Sunrise on the Bowl
It’s been snowing pretty much every other day since the beginning of October. There are over nine feet of snow on Highlands (103” have already fallen in March). Of course, that’s nothing compared to the 227”(19 feet) at Squaw Valley, but no complaints here. Aspen Highlands is officially adding two bonus weekends: April 19-21 and April 26-28.
If you are interested in how real estate faired resort-to-resort, click here for the Sotheby’s Resort Report:
Robert Montgomery’s “The City in Their Echo” at The Aspen Art Museum
With the longer days, often the best skiing comes after lunch when the frozen snow has had a chance to soften, leaving mornings free. Above, Robert Montgomery’s “The City in Their Echo”, appears as a mysterious apparition caught in a recent blizzard.
Margaret Kilgallen, who died just as her career was gaining momentum, has a large retrospective on the second floor. This is a very rare chance to see a brilliant artist lost too soon.
Too late! NYT: In Aspen's Shadow, Snowmass Builds an Identity of Its Own
Even though last year was the big 5-0 for Snowmass, this season has seen a real turning point. Many years and many millions of dollars of invest have resulted in all new Base Village that is aiming to give nearby Aspen a run for its money. The once sleepy, family-friendly alternative to tony Aspen has become a destination of its own. Visitors and locals alike are enjoying all the winter activities from tubing to alpine roller coasting, a climbing wall, ice skating, a snowboard park, snowcat dinners, and good old-fashion fabulous skiing.
A significant amount of quality condos have been added to the market. Here is a list of recent and strong sales in the Base Village area. Base Village Condo Sales
Check out this article in Aspen Peak Magazine about skinning, which seems to get more popular every year. I just finished the Power of Two last weekend in very tough conditions, but it was a great challenge as always.
From Aspen Peak: Even as skinning (a.k.a. uphilling, a.k.a. ski touring, a.k.a. ski mountaineering, a.k.a. SkiMo, a.k.a. pick a name people!) continues to gain popularity – carving swiftly from fad to mainstream – there remains plenty-a-flat-lander who raises a confused eyebrow at what seems a ludicrous endeavor.
New Yorker Cover, 1973
Even though numbers were a bit soft last year for Aspen, it was hardly doom and gloom, especially considering the massive tumult in the stock market.
As reported by the Aspen Times:
“All of Pitkin County rang up $1.8 billion in sales in 2018, down from $1.9 billion in 2017, based on figures from Land Title Guarantee Co. and Aspen Times research. The first quarter of 2018, however, registered $408 million in sales, well ahead of the $302 million Pitkin County posted in the first quarter of 2017.
But a downward trend ensued in the spring and summer, with some months posting double-digit percentage drops until October, which saw $224.3 billion in sales, 15.7 percent better than October 2017 and the highest sales-volume month of 2018.”
As broker Tim Estin noted in his comprehensive year-end analysis, 2018 was the, "third-best year of the past seven since 2012 in terms of sales dollar volume and unit sales."
In addition, Estin poo-pooed notions of a bubble-burst: "I remain cautiously optimistic, a term much over used, with this caveat. There is plenty of Aspen developer inventory remaining in the active listing pipeline that is aggressively and optimistically priced. It is priced accordingly due to limited inventory within their respective property category. New or new-built product continues to command premium pricing and there are solid comparables to justify the high prices.”
BJ Adams of Berkshire pointed out, “This is one of those relatively rare market cycles when it is a good time for both sellers and buyers to be in the market — sellers because low inventory means there's not a lot of competition, and buyers because prices are still mostly lower than 2008 levels."
Read the full article here.
T’was the week before Christmas, and all through the hotel, not a creature was stirring, not even some Chilean gentleman in puffy jackets and beanies.
Wait … cancel that. As reported by the Aspen Times:
The theft occurred Dec. 21 just after 1 p.m. Video surveillance showed the men parking a Ford Expedition rented in California on Spring Street at 12:11 p.m. that day, then entering The Little Nell and milling around the jewelry case before leaving at 12:40 p.m. The three men returned not long after and clustered around the display case.
Video surveillance showed the man identified as Delgado Escobar using something to help him pry open the case, then bend down and interact with a black backpack being held by one of the other men.
Just before parking the getaway car, video surveillance showed one of the suspects (identified as Donoso Jofre) paying cash for a folding knife at Ute Mountaineer.
While the initial estimate put the value of stolen goods at $800K, it has since been revised to $420K (no one is quoting the wholesale cost …) The three men, aged late-20s to early 40s, are all thought to have fled the country. Read more here.
The Cioppino (fish stew) at Clark’s
The Korean Pork Board at Meat & Cheese
The Curry Bowl at Pyramid Bistro
The Dan Dan Noodle from the new Szechuan Chef Menu at Little Ollie’s (Seriously, it’s great!)
The Hot Chocolate at EMP Winter House with fernet branca, green chartreuse & angostura marshmallows (it’s practically a meal)
If you haven’t really focused yet on the 1A hubbub, the plans are really coming into focus and there is a green light at the end of the corridor. Check out our guide to all things 1A.
In 1972, world-famous architect Victor Lundy built his modernist “garden home” on a triangle lot in the West End. (Lundy studied architecture under Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School in Germany.)
Last year, the house received a spare-no-expense renovation, preserving the original design elements, but expanding the square footage from 1,800 to 10,000. Soaring, floor-to-ceiling windows and dramatic, showshopping design cover every last inch of this pedigreed property.
415 East Hyman, Aspen , CO 81611 (970) 618-5648 lex.tarumianz@aspensnowmasssir.com