 2003 to 2008, and 2009 to 2014.

Or you can profit from the work we’ve already done on your behalf.

Steps:

(23) Focus on resort communities in the western region of the United States with a new look that includes intelligent town planning for increased human interaction; and abundant open space; flexibility in home design; planning for safety; shared facilities; and high-tech communications infrastructure.”

October 3, 2017October 4, 2017

Eco-topia

Some of us were stumped for a while trying to figure out something about “Birds of a Feather,” and two more clues, “Father Serra biting off more than you can chew and Red Ryder.”

Father Serra at the San Juan Capistrano Mission

Neighbors matter. If you plan to move, invest in real estate, work, start a business or retire affordably, you are making a longer-term commitment.

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

Colorado Dreaming!

In the summer of 2003 we played a “Where’s Waldo” game described in the “Journal of 2020 Foresight.”

He’s in a destination that the local Indians called “Healing Water“ for the thermal springs that became a popular spa in the 1800s.

He says this place is known for the water that reaches 153 degrees Fahrenheit.

It also heats some of the town’s buildings.

We also know the location is surrounded by a national forest.

The area enjoys abundant recreational activity supported by the melting snow flowing into summer lakes.

Some of us were stumped for a while trying to figure out something about “Birds of a Feather,” and two more clues, “Father Serra biting off more than you can chew and Red Ryder.”

But we recalled …

Legend of Swallows Flocking to the Mission in Capistrano

“The swallows returning to Capistrano – San Juan Capistrano, near Dana Point in California.

But Red Ryder doesn’t make sense and the last set of clues stumped us for a while – ‘the basic math of howling in the water that runs both ways?’

Splitting the Difference at the Continental Divide

Remember when we discussed gold and silver mining and dividing the shares.

Think about it.

Where does water run both ways?

At the Continental Divide.

That’s the basic math.”

So the destination, we reasoned, must be near the Continental Divide in the San Juan National Forest, but where?

Well, we reviewed the winter ski resorts and considered the springs – as in Steamboat and Glenwood.

But, not there!

Finally.

Pagosa Springs – about 20 miles from Wolf Creek – fits a quality-of-life profile we pursued.

“Pagosa Springs … The Colorado You’ve Always Dreamed Of.”

It made the Colorado “innovation – growth” list along with Basalt and Redstone.

But, just exactly where is Pagosa Springs?

In southwestern Colorado surrounded by the San Juan National Forest.

Two US highways bisect the region – US 550 cuts through the forest along the north / south, while US 160 divides along the east / west axis.

A game is one thing.

But to keep it on the bucket list, how does it stack up against the quality-of-life criteria for an innovation resort town?

Does it offer a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities?

Check.

Year round recreational opportunities satisfy lovers of fishing, hiking, bicycling, rafting, hot air ballooning, skiing, ice-skating and snowmobiling.

Mountains, canyons, waterfalls and unusual landforms give life to wide variations of vegetation.

Do the weather patterns in winter or summer make you want to live there year round, or only on a seasonal basis.

Melting snow flows into summer lakes.

For ski enthusiasts, a 23-mile trek brings you to Wolf Creek Ski Area on US 160 at the top of aptly named Wolf Creek Pass.

How much falls in the winter?

Better investigate.

Does it have potential over the long-term to develop into a high appreciation real estate investment while being affordable for mid-life or empty nesters?

At the time, Pagosa Springs claimed one of the more trend-setting neighborhoods – New Eco-topia.

But as often happens the resource we used changed their lifestyle categories and then were acquired by another company.

In 2003 we searched the Claritas PRIZM website for New Eco-topia as well as for Blue Blood Estates, Money and Brains, God’s Country, Gray Power or Young Influentials – the other neighborhood growth lifestyles.

Keep it on the list for now.

We’ll have to research our own updated neighborhood lifestyles fitting “Wireless Resorters” and “High Country Eagles” profiles we’re pursuing…

When we move, will our established neighbors share our same values?

Unknown at this point.

Great excuse for a road trip to find out.

You might want to check out the Red Ryder museum too.

If you plan to move, invest in real estate, work, start a business or retire affordably, you are making a longer-term commitment.

Neighbors matter.

Community norms around “outsiders” and “development” matter.

Do your homework.

Or you may live to regret your decision.

Nothing replaces spending a vacation getting to know “the locals” during two seasons – summer and winter.

Steps:

(29) Investigate each community’s local attitude towards development. Is there a fear that someone, usually from outside of their community, state or country will be tempted by the raw natural beauty and try to develop it into an exclusive, high-end resort destination?

September 19, 2017

Wild

“Colorado Wild works as a part of the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance, a coalition conservation organizations dedicated to protecting Colorado’s public lands, air, water, and wildlife habitat.”

Ski Resorts Ranked from sucks to top of the class: Sun Valley, Copper Mountain, Aspen.

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

Purgatory captures the excitement of what skiing or snowboarding is all about in a local resort.

Now it is the Durango Mountain Resort.

And, you can check out the mountain and town by web cams around the clock.

Most would agree that Durango Mountain Resort isn’t in the same “destination league”as Aspen, Copper or Vail.

Which is probably why in the winter of 2007-2008 a note from the Vail Daily caught my eye.

“Vail isn’t the most environmentally friendly ski resort around, but it’s gradually improving, according to a report from the Ski Area Citizen’s Coalition.”

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition released its eighth annual survey of environmental performance, finding that some ski areas are taking steps to reduce their impact and supporting broader environmental improvement measures.

The following fall, in November, report cards returned to my feeds (and season thereafter until the winter of 2013 – 2014 when it went on hiatus.)

Sun Valley Resort failed.

Copper Mountain ranked slightly above Sun Valley.

But Aspen Mountain received an “A” with a score of 85.7 out of 100.

Most volunteers and staff of SACC are skiers themselves, and recognize skiing as a valid use of public lands.

We also recognize that not all ski areas are the same when it comes to environmental protection.

So just who performs the rankings?

With a little digging I found out Colorado Wild operated out of Southwestern Colorado.

From a P.O. Box in Durango, Colorado.

Rocky Mountain Wild
1536 Wynkoop St, Ste 900
Denver, CO 80202
303-546-0214
info@rockymountainwild.org

Later, I’m not sure when or why the SACC moved to Lake Tahoe, California.

On our BOF bucket list, but coming up a little later.

Clearly they shared the same passions for wildness that author and fellow High Country Eagle Petersen does.

Colorado Wild works to protect, preserve, and restore the native plants and animals of the Southern Rocky Mountains with particular attention given to habitat protection of Colorado’s forested, roadless, public lands and other ecologically important areas.

They focused on threats to Colorado’s wild lands – primarily logging and industrial ski area development.

As an active part of the coalition, you’ll remember, they successfully challenged Texas billionaire Red McCombs.

His Wolf Creek Village and Piano Creek developments near Pagosa Springs.

Comprised of more than 800 concerned skiers, hikers, photographers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, Colorado Wild continues to fill a critical niche.

So how did Durango score?

For the 2007 – 2008 winter season Durango Mountain Resort received a passing grade (C) with a score of 63.7 out of 100 points possible.

But, more recently, they pulled up their grade to an “A” scoring 88%.

Colorado Wild works as a part of the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance, a coalition conservation organizations dedicated to protecting Colorado’s public lands, air, water, and wildlife habitat.

During the intervening years, the Ski Area Citizens Scorecards graded all, if not most, of the ski areas across the western states.

Which may partially explain why the headquarters shifted to Lake Tahoe.

Steps:

(33) When you move, will your established neighbors share your same values? Does your new home have potential over the long-term to develop into a high appreciation real estate investment while being affordable for mid-life or empty nesters? Do the weather patterns in winter or summer make you want to live there year round, or only on a seasonal basis. Does your new community offer a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities?

April 13, 2017March 28, 2019

Off the Grid or Out of Your Mind?

“The big houses, the Humvees, the SUVs, all of that is just the same here and in a way, people are really conspicuous consumers here in the country just like in the city.“

Self Reliance: escaping Laguna Beach, building a cabin in the Durango wilderness.

An excerpt from Book Three in “The Knowledge Path Series” dedicated to helping you find the place of your dreams.

Christopher Sowers made me do it.

Or more accurately our conversation triggered a connection to a chapter I hadn’t even yet scheduled for my rewrite.

From his “How to Miss Out on $100 Million of Warren Buffett Money and Still Be Happy” I linked two things together.

David Petersen’s tale of fleeing Laguna Beach, California, years ago out of his fear of what it would become.

With recent news that Mr. Buffet is selling his beach front mansion for about $11 million.

Ready or not, here’s the chapter.

It’s about how Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) can find each other in new quality-of-life neighborhoods and live authentic lives.

We zero in on the lower left-hand corner of the Colorado map.

Basecamp (Page 135)

If you read this far (in the book) you will notice only Pagosa Springs, Silverton and Telluride made the BOF bucket lists — not Durango.

So why Durango?

It is centrally located, even though it’s located in a different travel region than Pagosa Springs (South Central Colorado).

There’s that.

And, a little later you’ll discover a lifestyle surprise.

But, enough for now.

Durango, Silverton and Telluride fall within the same Southwestern Colorado travel region.

From Durango take US-550 north to Silverton for just under 50 miles or just over an hour’s drive depending upon weather and road conditions, or … take the narrow gauge train.

From Durango to Telluride take CO-145 north for just under 115 miles or just over a 2-hour drive — or follow 550 north from Silverton and cut back on Sherman St.

From Durango to Mesa Verde National Park take Highway 160 west 35 miles to absorb its spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo with its 600 cliff dwellings.

So, let’s pick Durango as our “Basecamp” and take day trips to explore all the remaining outposts.

But, first a seasonal precaution, similar to the one issued to travelers attempting to navigate the Tioga Pass short cut out of Yosemite valley on their way to the Eastern Sierra portion of the Sierra Nevada travel region.

The heavy snows force road closures.

You travel on Highway 160 from Pagosa Springs to Durango for about 60 miles which will take over an hour based on traffic, weather and road conditions.

Locals will tell you the trip north on 160 from Pagosa Springs to Alamosa, CO can be treacherous during all seasons as you drive through Wolf Creek Pass.

The road receives heavy snowfall and is often closed during the winter.

Many people die each year when driving through the steep grades and tight switchbacks.

So,be especially careful when driving during the winter.

And, if that’s not enough.

While Highway 160 west to Durango, CO is safe except through the pass, be extremely wary of wildlife at night and icy roads in winter.

There is no cellular service from Aspen Springs to Bayfield (30 mi).

And, some long-time, self-sufficient Durango residents living on the wild edge really, really like it that way.

Thomas Curwen writing in the Los Angeles Times at the end of spring in 2005, “Lives set to a wilder rhythm” profiled authors who stepped outside the gridlock of modern life and set up in the woods.

Curwen interviewed David Petersen who purchased an acre and a half of land now some thirty-three years ago 15 miles outside of Durango, Colo.

Petersen had built a cabin, and at the article’s publication date, had lived there all this time with his wife.

The cabin served as a home base for his lifestyle business.

Then 59 years old, a 55+ Baby Boomer, he worked for the conservation organization Trout Unlimited, and wrote “On the Wild Edge: In Search of a Natural Life”

In it he explored the satisfactions and dilemmas posed by wilderness and self-sufficiency in the world as it was a decade ago.

Like the Whitefish, Montana, ex-Californians — Dudley from Woodland Hills and Arthur from Chino — Petersen became eager to leave the Golden State.

Having spent the ’70s when he was in his ’20s, the age of today’s Millennials, living along the California coast in Laguna Beach.

Back then, what could have been better?

Laguna Canyon Road attracted kids like him in their 20s looking for self-expression following the human potential movement.

Struggling artists, musicians and surfers hung out on the beach next to the Hotel Laguna. But, then …

“Real estate prices tripled, it got too crowded, too noisy.”

Here, then is a snapshot first taken in the summer of 2008, three years after Curwen’s article, describing Laguna Beach’s more permanent physical profile.

Location At-A-Glance

Region: Western United States, Pacific Coast Region

State: California

Travel Region: Southern California, South Coast Region

County: Orange

Town: Laguna Beach

Real Estate Phase: Late Maturity

Population Density: Town and Country, Suburbs

Three decades earlier, Petersen feared the worst for Laguna Beach.

And, for his like-minded, long-time resident friends it did.

In 2008, roughly 30 years after he settled in Durango’s wilderness, Laguna became the home of artists, Wireless Resorters and Wealthy Influentials.

Profile At-A-Glance (Summer 2008)

Zip Code: 92651

Life Stages: Singles, Couples, Midlife, Baby Boomers

Ages: 30–44, 45+, 55+

Community Neighbors:

Wealthy Influentials

Affluently Elite — WIAE

01M1S1, Upper Crust, 45+, Couples, Affluent Empty-Nests, Elite Suburbs, WIAE Affluently Elite, Wealthy Influentials (Half Moon Bay, CA)

03Y1S1, Movers & Shakers, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Elite Suburbs, WIAE Affluently Elite, Wealthy Influentials (Scottsdale, AZ)

Exurb Society — WIES

08Y1S2, Executive Suites , 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Affluentials, WIES Exurb Society, Wealthy Influentials (Mission Viejo, CA)

14M2S2, New Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, Affluentials, WIES Exurb Society, Wealthy Influentials (Indian Wells, CA)

Community Neighbors: