Telluride Real Estate Guide

November 2009 Newsletter

2009-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home.
Hello, At the end of October, winter came in with a huge rush! Telluride picked up 10” + depending on what side of the valley you were on and in some parts of the state more than 36” fell in 48-hours! What a way to start off winter 2009/2010! What little snow has fallen thus far has not really stuck and we find ourselves bracing for winter’s arrival. The ski resort has turned on their snowmaking equipment and the opening day will be Wednesday, November 25th. There are several new improvements at the ski resort that occurred over the summer -see below.
NOTE for homeowners, as usual we are offering you a stop and drop service for ski tunes beginning mid-month should you want to have your snowboards and skis newly waxed for the season. Waiting till Christmas is a big mistake. We advise you with the same warning as far as lining up catering for the holidays, ski lessons and rentals. Get your wish list requests penciled in beforehand via our team of concierge services. One can call Trevor at (970) 729-1326 or Marc at 729-1321 for more information on this topic.

At The Homes: During the mild weather we experienced sporadically this fall, we had sufficient time to wrap up our fall checklist items for the exterior of homes, house-by-house gutter cleaning at the homes that needed it, tending to spa overhauls for the upcoming busy winter, pick-up, delivery and return cars from the tire shop for their changeover to snow tires and so much more-

Before your next visit: Line up your season passes/ski lessons with the choice instructors/ dining options

Season Pass- If you shopped on line for the early bird deals we alerted you to then your season passes may get mailed to your primary home address. If you opted out of that selection then passes can be picked up at the season pass office located at the gondola base in the Mountain Village. For the youngsters, do not forget that you can add a set amount of meal money onto their pass so the need for cash is avoided. Pass office number is 970-728-7517. If you happen to be a Telluride Ski & Gold Member than your ski passes have been printed and are waiting for you at the member’s lounge in the TMV. Your dependants (17 and younger) will have to go to the pass office for a new photo.

Dining – On our comprehensive website we have provided you with easy access to the restaurants and caterers phone numbers. Restaurants may be closed for the remainder of off season. Some will remain shut till early December. Please feel free to give us a call if you want us to make a holiday reservation for you as soon as we see that particular restaurant reopen for the season. We just cannot express how grateful our clients have been when they have opted to hire local chefs and caterers who have prepared and either served or delivered meals. Even though everyone is out playing and cavorting in the snow, the opportunity exists for great dinners without all the hassle. Reserve meals ahead of time before the chefs are booked up for the season. Either pick up yourselves or have us arrange delivery of freshly made meals or opt for a slew of premade, sumptuous frozen select entrees by the area’s top chefs.

WINTER DRIVING TIPS- We all realize that every region of the country has unique humidity and precipitation levels helping to form a characteristic winter pattern. In November we usually get wet snow storms coupled with very cold temperatures which creates the sudden onset of intensely hazardous slick and snowy conditions on the local roads. Great for a ski base on the ski hill but crummy for driving over mountain passes and in canyons. In other months of the winter the humidity levels drop a few degrees and the roads are not as slick but still snowy. Below are some winters driving tips that are tried and true.

Traction: maintain good even traction by slowing down in general and braking gradually. Gear down ahead of going downhill. For a slick up hill, accelerate a bit before you ascend the hill, and then maintain the glide up and over. SKIDS- Having good studded snow tires ($500-$1,200) and driving with a steady pace will help you avoid most skids. Gentle pumping vs. harsh power stopping will avert a skid. Avoid braking thru turns. Gear down for both up and down hills. The heavier the SUV, the longer the braking time need to slow the car down- regardless of how many drive wheels the car is equipped with. Keep your distance from other vehicles. As far as parking in town during the winter on our uneven, sloping grades on Main Street, the south side of Main Street (the Pharmacy side) stays in the shade most of the daytime whereas the sunny north side melts off rather quickly.

Colorado Highway Maintenance plow drivers disperse magnesium chloride on the roadways. This has some limited advantage for the prevention of ice forming on the roads but creates mayhem for regular driving. Because it mucks-up your windshield with grey, greasy gook, avoid following a plow when they are dispensing this stuff. Plows have considerable blind spots because of the flying snow. Be aware of this when considering a pass.

On the ski mountain- The Hop garden restaurant located in the Plaza area of the Village core has undergone a facelift and the single slices are back on the menu items at the Crazy Elk! The revelation Bowl chairlift ramp at the top has been re-engineered so the risk of being swept around the bull wheel has been diminished- thank heavens for that! A wonderful full access ramp has been newly constructed to the Gold Hill Chutes.
BEWARE: Friends don’t let Friends ski where they shouldn’t Ski! This means the entry to this EXPERT only terrain now looks safe and inviting which will probably translate into more ski accidents out there in the off piste zones! What were they thinking! Give Marc a call and he will give you the heads up on what and when to ski back there-

Expanded seating at our favorite on mountain posh spot- Alpine Vino. New outdoor decks! At your home -------Alarm systems at high alpine homes- There are many layers to protecting your mountain home-
Is your Telluride home’s monitor system a candidate to get modernized to prevent flood damage, carbon monoxide emergencies and freeze protection to name a few items?
Having Kastle Keepers, LLC walk thru your home weekly is definitively taking a proactive stance on the subject of having a protection plan in place for your mountain home. Further, we want to make you aware that there are several other layers you may want to consider when piecing together a systematic protection plan. Protection from what you may ask. You think that your home is well equipped and probably won’t have any failures or any disruptions in operations. Thankfully that is true for the most part. It is seldom that we walk in on a catastrophe. When we do- we mobilize the work forces quickly and are on the scene vigorously supervising the cleanup before we even have you on the telephone line. Our promise is To Take The Anxiety Out Of Coming Home.

Events that can happen here are of the same genre as they are back at your primary residence. The only difference is that the “management” of the problem here is more complicated than it is in more urban areas. The cold weather, the town’s remote location and the availability of resources all present challenges when it comes to mitigation and cleanup. A short list of potential threats are; heat loss in the entire house (boiler breakdown) or in areas of the house (zone failures), slow or rapid water leaks, roof leaks, deck damage from ice chunk melt-off or downed trees, hot tub issues (bad thermostats), driveway snow and ice removal and so on. Although we may not be able to predict or prevent the roof from leaking into your master closet but we can handle the overwhelming A-Z list for dealing with it’s discovery, end, and the messy aftermath.

CURRENT STATUS: Theoretically, many homes that we manage the day-to-day, year-to-year care of are “turn-key” by nature. They are functioning well and are ready-to-go as far as being safe, secure and operational for a family visit and use. Understandably at the time of construction or purchase the thought of considering a monitoring system of any sort was just not on the radar screen for many new owners.
>Yet when you consider the far reaching ramifications of common damages which may have been averted – hindsight is 20/20. Today we are addressing these concerns at length. Relatively inexpensive systems are readily available, they work very well and many could have caught the situation before or at an early stage.

ACTION PLAN:
> Some residences could use a review of existing preventative systems and follow-up with a modest modernization. Others need to visit the concept of preventative monitoring and review their needs from the bottom up. Give Lee or Trevor a call to discuss your home and what programs are out there. There are several levels of systems available in the marketplace.

Basic- Security and Heat monitoring system.
The basic system would be for security and often that includes, fire protection and a low heat monitor layer as well. Once you have the security and heat issues covered you would want to consider a water bug or flo logic type of system which monitors and alarms you (Kastle Keepers, LLC) that there is a leak or failure in your water operations.
Kastle Keepers, LLC offers you a trained contact person who is your eyes and ears for the weekly walk-through of your home. We catch all sorts of mild calamities and have prevented a major catastrophe here and there over the past 20-years. We walk-in on things like patio doors that have blown open in zero degree temperatures, fireplaces left on, cars running in the garage, windows open, outside irrigation pipes leaking, roof leaks, small floods happening, and hot tub plumbing breaks.. Unfortunately we have discovered floods, boiler system breakdowns and defunct spa operations.

Security: All programs require a monitoring agreement with a local alarm provider. The simplest plan sounds an alarm when and if the system is triggered. The alarm company informs you, us and alerts the local law enforcement. We think that these systems are invaluable and a necessity for several reasons. The code log tracks who is in and out of the home (if the owner pays the extra to do so and we recommend it!), assures you that we are in fact checking your home each week, and wards off break-ins, gives you access to other monitoring “layers”. Installing the security system means your house is “live “ and being monitored and you can now add layers like; Heat system alarms, water minder alarms and others.

Heat system monitoring: requires wired or wireless electrical thermostats throughout the home with direct feeds to the monitoring company. These thermostats can be placed in inconspicuous spaces, out-of-sight, but we need to work together to make sure that the heat or lack thereof is relayed to us.
While boiler system breakdowns occur frequently, regardless of quality or machine cost, the monitor systems have yet to fail at catching the heat loss when they are installed. In the mountains, if the heat goes out, you have a limited time before a freeze-up happens. On-site water bugs and water sensors: we rely and depend on them to show us when or where failures may occur or worse yet a water pipe bursts.
1st Layer: Water Bugs: there is a clever little gadget called a water bug that senses and alerts the alarm system when it comes in contact with water, Invaluable!
2nd layer: Flo Logic device: this device is actually installed on the main water line and detects flow through the water pipe. When flow is detected above a normal level then the system shuts down and sends out an alarm signal. When used properly these are the gold standard!
3rd layer: Combination of the above and/ or an additional higher rated PRV valve (Pressure Reducing Valve) for Mountain Village home owners. The Mountain Village is notorious for spiking homes with excessive water pressure. These spikes often bust through the protective valves and create havoc with the house water components.

Fire extinguishers, Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Smoke alarms: These are necessities in the home. The biggest difference is that many homes could “bump up” the number of carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers for additional protection in the home. Last year a tragedy occurred in Aspen, Co when a family perished due to a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty boiler. The house did not have adequate CO detectors. In addition to the CO detectors, all of the KK house checkers carry fire department grade carbon monoxide detectors as an additional layer of safety for both you and us!

Kastle Keepers, LLC news:
With ski tunes, rentals, lessons and dining reservations attended to per your holiday requests, the path is clear for you and yours to pull into town, drop off your packs and hit the slopes. We will have your home in tip-top, turn-key condition with the refrigerator stocked and the wine chilled and the car waiting at the airport. There are several new things on the ski hill – from ease of access to off-piste terrain to new shops in the plaza that you may find interesting so we hope you find time to enjoy them. The MET at the Palm Theater has a schedule which you can view online and live music flows in and out of town on a regular basis. Similarly, so do yoga VIP’s, visiting artists, live theater and World Cup Snow.
If you have not had a chance to fill out your holidays forms, please do so. The calendar is starting to take shape and it looks like the Holidays are going to be really busy! If you have not received them, please drop us an email and we will get them out to you.
Have a great remaining fall and we look forward to seeing you this holiday season!

The gang at KK!

Kendahl at Spruce Tree House Ruin ceremonial Kiva on a recent trip to
nearby Mesa Verde National Park- just 2.5 hours away from mountainous Telluride!

Fall 2009 Newsletter

2009-10-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

What’s happening this season in Telluride and the Mountain Village?
We are all excited to welcome winter into our little corner of paradise here in the box canyon. As we transition from summer into what we hope will be another epic winter season we have a few more hands on deck to handle regular line maintenance items in-house- see below. Yet there will still be the same familiar faces walking through your homes each week; primarily; Sheilagh and Freddie Roufa and Marc Lange. There has not been any changeover whatsoever in our cleaning crews, window washers and service providers as we maintain excellent relationships with them year after year. For this we are very fortunate indeed. We look forward to seeing you later this fall season.

Homeowner Alert: Save $298/per person
on ski passes!
**Offer good till October 30th, 2009**
Offer is: $998

The Telluride Ski Resort has offered a reduced price on 2009/2010 ski passes when four people buy together as a group. Call us if you have fewer than the four person requirement and we will coordinate the logistics of getting you partnered up with others seeking to take advantage of the deal. After 10/30/09 the price goes up to the regular pass price of $1,198 pp www.tellurideskiresort.com

AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION FALL 2009 Update:

An asphalt batch plant has been producing truckloads of asphalt daily to the tune of 3 to 5 per hour, 6 days a week, in order to complete the runway improvements at TEX. Currently the batch plant is shut down, the airport has been paved and they are in the process of “dressing it up” for the November 4th opening. It looks great! For an update as to the status of the Airport Improvements please visit: http://www.tellurideairport.com/new.html

*** Private jet service resumes this coming November 4th, 2009 ***

2010 Air Service Map to Telluride (TEX)

Mountain Lifestyle –
AUTUMN. The fall equinox is approaching and the seasonal change of autumn is in the air. For the kids and yourself; we have a link to a hip and techno screen play of the photosynthesis process click here.

Abruptly we have felt the need to break out our cozy “feel good” sweaters from the winter clothes storage box. This seasons leaf color change went by so fast we barely had time to enjoy the transformation. It began in earnest during the last week of September and had run its course October 2nd! At the homes we have already started dragging in the summer hoses, blowing out water from the irrigation systems, cutting back the flowerbeds, gathering lawn furniture and thinking about the myriad of measures necessary to switch over from summer to winter in our high alpine community. Give us a shout if you have any concerns beyond our normal procedures in this regards.

This leads us to share our current predicament with you; mice activity. The mice influx this season is especially noticeable regardless of a home’s location, age and condition. Maybe they know something we humans don’t about the severity of the upcoming winter? We are aware and diligently on top of eradicating any mice at the residences. House by house, room by room we are treating the situation as it occurs and following up in a well orchestrated fashion. We are also seeking to find their access point.

Out & about in the Mountains; Arbor glyphs: Basque tree carvings are abundant in the Telluride area
View more aspen art arbor glyphs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fultxo/sets/72157594266395165/

We took a short hike with Kendahl in the rolling hillsides of our Aldasoro ranches neighborhood. Vestiges of the area’s ranching lifestyle pervade these foothills which are at the base 13,000’ mountain peaks. There are wonderful samples of aspen art, worm style fencing, broken down farm equipment, stone chimneys of homesteader’s cabins and so on. We were lucky enough to chance upon an original lambing pen used to temporarily retain livestock in the early settlement days. A stand of small trees had grown in a circular pattern about 20’ in diameter. This had created a natural barrier which some enterprising herder augmented with additional twigs and branches to create a secure fortress.

About this subdivision- In recent history the Aldasoro Ranches had been a full blown sheep herding operation for the pioneering Aldasoro family. In the early 1900’s, two brothers, Serapio and Joaquin departed the Basque Pyrenees in Spain for the United States and eventually transplanted themselves in the high alpine foothills above Telluride. Over the years they purchased 11-homesteads and gradually formed the Aldasorso Ranches. Later in the early 1980’s Albert Aldasoro, son of Joaquin, in an effort to cover the tax liability made the decision to develop a portion of the ranches’ 4,500-acres. The 166-single family lots of Aldasoro offer exceptionally sunny, large parcels a decisive option for people seeking some extra roaming room, far reaching views in a natural setting. It has the lowest density of any regional subdivision with 620-acres of open space and oodles of private hiking/biking trails. The original county suggested density was set at 1,600+ persons. The Aldasoro family thought that was way too much and down zoned the density to 644 people. Sheep still graze on portions of the ranches high country while residents plod along the trails and take in the scenery from their home sites.

We often play in the upcountry on our bikes or run the elevated trails. We have to say that we have noticed that the black bear’s staple food, choke cherries, is very moderate this season. This is worthy of mention as we prompt you and your guest to be especially diligent about trash bins, birdfeeders, food left in vehicles, lower level windows and locking, not only just closing, lever type door handles. For more info see: http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2009/09/14/news/doc4aaef3ba544fc246350045.txt

Town News- Commercial Core Vitality program – a survey taken of tourists generates results overlap with economic downturn pressures

Most tourists come to T-Town for an escape and a look see at a ‘real mountain town’. After a quick morning hike many may consider doing some light shopping. A few years back that might have meant you had to hike another block and a half just to find a nice shop to stop and browse. According to tourist survey cards Telluride had “too many” real estate window fronts, banks and uninteresting offices at the street level. For visiting tourists this shaped a rather lackluster downtown experience. After all, how many tourists can actually afford the median price of $2.2-2.7M for a posh, remodeled Victorian?
As controversial as it may be the town council in 2007 inserted language into the town’s zoning regulations limiting the ratio of commercial services (banks/insurance/real estate) to the retail/restaurant mix. The goal being to create a stronger downtown economy, via increased vitality and a stronger sense of animation within the core. That lingo translates into an 80/20 ratio. Not only did the diversity of the downtown get the appointment for a makeover but we think it is actually happening. Since the new regulations have taken effect, no less than 31% of commercial service businesses in the corridor have either shut down or moved their locations. Recently five real estate firms closed their doors. The laws of natural market selection have done all the footwork for the town officials. A few shops have re-emerged here and there in several but not all, of the recently vacated spaces. In a town with a history of having boom and bust cycles transition and change is nothing new yet it will be interesting to see how the new regulations impact the feel of Telluride’s downtown in the years to come. New enterprises downtown:

The Chocolate Shop features the well known Telluride Truffle, ice cream and homemade cookies. This shop is located around the corner from the Nugget Theater on Fir St. Black Bear Trading Co. has expanded their home furnishings selections. There are several coffee shops offering free WiFi; The Between the Covers has limited seating and the Steamin’ Bean. You can also get WiFi at the Library inside as well as on both of it’s outdoor terraces

Mountain Village News. The New Bike Park- TMHOA and many other entities including Telski recently overhauled the ski resort’s existing bike rails. The objective here was to attract the niche market of adventure seeking destination mountain bikers. Discussions continue with regards to building an outdoor performance Amphitheater on the slope sides above the gondolas base area. Thankfully there will be another Pay-To-Park option available this winter underneath the Capella Hotel. All summer long there have been open house style visioning forums
discussing ideas of what TMV should look like in the year 2025.

Marketplace. Real estate news
We have recently been made aware of a spike in sales activity in Vail, Co. Approximately 77 residential properties were contracted in the month of August according to a Vail title company. Here in Telluride we seem to be seeing more properties contracted as well. Many more offers come to the table here in Telluride than are accepted. Because our sellers are so strong and buyers are looking for tremendous deals, “blood in the water”, many of these offers never lead to a satisfactory conclusion for either party.

IN YOUR HOUSE: How Kastle Keepers, LLC “Anticipates your needs”:
While there is nothing that we as a service company can do to stop the overall effects of the recession we are striving to lessen the severity of its impact upon our clients. Lee has been encouraging vendors to give homeowners value pricing whenever possible.

In-The-Field. A change in perspective.
We hit the “carpets” running this past summer. As the heavy smog of the recession seeped into our box canyon, local contractors and vendors were a little sluggish to react. Fact is, they were too busy working! Then in early summer, Lee started getting a lot of atypical phone calls from providers seeking work to schedule out beyond the next month or so. The pressures of the slump had finally reached into our box canyon. Now for the first time in a long, long time, in this valley anyway, there may not be enough work locally.

Everyone’s perspective shifted. In the early winter Lee anticipated this shift in values and perspective. He adapted his outlook about how our clients would take delivery of our range of services. We examined every service we provided, from the dry cleaner charges to the contractor’s bid on a deck remodel. He has had discussions with each vendor about:

>Leaner profits, better service, tighter bids from service providers

>We have adjusted our bid procurement, our vendor selection and our policies to reflect what is happening in the field here in our remote corner of Colorado as well as the national economy. Prices need to be flexible and reflect a shift in demand/availability.

>We have even brought some line item maintenance operations in-house to control quality, costs and scheduling. Small home improvement projects and construction, snow removal, lawn maintenance, honey-do’s and much more are now managed with our highly capable staff.

Any one of the four guys, Lee, Trevor, Marc or Heinz can guide you and assist you in discovering how you may be able to take advantage of the current resource wealth.

A better base camp experience: Contact any one of us at Kastle Keepers regarding ski instructors, fishing guides or computer technicians. We are dismayed to hear negative feedback about “professionals” found independently by our homeowners. We don’t want you to feel like you have to book the engagement with us (although we are really good at it) but we want to make sure you have a great experience. We are here to FACILITATE and these services are GRATIS!

This October we will be busy bees tending to our homes in preparation of the winter season. Marc and Freddie walk thru the homes 365-days a year continually checking on their monitoring systems, operations and condition. So there are no maters of concern with regards to integrity and consistency at the base level of house checking you should know that it is always the same people each and every week, year after year.. ?There are major and minor construction projects underway and getting wrapped up as we speak by Heinz and his team of carpenters, electricians and tile setters. This is a good illustration of how Lee has taken the pressures of the economic recession and created a better line of attack for our homeowners. ?Trevor is out-in-the-field as on-site field manager scheduling, bidding and securing services, meeting with home owners everyday- efficiently producing work at the ground level. ?Lee continues to work hands-on, focusing on the efforts of the team, client services and how to make the ship run cleaner, smoother and more effectively for all concerned.

October into wintertime- We will be sending out your Christmas-Holiday Request forms anticipating your families’ needs during this active season. Give the holidays some thought and consideration now before caterers, top ski instructors and services you may desire are already booked. We have been reconfiguring and restringing Christmas tree lights so that our foot tracks are not visible in the snow beneath your exterior trees. There is so much work to be done on the inside and the outside of the homes- let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

You First Daddy!

Happy trails and enjoy the autumn weather!

Lee, Sheilagh, Freddie, Trevor, Marc and Heinz

July 2009 Newsletter

2009-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

Currents- What’s happening this Season in Telluride and the Mountain Village
Besides a jaw dropping box canyon and surrounding 13,000’ peaks Telluride also is well known for its entertaining summer festival season which is in full swing. This summer’s air temperatures however have noticeably lagged behind the festival schedule with the daytime temperatures being cooler and brisker than normal- just perfect for outdoor excursions! The black flies are non-existent this season as well. Three festivals have already come and gone this season! Mountain Film in Telluride in late May ushered in the unofficial start of summer when the restaurants reopen, services are once again available and curious visitors return to the streets and shops. The 33rd Annual Telluride Jazz Festival rolled into town in early June piggybacking the regularly scheduled Balloon Glow Festival. The weather was a little less than cooperative for the duo of festivals- Although it did not rain the clouds made for rather chilly music listening and a strong breeze hastened the balloons from taking flights. All-in-all the crowds raved about the Jazz, Blues and Soul musicians and vibrant festive atmosphere throughout town. Over 10,000 festivarians swelled in and out of our box canyon over the four-day long Bluegrass festival this June 18-21st. It was a grand scale people watching, jamming to music ranging from hillbilly rock to David Bryne of the Talking Heads. There were kid’s craft tents, bungee cord jumping, killer flank steak sandwiches and bundles of Bluegrass music for sale.

$$$-$$$$ DEALS & STEALS: In these challenging economic times local restaurateurs’ are not missing the opportunity to capture the attention of potential patrons. By simply calling ahead of time or glancing at the newspapers you will notice that there are special offers aimed at luring you into their dining rooms. We anticipate that the ever popular weeks of the 4th of July holiday and Bluegrass there will be a normal congested atmosphere about town- so plan accordingly and book reservations well ahead of time. The Onyx Restaurant at the Capella Hotel has an alluring introductory plate offering, as does the Cosmo, La Marmotte and others. La Marmotte is also seating lunch as well now. For a $20 deposit one can pay for a guest card at the Wilkinson Library and upon return of borrowed items can receive $15 back. The library was recently voted as one of the best resort libraries in the nation by Library Journal.

The Ah Haa School of The Arts opened to its full capacity this month after a year plus of renovations. This non-profit school caters to participants by creating a fun, learning environment where artists of all ages can have their own personal "ah haa" moment in their creative journeys. On the 3rd Thursdays of every month they will be host to one of the many stops on Telluride’s Thursday Art Gallery Walk 970-728-3886 for info. Friday, July 24th is the date for the wonderfully zany art auction.

If rafting is one of this summer’s activities on your to-do list – you might have to press forward ASAP as some of the regional rivers have already reached their peak flow for the season! The high alpine snow pack melted off quickly this spring. Another consideration would be running dam or controlled release waters; such as the Gunnison in Montrose or the Colorado River near Grand Junction.

The Valley Floor & Your DOG: Dogs currently are not allowed on the Valley Floor* and further it may be some time till this issue is resolved. While the maestro for the conceptual planning of VF, the Open Space Commission is working fervently to formulate and resolve the dog policy there is a conservation easement in place on the parcel which directly denotes no dog allowed. Yet most parties agree that the majority of townspeople did not opt to vote yes to condemn it to have it turned into a “wildlife sanctuary” rather they were seeking to acquire an open space for one and all to enjoy with reverence. Proactively the steering committee has requested a trials study- which of course needs funding from the town. As long as the main source for such studies as this are the town’s sales tax revenue and the real estate transfer tax which are under severe distress- luxury budget items such as a study of trail use are on the back burners. *Note: you may freely walk your dog along the river bank from Mahoney Dr. to the bridge at Boomerang road.

GETTING HERE- EXPECT DELAYS! We are all familiar with the adage "The Worst Part of Telluride is getting there …" and the longer adaption "The Best Part Of Telluride It Is Hard to get to …. " That could not be more truthful this summer. This early summer there are a myriad of road construction undertakings underway between here the outlaying region. There are delays at the following locales that may interfere with your travel and flight schedules. There is construction near Dallas Divide; on a section of highway between Ridgeway and Placerville , the section of HWY 145 heading down valley at the Silver Pick Road Junction, the bottom of the Society Turn-Lawson Hill area.

SUM SUM SUMMERTIME in the Mountain Village Spa Day passes have returned to the Golden Door Spa at the Peaks resort. Golf Club members are already apprised via club emails and newsletters about membership events but we thought everyone would like a reminder about the current schedule for the nation’s highest golf course located at 9,300’ elevation. There is a new golf pro, Ty Treacy, a veteran of the industry and recently transplanted here from Estancia in Scottsdale, AZ. There are several gold tournaments scheduled for the season. Mark your calendars for The Telluride Foundations annual Strokes of Genius Tournament on July 24th. August 22nd will be the date for the 5th Steve Butts Memorial Tournament. The Pro Shop phone number is 728-2606 where you can also find plenty of quality attire and gear.

AT YOUR HOUSE: Mountain Village Cable TV - The cable system is being revamped and there could be interruptions in your cable TV services. The TMVHOA phone number for questions is 970-369-8200 ( Libby)

While there may be some bugs in the TMV cable service it does provide a good excuse to catch all the fine entertainment lined up for this summer’s Summer Sunset Concert series held on various Wednesdays, 4-6 PM. These are free, family orientated outdoor setting venues featuring music on the lawn hosted by the TMV in the core area. The first concert will take place on June 24; The Drew Emmitt Band, new grass/jam, July 1st, - Carbon Leaf, acoustical music, July 8th -John Lee Hooker. Visit www.tellurideskiresort.com site for more info.

The end of June and July are packed with various activities making it one of the best weeks of the season to visit. The Plein Air Artist Expo and Show sets up over the June 26th-July 4th holiday period. The summer concert series is in swing, see above. The Telluride Repertory Theatre brings live shows to town. A reminder on June 25th the TMV fireside chat resumes which features local history buffs who invite all to gather around the village’s firepit in the core area and enjoy some genuine storytelling! The Grace Potter Band pulls into the Conference Center on the 3rd of July in the TMV core. There is a not-to-be-missed full-blown 4th of July celebration in the historic town of Telluride (parade at 11AM/Picnic immediately after/fireworks at dusk -9 PM) and festivities in the TMV.

July 2009 Calendar
July 10~12 Telluride Yoga Festival Elks' Park
July 10~12 KOTO Doo-Dah Concert Town Park
July 11~12 Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run Town Park
July 15 Sunset Concert Series Mountain Village
July 15~17 Buddhist Lexicon Conference Library
July 22 Sunset Concert Series Mountain Village
July 24 Ah Haa Art Auction S. Townsend St.
July 24~26 Rotary 4x4 Tour Town Park
July 29 Sunset Concert Series Mountain Village
July 31 Cajun Festival Spruce St.

Mountain Style! GETTING OUTSIDE - Why You Came To The Mountains In The First Place:
While you are in town you can join in on summertime fun, the trails are in incredible shape!: Mountain Biking.

If you are new to the sport there are several recommendations to consider; a guide or no guide. That depends on your experience and your attitude. Guided trips can have a big influence on your all important introductory experience with the sport. The most essential aspect would be to heed the warning: Start SLOW and SMALL. A pounding fall off of a mountain bike in the early days will have lasting effect and perhaps crush your willingness to get back on the horse and try again. Err on the side of caution and you may have a wonderful platform from which you may explore, discover all the while getting fit! That is one thing that the average person never gets exposed too!

There are bike rentals at the Bootdoctors Shop in the TMV. They can hand pick a rental bike, outfit you for the day and send you on your way with or without a guide. The biking here tends to be a little tough at first glance but there are plenty of milder, less strenuous rides to give you a pleasurable experience.

We would suggest the asphalt bike path to dial in your ride- this is when and where you want to play around with your helmet adjustments, seat height, learning the gearing and the brakes systems. If that poses no imminent threat then we would say take a left at the end of the asphalt as you approach the Society Turn bike path junction and head towards the west end of the Valley Floor trail. This is a meandering, flat, wide single-track- with minimal obstacles (yes, Virginia, there are rocks on trails!). This will be an immensely satisfying experience on all levels; from ability level, to aesthetics and for being at one with nature. You will thank us, We Promise! Once you have mastered the valley floor there are so many more options! BTW the valley floor single track drops you off back in town- Civilization At Last! Approx 3 miles in length each way and up to 2 hours total.

The next level would be to attempt the Valley Floor trail system link to Illium Valley- an out-and-back ride. This means you go all the way out… and then come back the exact same route versus a loop. At Society Turn head west into the Lawson Hill subdivision; The Conoco gas station will be on your left, then you’ll pass the Alpine Lumber yard. After about 1/8th of a mile after Cindy’ Bread bakery on your left take an immediate right; thru a parking lot next to a school and down a steep, rocky 50’ hill where the hill starts. This is the only “real hill” of this route- so go ahead and walk it if you want. It is technical and rocky!! Head west bearing left, along the West Fork of the San Miguel River. Ride this beautiful single track on the old rail road grade all the way to the Illium Valley where you will end up at the low laying South Fork of the San Miguel River. At the end, there is a sign that you have reached Illium Valley and there is a dirt road. Now the fitness aspect of this ride begins! You will reverse course here, head back up (east) on a moderate climb which may take 1.5 hours alone. All in all, the trip will seem like a tough workout with plenty of beautiful landmarks and scenery. Other riders and you will have covered nearly 15-miles in total of beginner-moderate terrain in about 3 hours or less.

SHOWINGS & SALES- continuing education for the savvy Telluride homeowner -
The real estate market remains slow and recuperating from the dive of the DOW Jones this past year! There are some deals closing however- somewhere in the 15-20% off the pre-downturn price. Note until recently property owners had not made major price reductions across the board. A few select Mountain Village homes and many Telluride condominiums (fewer homes) received a price shaving early winter but since that original market reaction there has not been a slash down in prices. Very recently the listed price of many properties has shown a price reduction in the 15-20% range- nearly 8 months after the national financial market took a major downturn. What once may have been a seller’s market is slowly turning into a buyer’s market. NOTE: much slower than other regions and resorts areas across the country. Contract negotiations’ are taking longer as the buyers are requesting steeper discounts than the sellers would tolerate previously and it is taking that end longer to join the trend. Either way one looks at it- there are deals to be made and to be discovered with a written offer- but whether or not the sellers are motivated is still the million dollar question! Still, Telluride walks to its own beat rather than joining the rest of the nation’s behavior patterns. In this town, property owners still have a lot of depth in their pockets before they have to cry ‘Uncle and let go of the notion of “investment” in turn for”relief”. It is very much a case-by-case situation. Some properties that everyone thought were zipped up tight as a drum that would never be available at a reduced price have flipped- fast in this market. If you would like further information on these sales or have a passing interest in real estate sales in the Telluride region, try Lee on his cell @ 970-729-0526 or Ed at 970-729-1625.

Above and beyond Caretaking +
Despite the incessant rain we have been having this summer, Trevor continues to keep getting bids and they continue to be coming in as much as 25% off from last year. Now is the time to work on any home improvement projects you may have had your mind on for some time. With the market in a slump prices have never been better! The houses have all been cleaned off from the red dust storms that have hit us this past spring and we are now focusing on the remaining summer projects till winter sets in. If you have any questions, please give Trevor or is a call and we will be happy to discuss any items you may want to.

After you have made the long trip and you find yourself waking up to a mountain bluebird’s song or a mountaintop breeze rustling the green aspen leaves you may find that you have arrived into your personal Telluride State of Mind. No doubt that Mountain Time moves at a different tempo than your other hometown. Be confident that the offerings available here continue to expand as providers explore new avenues in the realms of entertainment, enriching cultural selections and adventurous excursions. Do you have relatives in town and now you are wondering what to do with them for four-days? No problem. Just ask one of us about any given subject and for a little direction as to whom you should contact to get on with it. We have the care of your house covered so that you don’t have to hassle with the property and its upkeep. We want one and all of our friends and clients to be witness to the wonderful summer here, to be renewed by its magical guile and tempted by its natural beauty. We have found that Telluride gives back much more than it takes. Just show up! and Find Out how it can give to you! Find your Telluride State of Mind!

Lee, Sheilagh, Trevor, Freddie & Mark – Your team of committed caretakers –

Happy 4th!

April / May 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

FESITVAL ALERT! The 36th Annual Bluegrass Festival is less than four (4) weeks away! June 18th-21st. Get your tickets, your sunscreen, lawn chairs, Town of Telluride access (parking pass), sun hat and cool shades ready now!

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES: DUST STORM covers Colorado snow pack, cars, decks and homes in red dust carried over from Utah…………

April 2009- image of a 36-hour dust storm located in the Canyonlands District National approx 2 hours south west of Telluride

Thick dust sweeps east out of the border region between China and Mongolia on April 17, 2006. The storm blankets the coast as it moves out over the Yellow Sea toward Korea. Dust from storms like this can make its way as far as the United States. Red dust particles settle onto the world snow packs which in turn significantly increases the rate of snow melt contributing to global warming. Copious amounts of red dust recently settled in the local area- see below

Hello, Happy Springtime!
Unsightliness on your decks, patios and spa covers….. Cause of concern for homeowners because it could get tracked into your house!
This past April a significant and sustained wind storm system ripped thru the surrounding SW region of the U.S. affecting not only Coloradoans but also populations in the other three neighboring states as well. Many deserts lay in the nearby four corner area, i.e.; Moab, UT (2 hrs W), Arizona (2.5 hours SW), New Mexico (3 hours SW). As the windy weather moved over the region it picked up dust particles and later deposited it- everywhere including on your decks and property in Telluride.

SITUATION: After the storm had passed thru the region tales began to trickle in from family and friends of foiled outdoor activities such as trying to paddle a raft on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with sustained winds. Another story comes from a local family of having to abandon a family camping trip in Moab, Utah because of the severity of the radical and inclement weather. All the while high in the mountains of Telluride it had been raining, and then snowing, then blowing till one could not tell what was up or down! Desert red sand was lifted off the nearby deserts deposited into our valleys and the entire region! See related USGS article below. When the system passed the snow on the ski hills had turned red, the rivers were running red and the asphalt driveways were red as well. We had several homeowners coming in that week and we took care to sweep the entries off for their arrival. It has really been something! We want you to know that there is “red soot “(dirt/dust actually) covering everything from the front entry, spa covers, BBQ covers, entry stone stairwells and so on. What is even more noticeable is that the red dirt that fell from the sky along with the raging rain storms has “stuck” to the windows! Dirty windows in the springtime are nothing unusual but red, sticky dirty windows with real DIRT on them is awful! It is truly a phenomenon and not a nice one at that!

Each spring some red dirt does get deposited here- but never to this extreme. See related Aspen Times article below. One would hope and pray that a good, strong rain will wash away the storm tracks. That did not happen and we just want you to understand when and how the exteriors got so filthy. Also, when the clan arrives to your home the chance of the red dirt getting inside on your carpeting will swell exponentially. NOTE: on occasion we have power washed decks and patios for homeowners that value that appearance – this spring we are actually recommending it! Kastle Keepers just recently purchased a power washer and we have been busy cleaning decks, sides of houses and driveways. It definitely spruces the places up. KK has been charging $40 per hour. Let us know if you would like us to “spruce” up your place and we will get it scheduled! This spring cleanup is in a different league all together. We wanted to give you a heads up about what your doorstep might present like.

ACTION PLAN: Cleaning up the wood decks, patios and so on will entail a laborer and a power washer rental/machine and a few hours to a half-a-day of work per home. Depending on the size of the exterior decking/flat surfaces to be dealt with we can project a $120-$500 range of washing down to be done. Most homes have had a window cleaning bill previously thus the billing would be similar there. Of course it is entirely up to you whether or not the red dirt gets washed up. A bid for powerwashing areas could be summoned up and emailed/faxed to your attention should you see fit. Yours truly- the Team at Kastle Keepers, LLC

For news reports regarding the recent dust storm of 2009 click here.
Coloradans take note of red dust affect http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5415308 Interesting photos and related story pertaining to red dirt and it’s impact on global warming, regional snowpack and the economy

ROOM-BY-ROOM: a behind the scenes benefit of working with us, a homegrown, small scale operation where “Caretaking” the property is the overriding priority at all times -

Aside from dealing with the aftermath of bizarre mountain weather the guys have been diligently tackling car details, hot tub water flips and cleanouts one-by-one, house-by-house as the spring progresses into summertime. Scheduled maintenance checklists have been created and sent out to homeowners for their review and approval in anticipation of the upcoming busy season. *These reports are streamlined because how we operate is based on low employee turnover and personal service from a small crew of individuals. Bids have been discussed, whittled down and procured on-site for various upgrades, improvements and repairs at the properties. *We know our clienteles dislikes and preferences by heart. On-site walk-thru with attention to exteriors, problem zones has been executed and any changes, areas in need of attention noted directly to you, the homeowner. Luckily our teams of caretakers are intimately familiar with your home and its nuances thus catching problems before they arise are simple and straightforward. It is no mistake that we are organized as a small and effective team of professionals versus a smorgasbord of in-office rental agents/off-site middle managers and random cleaners who cycle thru your home. The same guy that walks thru on a weekly routine house check also will be the one that performs the seasonal oversight walk (more detailed and complex review) of the property. This report in turn will be discussed in detail with Lee and Trevor or be performed by Lee and Trevor on site. Doesn’t that make the most sense and bang for your buck and peace of mind?

ABOUT TOWN: The AHH HA School continues to offer an ever growing list of options for the artist as well as the intellectual morning and afternoon opportunities available for visitors on a sign-up and walk-in basis. So if you have someone and you are not certain of how they will be entertained while visiting, check out the arts school. www.ahhaa.org The Telluride Gallery of Fine Art on Main Street publishes an artist reception calendar that can be easily viewed on a monthly basis when you feel the need to get beyond these canyon walls. www.telluridegallery.com The Wilkinson Library is of course just fantastic- especially the Colorado Room focusing on the states rich and complex history. www.telluridelibrary.org The restaurant scene has remained the same with few notable changes and new comers. In the quaint town of Telluride there are the top tier establishments such as; New Sheridan Chop House, Rustico and Honga’s leading the way for service, menu and wine selections and ambiance. Closely followed by, the Blue Point Bar & Grill (three cheese mac & cheese!), the Cosmo (tuna entrée-ahhh), La Marmotte (wonderful reds and sweet atmosphere) and the Excelsior Café (‘the scene’). Restaurant 9545 in the Mountain Village continues to be the place of choice there and the Capella has three venues to tempt the palate. We so enjoyed the Suede Bar during the ski season just steps away from skiing. In the summer months, Capella’s Onyx doors open to the outside, offering guests fresh mountain air to accompany their meal. For delectable, superior quality deli-style to-go fare we cannot overemphasize the quality and selection that greets each of us at the Aemono in-town deli every week. Just ask us and we will get you placed onto their email calendar updates. Aemono: 728-4748, www.aemonofinefoods.com we thrive and cruise up the trails of these high altitude mountains on our daily servings of their tuna bowls, Greek salads and natural chip/drink assortment. The coffee and the service is good so why bother cooking every night when there is Aemono take-out! Custom menus are available per request. Dogs: there have been updates and changes to the leash laws here – so be aware and mindful of them because the fines just became more expensive.

It Just Takes One Bad Dog To Ruin All That Wonderful FREEDOM they had- No more dog day afternoons for Fido and Fluffers… dogs at large at the core of T’ride’s Dog problems...
If an unlicensed, in-town dog and its owner are charged with an infraction, then in addition to paying a fine for the infraction, the owner has to get the dog licensed.

• Owners can only “hitch” their dogs (tie them up at a bench, for example) for two hours maximum.

A dog and its human companion must have a means to pick up poop at all times

• Dog owners will be prohibited from exercising their dog by having it run alongside, in front of or behind a motorized vehicle in town.

A $500 bond must be posted prior to the release of an impounded vicious dog in addition to payment of impound fees.

• Dogs on private property must either be confined to a building or vehicle or be on the real property.

• Fines have been increased in some cases. For example, a display of license has gone from $25 to $50, and disobeying the leash law will cost people $50 instead of $25. In addition, there is a 20 percent surcharge on all fines. If you are feeling anxious and albeit a little guilty about leaving the dog to go ski or hike all day ask us about dog sitters!

BE BEAR AWARE. It is that season again, the bears are searching for food in trash dumpsters, unlocked doors and even open windows are targeted by them in their search. After two offenses a caught bear is euthanatized on the third strike. JOIN US! We can help one another do the right thing by taking steps to avoid attracting our beautiful bears. Trash out only on the morning of your trash day/Don’t leave food in your cars/clean BBQ/lock doors/close windows/Coordinate with KK about having us bring your post departure trash out to the curbside. Be proactive and report negligent neighborhood trash/large dumpster offenders to the town marshals. The main culprits of delinquent trash keeping are the construction site dumpsters (we have a few of those around town) and irresponsible renters/owners of your average poly cart. Report your neighbors if you see that they don’t bring their ploy cart in after the pickup morning or have trash laying about repeatedly (dogs or bears). A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR!!

TEX Airport- A Reminder: The Telluride Regional Airport remains CLOSED throughout the summer and into the early winter season as major runway improvements are intensely underway and are on schedule for their November 2009 completion. Fly by for a visit and witness the giant sand box they have created full of real life sized Tonka toys! The entire runway is being ripped out and replaced to create greater safety for our clients. Not surprisingly the TOT has been forced to slim down their capital improvements budget and operating expenses to the tune of $2.3 million. Historically the RETT (real estate transfer tax) generates $387,000 annually.

The finance dept head projects a 75% reduction in that revenue source for 2009. RETT is a major source of funds for the town’s capital fund. Everything from flower boxes, staff positions to water runoff mitigation has been trimmed of any extra fat or eliminated from the budgets entirely. As the town garnished a grant from the state ($600K+) for the replacement of the main street water line this summer’s project was approved. Phase one of the $1 million project requires that the old water line underneath Main Street be ripped out and replaced. A reflection of the budget tightening is evident when one considers that the town will not be replacing the asphalt opting rather to simply apply a patch over the torn up sections. The sidewalks will also be patched to remain in a functional state. BTW You can call the town and offer to sponsor a flower basket or flower box, 728-3071. The TMV budget has undergone severe cuts as well although not as deep as the TOT however.

In March of 2009, $1.5 was trimmed from the TMV budget and the town’s manager expects that in 2009 thru 2010 the delivery of basic services within the municipality will be reduced; i.e.: gondola operating hours, Dial-A-Ride operations, maintenance items and job growth for instance. For more direct insight into operation of the TMVHOA please view this link: www.mountain-village.co.us media releases. IMPORTANT Note: the 15-year Master Plan is ready for review and comment before the mid-June consideration/approval.

Calendar:
Friday, May 22, 2009
Gondola Opens for summer Season Free public transportation that links Telluride and Mountain Village in a scenic 13-minute ride.
Friday, May 22, 2009 - Monday, May 25, 2009
Mountainfilm in Telluride Filmmakers, artists and outdoor enthusiasts celebrate mountains, culture and the environment with films, presentations and a symposium that will focus on “food” as this year’s theme.
970.728.4123
Thursday, May 28, 2009 - Saturday, May 30, 2009
Family Theater Join the Sheridan Arts Foundation and Squidshow Theatre for a night of family fun with a show performed by adults for kids. Sheridan Opera House, time TBA. 970.728.6363
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Telluride Dance Academy RecitalDancers of all ages from the Telluride Dance Academy perform at the Palm Theatre, 3 p.m. 970.728.9065
For a bigger picture of this summer’s calendar visit our all inclusive webpage, click on Telluride Info www.telluriderealestateguide.com

We hope to see you and your family soon here in Telluride as the valleys brighten up and are teeming with a fresh shade of spring green. Your house is all ready and we hope that we delivered our product; “To Take The Anxiety Out Of Coming Home”. The guys have the homes turn-key, ready and waiting with new fresh water in the hot tubs, irrigation systems are functioning and construction projects/repairs are well underway. As soon as the snow melted (early this year) we got to work thatching the lawns (raking), aerating (punching holes for new growth), cleanup of beds (hauling) and watering your green spaces. Give us a call should you have any questions/concerns or insights about what else you might want done. And further please consider having your windows cleaned and your decks at least washed off so that your improved grounds are as pretty as your surroundings! We anticipate that the window washers will get booked up early. As always now is the time to consider whether you want to attend September’s Telluride Film Festival- an internationally acclaimed event and Jazz Festival occurring in early June. Also the ski season passes go on sale with ‘early bird’ prices thru the early summer. Winter skis and snowboards are all on sale this season- so if you were considering an upgrade give Trevor, an aficionado, a ring. The Kastle Retreats, LLC side of our operations continues to grow and beckon inquires from interested parties www.telluriderealestateguide.com the real estate market news is that action has stymied, in general owners have not dropped their prices in any segment of the market and sales are comatose for the time being. Several isolated big deals have occurred late in the winter into the early spring reflecting the purchase depth that some of the new ‘Telluriders’ command. There are deals in each segment of the market but they are not brimming over the top.

Below is the latest Telluride Association of Realtors Market update.

To read entire article please click on the link for more information. http://www.telluriderealtors.net/documents/MarketUpdtYIR.pdf

February / March 2009 Newsletter

2009-03-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

NOTE: Summer 2009 Festival Tickets are ON SALE – NOW!
In March tickets go on sale for Telluride’s infamous summer music festivals, aka Telluride Bluegrass Festival, June 18-21st and the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, September 18th-20th. NOTE: Sometimes single-day tickets can sell out quickly- depends on who the featured performer is. The final performer’s lineup list for the festivals will be released later this spring. Go to the respective websites directly for more information: www.telluridebluegrass.com , at 1-800-624-2422, or www.tellurideblues.com at 1-866-515-6166.

***A preliminary lineup performer list for the 36th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival has been announced!*** Sam Bush Band, Conor Oberst, Emmylou Harris, Yonder Mountain String Band, Elvis Costello and so many more enticing artists. Looks like a doosey!

We will be digging out our black rubber rain goulashes (just in case!), sunscreen (guaranteed!) and sun dresses- all at once for this crazed and sometimes super dusty (or muddy!!) 4-day long music jubilee. Will you be there?

Telluride Academy’s 2009 Summer Camp enrollment is open and accepting registrants. This program is locally owned and operated, accepts children between the ages of 6 to 17 year old and conducts quality camp experiences ranging from Flower Fairies of the Meadows, to Mountain Rivers and Stream on inner tubes and offers national as well as international trips for kids. www.tellurideacademy.org (970)728-5311. There are more than 100 outdoor based adventures to select from. View the camps on line or give Emily and or Teresa a call.

Right Here- Right Now this March Telluride’s music scene is happening BIG TIME! As always the Sheridan Opera House lines up the locals and tourists alike with excellent entertainment to say adios to the ski season! This March is no exception. Visit www.sheridanoperahouse.com ; Donovan Frankenreiter (3/10), Grupo Fantasma (3/13) and several other recognized performers are scheduled during this month. Note that the Carlos Nakai Trio plays at the SOH in June on the 13th. He is the world’s premier Native American flutist whom will surely deliver a memorable performance at the acoustically perfect opera house stage. Various venues will host music jams including the Conference Center, the Gorrono Ranch, Main St. Telluride, the Sheridan Opera House and more. The Telluride Mountain Village hosts free concerts as part of their Winter Concert Series notable: the Subdudes this March 12th. Visit: visittelluride.com.

The Michael Palm Performing Arts center has the following scheduled for March; On March 19th; The Acting Company in collaboration with the Guthrie Theater presents King Henry the V. In the tail end of this winter season the venue is offering “live” showings in HD programming format of the New York City Metropolitan Opera. Five “live” Met performances are scheduled in the next few months. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (3/13/09), Belllin’s La Sonnambula on April 24th, Rossini’s a Cenerentola On May 15th and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice TBD. One benefit of having this advanced technology here at the Palm is that the front row orchestra seating are extremely affordable at $22/a piece. The “live” performances is accomplished by having not only a license agreement with the Met but also the installment of two very sophisticated satellite dishes and the utilization of the centers satellite-based digital high-definition projection system. “Real time” broadcasts of Broadway plays, musicals and such- direct from cultural capitals around the globe are just around the corner! The technology at the Palm Theatre is sophisticated enough that local audiences will be able to pay for front row orchestra seating. Keep these venues and cultural attractions in your back pocket as you plan visits for your families and friends.

The regional weather patterns have begun to turn the corner towards summer in a big way. Although the snowpack in SW Colorado is currently at 110% of the normal annual levels the sunny hillsides are already melting off and grass lands are peaking thru. One phenomenon that is certainly a factor this season is that dust settles here on the mountain ranges after storms from the surrounding SW deserts. These dust storm settlements are part of a winter’s “history”. When the snowpack begins to recede, the storm tracks become increasingly apparent as “dirty snow shows through”. When the sun collects on those particles instead of pure, clean ice crystals the rate of snow melt increases dramatically. The snowpack melt off is important component of water recreation companies like river runners and fly fishermen.

News:
After nine-years, following over 200-hours of public meetings and a dazzling $200-million dollars the indoor/outdoor doors of one of the Capella Hotel’s al fresco dining areas were flung open to the curious public attending the gala press gathering this past February. This luxury 100-hotel room, 48-two and four-bedroom condominium property is the international brands first American property to début. We personally toured the properties two restaurants, spa facility, hotel rooms, condominium units, ice skating rink and après ski bar at the opening reception. We were happily impressed (the champagne did not go wasted) and delightfully entertained by the attentive staff and surroundings. The high-end Onyx Restaurant delivers on all levels, service, ambiance & surroundings and selection. The après- ski and mountain revelry gathering spot called Suede is simultaneously hip, cosmo and comfortable with sumptuously strong cocktails and innovative aperitifs and entrees – all under $24. Best yet- it is just steps from the base and plaza area chairlifts!

Capella is a new Luxe hotel brand hand-delivered to Telluride by the legendary hotelier Horst Schulze, who founded the Ritz-Carlton brand. Reportedly he was once a waiter himself in his native Germany and has a penchant for delivering unexpected levels of customer service as noted by the Harvard Business School in 2004. In 2000 the outlook and vision may have been different than it is today, a year of change and challenge yet the hotelier remains committed to delivering service with care and character. The resort rooms are available throughout the summer for an introductory rate starting at $295/night.

10 Most Common Questions
Since this past fall in our monthly Box Canyon Newsletter we have strived to provide some background information on how Kastle Keepers fields typical questions from its homeowners. Queries such as Why are cleaning company costs so pricey here? Why do I need to get studded snow tires on our 4WD for mountain driving? Why do you strongly recommend having heavy snow packs loads on my expensive roof removed at great expense ... and so on.... Our ensuing discussion to The 10 Most Common Questions gives owners insight into the real costs and concerns of high alpine living in this out-of-the-way region of Colorado. We hope these discussions are helpful and enlightening. Below we are delving into trash service to the Telluride area. Often the pickup day is set at either Tuesday or Thursday consequently post owner departure Kastle Keepers, LLC is the responsible party for the disposal of your refuse. What better friend can money buy!

Trash Service There are two regional refuse providers who operate locally provide services; Bruin Waste Management and Waste Management. The Town of Telluride has a contract with the privately held Waste Management for trash and recycling services outlined below. The TMV has a contract for services with Bruin Waste.

The General Rules are as follows;
Place out cart the morning of by 8AM in the Town. By 7Am in the TMV. Return the cart by *5PM that night.
Have a bear resistant poly cart
Observe the recycle procedures and requirements
*the 5PM guideline is not strictly enforced but is encouraged during the bear season (Apr-Oct).

TMV
Bruin Waste/Naturita, CO
Thursdays 7AM-5PM
Recycle is extra $7.25/mo

Town
Waste Management/Montrose, CO
Tuesdays 8AM-5PM
Recycling is included in your bi-monthly fee

Although calling the waste companies for on-call service is not the simplest way to handle your service it will in fact reduce your yearly costs. For example, in the TMV there are 3 service level options.
Monthly - *$27.80 with a contract for 12-months of service
Inactive-monthly – This will cost you $5/month. You are considered an “inactive” client with an account in place. When you use the service you will be charged a month’s fee of $27.80 (above).
On Call – $14.65 per call. Once you need a pickup you have to call them directly, arrange a pickup, place the cart out that morning and return it that night. Note; two calls within a month will add up to $29.
*Recycling is $7.25 extra a month as is any extra yardage beyond the 96-gallon bear resistant poly cart capacity

Again, KK, LLC facilitates and handles the coordination of the trash services for the homes while owners are not in residence. Just let us know what your needs are upon departure or via email! Thanks.

Mountain community homeowner’s responsibilities with their trash; Because of the abundant surrounding wildlife that coexists in our communities extra special care has to be implemented in storing and dispatching the removal of the trash cans. Typically departing homeowners do not leave their trash outside their self-contained trash storage area. Alternatively it is left inside the garage or trash area and Kastle Keepers, LLC is responsible for placing it outdoors for the specific pickup date. Bear proof trash cans are required BY LAW in the town of Telluride and the Mountain Village as well as some outlying subdivisions. Fines and fees can be handed down by the authorities if the strict procedures are not applied and implemented at a property

How we orchestrate your trash pickup is that during our weekly house check, post departure, we make sure that the trash at the house is assembled responsibly and ready-to-go-out when the correct day approaches. If we do our house check on the Monday after your departure but notice that your trash pickup day is Thursday then we put it out on Thursday AM. The following week, if not sooner, we return the emptied trash cart to the trash storage area.

What can (and has) gone wrong. Well meaning, diligent house guests, etc sometimes place the trash out the night before the pickup or worse yet upon their day of departure versus on the specific pickup date and consequently bears, dogs and whatnot get into it. This creates havoc for all concerned. Bears are creature of habit. Once a landmark (your house) is on their feeding radar screen it becomes imprinted and will become a permanent fixture on their nightly-weekly-monthly forays for food. Hey! Who doesn’t like a free meal! Dogs may start making it their business to check to see if the bear left them any scraps and then more than likely leave you some of their ‘business and so on. Since we are at the homes each and every week if an incident happens we are all over it......we just don’t want it all over us! We clean up, pick up and move on. Occasionally we may leave a note for spanking new house guest let in charge of your castle with advice and suggestions about how things flow in the neighborhood with regards to such things as trash service pickup etiquette, parking and so on. This is one area where an open flow of communication facilitates smooth operation of the household.

March 2008 Calendar:
Thursday, March 12, 2009
FEAST Join the Telluride Medical Center in their annual fundraiser, complete with a multiple-course gourmet dinner paired with wines, a live auction and dance band. Telluride Conference Center, time TBA. 970.728.3848
Friday, March 13, 2009
Grupo Fantasma Telluride Jazz Celebration brings Grupo Fantasma, known for their vaired Latin dance music, to the Sheridan Opera House for a concert. Time TBA. 970.728.7009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
KOTO Concert Local radio presents a live musical experience (TBA). 970.728.8100
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Musical Theater The Palm Theatre presents Rainbow Fish, a musical based on Marcus Pfister's bestselling book and geared for the under-age-10 crowd. 970.369.5669
Saturday, March 14, 2009
TopATen Nordic Race Telluride Nordic Association/TMVOA/Telski hosts a 10-km race for all ages and Nordic disciplines with prizes for winners in every category. Call to confirm date and time. 970.728.1144
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Baseball on Skis Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by witnessing the annual spectacle of skiers dueling it out with bats, balls and bases on the snow at the base of Lift 7.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Shakespeare Theater Direct from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Guthrie Theatre and The Acting Company present a live performance of King Henry V at the Palm Theatre. 970.369.5669
Friday, March 27, 2009 - Sunday, March 29, 2009
Swing Camp Telluride Telluride Lindy Society offers a swing dance camp, "Swing Dancing at 9,000 Feet—A Breathtaking Experience," for all enthusiasts. 970.327.4908
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday at the Palm Winner of over 30 film festival awards, The Real Dirt on Farmer John follows an eccentric Illinois farmer and his adventures with hippies, community exile, rumors, arson and revolutionary agriculture. Palm Theatre, 4 p.m. 970.626.3137
Friday, April 03, 2009
KOTO Street Dance Telluride closes main street for this annual après-ski, end-of-the-season concert that features live music on main street and a beer garden. (April 4 is reserved in case of inclement weather.) 970.728.8100

Critter Care (a much needed service in Telluride)
Critter Gitter is a Nuisance Animal Control Business. We are dedicated to helping home owners solve human/wildlife conflicts. Our focus is to provide ecologically sound and humane animal control solutions for home owners, property management companies, business and government.

We offer many services such as: Nuisance Wildlife Control, Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Damage Prevention, Exclusion, Repair, Odor Removal, as well as Educating the Homeowner on how to avoid recurrences.

We capture and remove: Skunks, Marmots, Porcupines, Raccoons, Squirrels, Foxes, Pack Rats, Beavers, Musk Rats, Bats, Feral Cats, Coyotes, Pine Martin, Badger, and Prairie Dogs.

With 30 years experience our methods have been tried and are proven effective. We have developed our own repellents to deter porcupine chewing as well as deer and elk. We are in the field 7 days a week gaining knowledge and helping to resolve Wildlife conflicts.

As of this writing, we have been dealing with porcupine issues in Mountain Village and the Ski Ranches. The damage to the trees is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are over 170 properties damaged (that we've seen from the main roads). New damage is occurring every day. We have had a tough time notifying the homeowners, as we have tried notification through the various Property Management Companies, Real Estate Offices, and the Town. We have left notes on doors, business cards, and phone messages without any response. The only Property Management company that has acknowledged this problem has been Kastle Keepers,llc, and they have been doing everything in their power to help.

If anyone receiving this email would like us to check their property for damage, please give us a call or drop an email. If you would like more information on the extent of the porcupine problem, or just have a question, feel free to call or write.

Thank you,
Tina Mayer
Critter Gitter
970-712-2561
cedarcreekk9@aol.com

Heavy Duty Pressure Reducing Valve for Mountain Village Owners as well Fire suppression systems update:
Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems- FYI for homeowners-I have been speaking with Matt Musclow of Mountain High Fire and Safety, LLC about some concerns and needs of homeowners. First of all, these systems should be inspected annually to keep in line with insurance requirements. Please let us know if you would like us to have your system inspected. Usually the first inspection would be at an hourly charge, but from there they can set up an annual contract with a flat rate if you would prefer. If your house does not have a fire sprinkler, then you should make sure there are some fire extinguishers readily available, in easy to find locations and with a good charge.

Also, they have some solutions for houses that have been subject to high water spikes that have damaged home components, like backflow preventers and other plumbing components in your plumbing system.. This is fairly common in Mountain Village, but is not limited to there. What happens is that when the town’s water pressure spikes, it sometimes goes above the max rating on the backflow preventer that was installed per code on the water system for the home. This puts more water pressure into the homes components than what they are rated for, and this is where failure and damage can occur. They have been putting in some pressure reducing valves into the water line, one before the water meter and one on the fire sprinkler line. By doing so, the excess pressure is taken off before it gets to the major components. The excess water is then diverted directly to the drain and prior to the meter so the homeowner will not be charged for the water usage. Please contact us if you would like to find out more about this and if the application would be appropriate for your home. They will provide a free quote for you.

Telluride Mobile Massage:
Celebrating its tenth year of providing unparalleled massage therapy in Telluride-TMV, TMM announces a change of ownership. With a vested interest in the continued success and quality of her business, Shawna LaBorde recently offered Chris Barber and his wife Alexandra Prime the opportunity to buy TMM. In addition to running his own massage practice, Chris has worked for Shawna for the past eight years. Shawna is confident that Chris and Alex have the energy and ideas to continue to make the business flourish and maintain the quality of service that clients have come to rely on. We invite clients old and new to enjoy what Telluride Mobile Massage has to offer. Our professional team of certified male and female therapists are trained in a variety of massage modalities to provide a custom tailored massage suited to your needs. To learn more about our services please visit our website where you can book on line at www.telluridemobilemassage.com or call to make an appointment at (970) 209-2612.

As the ski season wanes to an eventful end we prepare for the upcoming late season storms and the respective prolific accumulations of snow. March and April are the big precipitation months here in SW Colorado. March can be a great time to visit for skiing or biking or even both on the same day! This region receives over 300-inches annually and has over 300-day-a year of sunshine. All that sunshine has to fit into the schedule sometime! We look forward to seeing everyone before the season ends. As a side note after daylight savings goes into effect the new ski resort hours will be from 10am to 5pm. So don’t panic when you head to the slopes and the lifts are still closed, they are waiting for the snow to warm up!

Spring Time Craziness!!!! Kendahl & her best friend skiing in a on the mountain fundraiser

December 2008 / January 2009 Newsletter

2009-01-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

Snow Report

A string of snowstorms has given us conditions which are mimicking those of last winter. Remember last winter? The 341.5-inch snowpack winter of 2007-2008 which developed after a sluggish and dry Thanksgiving start? This could mean all of the following; another epic ski season, big snow storms making way for even greater storytelling and huge snow piles in your driveways (and larger than anticipated snow removal bills).

As of December 11th the resort was reporting a modest 38 inch base. Since mid- December however total snow accumulation is now at 166 inches. In December alone the resort had a record breaking 113 inches. Currently the base snowpack is a healthy 60-inch at the base lodge area. This is 300 percent more than the 33-year average of just 38 inches. Consistently cold temps have helped keep the snow quality at a premium.

We had a beautiful white Christmas holiday season with record skier visits. The Telluride Ski Resort is one of the few resorts in North America to make actual capital improvements in 2008 and from a skiers perspective it shows! With the support of new snow making facilities and machinery, by Christmas week 90% of the ski area was opened. The new terrain on Revelation Bowl opened mid-December and proved to be a combination of intermediate terrain as well as offering several expert level aspects.

On The Ski Mountain Improvements:

There are many physical changes at the resort all adding to a better skiing experience. The Telluride Ski and Golf Club members’ luxurious base clubhouse has been once again revamped and now offers soups and drinks as well as cookies & crayons for the kiddos. The revamped snowmaking system was very welcome in the early weeks in the season. Thanks to new winch cats the corduroy grooming continues to improve so be sure to take advantage of those early morning lonesome cruisers when you can. We have been skiing on the weekends and have visited the new resort owned Hop Garden Restaurant which now operates out of the Chair #4 base location which The Skier’s Union previously occupied. Not only is the beer stupendous but so are the charbroiled burgers and Caesar salads. You have to wait longer than you might expect but it was a nice setting and a good time to reminisce about the new ski season. Skiers can now add lunch money to their season passes punch card style – call the ski resort at (970)728-6900, ask for season pass office. This is especially helpful with the kids and their lunch money. The punch card concept works at all the resort eateries; Gorrono, Guiseppies, Big Billies, Hop Garden, Crazy Elk Pizza. *Make sure you try it out once before trusting that they actually credited your season pass! We also found the kid friendly Diggity Haus which offers delicious steamed hot dogs, pork sandwiches and more; a darned warm place to wait for our favorite high altitude dog.

For intermediate plus skiers there is a new dining experience on the resort. Alpino Vino is a posh new wine bar located at the top of the ski resort a few turns down the slope from the Gold Hill Express Chairlift.They are serving a full range of wines from Italy alongside genuine Italian fare such as Panini, tiramisu, and antipasto plates. Access: from the intermediate Chair lift #5, heads towards lift #14 (Gold Hill Express).Get off #14 take a left and you will notice a small stone house on your left nestled into the tree tops. To depart the Alpino Vino you will travel along the beginner to intermediate terrain which brings you back to the mountain top section of See Forever, a double blue run.

The NEXT GENERATON: The resort has spread out the park-riding options for free ride skiers and boarders. There is a full-blown ride park and intermediate air garden directly below the Chair #4 at the base. Alternately, for huge air one can dabble on the mammoth sized rollers located on Lower See Forever. While the half-pipe is no longer on the Humbolt ski trail there is a new beginner ride park located at the top of Chair #5.

Revelation Bowl. It is gorgeous. We went out on a Kastle Keepers Expedition” and skied it ourselves so that we could tell you first hand. It is going to be “FAT” as the youth say! This bowl shaped terrain will offer wonderful powder skiing on powder days and intermediate bump skiing otherwise. Expert or extreme type skiing it is not, though. The immediate surrounding gives everyone breathtaking eagle-eye views of the cliffs above Bear Creek Valley, the San Joaquin Ridge and excellent views into the expansive JackAss Basin. For a combination of beauty and terrain in North America we cannot think of a more fetching one. We were present for the massive chairlift opening ceremony. Skiers and snowboarders had one thing in common that afternoon; everyone likened the terrain to the back bowls at Vail or even the bowl skiing at Snowmass. So don’t let the X double black signage hold your inner explorer back. There is an observation deck built at the bottom of the bowl for gawkers. Just a little intimidating!

The ski resort has been offering women’s specific ski weeks since 1981. Women ski instructors and female skiers of similar skill levels are paired up for week’s worth of instruction, video analysis and of course some pampering after a hard day on the hill. A sample day might include: top instructors in an intimate group setting, comp gear, video, Nastar training, après ski events and dinner, shopping discounts. Dates are: Jan. 21-23, Feb 8-12, and Mar. 1-5. Contact the ski resort ski lesson desk at 970-728-6800 or 1-800-778-8581.

SHIPPING TO TELLURIDE:

Shipping to Kastle Keepers, LLC

Certain catalog companies have altered their shipping protocols thus we offer you a reminder and a guide on how to best ship your skis and other valuables to our attention

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Federal Express drivers have alerted us that there has been a rash of thefts of boxes which were delivered straight to vacant homes. Not any of our homes mind you! To ensure the proper handling of your media equipment, computers, luggage, jewelry and wine shipments we recommend that the safest option is to ship to our physical address and we will personally deliver parcels to the inside of your house. Let us know if a valuable is on its way so that we may anticipate signing for it. Contact us at the office at 970-728-6240 to give us a heads up. Because of the shifts in the shipping industry above we are anticipating that consumers will be using the more affordable U.S.P.S. or the Post Office to a greater capacity.

At the post office we will collect the yellow slips, wait in line to retrieve the parcels and deliver them house by house, one-by-one. If we are aware that a family has many or multiple boxes arriving within a week we can possibly collect them at the post office, run them up to our home (out-of-town), bundle them in a grouping then finally deliver them to the residence for a delivery fee. We prefer waiting till all the families boxes have arrived but sometimes that is not realistic because the delivery process is out-of-our control. We promise to review our total billing for the month (say 5 trips; 12 boxes delivered) and make adjustments. Realize that each one box retrieved from the post office by us, then stored for bundling boxes together then delivered will create no less than 2 man hours of work. Magnify that times 3 trips to both the post office line and then onto the storage area (our garage)......... it adds up. We always have had a policy of wheedling down our actual costs with regards to box/parcel delivery-it’s just part of being a good caretaker and neighbor. Since the UPS driver works till about 7PM on Christmas Eve we want you to know that we delivered on both Christmas and New Year’s Day!

January 2009 Calendar:

Friday, January 16, 2009 - Monday, January 19, 2009

SnowFest Mountain Village hosts a weekend that includes music, snow sculpting, a torchlight parade, snowmobile jumping events, avalanche dog demonstrations and more.

970.728.7620

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Telluride Film Festival Presents Appetizers, chocolate and a lively discussion will follow a free screening of Agnes Varda's award-winning French documentary The Gleaners and I. Wilkinson Public Library, 6 p.m. 970.326.3137

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sunday at the Palm Join NPR film critic Howie Movshovitz for Francois Truffanut's first feature film, The 400 Blows (1959), about a young runaway who must survive on the streets of Paris. Palm Theatre, 4 p.m. 970.626.3137

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Telluride Film Festival Presents Telluride Film Festival Presents the critically acclaimed epic adventure Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman at the Nugget Theater, 8:30 p.m.

970.626.3137

Friday, January 23, 2009

Guest DJ Day Tune into FM 89.3, 91.7 105.5 or www.koto.org to hear locals vie for the coveted Silver Tongue Award and raise money for KOTO community Radio. Call 970.728.4333 to pledge to keep Telluride's radio commercial free.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Priest Lake Pursuit Telluride Nordic Association hosts a 15-km pursuit ski race (7.5 km classic/7.5 km skate) at Priest Lake for skiers of all ages. Prizes awarded in every division. Call to confirm date and time. 970.728.1144

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Rock and Roll Academy Ladies Night Out The Academy presents its first two freshly minted all-ladies adult bands. These gals will let their hair down and encourage all to get down for this cacophonous evening of music and dancing. Sheridan Opera House, 7 p.m. 970.708.1140

Friday, January 30, 2009

KOTO Lip Sync Contest Often irreverent, never to be missed, this annual KOTO radio fundraiser always bring down the (Sheridan Opera) house. 970.728.8100

Friday, January 30, 2009

Winter JazzTelluride Society for Jazz brings singer, songwriter, pianist, composer and two-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson to the Palm Theatre, 8 p.m. 970.728.7009

Kastle Keeping: ongoing work at the homes we watch over

We had a exceptionally busy Christmas and holiday season here at Kastle Keepers, LLC with many families and rental contracts in residence. All of our professional service workers were industrious over the 3-week long surge in business. They impressively provided our families and individuals with fast, reliable and courteous services day into night. We cannot thank them enough! We are confident that our thorough preparations, supply of provisions and the time and effort we spent coordinating services assists every homeowner in a meaningful and efficient manner.

The cleaner’s schedules had been dispatched and set up weeks and weeks ahead of time as per our service request forms. Thus we were able to assist with getting time freed up for all members of the family to get out of the cabin and onto the hill!

Ski rentals were written into the logs at the ski shops ahead of the rush of tourists. Personal ski instructor private lessons were handpicked and assigned – thanks to Trevor.

We are not sure. The caterers either love or hate Kastle Keepers, LLC. Hard to tell, we send them all sorts of great clientele with fabulous ideas. Yet when December rolls around we have a list so long for them for these requests it would make your head spin. We are thankful for their combined and individual talents. The more clients like and utilize local chefs and whatnot the better their service and culinary offerings will progress.

OUT AND ABOUT IN DOWNTOWN T’RIDE:

Every year there is more to do and see and enjoy here in our little hamlet town.

The New Sheridan Restaurant and Bar reopened with wonderful accolades heralding the redesigned interior and new menu. A new nitrogen wine bar system has given them the opportunity to offer a wider selection of impressive wines by the glass. New items on the menu include Tartare of Ahi Tuna, Butternut Squash soup, Braised Short Ribs “Pot Au Feu”. The $7 million dollar renovation also reopened a mezzanine seating alcove overlooking the Opera House stage which had been secretly boarded up for generations. The historic Sheridan Opera House staff tells us that there is always something worth checking out during their winter schedule. Donovan Frankenreiter performs on March 10, 2009. The non-profit Opera House can be booked for private celebrations, meetings or you can consider booking a section of seating for favorite entertainer. Beforehand a party could book the bar for a private birthday party and so on. There are several meeting areas as well as a swanky bar area with a glass ceiling overlooking Main Street and the ski resort. The art galleries host an art walk every first Thursday of the month. In the Mountain Village you will notice that another little eatery has opened up in the breezeway of the Franz Klammer Lodge. La Tapateria will have wait and walk service for burritos, tacos and the like. Other food cart vendors are popping up in the Plaza. Now you can graze on a ham and Swiss crepe, mosey on over to the popcorn vendor then finish off with a fresh baked warm cookie. Meanwhile the kids can jump till their hearts delight on the bungee trampoline.

Since we are well into the winter season we can give you some feedback about roof snowpack levels, driveway and general snow removal costs at the home sites. We watch over homes throughout the region thus snowpack levels vary tremendously. Whether or not your home site has an orientation towards sun exposure, what type of roof materials exist make a huge impact on your winter snow removal costs. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the attached article covering snow removal concerns in the mountain towns of Colorado.

In December alone Telluride received over 113-inches of snow. Lee always approaches our clientele with a plan of action for tackling snow removal needs on a case by case basis. As is the case for each and all of your home maintenance concerns, services are presented in an a la carte fashion where you alone decide what course of action and snow management protocol you desire to set into motion. Taking preparations ahead of time and having a plan is essential to avoid damage to the home, the roof or most importantly ruining your mountain homeownership experience. Experience has shown us over the years that a plan is essential. For example if you choose to cut back or eliminate driveway plowing you may be setting up for some anticipated failures. You may have the studded snow tires and the wonderful SUV as we do at KK, LLC but too often is the case where someone “visiting” does not have the right vehicle to get in and out of your driveway. Perhaps your guest’s car rental or the caterer’s car is not as well equipped. Please let Lee or Trevor know if you have any concerns about snow level and removal.

State of Affairs in the Box Canyon and beyond:

The sluggish economy has affected services and budgets in both of our mountain communities and we suspect you may take notice of these changes. Since August real estate sales have drastically fallen off at least fifty percent. Real estate transfer taxes fund all sorts of public work departments in both municipalities. The TOT has enacted an early “recession” plan” in response to the decrease in revenue flow. This pinch back will be noticed in the areas of snow removal, pending affordable housing growth, infrastructure improvements to the highway spur and upgrades to dilapidated water pipes among other areas. Optional budget line items are being cut. In the TMV Town Council Meeting minutes, department heads are being asked to evaluate cutting employees back in the upcoming months and how they can generate more revenue and less expense. Cutting back on Dial-A-Ride services was questioned. Capital improvements are being put on hold (i.e.: cable system, water management). http://www.telluride-co.gov/docs/fraserstate_of_the_town_01_07_09.pdf

Of the 275 realtors in the region the consensus is that sales are sluggish but prices are stable. Sales are down over 50% in all sectors of vacant and improved property since the national financial markets downturn in August. Other destination ski resorts like Aspen are struggling much the same. Have we reached bottom yet? Are sellers willing to greatly or even noticeably discount their investments that have yielded at 12-13% return over the last 10 years? Does Telluride’s unique location, lifestyle, it’s “a limited resource” aspect and raw natural beauty provide sellers with enough to stay the course and ride out the drought? It would seem so. Year after year for over ten years the regional real estate market has seen record setting numbers in volume and dollar price. Thus far into the recession the discounts are a rarity instead of ‘expected’ and owners are not moving off their pre-downturn pricing. Many of our clientele have indicated that early spring into summer will be the bottom of at least the national down turned economy and that if there is going to be a time for bottom feeding that is when we will see it. There have been few sales or contracts in November and December with one notable exception: a Greyhead house listed for 11 million under contract! There are deals to be had but they are the exception not the rule as least for now. There is little doubt that the region continues to be a sound investment as charted by a third party consultant, Judi Kiernan, of Telluride Consulting. The dollar volume of sales compounded annual growth rate chart depicting 1985 thru 2007 records a 13% annual appreciation. Visit our website www.telluriderealestateguide.com and click for current information on market activity.

Best to you and yours in 2009.

Lee, Sheilagh, Freddie and Trevor

The next Peek a Boo Streak!

November 2008 Newsletter

2008-11-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

Locals are beginning to banter about the new Revelation Bowl skiing- how deep the snow will be. How IT WILL BE THE BEST THANG EVER! It is all true! The snow does get really deep over there as the Gold Hill ridgeline snows often blow over from the west and drop into the Revelation Bowl precipice. Around 7AM on powder days, while we are eating our Kashi Crunchy Lean morning cereal.....the ski patrol’s snow safety crew will have to control this steep bowl skiing terrain with dynamite. Listen for the boom! In addition to the work to be done on the Revelation Bowl side, the ski patrol will be testing out their brand new vintage US Military issued Howitzer Cannons to help control the snows off Palmyra Peak. With all this combined firepower to control the deep snows on some of the best hike to and lift accessed terrain in the country, it better snow like last year! With the addition of the new lift serviced terrain of Gold Hill 1 ( just to the south of the Gold Hill Chair), Revelation Bowl on the east side of Gold Hill in the Bear Creek drainage and the hike to terrain of the Palmyra Peak ridge line, Telluride Ski Resort has been receiving much press. It was voted 4th of 10 as one of the best ski resorts in North America by one of the ski magazines and it has already been featured on the cover of other ski magazine for this upcoming ski season.

CURRENT EVENTS: Telluride is an attractive escape for all sorts of people. The beauty, solitude and rejuvenation that permeate life here affect them just like the rest of us. We have our handful of celebrities as well as an assortment of state’s people, and of course artists and entertainers- all whom make Telluride a top priority for a seasonal visit. Lucky Us!

One acclaimed artist who makes regular visits is Joanie Schwarz of Joanie Schwarz Photography/ Love Your Life Designs. Well, needless to say we did not take this picture- she is our new favorite friend and we want to share her gift with everyone we know! She is an acclaimed portraiture and illustrator who makes seasonal visits to Telluride. In fact she will be here December 27-January 3rd and February 14th - 21st Check out the hand painted background of the Wilson range!
http://www.joanieschwarzphotography.com.

She and her family have been visiting for years. Her portraiture work is unique and intriguing as well as meaningful and true to life. Check out her intimate works of art at her site for yourself. She comes here to play but also to capture the life of families and their loved ones while they are here at play. We love her whimsical dog portraitures, hand painted photographs and intriguing textile arts. Amazing!

Joanie has been known in the publishing world for over 25 years for the dreamlike quality in her painted and photographic imagery. Her work has appeared in Time Magazine, US News and World Report, Playboy Magazine, and she had created hundreds of book covers for Simon and Schuster and Scholastic books, as well as three children’s books of her own. Joanie’s work has hung at the Society of Illustrators in NYC for numerous shows over the last 20 years, and her original paintings and photographs are in private collections throughout the world. Contact Joanie directly or through Sheilagh (970-729-0707) for an introduction to what we think is a gem.

LIFESTYLE: Powder mornings are usually freezing. The snow storm is usually lingering in the early morning and the clouds push down on the cold air temps – the "freezer affect". Every local from the grocery clerk to the pharmacist is out in the lift line with you, creating a long, cold shady wait for the ride uphill. This is a good morning to pack a few extras along. Some hand warmers, some paper napkins or such to stuff into your goggles after they get hit with a face shot – (to absorb the extra moisture) which becomes a problem usually by the fourth or fifth run down the hill. I prepare for powder mornings with down mittens, an extra thick bottom layer (wet chairlifts) and sometimes I pack an extra neck gator underneath my pant leg area against the ski boot. This replaces the morning gator which is soaking by lunchtime!

Most importantly I bring along a “don’t take yourself too seriously attitude.” Powder skiing is tricky business and tons of fun! It is not “If” you will fall but rather “When” you will fall. Might as well enjoy the ride while it is a soft landing!

If more than your goggles got drenched in your last fall on the ski slope you can always make a stop at the wine bar. The resort has opened a top of the mountain wine bar called Alpino Vino at nearly 11,000’ elevation! To get there take the intermediate chairlift #14 to the top of Gold Hill, progress down along the ridgeline towards Chair #6 along Upper See Forever- it is the first high alpine chalet on the left! Lower on the mountain The Skier’s Union restaurant has left their space in the TMV plaza core and the ski resort is opening up their own dining establishment in its place. The Hop Garden will be open for skiers this season to easily access breakfast, lunch and dinner! There will be no less than 10 craft beers available.

Town Happenings: The entertainment line up at the Palm Theatre this winter is very enticing and exciting! A Chinese Acrobat travelling troupe, a Shakespeare performance, comedy and more or some of the many acts that will be traveling to Telluride this winter. Investigate their many offerings to see whether one of the performances coincides with one of your visits this winter.
http://telluridepalm.com/contact.html

Some of you may not realize how strongly Telluride residents backed the Democratic Presidential candidate. The Obama campaign launched their campaign for Colorado, an important swing state, from our little town of Telluride. In addition to the presidential campaign, there were four substantial ballot issues for the medical center, day care, high school size increase and the spur, amounting to in excess of nearly $50 million of new bond requests in Telluride’s recent November election. None of them passed. Over 60% nixed the new $31 million dollar medical center. The improvements for the entrance to town, the 1.7 mile long highway spur were also defeated by a large margin. The $18 million dollar initiative to create more capacity and affordable housing for school staff was also vetoed. Finally a $670,000 budget for increasing pre school child care was also defeated.

#3. Why the closet doors are open at my house in the winter?
The reason we crack open your closet doors is that very often the low temperature monitors are located in a inconspicuous place such as the space in the closet. Once the door is shut from the main room the heat no longer makes its way to the individual temperature alarm. Then we get false alarms for low temps at the house when in fact the house remains at the set temperature. These alarms usually come in around 1AM or later when the door to the closets are shut. When the room air freely circulates with the hidden thermostat in the closet, we get a clear and accurate reading at all times of your house temp and prevent the false 1AM alarms, thus we get a better nights rest!

At this high altitude what temperatures should our house thermostats’ be set at when we are away? i.e.: the basements, or any rooms with a lot of windows, etc....
We know that it is tempting to set the heat at 50 degrees when you leave for several months and it might even be “American” to do so.....conservation and so on. Read on below.

We set your temperature throughout the home at 60 degrees starting with the season’s first cold spells. We have set this standard for all the homes for good reason.

>For our alpine village in the first week of November, the night time temperatures have been near zero at times. If we turned basements and kitchens to 55 degrees or 50 then the risk of a plumbing freeze up jumps exponentially if the boiler system fails. The mid winter average temp outside here is 21 degrees. That is in the sun. Not every wall of your house gets full day sun. When the homes are set at this low temperature we usually get a low temperature alarm around 10 pm or earlier in the evening. At 60 degrees the house will send out a low temperature alarm between 1 am and 2 am if the boiler malfunctions. Since plumbers won’t respond to a no heat call till the next morning, the home will be hovering in the 30’s if the house was previously set at 50 degrees or in the 40’s if the home was set at 60 degrees. This extra 10 degrees of buffer is usually all that we need to keep a home from having frozen pipes, knock on wood! When the heat it set at 60 and the sun is shining on a cold winter’s day the house creates and holds onto some on that daytime heat till the wee hours of the morning. If a freeze situation occurs with this extra insulation factor we will probably have enough time to respond to the low temp alarm and get a repair crew the next day. Alternatively, without the little bit of extra insurance we could have an earlier low temp alarm, more hours for the house and the exposed plumbing to be in the dangerous freeze zone and less chance of getting a repair crew in on time before pipes start to burst after a total thaw. Further, many homes have the in floor heating system which can take half a day to kick in and raise the room temperature. This is a worse case scenario if the boiler system goes “out”, the exterior temp is around zero and we had a cold house to start with. Of all the possible scenarios this is the scariest one. Usually we respond with electrical plug in units which we have stockpiled over the years.

> Homes in the Telluride region are just as susceptible to a freeze up- somewhere in the maze of pipes that run through the home.
We have arrived at homes during our weekly check to water floods at that house one would never suspect would be the victim of a freeze up. These homes won’t even send out a signal for losing temperature inside the home. Usually a construction oversight or an architectural default sets an area of the house up for failure, such as running the plumbing on an external wall that was not insulated.

>Over the past 18-years we have seen as many as a dozen homes have freeze up issues -each year. Which we typically catch before it turns ugly because of our sweeping coverage of the house.
Historically-where do the freeze ups occur? Older homes are more susceptible, walls in proximity to an exterior wall, boiler systems have not been serviced (tuned up) regularly, and basements are susceptible. Sometimes kitchens have great wide windows and the sinks are located on an exterior wall which may not get full day sun. There have been many instances of construction defects, lack of insulation on the pipes and so on. Unfortunately, we don’t know about the possible disasters until the system in place fails. So our motto is to always keep the home warm and have the insulation effect in place – just in case. The good news is we know what to do should the pipes freeze in a private home or the town’s gas service is cut off (been there, done that). We have a crew who can handle this domestic crisis throughout the winter season (mid-October-mid-April).
What can you and Kastle Keepers do to prevent a freeze up?
As far as guests coming and going and shutting down the house as they leave- we ask that you simply remind them to "don’t touch" or maybe a simple “don’t turn down the heat.”

Be extra sure to close the cracked windows, double check the outside doors to be sure they are locked shut and keep those closet doors cracked open. We do that all when you leave but it is good to keep it up!

November Calendar:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Telluride Historical Museum Lecture Series
Part three of a series: "Clearing the Air on Green Winter: How and Why Ski Resorts are Going Green" presented by Luke Cartin, environmental manager for Vail Resorts Mountain Division. Telluride Historical Museum, 6-8 p.m. 970.728.3344
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Telluride Unearthed
Discover more about Telluride's rich history through the lens of science. Telluride Historical Museum, 6 p.m. 970.728.3344
Friday, November 21, 2008
Gondola Opens
The Gondola opens for the winter season.

Saturday, November 22, 2008
Turkey Bingo
Telluride's Elks invite all to Swede-Finn Hall to participate in frenzied bingo games. Win a turkey for the Thanksgiving table. 970.728.6362
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Telluride Ski Resort Opens
Ski the first day of the 2008/2009 lift-served season in Telluride. 970.728.6900
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday at the Palm
The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975) follows world champion skier Yuichiro Miura and his team as they battle avalanches, icefalls and altitude sickness to climb and ski Everest. Palm Theatre, 4 p.m. 970.626.3137

News:
THIN BUDGET PASSED FOR 2008

A slowdown in the economy of real estate, construction and development has resulted in a light influx of revenues which were expected to be heavier this year. Real Estate Transfer Taxes alone are estimated to come in $1.2 million less. Other development related revenues are also expected to fall short of expectations.

The town cut $2.5 million from what it hoped to spend on budget items. Sliced from the budget were streetscapes project on North Davis Street, a Coronet Creek bridge, festival and stage improvements, grandstands, parking meter replacements and cash requests from community originations like the Telluride Business Alliance, the Nordic Association, as well as Public Works department.

The town maintains that despite these cuts the "same level of service" will be preserved----"there will be softball games at the park and street crews clearing snow from the streets---and fund reserves kept at healthy levels".
ONGOING business at Kastle Keepers, LLC:
The fall off-season period has come and gone. The townspeople of both the town of Telluride as well as the Mountain Village are so excited for winter to arrive given the country’s economic turndown. There are many exciting ski area improvements which all of us will benefit from this season. The ski resort started making snow this month for the traditional Thanksgiving opening. Hopefully you have ordered you season passes at the reduced rate we posted over the past couple newsletters. Let Trevor hand hold you thru the process of renting ski equipment and arranging lessons this season: reach him at (970)729-1326.

We have received and acted upon many of the written Christmas special request questionnaires. We have already lined up catering, rentals, tree orders and cleaning requirements for the owners that desire those services.

Mailings boxes or ski equipment to Telluride: Feel free to send your large packages or extra bedding and so on to our personal home at:

ATTN: Lee “YOUR NAME” Roufa 109 West Serapio Drive, Telluride, Colorado 81435 970-729-6240

Be very sure to include your name on the address label whether shipping via Mailboxes, a catalog or yourself. The Lee YOUR NAME Roufa part of the addressing is very important. Otherwise we will need to open the box to check for a packing slip and make phone calls to determine who this package belongs to!

We have the Kastle Keepers, LLC Suburban for hauling you and your friends to and from the airports when needed. The Suburban can accommodate up to seven (7) passengers plus gear in the overhead rack. Give us a call ahead of time so we can schedule you for private service.

All the cars have had their winter tires put on and fluids checked by now and spas have been thoroughly cleaned and filled with new water for the approaching season. The heat melt systems are in ready mode or are on depending on the sun aspect your home receives. We are well into installing Christmas tree lighting for the homes that desired this amenity. Take time to consider what services you might benefit from for your early winter visit. We are here to help and assist and to implement your vision so you can free up yourselves for family time. Things to consider are extra bed rentals, car shuttles to and from the regional airports, catering, lights on exterior trees, Christmas interior décor (garland, wreaths, etc), equipment rentals, lessons, dinner reservations, special present deliveries, shipping equipment back to Telluride and or the Christmas presents!! Don’t forget those!

As Thanksgiving fast approaches we at Kastle Keepers have been very busy prepping the homes for winter and setting them up for the holidays. Thank you to everyone who has already returned their holiday request forms. It makes the planning much easier now for the busy upcoming holiday season. I have gone ahead and attached the forms one more time for those that have not turned them in yet. The cleaning schedules are all but set, but we will do our best to fill in the last minute requests. If you need anything else, please let us know and we get it taken care of. We have gone ahead and attached the forms one more time.

From all of us at Kastle Keepers, LLC, have a great Thanksgiving!

October 2008 Newsletter

2008-10-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

WARNING: SKI PASS SALE ENDS OCTOBER 31ST! Save BIG bucks.

The Farmer’s Almanac suggests that this winter‘s mid-season temperatures will be unseasonably cold with average precipitation. The winter temperatures range is from 19 degrees (BRRRR!) to 28 degrees throughout the four-and-a-half month long ski season with January and February being the coldest. Kastle Keepers LLC has already begun to gear up for the winter.

In fact our daily routines vary with the seasonal changes. We automatically take care of all the details in preparing your house for winter. Over two decades we have got it down to a science. We are presently having the boiler systems checked and overhauled when needed. After October the aspen leaves will have dropped and we can move forward with having the gutters cleaned out so that they won’t clog up with ice attached to a bunch of dead bulky leaves. Item by item various chores are knocked off the lists so when you are in residence there are no hassles to trap you inside while you could be out skiing and enjoying your family and friends.

You will receive several emails from us about Christmas and post holiday special requests you may be considering. We are keen on planning out the details of your stay ahead of time. Also in the late fall we send out house status reports to keep you current on how your house is faring while you are out-of-town.
For your convenience, you can download these forms:
HOLIDAYS AND CHRISTMAS 2008/ 2009 requests
CLEANING REQUESTS-HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMAS, NEW Years 2008/2009

Each week one of two guys does a thorough walk-thru of your home. Rusty and Keith are proactively looking for problems before they happen. These two guys are in constant contact via high tech computer software, emails and cell phones exchanging notes and concerns about the homes. This team approach has exceptional advantages to having a “friend” watch over your multi-million dollar investment property. You’re covered.

NEWS:
The worst part of Telluride is that it is hard to get to …
The best part of Telluride is it is hard to get to as well

Once again Telluride Ski Resort was recently ranked as one of the best resorts in North America by both the Skiing and Ski Magazine reader polls. While Skiing Magazine ranks the TSR as fourth overall, SKI lists the resort as tenth. Visitors rank the après ski scene as top notch, they love the steeps, the new terrain and of course the weather. Markedly Telluride moved ahead of Aspen in the readers’ poll. *Access to Telluride ranked as 60th which severely lowered the overall score. Does this mean that if we were just 20 minutes from a major airport would that make us #1? Other glitter subject matter gleamed from the poll: Our dining ranked 8th, our scenery 4th (must have been foggy that day!). Telluride received accolades for having the Best $40 steak; New Sheridan Chop House and service at the resort was given a 10th ranking. **The New Sheridan Chop House will have a grand re-opening for the Christmas season.

The winter schedule for Telluride’s theatre for the performing arts, The Michael Palm Theatre has been released. Enjoy the African Children’s Choir, a Christmas Carol, and the Golden Dragon Acrobats for Chine, Shakespeare’s King Henry and Ballet Folkorico this winter season. Visit the site at www.telluridepalm.com. Other entertainment venues for the holiday week are the Sheridan Opera House, www.sheridanoperahouse.com.

Another chunk of local open space has been preserved- this time within the town limits. An exchange of sorts was arranged to acquire a thin slice of property called the Kentucky Placer. This 114-acre parcel begins close to the base of the Bear Creek trail, includes the popular beaver ponds and then jogs north and east under a steep mountainside. In September it was purchased by the Telluride Open Space Fund from the Trust for Public Land. The Open Space fund, State grants and County funds were thrown in to make the deal materialize. A 1.74-acre portion of this property was granted back to the TPL as part of the compensation package. TPL has the right to develop this parcel and sell this as three single-family lots. Ice climbers will be once again allowed access to the famed Bridal Veil Falls, apparently a coveted national treasure in that respect.

The distinctive aroma of steaming’ hot dogs in warm sesame seed buns smothered in sauerkraut will be just steps away from the fire pit area in the Mountain Village this winter. Diggity Dog’s Dogg Cookhouse has moved closer into the village core. A bonus! This Dogg House will be inside!

NEWS: Lift 7 Area

As you ride up in the shadow of the ski mountain on Chair lift #7, a 12-minute ride, you will undoubtedly get a sense of the ski resort’s 1970’s beginnings. Old is mixed with quasi-old and then there are splashes of new structures and improvements here and there. Well that is on the edge of change. There are large sections of open space mixed into this parcel. Recently the landowners of this Tract Y have gotten out the sketch pads and pencils. To many parties of the community the Lift 7 area represents the town’s last opportunity for major redevelopment.

In the Coonskin Chair lift #7 corner of town, the Telluride Ski and Golf Co. owns a 10 acre triangle of open space for which plans for mixed commercial uses were presented last year. Questions regarding the land are zoning status, the legality of any development of the land and whether or not the town has any jurisdiction at this edge of town quickly arose. The town owns two nearby parcels, Shandoka and the Carhenge parking lots, both adjacent to Chair 7 area. In the town-owned area a parking garage, affordable housing and condo-hotels have been mentioned as possible development opportunities. The Telski open space could support many other projects including a hotel and housing. Opponents argue that the space should be left undeveloped because of wetlands running through the property.

The legal status of Tract Y is under renewed scrutiny. In a legal analysis by Town Attorney Kevin Geiger, the parcel of open space has been determined to be subject to covenants governing the Backman Village subdivision of which it is a part. Further examination of the covenants prevents development of the parcel for any purpose other than employee housing. These covenants, however, can be changed with the approval of the Town of Telluride, Backman Village homeowners, Telluride Ski and Golf Co. and the amendment of The Lift agreement and rezoning of Tract Y from an Open Space District. Following this analysis from the Town Attorney, Mayor Stu Fraser and Telski CEO Dave Riley resigned from the Lift 7 Steering Committee. Recently the Planning and Zoning Commission and the remaining members of the steering committee decided to “step back, reorganize and start over from the ashes”.

October 2008 calendar:
Friday, October 10, 2008 - Saturday, October 11, 2008
Walking Words Walking Words begins with a progressive dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday featuring three courses, each at a different restaurant, accompanied by a ready. Saturday is devoted to workshops in fiction, poetry and non fiction at the Ah Haa School. 970.728.3886

Sunday, October 19, 2008
Gondola Closes for Off-Season Midnight starts the closure of the Gondola until November 21.

Friday, October 24, 2008
Joe Jackson in Concert KOTO presents Joe Jackson on stage at the Palm Theatre. 970.728.8100

Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday at the Palm Children are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes to experience a selection of short films based on the works of Dr. Seuss. Tricks and treats, too. Palm Theatre, 4 p.m. 970.708.4009

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ghost Stories An afternoon of regional ghost stories for kids of all ages, followed by a frightful evening event for adults. Telluride Historical Museum, 3:30 p.m. for kids; 6:30 p.m. for adults.
970.728.3344

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Youth Art Awards Celebration Visit the Ah Haa School for the Arts for the "Seventh Annual Youth Art Awards & Celebration," where the recipients of the 2008 Youth Art will be announced. 5 p.m. 970.728.3886

Friday, October 31, 2008
KOTO Halloween Party Get decked out and check out how Telluride parties. Location TBA. 970.728.8100

#2. Why is cleaning so expensive here? Compared to back home these labor costs give me the sentiment that I am being taken advantage of!

This is an ever so common question in all sectors of property management here. To start with Kastle Keepers, LLC does not employ cleaners directly.

We contract out the cleaning as we do for all the specialty trades; plumbers, electricians, tile setters etc…. The service providers we connect you too set their own hourly rates and prepare their own bids. Keep in mind we do seek out and present only the best quality providers in the area. We can guarantee you that if their fees were anything but competitive with the going market rates we would not recommend them. We do not tolerate price gauging.

In this area of the state, labor costs are elevated in all of the trades- as is the case with many resort towns. Drive eighty miles in any direction and labor rates drop considerably- so do house prices.

KEY POINT: Understand that the Telluride area is the economic engine for many of the outlying communities. Service company owners cannot afford to live here- but they also can’t afford not to work here. Given that, there are no other options to turn to and no cheaper alternatives available. We wanted to share the facts with you. Three interlocking factors shape the areas high labor costs: Unique location/housing costs/lack of available workers (boom period; there is more work then workers).

> Unique location: there is a limited supply of land and it is too expensive for the average earner to own even a starter home here.
With the average entry level home here costing over $400,000 (including the deed restricted market units), how many workers earning *$16 to $20/hour could afford to own? The answer is none and that creates a work force that is a) transient, b) unstable and fluctuating. (census reports states: * median income is $33,500)

> Housing costs: An average worker here cannot afford to rent or own a home in the immediate area.

If there were affordable rents and/or reasonable entry level starter homes wages could possibly be competitive with surrounding cities (Montrose/Cortez). But there are simply not rooms available at reasonable rent rates and thus Telluride’s “staff workers” come and go seasonally. That creates an unstable work force –thus the lack of available workers. To learn more about this subject the Town of Telluride has hired consulting firms to examine locals wages and housing issues and their findings can be viewed at the towns web address under ‘Town Services’.

>Lack of workers: The Telluride region has been in a positive cycle since the late 1980’s when the TMV incorporated and the airport was developed and so on. This demand for resources has created a vendors market without a doubt. As long as people in the region are willing to pay the higher prices, then the cost to do things will remain elevated. The market in the region sets the prices, we don’t! Fortunately, enterprising individuals from outlying communities create their own work forces, Each of the privately run cleaning companies that we work with, transport their workers from 75 plus miles away daily to take care of the cleaning needs of each one our clients.

OUR PART: Besides handling all the paperwork, billing, collection and disbursement of money between you and the cleaners we also supervise their work. Supervising the house cleaning is the biggest challenge in our business (as is the case for all property managers in Telluride). Between Trevor and Lee, a bridge between you and the services is provided with written, oral and on-site meetings to create the best possible flow of quality work and financial commitment. YOU determine the level and frequency of cleaning.

Quality cleaning services are a limited resource in Telluride. We know that our system works very well and it provides a level of work that we are proud of. We have a very low level of cleaning company turn over; have never had a theft situation with any cleaners or a major dispute with regards to cleaning. Kastle Keepers, LLC has built up quality relationships with the homeowners, the cleaners and a myriad of other contractors which allows our work to run smoothly.

With both the Christmas and the New Year holiday approaching we wanted to pass along an insider’s tip. Consider what your needs may be this busy holiday season now. There are services available that can free up your most valuable gift to loved ones; your time. Give us a call ahead of time if you want a Christmas tree to light up the living room or are charmed by the idea of having a crock pot of stew in the kitchen counter after a hard day of skiing. You might want to evaluate if a little cleaning here and there would be pleasant during your week stay.

We recommend planning ahead of time for as much of your trip as you are comfortable with. Quite a few visitors bring a swell of congestion to the small restaurants and salons. The restaurants fill up very quickly after the first week of December as do the caterers’ schedule. Choice snowboard and ski rentals get reserved well in advance as well. Give us a call to discuss your ideas and we may be able to steer you onto the path of the least resistance.

Time to hit the desert!
The snows are coming!

Lee hitting the slickrock in nearby Moab, Utah

September 2008 Newsletter

2008-09-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride Valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

Please don’t forget to at least $652 per adult season ski pass by purchasing passes before OCT. 31st. Before October 31st the adult pass will cost $1,198 (on Nov 1st it will cost $1,850). Children (6-12) begin at $125 and move up to $425 after the 31st.

Fall temperatures and winds have already descended upon our mountain valley hamlet. The grass in the rolling pastures is turning brown around the edges and the rivers have come down to just a trickle. Winter coats are thickening on the backsides of the horses as the cool nights of another alpine fall season settle in. The daytime temps are enchantingly mild. The Telluride Blues and Brews Festival will be host to an excess of 8,000 festivarians in mid-September underneath sunny mid-70-degree weather. The fall leaf color change promenades through the valley a little later in the season-usually sometime around the 1st week of October-see below.

Fall is an exciting time here at 8,750-feet in altitude and at 10,232-feet Mountain Village respectively. The weather is usually very enticing and no one wants to miss an opportunity for one last summer adventure. Whether that is a jeep ride up and over any of the many mountain passes literally right out the back door or a simple stroll underneath a canopy of aspens. The light is still good enough to cast a fly till after 7:30PM and try your luck in one of the nearby trophy waterways. The summer festivals have come and gone and a small town hush presides over the fall shoulder season once again. It is the most laid back Telluride gets because there honestly is not really much to get ready for. Folks are not tackling honey-do’s lists with as much vigor as they are in the springtime. It is a time to harvest the pluses of the summer and fatten up for the long approaching winter.

We are already planning to send our homeowners a notice about (NO! don’t say it!) outdoor Christmas tree lights!

In years past we waited too long to string up the lights (mid-Nov) and end up in snow squalls in November stringing lights on your exterior trees. Not this year. Look for that Outdoor Christmas light request sheet soon. Things to consider: How many trees will get lights, where would you like them to be positioned? Would you like to be able to see them while inside next to the fireplace or just while driving past?

Of Telluride’s eight-week long fall shoulder season October will shape up to be a very busy month. There are owner’s cars that need appointments for a tire changeover plus tune ups as needed. Then there are all the outdoor furniture, umbrellas, BBQ’s and such that need to be hauled inside before the snows arrive. Hoses are to be gathered, shrubs trimmed and debris cleaned up so that the gardens have a good start in mid-May or in this year’s case; early June. That’s correct; the snow did not even melt off our own lawn which is actually located on what is called the sunny side of the T’Ride valley till around June 1st! When compared to the nation at large Telluride seems like it has its own climate zone.

Telluride and Mountain Village News:

BRING YOUR OWN O2! Revelation Bowl: the construction of the new chairlift #15 to access the expert Revelation Bowl will be completed late this fall. Look for exciting new un-groomed terrain that rivals any in North America! In fact Telluride has one of the nation’s longest vertical drops at 4,425’.

The summit of this spectacular lift will be at 12,570’ and will give expert only skiers access to a dazzling 800’ vertical drop. Make no mistake, this terrain has been taboo and black listed hereto now and this season we will be able to glissade and romp to our heart’s delight! Further below this is an area of couloirs and narrow, straight-edged slim passages that have lead more than a handful of fool-hardy and ill prepared adventure seeking skiers to their death. Between improvements during the ’07 and ’08 season, the resort has added over 400-acres of new terrain. This infusion of capital improvements bucks recent ski industry trends as most resorts have dwindling visitor numbers.

The Telluride Ski Resort has reported a 2-3% increase in skier days over the past 5-years. www.tellurideskiresort.com. Note visit Dave’s Blog for awe inspiring views of the lift construction. Note: this terrain will ski like nothing else on the mountain. It will be more advanced than Gold Hill but in a similar genre. Do not hesitate to take a refresher, skills development with one of a handful (note ‘handful’) of qualified ski school instructors. Call Sheilagh or Trevor today for the A-list of the best qualified instructors!

WINTER ‘08-‘09 AIRLINE SERVICE

Getting Here: The purpose of the Telluride-Montrose air organization is to attract and facilitate expanded flights to the region to help benefit tourism. The organization recently announced that both United and Delta Airlines are either expanding and/or adding new service to and from Montrose from Chicago, L.A. and Atlanta.

United and Delta Airlines will begin new or expanded service this winter season from Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta to the Montrose Airport. United Airlines is offering a new daily flight from Chicago and an additional Wednesday flight from Los Angeles. Delta offers an additional Wednesday flight from Atlanta. Montrose Airport has non-stop service from Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Denver and Salt Lake City on a daily basis and Los Angeles, Newark and Atlanta on Saturday plus the new flights from Los Angeles and Atlanta on Wednesdays. Telluride Airport will continue daily service to Phoenix on US Airways and Denver on Great Lakes Aviation among other established scheduled flights. www.visittelluride.org

This past April the area’s primary natural gas provider SourceGas petitioned the Colorado Utilities Commission for an increase in excess of 20% for the non-gas component of their monthly rates to consumers. Budget line items such as the labor, billing and equipment for the utility has not risen in 14-years for the western region of Colorado and the need to increase user fees in order to remain competitive was requested of the Commission.

The town of Telluride along with other entities including corporations and lawyers fought against the original proposed rate distribution increase. In the end the Utilities Commission passed the SourceGas rate increase but the town states that their intervention along with the aforementioned probably shaved 11% off the original rate hike proposed. How does this translate to you? Expect a $3 to $12 a month increase in your gas bill. Visit http://www.sourcegas.com/CO.aspx for more information. Source Gas is a Colorado corporation serving about 420,000 customers in 5 western states.

Early bird seating discounts; NEW: Honga’s Lotus Petal Restaurant has offered a between 6:00-7:00, $12 for a Mojito and a sushi roll. The Excelsior Café has a similar early bird special; a glass of wine and a selected entrée before 6PM, seating at the bar area. The Cosmopolitan has ‘dinner before 6PM specials’. La Marmotte has a weekly Chefs Prix Fixe Specials where there is a limited menu and a handful of wines to select from.

September 2008 Calendar:

Friday, September 12, 2008 - Sunday, September 14, 2008
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Microbrew tasting, crafts and food booths, and international blues and rock acts in Telluride Town Park by day and intimate late-night blues clubs by night. 866.515.6166

Monday, September 15, 2008 - Friday, September 19, 2008
Black Bear Awareness Week
An all-ages event to learn more about bears in the region that culminates with the Black Bear Ball on main street. 970.728.0190

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Reel Rock Film Tour
Peter Mortimer introduces this climbing film, which features the latest releases from the filmmakers at sender films, other shorts and footage of many of today's hottest climbers. Sheridan Opera House, 8 p.m. 970.728.6363

Saturday, September 20, 2008
Mountains to the Desert
As a fundraiser for the Just for Kids Foundation, bikers spin 133 miles on the road from Telluride to Moab. 970.728.4454

Friday, September 26, 2008
Art Talk & Potluck
Bring a dish and join visiting ceramic artist Jim Romberg and painter Doug Dawson at the Ah Haa School at 6:30 p.m. for a free slide show and discussion. 970.728.3886

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday at the Palm
Through interviews with astronauts, we are given a personal glimpse into the history of NASA's Apollo space program in In the Shadow of the Moon. Palm Theatre, 4 p.m.
970.708.4009

Okay, it seems like at some point each homeowner asks the same questions in the life of their account with us- so here are your answers in writing

to the most common questions we get.

1. Do you walk thru my house every week? YES!

n We provide one personalized walk-thru each week which is customized, scrutinized and a detailed check point of the home, 52-weeks a year.

Plus not to mention random drop-ins for meeting tradesmen, dropping off boxes and such at the houses, which are also on-site visits as well.

An average house check takes about a half-hour +. (Turn the car on/check the spa/check the mechanical room, etc…) We have two people who have been trained to perform the house checks and they rotate the homes between them.

NOTE: We offer you a wide range of services. However our core service begins with and is measured by our ability to provide the week-by-week house check. Our service begins with attention to tiny, tiny details from the turn-of-the-key.

We customize our walk through to accommodate every homeowners needs; such as watering the indoor plants, balancing out the chemicals in the hot tubs, adding water to spas when needed so that they have water running through the filtration system, starting and running the cars in the garage to keep the battery charged up (versus allowing the LED (interior display lights) to drain the battery over months of inactivity, opening and observing your mechanical rooms for a) operations, b) leaks and any noticeable changes (i.e.: silence in the mechanical room is not a good thing!) Checking the garbage cans, bringing the garbage out, and so much more………… The homes become our day-to-day workplace and we have a “feel” for them and we can tell with something is not quite right. Plain houses have problems as do the tricked out, super mechanical residences.

NOTE: One of our main jobs is to simply “Take Care” of the mountain homes and alert you when needed. As you know all of the other services and options are A La Carte.

DISCUSSION: Mountain homes are subject to year-round threats. The following is a discussion of one problem area that we are on the lookout for during our house checks. From the interior we visually follow the roof lines looking for any signs of moisture that may occur in closets as well as open rooms. We often have homes with snow load melting problems and it is part of our job to examine these potential "build up" areas from the outside decks and walkways. Snow loads are subject to many uncontrollable factors including direct sun exposure, air temp, roof design, and recent snowfall levels. Year round threats may also include warm weather problems involving missed sprinkler areas, fallen limbs, hot tub covers askew and the bear/bird-feeder/trash summer hazard.

While some homes are "tight as a drum", others involve a virtual Pandora's Box of problems: water features break, pictures fall off the walls, plaster cracks and crumbles to the floor, hot tubs get "tired" and thermostats just up and quit. We discover these surprises as we knock off house checks week by week.

That is enough hows and whys of Keeping Kastles for this newsletter. Next month we will tackle another of the MOST COMMON QUESTIONS: CLEANING "Why is cleaning so expensive here"

Thanks for your time and participation in our constant communication! If you have any comments please feel free to email LEE or Sheilagh at or call Trevor or Lee on their cell.

Fall Leaf Color change- what a wonderful time to drop in for a visit-

PLEASE feel free to give us a call to inquire about the status of the leaf color change around the 20th-24th of September. Usually by the first week in October the trees turn and everywhere you look you will see the bright reds, and oranges which usher in a big shift in the weather as well. Sometimes it lasts a week, sometimes a little longer. Usually by the 15th of October it is a done deal. Factors that could alter and speed up this target date would be a lot of rain between now and then and/or a severe cold snap. These factors not mentioned in the either the Farmer’s Almanac or the NOAH sources for this year so pencil Telluride into your schedule in early October. We will send out a special alert ahead of time when the trees start changing.

****Remember the restaurants close down come mid-October till Thanksgiving or even into the first week in December. If you are hoping for a HOLIDAY dinner reservation at a local establishment or catering it would be HIGHLY recommended to get those requests into Trevor ASAP. One of the very best ways around planning dinners for a large group over the holidays is to simply place an order ahead of time with a catering outfit such as Aemono Deli and either pick it up yourself or have us arrange for delivery for you to your refrigerator! That way there are no staffers in your house during the already hectic week and most importantly YOU get to go skiing or have a treatment at the day spa.

NOW is the time to discuss next summer’s project………… Believe It or Not!

September we will find ourselves ushering in the sub contractors to tie up, start up and polish off any projects which they had on their bustling summer schedule (reminder: “Summer” is approx. 3.5 months here). If you have a project in mind discuss it this fall with Trevor and Lee so that you move to the head of the subs lists for next April and May.

Already we have begun to assess the overall condition of the homes in preparation for the heavy winter usage. We assemble lists for what needs to be done, spa drains & cleans and refills. Car tires need to be switched over and windows cleaned, humidifiers and boiler systems need an operations check. We continue to treat your homes like our own and create a hassle free experience for you and yours.

See you soon. Lee, Sheilagh, Freddie, Trevor, Rusty and Keith

“We are not waiting for our Knights in shining armor to have fun!” Kendahl and best–ever best friend Natalie

August 2008 Newsletter

2008-08-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

TELLURIDE’s UNDERGROUND

While many real estate offices, retailers and art galleries pay premium square foot costs to be at the consumer’s eye level on Main Street there more shops and retailers waiting underground. On the south side of Main St at the west end behind Dollar Rent-A-Car a thriving MAILBOXES ETC is open for business with super friendly and knowledgeable staff, a wide assortment of gift cards, wrapping paper and some office supplies. Alpine Eye care, a small eyeglass and sunglass optometrist’s office, is also there. Note: Tommy’s Restaurant is located behind Nevasca Realty as well as some public restrooms.

Behind the Pharmacy is Slopestyle sports shop, a fashion/functional hard goods store for various mountain sports and mountain lifestyle wear including duffle bags, goggles, summer dresses and Croc footwear just to name a few items. This shop specializes in snowboarding and skateboarding. Behind the Between the Covers Bookstore is a lovely internet café site- classic bookstore coffee shop that can be accessed via the front door or via the lovely garden terrace from the rear alley. Surrounded by books on travel, spirituality and adventure coffee table books the coffee shop has a small selection of muffins and croissants with great coffee in the back for your enjoyment. If you want to have a face to face conversation with someone this is the spot! One level up off of the ground level of this 200 Block of Main St there are offices of several trade professionals, several massage therapy salons, and a nutritionist certified dietician’s office where you can join in on a seasonal cleanse orchestrated by a professional. Past the alley in the back you will look around a few corners and locate MARIA for hair. She carries high quality L’Oreal products. Even further along is the Mariposa Facial and Aesthetician Salon. At the end of this block is the open-all-day-everyday O’Bannion’s Bar.

Behind the Newlin Photography studio retail space is Merle’s Brown Bag with to go lunches ranging from sushi bowls, pot pies to never ordinary sandwiches. At the underground level of this block there is primarily private parking for the above residential units.

Moving east towards the Last Dollar Saloon there are several restaurants side by side. Underneath the Main St. Down to Earth clothing shop you will find it’s scaled down sister retail shop with hemp and alpaca sweaters, corduroy pants and jackets and belts. A casual hippie style permeates the scene in this damp cellar space yet sometimes they have exceptional beaded purses and bangles. This is a fun spot to include in the quest for fun finds. Past the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art there is a wine and tapas bar Marz to the rear and Doug Berry’s Photography working studio above-call for an appointment. The Fly Me To The Moon Saloon lies below ground level and features a spring loaded dance floor. This saloon hosts live music year round capturing artists who are touring the region at other ski resort towns like Aspen, Durango and Crested Butte.

Beyond the Ace Hardware store location are several buildings with hidden retail gems. There is a workout studio behind the Pan Handler called 8750. Behind the Mountain Tails pet supply shop there is an Verizon cell phone accessory shop with Bluetooth supplies, Nokia, Motorola and more. The University of San Miguel headquarters for off-campus college credit courses are also located in this building.

Do not forget to pick up a season ski pass for the family members and friends before the prices increase radically! Call the Telluride Ski and Golf season pass desk to get yours today. The new rates go into effect at the end of October!

On the north side of Main street at it’s west end there are underground businesses starting at the 400 Block. Underneath the Paragon Sports location is the Village Center Dry cleaning drop off/pick up office and the Gallery Framing shop where there is an extensive frame selection and work shop. Local artists showcase their fine art and photography here as well. Upstairs from the Nugget Theater are several yoga studios, a gryrotonics/pilates studio operated by certified trainer Becca Tudor and several massage therapist’s salons. At the 500 Block of south main behind the Rosewood Condo/hotel sales office located upstairs is the office of general practice physician Dr. David Homer. Travelling along going east you will run into the sticky sweet smell of homemade ice cream at the Sweet life located underground which is extremely popular with the kids. Easy Rider is behind the Floradora Restaurant which is a hole-in-the-wall bike shop where you can order yourself a custom cruiser bike from owner Johnny Hass. He is a maestro at bike selection and maintenance and is an invaluable biker’s resource. Drop by the free-box while you are in the neighborhood.

The cost of water for your home’s irrigation system may have caught your attention this summer to a greater extent than the rising costs of gasoline. There are several ways in which a homeowner can supervise this line item at the house. Once a yard system and landscaping has been installed the amount of water needed to maintain the system need not change dramatically year to year unless there were some sort of construction/alterations made to the existing system. There are computer water minder systems, timers, overflow preventers and other on-site water management tools available. Over the past 18 plus years we have had success with several water management systems that we feel have alleviated some of the homeowners concerns with regards to water waste and use. Consult with Lee or Trevor for further information.

__________________________________________________________________

August 2008 Calendar:

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Mushroom Banquet Each course features a different mushroom, wine and local chef at the Telluride Conference Center. 970.728.83212

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sunset Concert Series Listen to free music every Wednesday (June 25-September 3) in Sunset Plaza in the Mountain Village. Bring a blanket, a picnic, dancing shoes and the family. This show: The Waifs. 970.728.1904

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Telluride Unearthed Exploring a theme of "Snowfall in the Valley," visiting scholars deliver a two-hour presentation at the Telluride Historical Museum, 6 p.m. 970.708.1140

Thursday, August 21, 2008
Fireside Chat C.J. Brafford and O. Roland McCook, Sr. present a talk titled "Native American Sign Language" at 5:30 p.m. at the fire pit in the Mountain Village Core. This conversation is hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum and free to the public. 970.728.3344

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - Sunday, August 24, 2008
Live Theater The Telluride Rep brings four performances of The Full Monty to the Sheridan Opera House, 8 p.m. 970.728.4539

Thursday, August 21, 2008
Telluride Film Festival Presents Oscar-nominated (for best foreign language film) Mongol illuminates the life and legend of Genghis Khan. Nugget Theater, 8:30 p.m. 970.728.3030

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - Sunday, August 24, 2008
Telluride Mushroom Festival Gather to celebrate and explore all aspects of fungi in Telluride's mushroom-rich surroundings. Pick, discuss, parade and eat during an information-filled weekend. 970.728.8312

Friday, August 22, 2008 - Sunday, August 24, 2008
Glory: Many Nations, One Voice A Christian celebration with food and music in Telluride Town Park. 970.728.4864

Friday, August 22, 2008
Papa Grows Funk TCTV12 and TMVOA present a New Orleans boogie outfit at the Telluride/Mountain Village Conference Center, 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Bear Creek Vortex Half-Day Class & Hike A three-hour philosophic adventure in Bear Creek viewed through the traditions of Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Offered by University Centers of the San Miguel and taught by Mesa State adjunct faculty and local Eric Nepsky. One day only: 9 a.m. to 12 p
970.369.5255

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunset Concert Series Listen to free music every Wednesday (June 25-September 3) in Sunset Plaza in the Mountain Village. Bring a blanket, a picnic, dancing shoes and the family. This show: New Master Sounds. 970.728.1904

Friday, August 29, 2008 - Monday, September 01, 2008
Telluride Film Festival A top-secret program (at least until the festival begins) featuring premieres, classics, seminars and discussions with the world's leading filmmakers and stars. 510.665.9494

Sunday, August 31, 2008 - Monday, September 01, 2008
Ouray County Rodeo Professional Colorado cowboys gather in neighboring Ridgway for bronc bustin', calf ropin', barrel racin' and general festivities. 970.626.3304

__________________________________________________________________

News:

MEDICAL CENTER PROPOSAL

A work session was held last week among Telluride Hospital District board members and medical staff to finalize details for a proposed medical center. The cost will be between $30 and $35 million and measure approximately 26,000 to 28,000 square feet. This price does not include the cost of the land.

The proposed center would double the current emergency room capacity from four to eight rooms as well as doubling the size of the clinic care area from six to ten rooms. The imaging department would provide services currently unavailable: mammography, bone density screening and MRI scans.

Voter approval must be obtained enabling the Town of Telluride to sell the hospital two lots--the RV lot and the Pearl Property-on which the new hospital is to be constructed. An existing ordinance must be amended prohibiting development of any kind on the Pearl Property. The Pearl Property restrictions were designed to protect wetlands but the hospital board states that the area to be developed is not wetland. Further voter approval is needed for a $15 million bond for construction of the project.

This need for medical center bonding comes at a difficult time when the town will undoubtedly be requesting a $12 million bond to construct the Spur, a bond for funding of new classrooms in the R-1 School District, a bond to fund Elementary School repairs as well as funding for children's services.

__________________________________________________________________

Kastle Keepers, LLC and Kastle Retreats, LLC news:

It is hard to believe that summer is almost over.With only 12 or so weeks to go till the start of the ski season everyone is in high gear ramping up to make sure the spring- summer projects are wrapped up before winter.Despite only being August, there is a palpable feel in the air that fall is on its way followed by old man winter and ski season. The weather patterns have finally settled down and the monsoonal flows of rain seem to have abated for the summer.The biggest news thus far is a result of the US Government not allowing returning visa holders to enter the US. Apparently the ski instructors wait personnel, and ski shop employees that return to Telluride every winter from “Down Under” will not be returning to Telluride. All the local businesses will be impacted.What this means to you is that if you have been using a “Down Under” ski instructor you need to email them to see what their plans are for this coming winter.Chances are they won’t be returning and the ski school will be in a world of hurt for qualified instructors.Talk to Trevor now so he can book you with an alternative instructor before it is too late. Trevor can be reached on his cell at 970-729-1326 for more information or help with booking your private instructors for this upcoming winter.

With winter just around the corner, Kastle Retreats, LLC is starting to get a few inquiries. If you happen to have your winter calendar set up, please email me the dates in case I have inquiries regarding your home. Just like Kastle Keepers, LLC we have been experiencing slow and steady growth with a few rentals here and there. Our website continues to be refined and improved monthly in order to get higher placements on the search engines.

Have a great end of summer!

Cheers from the folks at Kastle Keepers, LLC and Team Roufa!

Fairy Godmother when will it start to snow?

July 2008 Newsletter

2008-07-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

LIVING IN AND AROUND TELLURIDE

With the elements of the natural world so compounded in Telluride’s box canyon, everyday is a foray into nature’s wonderful bounty.

This summer we have noticed that every time the elk gather on the valley floor so do the tourists! It is amusing to watch this novel human behavior in our valley! The sight of elk on the valley floor even stops Telluriders in their tracks! WHAT IS happening on the valley floor? To passerby’s, it appears that we have a new herd of elk roaming the landscape and more to the point when on earth did we get so many of those darn cute prairie dogs? The prairie dog population has exploded exponentially.

Previously they thrived on the north side of the highway. Well a few years back, this normally dry zone flooded very badly thus they migrated to the south side of the highway …coincidentally while the lands ownership was still in question. Due to the pending litigation, the irrigation on the south side was put on hold. Since their last prairie dog camp was flooded, the opportunistic prairie dogs settled in to what the locals call a prairie dog town- an un-irrigated, dry side. Differences are mounting in opinions about whether to “control” the rodents or let them be. Meanwhile their high profile location caught the interest of a local botanist who claims that they may very well be a unique and rare breed of prairie dogs that is endangered. In other words the irrigation is still on hold and their hold continues to grow in that region of the valley floor... Down the trail a click or two you will take notice of a larger mammal that is also indigenous to our valley. The neighboring elk herd has returned to their traditional early summer calving site along the valley floor. Cattle have grazed the valley floor since the 1950’s. Since those days the elk have mostly avoided these open lands for calving in the late spring. The average gestation period is approximately 255-days for elk. The timing of their migration from low land winter feeding to higher elevations for summer grazing pastures varies year to year. The cows halt their journey in fertile river valleys to calve. A reliable water source is a key consideration for the cows when choosing a calving site. We love them! There is a strict NO DOG policy in effect on the valley floor and please watch for tourists suddenly applying their brakes while driving along the valley floor! Just a thought…it is too bad that elk don’t eat prairie dogs! Boy would that be in perfect balance.

__________________________________________________________________

Why Wait?
2007/2008 SEASON SKI PASS is for sale for a discounted early bird pricing till October 31

Opening day will be November 27^th and closing day will be April 5^th, 2009

Before October 31^st: Adult $1,198 Child (6-12) $125 Junior Pass (Age 13 to 12^th grade) $175
After October 31^st: Adult $1,850, (SAVE $652!) Child (6 -12) $425 (SAVE $300!) Junior Pass (Age 13 to 12^th grade) $575 (SAVE$400!)

1-800-801-4832. online at www.tellurideskiresort.com till August 22nd

__________________________________________________________________

Once again we are happy to notice the prolific iridescent blue lupine- a true mark-your-calendar sign of early summer here in the high alpine countryside. This native flowering alpine plant is so alkaloid that it is actually toxic to deer and even better yet it is a self seeder! Because our early summer months had been so unseasonably cold the arrival of the blue lupine, the yellow mules ear, the purple larkspur are a sight for sore eyes. The gardens and wildflowers are abundant this year- come and see for yourself!

The creeks are already running in their full scope and range notwithstanding the approaching monsoon season…… While the high country snowmelt swells the regions river ways the air temps have been in the mid 70’s and 80’s creating ideal conditions for some area fishermen. The lake fishing is excellent as the water is calm and in an ideal balance of air temp and water temp. At this time of year the rivers themselves are surging up and down and the fish take frequent refuge as a means of surviving. Alternatively, later in the summer when the snow melt off resides and the air temps linger those captive audiences of fish will shrink into the deep shadows next to the riverbed floor to escape the lingering heat at the top layer. Hiring a guide is a good idea.
Location has everything to do with success in your high altitude garden. Flower beds in Town are prolific with variety, seasonal color displays and seemingly not-a-care-in–the-world involved in their success. Imagine; lilac, roses, iris, day lilies, peony, cosmos, delphinium, various lupine. While outlaying communities like those of the Ski Ranches, Aldasoro, the mesas and the pasturelands of the West Meadows have deer and elk populations to contend with, know that a large investment of capital will afford you a garden you desire in any of these locations. Some of the homes we care for are in challenging locations yet still have gardens worthy of notice. While none of them are planted with the amazing showy flower beds of Town they have distinct character and flow giving passer bys a strong sense of place and beauty. Other mountain flower mixes for your garden are: the deer resistant perennials purple coneflower, peony, blazing star, Shasta daisy, Mexican Hat coneflower, lily-of-the-valley, forget-me-nots and marjoram. Other flowers that the deer browse on less are lamb’s ears, saliva, larkspur, viola, marigolds, water iris, saponiara, flowering thyme, wild geranium, flowering laburnum, blanket flower, black-eyed susan, liatris, hyacinth, larkspur, lavender, mtn harebell, sage and the coneflower. There are high altitude-wildlife aware plantings that work! Just ask us.

__________________________________________________________________

Deal of the month: 98 Palmyra

This European log and stone ski chalet is just steps to Bridges ski run and has 6 bedrooms, 6 ½ baths, a state of the art movie theatre that seats 12 with one of a kind snack/wet bar. In addition this home has an incredible ski room with lockers & boot warmers, separate chef’s entrance, bunk room sleeps up to 6, storage area/flex space is pre-plumbed and can easily be converted to additional suite. The home is being sold fully furnished. The owner of this home will also finance the new purchase price. Call Lee at 970-729-0526 for additional information and pricing on this great buy in the Telluride Mountain Village.

__________________________________________________________________

July 2008 Calendar:

Thursday, July 17, 2008
Pinhead Geek Fest
Freak la chic at Pinhead’s annual fundraising extravaganza in Ophir, 6:30 p.m. 970.708.7441
Friday, July 18, 2008
Josh Ritter
Critically acclaimed folk rocker Josh Ritter takes the Sheridan Opera stage, 8:30 p.m. 970.728.6363
Friday, July 18, 2008 - Sunday, July 20, 2008
Nothing Festival
Nothing, nothing…followed by nothing.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
The Sheridan Arts Foundation presents the 70 musicians of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on the Palm Theatre stage, 2:30 p.m. 970.728.6363
Saturday, July 19, 2008 - Sunday, July 20, 2008
San Miguel Basin Rodeo
Professional rodeo in Norwood complete with bronc bustin', calf ropin', barrel racin' and more. 970.327.4393
Sunday, July 20, 2008
An Evening with Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke takes the stage at the Sheridan Opera House,8 p.m. 970.728.6363
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fireside Chat
Jerry O'Rourke presents a talk titled "Gold Heist at Idarado Mining" at 5:30 p.m. at the fire pit in the Mountain Village Core. This conversation is hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum and free to the public. 970.728.3344
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ah Haa Art Auction
This annual fundraiser is known for selling an array of art objects, trips and services in both a silent auction and a fast-paced live auction. Doors open 5 p.m.; live auction begins at 7:30 p.m. 970.728.3886
Friday, July 25, 2008 - Sunday, July 27, 2008
Rotary 4x4 Rally
Jeeping on both days and a BBQ on Saturday. 970.708.222
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunset Concert Series
Listen to free music every Wednesday (June 25-September 3) in Sunset Plaza in the Mountain Village. Bring a blanket, a picnic, dancing shoes and the family. This show: Carrie Rodriguez. 970.728.1904

__________________________________________________________________

WHATS HAPPENING- aside from the art galleries 3rd Thursday night of the month art walks, arts & crafts festivals, the Ah Haa Schools art exhibits and such there are numerous entertainment options here during the summer months. There is the Mountain Village Summer Concert series held every Wednesday at 6PM in the core of the village. Live music can be enjoyed at a few locations mid week and on the weekends; The Oxygen bar, Tommys’, Fly Me To The Moon Saloon, often Allred’s has piano music at sunset. At times there has been live music at the Noir Bar at Blue Point restaurant. The Telluride Conference Center has summer concerts frequently. The Blues and Brews Festival flys into Telluride in mid-September (12-14th) and the radio station KOTO has it’s annual fundraiser Doo-Dah Concert on July 12th. Call or check the web for dates and information. PLEASE don’t miss the Ah haa Schools annual big fundraiser art auction…..July 27th

__________________________________________________________________

MOUNTAIN TIP: Pencil in a date with a local photographer for a family portrait or architectural portrait of your mountain home. We have had many years of success with Doug Berry at www.dougberryphotography.com. He is the main force along with his partner Ben Edmonson behind the wonderful photographs of luxury rental homes at Kastle Retreats. www.telluriderealestateguide.com ,

As the crowds of the Bluegrass Festival have passed through the valley we find short day hikes, lingering bikes rides and long car drives to regional destinations resplendent with wildflowers, un-crowded country roads and great Mom and Pop restaurants along the way.

__________________________________________________________________

RESTAURANT SCENE : The ever so casual La Cocina de Luz has improved and expanded their outside patio dining area creating an extremely pleasant scene while lingering over your morning joe or frosty margarita. Truth be told this establishments popularity has exploded thus the initial ordering line can cause a short wait but know that the meals are prepared fairly quickly and the people watching is matchless. The mix of having the outside patio seating, a locals favorite coffee house, The Coffee Cowboy, and a prime spot for viewing a daily sampling of Telluride’s finest babies, dogs and idle chatter is like a reality show about Telluride! In a more secluded corner of town the French cuisine at the quaint La Marmot restaurant can easily be enjoyed in a new outdoor sofa seating arrangement in their brick courtyard………. sample their appetizers outside and gather inside for dinner with advanced reservations.

Rodeos help keep the history of Americas’ west alive……
Ouray County Fair and Rodeo in Ridgway, September 2-3
San Miguel Basin Rodeo in Norwood, July 15-16

Making the effort to drive to the nearby townships of either Ridgeway or Norwood during one of these two wonderful rodeo events will give you a taste of the ranching lifestyle that your neighbors participate in for the labor of love. A traditional fair atmosphere are linked to these pro/amateur events including food concession stands, rodeo clowns and bronc ridin’, calf roping, team roping, barrel racing and so much more!

__________________________________________________________________

AT YOUR HOUSE- Kastle Keepers, LLC Update
….Things That We Hide from You (actually behind the scenes!)!
…..when you are not in residence you realize of course that we walk through the homes and do a thorough house check each and every week of the year.
What you may not know we do is…….if we notice any uninvited house guest of the four legged type we use glue traps to eradicate them. We advise against traditional snap type traps…..we would hate to ruin any vacations for Fido by leaving out rat poison and active mouse traps….. We hook up your car batteries to electric automatic battery chargers while you are away…………………..otherwise the LED (liquid display) drains your otherwise idle battery…………………. We walk through and check doors and windows after your departure for any that may not have been relocked after use………………….. We haul in the garbage can after your departure- especially if it is in known bear territory (like in Town)….. we carefully coordinate this courtesy duty to help the We Care About bears campaign…………………..We top off the hot tubs whenever they get a little low…………….. We open up your refrigerator and check for operations, smells, spoiling food………………… We turn ice makers on and off according to arrivals and departures……………. We cover up all those nice paintings/furniture hard goods and floral arrangements so that the sunlight doesn’t destroy them…………….We turn down your thermostats while you are away if you forgot to………We snoop around your mechanical room troubleshooting for new and unusual leaks, weird noises and anything out-of-the-ordinary ……… We have the greatest time flushing all the toilets so those nasty little mineral rings don’t get a chance to buildup and, well………. you get the picture!
July places us in the midst of summer. Our attention span wanders outside as much as inside. There are yards and irrigation systems to watch over, supervision of flower watering and maintain ace staff and outdoor projects to iniate and follow through to completion. There are many homeowners using their homes, entertaining house guests and packing a lot of activity into each day. Naturally, premier activities like private fly fishing trips and guided jeep tours get booked up faster for the prime time slots so any advanced planning through Trevor at Kastle Keepers, LLC alleviates the hassle and gets better results.
Lee, Trevor, Rusty, Keith and Freddie have been meeting the tradesmen at the homes day in and out for ongoing work, new projects and scheduled maintenance. This is the busy season for sure. Some neighborhoods have more evidence of construction and development than others which causes delays and longer work hours for all. Thus we pay more attention than ever to scheduling vendor service calls and other services involving time on the road. Calls for our Suburban shuttle services, airport shuttles, grocery and box deliveries and many other periphery services have been steadily rising. This summer in particular we have noticed that a higher percentage of clients have requested concierge services like personal airport pickups, out-of-state car deliveries, in house chef services, event catering and planning. We love that Telluride finally has all these amenities and conveniences. um Within the scope of our personal backgrounds and depth of experience in arranging for these considerations we feel as though we are the experts. By all means try out that guide whom you may have accidently met on your own or a ski instructor who moonlights as a bartender. That is an alluring and attractive asset of Telluride. Everyone is so accessible. Yet if time is precious and memories are a priority, please feel free to run it thru one of us. We certainly will not steer you wrong!
See you and yours on the slopes, at the fireside or a mid summer concert series.
Lee, Sheilagh Trevor, Rusty, Freddie and Keith

Dad, it is almost time for 1st grade!

June 2008 Newsletter

2008-06-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with insights highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community which we call our year-round home

UPCOMING:

July 4th at 8,750’ elevation - What an EXPERIENCE!

Experience Telluride’s amphitheater effect in person, watch rodeo roping demonstrations and the infamous Men Without Rhythm marching group at the parade ………….

Telluride’s Fourth of July celebration is something special.

Not only does the Wild come back to the West when the parade marches down Main Street but the fireworks show at dusk is the Best On Earth! Babies, horses, clowns and fire trucks make their way down Main Street providing a backdrop for a classic Fourth of July celebration.

The Telluride Fire Department has been providing service to the community for over 130 years and it’s 4th of July event is the premier summer event. The entire day moves like clockwork with an entertaining 10AM parade, then a noon world class small town classic BBQ at Town Park, then more shenanigans and games for the kiddos in Town Park. The night of the fourth never disappoints. The fireworks typically begin as soon as, “the firemen figure that it is dark enough to begin!” Usually after 8:45PM. Telluride’s natural box canyon amphitheater effect adds dramatic ambiance to the fireworks show. The kickback from the surrounding 13,000’ peaks is something you’ll never forget. Brilliant explosions light up the faces of all the people lying on the grass at the park, the towering snowy peaks and the stars themselves. A magical show indeed!!!!!!!!!

Some of the actual facts and stats of this all-American festivity are; it is a 100% volunteer effort, the show consists of no less than $30K of shells, and a team of highly trained professional display professionals is at hand with years of experience and training. The fireworks display usually takes about 45 astounding minutes. There are over 3,000 shells as small as 2.5 in diameter up to 10-inches in diameter. This is one of the biggest shows in western Colorado, with state-of-the-art technology well utilized as well as some hand loading of the shells. This fireworks celebration is conducted by the volunteer efforts of the three separate fire departments: the Town of Telluride, the Mountain Village and the Placerville (down valley) departments. These entities respond to over 900 calls per year ranging from service response to all house alarms, fire calls, car accidents via the ambulance service, elevator emergencies, carbon monoxide and gas line breaks. These friendly volunteers are also the first line of defense for wild fire response.

The mid-day BBQ and kids games begin at noon in the Town Park, downtown Telluride. There you will find the classic all-American corn-on-the-cob, beans, beef brisket, bun, beer, brats lunch fare with a big show of locals, tourists and firemen at hand. There are traditional wheelbarrow races and water balloon games and so on for the kids. Bring water, cash, layers of clothes (usually it is very hot with a chance of showers), a sunhat and sunscreen. The following night, Saturday the 5th of July, there is a TMV music concert located at the Telluride conference Center featuring the Johhny Lang Band. Contact Lee at 729-0526 to make a donation for this awesome community event.

__________________________________________________________________

THINGS TO DO:

We strongly suggest that you and your family connect with this spectacular amenity sometime, SOON!

Whichever side of the private property rights vs. public rights you held, the remaining fact of the day is that the Colorado Supreme Court overwhelmingly voted in favor of the condemnation of the Valley Floor, (May, 6-1 in favor). The Town of Telluride is now the legal owner of the 570-acre grasslands/river corridor – designated open space.

The rules are simple. Pack it in/Pack it out. No dogs. No motor vehicles. No creating new trails.

For more visit www.valleyfloor.org

When you think about it in one way or another* you may have contributed to the successful acquisition of this land …………….

…..so don’t hesitate to get out there and enjoy it! It’s our land……it’s your land and open to all!

*back in 1993, 896 votes were cast in a Town of Telluride ballot election, 61% of those votes cast favored the Telluride Town Council resolution called the 20 Percent Solution, which created a fund of public monies earmarked for open space preservation…………… each real estate transaction since then in the TOT has contributed to this conservation fund………..

A simple walk along the river path which originates at the east end of town at the Mahoney street vehicular bridge would be an excellent way to sample what the valley has to offer in the way of beauty, tranquility and an easy going naturalistic outing. WHY? Because it is flat and meandering, picturesque and the little town that could……DID! It is really thrilling to head east, take a gander back and catch a new, surprisingly beautiful view of the peaks at the town’s west end without seeing all the buildings, ski lifts and dogs running amuck! It actually gives you a sense of what the earliest settlers in the area, the Utes Indians, must have felt. There are multitudes of ways to experience the Valley Floor however: mountain bike, hiking, floating, inner tubing, kite flying, instructed kayaking, sunbathing, paragliding and even with a personal naturalist or a private painting tutor!

On Wednesday June 25th the TMV free concert series kicks off at the top of Chondola plaza and will continue all summer long on Wednesday evenings. The Ah Haa School’s overriding goal is to nurture the creative spirit in everyone. Why not nurture and encourage that creativity with an Ah Haa Summer Art Camp or a Fabulous Friday class. Young artists 4-14 will play, explore, and discover different mediums ranging from sculpture and clay to acrylic painting and jewelry making in a curriculum that is designed to develop confidence, creativity, and proficiency. Four-day Art Camps run Monday through Thursday 9am - Noon and 1-4pm and Fabulous Fridays take place on Fridays, 9am - Noon and 1-4pm. The fabulous annual Ah Haa Art Auction date is now set for July 25th.

The Telluride Rock and Roll Academy offers weekly music tutorials in a once-a-day 2-hour format. 10-12 PM or 1-3PM. See their website for more information www.rockandrollacademy.com. At least once a week, the Town’s Bear Creek ranger takes kids for a FREE guided hike up Bear Creek Canyon. After finishing an activity book and completing a project, the kids are certified junior rangers. Join in the fun and learn about plants, wildlife and how to take care of the environment. Call 1-970-728-2173 or visit www.telluride-co.gov .

__________________________________________________________________

Calendar:

Thursday, June 19, 2008 - Sunday, June 22, 2008

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Four days of bluegrass-based music in Telluride Town Park. Artists include Sam Bush Band, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Ani DiFranco, Yonder Mountain String Band and many more.

800.624.2422

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Bluegrass Brunch

A morning filled with music, brunch, festival hat making and activities for festavarians of all ages at the Telluride Conference Center Plaza in Mountain Village. 10 a.m. to noon.

970.728.1904

Sunday, June 22, 2008 - Saturday, June 28, 2008

Bike Week

A weeklong celebration to promote cycling for transportation and recreation. Events include trail maintenance, group rides, Bike to Work Day, Lizard Head Pass Hill Climb, a film, auction and more. 970.729.1379

Thursday, June 26, 2008 - Sunday, June 29, 2008

Telluride Wine Festival

A weekend of wine tastings, winemakers, seminars with expert sommeliers and food pairings with accomplished chefs.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Who's Bad? The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band

An infectious party production, complete with costumes and dance routines, that takes the audience on a musical expedition through the repertoire of Michael Jackson's music from the 1980s. Sheridan Opera House, 8:30 p.m. 970.728.6363

Sunday, June 29, 2008 - Saturday, July 05, 2008

Telluride Plein-Air

National landscape artists paint in the great outdoors. Their work is then exhibited and auctioned as a fundraiser for the Sheridan Arts Foundation. 970.728.6363

__________________________________________________________________

BACKYARD:

Be aware that the local bears are seeking out new food sources because in their native habitat the berries and bits of plants haven’t blossomed yet due to the unseasonably cold temps this spring. Be sure to lock up your poly cart as instructed to avoid any fines and bring it in before nightfall. Clean the BBQ after use, place your hummingbird and bird seed food in carefully selected and considered location with the fate of a bear’s life being considered. Coordinate with us at Kastle Keepers with regards to when your departing so that the garbage pickup can be orchestrated in a responsible fashion.

The Town has, in recent history, chosen to provide residential trash collection and disposal services by contract with an independent provider (currently Waste Management). The Town acts as collection agent for fees paid by Town residents through their bi-monthly service bills. Customers purchase a 94 gallon bear resistant polycart container for their trash from their provider. Customers are charged extra for trash placed outside of containers.

Residential trash and recycling service is provided once weekly on Thursdays (in case of weeks with a holiday; it is picked up on Fridays). Collection is provided at the alley. The Town of Telluride written policy recommends that polycarts and recycling container (s) should be placed at the edge of your property on Thursday morning by 8am and removed by 6pm. WE STRONGLY recommend that you do not put the trash out until the morning of pick-up. Otherwise a call to arrange for us to schedule our house check after your departure is another way to deal with the trash without tempting the bears.

LIVING WITH BEARS

Telluride is located in the middle of prime bear habitat and the number of bears venturing into town in search of food is increasing. Residents are encouraged to help bears stay wild by making human garbage unavailable to them. Please avoid leaving garbage out that could attract bears to your residence such as table scraps, fish wrappers and remains, grease, fruit rinds, egg shells, pet food or anything sweet. The following tips can help avoid bear-human contacts:

* Double-bag trash tightly to eliminate odors

* Rinse recycling bottles and cans

* Do not leave food in your vehicle

* Utilize trash compactors and garbage disposals for "wet" garbage (food scraps)

* Do not leave pet food or barbecue grills in your yard

* Hang bird feeders very high and away from decks and porches

* Purchase an animal-resistant polycart

* If possible, don't put out "wet" garbage until the day of pick-up

The Town of Telluride encourages all citizens to take the above precautions with their trash and help save a bear's life.

TMV TRASH
Waste Management

Waste Management serves customers in Mountain Village on Tuesdays and Fridays. Waste Management observes several holidays each year and collection day is delayed by one day on the week of the holiday. Contact Waste Management (970) 249-1699 to confirm their holiday schedule.

Please place your trash poly carts and recycle bins out by 8:00 am the day of pick up (not the night before) and return to a secured area by 8:00 am the following day.

Bruin Waste Management

For Mountain Village residents only, trash service and recycling can be billed on your monthly water bill. We contract the service through Bruin Waste Management. You may also contact them directly for service at 1-800-559-2149 or you may choose to use Waste Management out of Montrose as your trash service provider.

Residential trash pick up day for Bruin Waste customers is Tuesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. During the holidays, Bruin usually maintains their normal route schedule. To confirm the schedule, please contact Mountain Village Utilities Customer Service at (970) 728-5946.

The Oak Street Farmers Market season open on June 13th till October 17th, 2008. The market’s reach has expanded to include the Chair #8/Gondola plaza area. Shoppers will find a wide assortment of locally grown and crafted merchandise at attractive prices. Baked goods, meats, eggs, cheeses, jewelry, body products, handmade tile art, and fresh flowers of course will be available. This regular venue offers a festive and light atmosphere, a bright outpost for the future local sustainability goals and an intriguing way to mingle with the local crowds.

__________________________________________________________________

News:

VALLEY FLOOR

An intensely awaited e-mail was sent out Tuesday, June 03, 2008 9:26 AM. The lead phrase "WE WON" said it all. The content was as follows: "After four months of deliberation, The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in favor of the Town of Telluride in its long-standing effort to acquire the 570-acre gateway meadow known as the Valley Floor. At issue was the question of whether the District Court had erred in holding that the Town had the authority to condemn SMVC's property under Article XX of the Colorado Constitution. To view the court's rulings go to http://www.valleyfloor.org and click the link."

"VFPP is thrilled with the decision and proud of the Town and the extended Telluride community’s continued resolve in this effort. This ruling is another major milestone in the longstanding and emotional Valley Floor preservation story and is a tribute to the many hundreds of people who have played a valuable role in the outcome to date, said Jane Hickcox, Director of the Valley Floor Preservation Partners. What a community! Once we recover from this euphoria we will focus our energies on the details of a thoughtful plan to insure the future health, stewardship and enjoyment of this important regional asset."

San Miguel Valley Corporation has 14 days to file a petition for a rehearing. If this does not occur, on the fifteenth day the Supreme Court will issue the Mandate, affirming the District Court's decision and transfers jurisdiction over the case back to it. The District Court then issues the Rule and Order recognizing the legality of the condemnation and this serves as the deed to the property. If SMVC files a petition for a rehearing, the decision is stayed until the matter is decided.

__________________________________________________________________

Kastle Keepers, LLC news:

WORK CONTINUES at the homes…………..

As the unofficial deadline for our homeowner arrivals is just around the corner we find ourselves crunched for breathing and working space! The busy summertime schedule of coming and goings starts around the same time as the Bluegrass festival comes to town. The local weather has been less than cooperative for us and further for any contractors wishing to get started on outside projects at the properties. Each week the promise of summer makes a brief appearance only to give way to snow squalls and foul weather. Painters, windows cleaners, stone masons have all been shut down for the most part in May. The climate pattern has definitively put a damper on the spring check list but with a little fortitude and prioritizing we should get all systems up and running for each of the homes shortly. This month we will (still) be knee deep in flipping hot tubs (draining/clean/refill/balance), arranging for irrigation systems to be re ignited, lawns to get thatched and aerated, fertilized, then the flower bed need a good cleaning, irrigation system installs and repairs and so much more out and inside of the homes. It has been one of the coldest springs anyone can remember. In many respects the valley seems to be 3 to 4 weeks behind normal with such a late winter!

__________________________________________________________________

BUSINESS NOTES:

NOTE: Once you are aware of your arrival and departure dates from the regional airports give us a call either for your personal car to be delivered and waiting at the airport or for a private shuttle in our new Kastle Keepers, LLC Suburban. This private shuttle service is for the exclusive use of homeowners, their guests and the visiting Kastle Retreats, LLC clients who rent the homes that Kastle Keepers, LLC watches after. Take a look at our revised web site www.telluriderealestateguide.com , look under Kastle Retreats, LLC then private homes to see some of the many fine homes available for rent in the region. Regarding the request for Mountain Village parking passes for all Mountain Villager homeowners, Kastle keepers, LLC is in the process of gathering all the permits and delivering them to the individual homes. No need to request we are already on top of it!!

With winter’s grip on the homes we manage lingering well into the early spring, this year just preparing the to-do lists for each residence became difficult. For our team of caretakers here in the southern San Juan Mountains the delay of late May’s typical mild temperatures has caused backlogs on several fronts, i.e.; maintenance and moving ahead with summer preparedness. In fact over Memorial Day at our own home we were still using our snow blower to clear our lawn of snow! This has pulled in the reins on our average spring clean up routine work at the homes, delivery of flower boxes and hanging planters, lawn aeration and fertilization, deck furniture set out, spa flips with brand new water and so on. Exterior projects such as lawn improvement plans, stone masonry work and exterior construction scheduled starts were all jostled by the unseasonable cold temps. We are playing catch up as the temperatures slowly rise. As it warms up we look forward to seeing everybody again this summer!

Are we finally free of the snow! Keep Pedaling!

May 2008 Newsletter

2008-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with inspiring, relevant local information highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community that we call our year-round home.

"We Take the Anxiety Out Of Coming Home" (970) 728-6240 Office (970)797-1397 Fax Email: teluride@rmi.net P.O. Box 22, Telluride, CO 81435 (970) 729-0526 cell- 24/7 response

We are happy to say that warm and mild daytime temperatures this spring have created a wonderful scene here at our high altitude location of 8,750’. It may be a tad on the muddy side from all the snow melting but at least the air temperatures have been in the 50’s and the sun is shining. This early in the summer season the high country trails do not receive much sun exposure thus it will be several more weeks before the popular wooded hikes of Jud Weibe, Bear Creek and portions of the Mountain Village trial systems will be fully open for trekking pending weather. Further, it may take till mid or late-June or even July for the high country Jeep passes and lakes to open up as well.

The Telluride Mountain Film ushers in the onset of the beginning of summer for this small mountain hamlet township. This exciting festivals pumps up everyone adrenaline while at the same time bringing serious issues of global warming, poverty, human rights violations right to the forefront- all under the disguise of adventure sports. This festival often highlights the serious and sometimes fatal risks inherent in the pursuit of a true mountaineering lifestyle. It is a feast for any aspiring mountain purist.

Many leagues below the challenges of real time adventure sports are the challenges we mere mortals face every summer. How does one get a best tarp position at Bluegrass for instance without having to get in line at midnight, spending the night on the curbside in a sleeping bag? Or garnish an outside table for five, Parisian style, at the New Sheridan Chop House on a Friday evening? When will the river be “going off” this summer; early season or late? Where can I get visiting elderly loved one a prescription for oxygen? Private hiking tours with a seasoned herbalogist? One call to Kastle Keepers, LLC answers it all-970-728-6240!

There is an intriguing Birders Festival taking place this May 8-11^th in Cortez, Colorado (1.5 hours south of Telluride). Check out: http://www.utemountainmesaverdebirdingfestival.com/

The gondola is closed till May 23^rd for seasonal (it is officially off season) maintenance.

The BACKYARD:

Finally as the yards and decks are beginning to reappear from the winters’ blanket of snow, the team at Kastle Keepers, llc has already shifted into summer preparation mode. Tackling tasks on-site, one by one: Winter studded snow tires are flying off the axels and summer treads are being installed, all the while the cleaners are pulling down drapes for cleaning, flipping mattresses and brushing off the BBQ grills in advance of your arrival. A team of guys are tackling each hot tub one at a time, scrubbing the vinyl cover then applying Armor All, emptying then scrubbing the fiberglass interior of the spas and then promptly refilling them with fresh water and balancing agents. Christmas tree lights are being taken down and stowed away. Fairly soon, after the threat of snowstorms have passed, the hoses, rakes and lawn furniture will be placed back outside ready for the family’s use. Notes are being made on the particular needs of each residence such as condition of the windows; “do they need a pre-arrival cleaning?”, the conditions of the wooden decks; “did the decks get hammered by any ice sliding off of the roof?” and so on. Each mountain residence has problem areas, location specific challenges and predictable areas requiring monitoring this time of year. WE are all over it!

If you want to meet with a high country gardener and revamp your outside landscaping we have a few experienced professionals ranging from a one woman operation all the way up to a full service company with many yard workers in tow. The building season is upon us and many service vendors, tradesmen, contractors and specialty trades get gobbled up quickly. Give us a call to get ahead of the line for projects.

Coverage when and where you need it; year-round, 24/7, 365- days a year- Kastle Keepers, LLC

Kastle Keepers, LLC rises up to meet the market trend! While still maintaining a strong sense of personalized service we are giving the leash away to one loyal and wonderful house checker extraordinaire while taking on a new employee. Another caretaker has joined our team at managing fine mountain properties. Keith Gerry who has been a Telluride area resident since 1993 has worked side by side with Trevor at the Boot doctors previously, guided Jeep tours and been a taxi driver! He loves mountain motorcycling from which he can easily scout locations for Jeep touring, camping and being out in nature. All his people skills, trustworthiness and one on one service background experience sized up to be one opportunity that we felt we could not pass over. Especially in light of the fact that Lee’s mother Freddie, who has been the Mother of house checking for what seems like decades, will fall back as extended family commitments are calling upon her most recently and urgently. Freddie will continue to be involved in an as needed basis and an integral part of the operations- doing what all moms do- all sorts of things! Keith’s placement is timely and needed. His position creates a fall back for handyman chores, caretaking responsibilities and concierge services. Another guarantee that year-round, 24/7 365- services for whatever you need is available through Kastle Keepers, LLC.

Activities:

Time to get outside! The weather is warming up in general (just ignore the recent snow) and it is time to be active. The local rivers are going strong with the runoff starting. River runners have already been heading down the San Miguel, doing overnights down in the peaceful Norwood Canyon and taking advantage of the fabled Dolores, a river section below McPhee Reservoir that usually is too low to run due to lack of water. Since the local hiking trails will be snowy and muddy for awhile still, go play on the water! Contact Further Adventures at the BootDoctors and prebook a raft trip or fishing trip on some local private water. Give them a call at (970) 728-8954. Bookings received before May 23^rd will receive a 10% discount. Here are some other ideas for outdoor activities for the adventure minded. Get the family together and take some kayak lessons! San Juan Rivers Paddling School can get you started. They will take you to some easy sections to learn the basics and get you started in a great, lifelong sport. They are located inside the Jagged Edge downtown. Feel free to stop by and see what they have to offer or give them a call at (970) 728-6250. Another option is to contact San Juan Outdoor School. They offer everything from interpretive hikes, big mountain climbing adventures, and instructional rock climbing classes. Contact them at (970) 728-4101. So if your favorite hike is still bogged down, look a little farther and you may find some new appreciation for what our area has to offer!

Trevor

May 2008 Calendar:

Thursday, May 22, 2008
Gondola Opens
The Gondola reopens for the summer season.

Friday, May 23, 2008 - Monday, May 26, 2008
Mountainfilm in Telluride
Filmmakers, artists and outdoor enthusiasts celebrate mountains, culture and the environment with films, presentations and a symposium that will focus on "water" as this year's theme.
970.728.4123

Thursday, May 29, 2008
Photo Retrospective Exhibit Opening
An exhibit featuring local photographers and their historical Telluride images. Telluride Historical Museum, 5 p.m.
970.728.3344

Kastle Retreats, LLC officially ran paying guests through several of our fine properties last summer and to an even greater extent this past holiday and winter season. Not surprisingly we have received and expect more requests for return visits from our seasonal visitors who are willing to enjoy a week or two at a privately owned mountain retreat. This clientele receive the same level of personalized service that the homeowners themselves have come to expect without the decisions and involvement required of owning a mountain property. If you are curious as to how we operate the luxury rentals …….For an explanation of this luxury rental experience please call Lee.

Did you know? ….letting your car idle in the Town of Telluride for more than 30 seconds can get you a ticket?

About TOWN:

Beginning on Friday, June 13^th and continuing each Friday throughout the summer you will be drawn to downtown Telluride sometime before noon to engage in what has become none less than a full-on frontal sensory attack; the Farmers Market. Artists, musicians, cheese purveyors, farmers with bushels of bright yellow squash, exotic potatoes, and purple leafed cabbages, chai seeds to control diabetes symptoms, handmade beeswax candles, and homemade chocolate zucchini bread and so on are on display to sample, to hold and just to enjoy the harvest. This season the market will expand onto the gondola plaza area as well. Come early, bring you own bags and rejoice in summers bounty! *Closed Friday July 3rd

Telluride has a raw juice bar once again! Thanks to La Cocina de Luz for delivering yet another viable healthful option in this remote neck of the woods! Carrot, beet, celery, ginger, apple, pineapple and wheatgrass- available all day into the night long! Grab and go for your early morning Nature Walk (see March 2008 newsletter) while you watch the beavers frolic! La Cocina is located mid-downtown next to the coffee cowboy horse trailer/café and serves up exceptionally tasteful authentic, mostly organic Mexican fare. Incase you find yourself lacking materials to conduct business as usual the Office Outpost can get you next day business supplies. The Town of TMV will not be spraying the Dimilin chemical for insect control this spring because last years spray is still working as there are no tent caterpillars about.

In the Telluride Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride there are several notable construction projects underway: Foremost the Telluride Ski Resort has announced that next season there will be a new quad ski lift servicing the renowned Revelation Bowl terrain. This here to now out of bounds expert terrain is located on the back side (aka The Bear Creek side) off the top ridge of the #14 Gold Hill Chair. The average pitch of this ski bowl will be manageable 25-degrees, the length is 782-verttical feet, it adds another 50 acres to the resort and the top of the ski lift will be at 12,570’!

A new project with a whopping 27,408 footprint called the Mondrian Hotel Project was recently proposed to the TMV town council this past April. The developers are requesting their application for a 189-room hotel condo project be approved with a myriad of extravagant requests for variances; most notably a 85-foot height variance which towers over the villages present height restriction guidelines, a 91% variance (increase) on the allowable building envelope (walls and footprint). In exchange for the over the top variances the developer suggests they are offering to build a roundabout at the intersection of the TMV Boulevard and Country Club Drive; contribute $2.5 million in annual tax revenue and $30 million in retail sales. The market niche would stray from the majority of recent projects developed in the area that have been aimed at the ultra wealthy set with attractive ultra luxury branding and services. This project would be aimed at providing mid to upper range hotel rooms that are affordable, as well as a 5,000 high end restaurant and spa. Juno Development and Randy Edwards are named as the principal lead developers. Neighbors of the project and property owners have banded together to block the developments requests basing their arguments that the variances are just too extreme.

The Capella project on Lot 50/51 in the village core has completed its excavation projects which will alleviate the flow of traffic problems caused last summer along that section of the Mountain Village Boulevard accessing the Peaks Hotel, Wells Fargo, the parking lots behind Boot Doctors and so on. On the other side of this massive construction site you will notice that the foot pavers between the villages’ central plaza area and the Capella will be replaced this summer requiring pedestrians to be slightly inconvenienced. Maintained walkways will be available for normal access to all the shops, restaurants and businesses in the plaza during this upheaval of the walkways. Upgrades to the existing snowmelt system and general appearance of the heritage plaza are anticipated. Also in the works will be a cleanup of radioactive materials along the Highway 145 and Silver pick Bridge area- an access way to wilderness and the Woods Lake area. Wear your masks while driving! This 15-acre site holds up to 15,000 tons of mining debris.

A 12,000 sq. ft. expansion is slated to begin for the Clarks Market (grocery store in Town) this June. The Cornet Creek flood plane will receive a debris management/cleanup and culvert improvements which will cause a street closure and diversion for the majority of the summer in that immediate neighborhood (upper Galena). The Element 52 (luxury hotel/condo with concierge mix) excavation work resumes this spring on the north side of the Town, near the Chair #7 area. No major local highway improvements are on the drawing board throughout San Miguel County this summer.

News:

OIL SPILL

On April 10, more than 1000 gallons of diesel were discovered to have seeped from an underground fuel tank at the Peaks Resort. The fuel spilled into Gorrono Creek carrying it into a pond which sits besides the 18th green of the nearby golf course. From this point the contaminated water entered Prospect Creek, a tributary of the San Miguel River.

At this point no one can estimate the extent of the damage or predict the cost of cleanup. Crews from Envirotech of Farmington, N.M. were called to sop of the remaining fuel and begin to analyze the impact on soil, wetlands and the creeks. The current thought is that as diesel oil is much lighter than water, it immediately rises to the top which evaporates within days. Fish, amphibians or birds coming into contact with the diesel can be killed.

Blackstone Group spokesperson, Anne Hersley, stated in an article in the Daily Planet: "We are currently working with authorities to expedite any cleanup, determine how the leak occurred and ensure that it does not happen again". Blackstone Group is presently under contract to sell the Peaks to a pair of New York investors.

In the same article, Greg Sparks, the Mountain Village town manager, stated "We're looking at a long-term groundwater monitoring issue with this. But the one bright spot of the affair was that the Village's wells sit above the Peaks and the affected creeks, which means that there's no concern about contaminated drinking water".

Kastle Keepers, LLC updates;

Getting the contractors in line and scheduling projects around homeowner’s visits is always a priority. No one wants to deal with a crew or a project while getting away from it all. For the past 18-plus years during the springtime of the calendar year Lee has always tended to the upkeep requirements of the homes. Expect Lee and Trevor to either anticipate or respond to your project management needs. It is time to take an overall picture, evaluate and dismiss reports about status quo at the properties and work with homeowners individually as to their upkeep and improvements at the homes. The gamut runs from smallish items like the “the blinds are really dusty and need a good cleaning” to “the deck is being pulled off the house by the hillside falling away” keep the guys on their toes. Expect communication and know that we “Got Your Back”. The remaining month of April will be dedicated to sending owners a list of items that need to be tended to after one of the biggest winters Telluride has seen in 20 years. In fact it continues to snow at least one day a week since the beginning of May!

Have a great spring and we look forward to seeing you this summer if it ever returns!

The best beach we have seen in months!

April 2008 Newsletter

2008-04-14T10:39:00.001-07:00

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with inspiring, relevant local information highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community that we call our year-round home.

"We Take the Anxiety Out Of Coming Home"
(970) 728-6240 Office (970)797-1397 Fax Email: teluride@rmi.net
P.O. Box 22, Telluride, CO 81435 (970) 729-0526 cell- 24/7 response

________________________________________________________

Ebb and flow of the mountain life- human and animal.

Whereas in many populated parts of the country people are already enjoying spring soccer matches, grassy picnics and balmy bike rides in the high dessert country, Colorado is still immersed in the last throws of an epic winter. Over 30’ feet of epic-ness white snow!

This time of the year the change of seasons brings with it unpredictable weather combined with the spring melt off of the high country snows. Snow blizzards still move thru the mountain valleys and then quickly melt away under Colorado blue skies alluding to hints of the springtime soon to come. Streams swell, birds return and of course the resident ground hogs emerge from their winter dens on the valley floor.

The ebb and flow of seasonal employees transpires without the slightest notice in a resort town. Just before the ski mountain closes, many of them hand in their aprons, ski tuning tools, and work gloves to opt for a few days of reckless freedom on the sun baked ski slopes. Shortly thereafter most feel the pull to rejoin the herds and resume their place on the corporate treadmill after an epic ski season ‘off’ from the real world.

The great majority of them will never come here to live or work again. Many will return years from this 2007/2008 ski season with fond memories of the great snow this season, the hard work they endured and the people that they called friends with whom they crammed into rinky dink apartments and shared refrigerators. For many, Telluride is a grand extension of the collegiate experience. With the exception that Mom and Dad are not paying for these life experiences-they are often under overwhelming pressure which forces them to move on.

For locals the time has come to switch from a deep winter mode to a full on immersion into summer. For many locals that means switching over to summer sports gear of swim goggles, soccer balls, mountain bikes and trail running shoes and stowing away the skis, sleds and snow goggles. For the homes we manage and care for it means keep and eye upwards for ice blocks about to rip off and break down upon the decks, keeping wet spring snows off the frail hot tub covers (they are just heavy duty Styrofoam underneath that fancy leather cover), rebuilding rock walls after they have been abused by the snowplows and more than anything taking stock of what exactly happened after this BIG winter. As the snow lines recede we can sees that rain gutters are oozing off some roof lines, rock walls are crumbling under the heavy snows and over the top melt off, shingles got ripped off by the ice buildups after December and January snow loads, tree limbs crumbled and fell among the grounds. Yep- it was a doozy of a year all right

If you decide to come to the mountains before the ‘on’ season there are a few happenings of interest in motion already. The animals are returning to the mountains and we want you to be aware of who and what you can view for yourself. The Ute Mountain/Mesa Verde Birding Festival takes place in nearby Cortez on May 8-11^th. The hosts feature a discovery of the canyons country’s wild birds and ancient ruins with tours, lectures and a presentation by the California Condor Project’s Donald Bruning. Contact the Cortez Cultural Center at (970)565-1151.

Another species worth seeking out is the bighorn sheep of the Ouray area. We have been on hikes in that area’s high country and spotted them near the locale of Chief Ouray’s (chief of the Utes, 1888) cabin above the town of Ouray. They stand 3.5 feet tall and have a weight range of 110lbs to 280lbs. They live on sunny mountain slope sides above 8,000 feet (good thing our base elevation is 8,750’ in Telluride!) They seek to have a clear uphill escape route nearby- so rocky precipitous terrain is a favorite hangout of theirs much more so than ours. We have only seen a very few in the Telluride valley proper (on the Jud Weibe trail system), a few directly adjacent to the access turnoff for the Silver Pick Bridge, located down valley before the town of Sawpit (look across the highway on the right hand westbound, rocky terrain).

According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife the sheep like to graze in the early morning and late afternoon. They bed down during the daytime and are harder to spot. Other notable resident herds of the big horn sheep and the White Mountain goats can also be seen at the nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Montrose) a national monument and along the Dolores River Valley. www.bighornsheep.org.

Did anyone else see the ski resort’s resident collared lynx this season while skiing? In late February Lee, Kendal and I rode lift #8 up on a sunny morning and watched a huge cat meander underneath us, amazing! Keep an eye out for their tracks and maybe you will see them cross that way again.

Coyotes are easily visible on the valley floor because the groundhogs have recently repopulated that zone as soon as the valley cows were removed and have not been allowed to graze there. Neighborhood bears, bobcats, mountain lions and foxes are more difficult to spot but they are around to be sure. Keep your pets, the pet food, bird feeders, garbage, BBQ grills clean and windows secured- especially through out the night and at dusk.

Don’t attempt to feed the foxes, deer or any of the wild animals. Time and time again the disruption of the natural feeding cycles by well meaning humans leads to some sort of “control mitigation” and intervention by authorities. A family leaves out food for the foxes, creates a feeding return behavior in them which attracts mountain lions to the same path and then the authorities are called in because dogs and cats go missing. Hummingbird nectar and sunflower seeds are favorites for our native birds. Also they attract bears. Manage the food and you will manage the bears. Put the bird food out of a bear’s reach (they climb wood beams!). Need more information contact the CDW in Montrose at (970)252-6000.

________________________________________________________

sActivities

The snow is finally starting to melt which means mud season is getting started, but it also means that river season is coming! This should be one of the longest seasons on record for the local rivers. Even the Dolores supposedly will have a 70-day season for anyone wanting to experience this rare event in one of the most scenic canyons around. Multi day trips will be available through a few outfitters.

Locally expect the San Miguel River to be nice and high through June, but should have good sustainable water into August. Local trips can range from narrow, quick, aggressive descents on the upper section above Placerville, to the “standard” Class II-III half day section from Specie Creek to Beaver Creek above the Norwood Bridge. This abundance of water means that there will be a fuller day adventure options. Norwood Canyon is a beautiful 22 mile float that gets away from roads and into some nice wilderness, then finishes with some big waves on the Ledges.

For groups that want a change to a desert climate with some cool history, check out the Hanging Flume section. This is past Naturita, where the San Miguel meets the Dolores. This is a mild float trip that is great for all ages and it is the best way to view the Hanging Flume, which is an old mining water diversion where a wooden “sluice box” is suspended on a cliff face high above the river. This was built in the late 1800’s and is an amazing testament to the creativity and determination the miners had to get the job done.

For anyone looking to play on any of the rivers, do use extra caution! There will be a lot of debris, like fallen trees, coming down the river during runoff. Even the banks could be a bit unstable as the high water works to aggressively erode them. If you are inexperienced, please stick with the professional outfitters. Local river trips can be arranged through Further Adventures/ BootDoctors. Feel free to contact them at (970) 728-8954 or shoot me an email if you have any questions or concerns at teluride2@mindspring.com Have a great off season! Trevor

________________________________________________________

News

LEVEL V DESIGNATION FOR TELLURIDE MEDICAL CENTER

The Telluride Medical Center has been designated a Level V Trauma center, the first so designated stand alone clinic in the state of Colorado. This designation is awarded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and is based on the clinic's ability to provide evaluation and patient stabilization, ability to transfer the patient to a higher level of care and diagnostic capabilities. Facilities thus designated must also provide surgical and critical care services and have on staff trauma-trained nurses and have physicians available for emergency patients.

There are five levels of trauma designation beginning with Level 1, the highest designation of care. Denver Health Medical Center belongs to this designation. St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction is a Level 2 Trauma Center and Montrose Memorial Hospital is a Level 4.

TMS administrator, Harry Packard, was quoted in The Telluride Watch: "There are a couple of pluses to having the official designation. The big thing is it shows our standards are excellent, as evidenced by the evaluation, site visit and recommendation. And it puts us in the trauma designation system for the state." This designation also allows the clinic to bill as an emergency service instead of an urgent care facility, a higher billing structure which could possibly aid in relieving budget problems this year.

HEAVY SNOWS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO

Reservoirs drained from a multi-year drought are expected to refill this spring and provide a much welcomed whitewater season.

John Simons, engineer for the federal Bureau of Reclamation reported in an AP release "we’re going from being almost empty to being so full that we will have to release large amounts of water". The Bureau oversees the Vallecito, Lemon, McPhee and Navaho reservoirs located in the southwestern portion of the state.

The snowpack is reported at 141% of the 30 year average at this time. The runoff of this snow may mean that river runners could return to the Dolores River for the first time in four years.

________________________________________________________

Dates to Mark Down on your calendar

Early bird pricing for ski resort season passes and 10-day passes go on sale mid-summer – usually the discount ends by June 30^th. They are not available yet.

Buy your Blues and Brews festival tickets ASAP for the September festival. Four day passes usually sell out. www.tellurideblues.com

The September Film Fest four-day passes also sell out and if you are considering attending you should inquire as soon as possible about tickets. www.telluridefilmfest.com

The Telluride Academy has openings in many outstanding kids programs for the summer. Popular camps are already full but new experiences are waiting to be discovered and rated! www.tellurideacademy.com

________________________________________________________

April 2008 Calendar

Friday, April 04, 2008
KOTO Street Dance
Telluride closes main street for this annual après-ski, end-of-season concert that features live music on the courthouse steps and a beer garden. (April 5 is reserved in case of inclement weather.)
970.728.8100

Friday, April 04, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA.
970.728.7620

Sunday, April 06, 2008
Gondola Closes
The Gondola closes at the end of the day for maintenance until late May.

Sunday, April 06, 2008
Ski Resort Closing Day
Enjoy the final turns of the lift-served season.

Friday, April 25, 2008 - Sunday, April 27, 2008
Talking Gourds Spoken Word Festival
High-energy poetic performances, film, lectures and wild mind workshops.
970.728.0399 or 970.327.4767

________________________________________________________

PROJECTS

With the record ski season coming to a close (greater than 330” of snow and still snowing!) and our sights now focusing towards summer, we at Kastle Keepers, LLC will start generating lists of items that you may want to consider having done on your home. Expect to have these lists by the end of April beginning of May. This will allow you the time to review them and make decisions on what you want to get done and allow us time to schedule them for the summer season. Carpet cleaning, drapery cleaning, wood floor buffing, fireplace flu cleanouts, humidifier system filter replacements are just a sampling of behind the scenes operations we take care of for you. Further, all the normal to be expected spring maintenance items will be checked off as well; sprinkler turn on with landscape companies, head repairs, lawn raking, garden pots & hoses out for the summer, etc.... Please call Lee or Trevor with any special requests or for their personal recommendations about the lists generated.

In addition to the spring cleanup, Kastle Retreats, LLC will start focusing on better website placement to help with our owner’s needs of high quality rentals. We have made many great contacts over this past ski season; successfully rented several high end homes and we expect to start to be able to better place rentals for those that have asked for it. In fact, because of uncertain times we feel this will become more important as time goes by. With the change of an IRS a rule reflecting what is actually is considered a vacation homes that qualifies as a 10-31 exchange, the high quality rentals have now become more important than ever. I have inserted an article from a leading 10-31 expert in the region that can give you better details. If you have adobe pdf viewer, you can click on the actual article and it will open up in the viewer which will make it easier to read. His name is Rich Levy. His contact info is located at the bottom of the attached article. This may be one more reason to use Kastle Retreats, LLC if you are considering renting to select clientele and looking to do a 10-31 in the future!

From all of us at the Roufa Family, LaBorde Family and Rusty we wish you a safe and happy spring! See you when the slopes have melted off and summer returns to the Telluride valley once again.

Has anybody seen the Easter Bunny!

March 2008 Newsletter

2008-03-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

Being snow bound here in this lovely box canyon can be claustrophobic at times. The first few days of this March were rather warm and spring like which quickly brought our attentions to: THIS SUMMER! Below are some ideas we came up with to move you into the path of planning some summertime fun! It can take a lifetime to experiment and to figure out what all the options for recreating are here in the Telluride. Below are tried and true outdoor family fun experiences requiring minimal mental effort, little gear and planning! Hopefully- you have just walked thru the door, your home is turnkey per your request and instructions, house projects are underway and you’re all geared up for some Colorado style fun!

The snowpack for the 2007/2008 winter season was well over 150% above normal for the region. Enough said to set the tone for broken neighborhoods, broken marriages, broken pipes and hereto now unheard of snow removal costs. Optimistically speaking – it has been a great season YET we cry UNCLE! We are keeping our fingers crossed that fair weather will prevail knowing full well that March is notoriously the greatest month for precipitation for the winter months here in the Southern Rockies… The best news is that once the roofs had been cleared, the snow that we have received has mostly melted off with the warmer days ahead!

There are many testaments in the community to the pros and cons of the elevated snowpack levels. Skier visits were way up thus the business sector had a bonus season- that is if they could manage to get their staff people to work! Local bartenders, ski tuners and ski instructors have epic stories to tell of how great it was so therefore their postponement of a college semester was validated after all. On the flip side the Town of Telluride’s February snow removal costs were $80,000 over budget! While bare minimum snow clearance services were provided for by the towns’ personnel at breakneck speed, it taxed the system. Just imagine what the overblown budget would have been if they had only had more time between snow storms! In the neighboring town of Ophir, CO pop. 113, the snow removal maintenance dept staffers had other unforeseen factors to deal with in addition to the overwhelming snow. They were being verbally abused and attacked by the town’s inhabitants to the extent that they walked off their jobs! Ophirites had many uncontrollable extenuating circumstances to deal with like planned and unplanned avalanches blocking their daily migration to and from their homes to name one. It’s a chosen lifestyle and a hearty one with lots to be thankful for.

___________________________________________

REMINDERS !! 2008 Summer Festival Pass Deadlines
The Festival Store(s) are now open!

The 35th Annual Bluegrass Festival
June 19-22^nd, 2008
To ensure that you tickets for the event, go online to purchase a four-day pass. The four day passes are currently on sale in limited quantities for the price of $175. This festival does sell out.
1(800)624-2422 or the Colorado phone number is: (303) 823-0848

The 15th Annual Telluride Blues and Brews Festival
September 12-14 2008

Tickets are on sale NOW. Call 866-515-6166 to purchase tickets over the phone.
Phone service hours are from 8AM - 8PM, Mon-Sat. www.tellurideblues.com

One of the most scenic music festivals in the country, the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival takes place every September in Telluride, Colorado, a world-famous resort town in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The festival is a three day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking mountain peaks for a backdrop. By day, experience live blues, rock, funk, gospel, and soul, the best microbrews from over 50 microbreweries during Saturday's Grand Tasting, a wide variety of food and craft vendors, children's activities, and more - all on the festival grounds. By night, follow the festival as it flows into the town of Telluride and Mountain Village, with late night juke joints and after-hours jams.

___________________________________________

HANDS ON!
With the Ah Haa Schools new facility at the Depot Building there are many new and exciting options for delving into the arts-

Year-Round Programming Ah Haa School offers classes in summer, fall and winter sessions. Courses are taught by local and visiting instructors and take the form of one-to-three day weekend workshops or four-to-eight week classes that meet weekly. The schedules reflect a core of basic fine arts and crafts classes, including ceramics, painting, and photography, as well as specialized classes like silk dyeing, the business of art, metalsmithing, and the art of cooking. The eclectic mix of courses we bring to the Telluride community has come to define the Ah Haa School and reflect our diverse surroundings. Private instruction is available on an individual basis, call 970-728-3886 to plan private instruction with one of our talented instructors (one week advance notice is required).

Kids Summer Art Programs
June 16 – August 14 Let your child’s imagination blossom during summer art classes at the Ah Haa School. During four mornings, four afternoons or during Fabulous Fridays, students will explore different mediums ranging from sculpture and clay to acrylic painting and jewelry making in a curriculum that is designed to develop confidence, creativity and proficiency. Each week will bring a new and exciting topic for each age group. On the final day of each session, parents may be invited to the last 30 minutes of class for a student art show. Go to the website for a quick glance at a list of kid’s classes. New this summer, the Ah Haa School will be offering an early registration discount for our kid’s summer classes. Register by March 15 and receive a 10% discount on up to five classes! Register for five or more classes and receive a 15% discount. A 25% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit will be required at the time of booking. www.ahhaa.org

The Telluride Academy registration is open and accepting applications for kids 5-17 years old in a large selection of locally and regionally based day camps and learning adventure excursions. www.tellurideacademy.com

Aemono- the best deli around these mountain valleys has a signup sheet for their weekly menu postings; a big player for active families with second homes. Who wants to cook when you’re in T’Ride! Sophia & Mike do! Email Sophia your address to get on this mailing list at aemono@roadrunner.com.

___________________________________________

What you could do this summer

Day Use Areas

In and around the immediate Telluride Region-Places to play without getting into your CAR!

There are options for everyone in the family, including Spot the dog for excursions, activities and sports in the immediate populated areas of the TMV and the Town.

The Town Park has facilities for multitudes of outdoor activities not limited to swimming, basketball, soccer, Frisbee, baseball, tennis, fishing, camping, grilling, hiking, biking and skateboarding and playing with your dog. I have seen clients meet their personal trainers on the greens of the softball fields for their own one-on-one workouts. Adjacent to the park are havens for the naturalist-at-heart; beaver ponds, ducks, the Bear Creek Conservation Canyon, and junior ranger programs, trailheads, running paths, bike routes, fly fishing, swimming holes. Then for the intellectual there are the quiet contemplative cave like nooks and wooded pastures, rock spires and secluded points that dot the hillsides surrounding Town Park that beckon the Waldo and Ernest within. Did you realize that there are dazzling waterfalls behind Town Park? We mean really beautiful, tantalizing small waterfalls. And caves on the hillside? And a wonderful mini canyon/precipice hike just a few hundred yards above Town Park? Like we said there is a little bit of heaven right here in Telluride -within a few minutes walk. One great little loop to savor with some visiting guests would be to park at the park and walk through the camping area (left of the tennis courts), find the stream (Bear Creek) and follow that to the waterfall, take the trail back (to the right) thru the common area of the park (behind the stage at this point) continue on into the bracken (thicket) choosing the upper trail or the lower trail to catch a glimpse oft the active beaver family and then continue along the town’s very own river trail system. (this could take you all the way out onto the valley floor, 3 miles). This path provides a beautiful flat jogging path or a wonderful showcase for anyone intimidated by the sound of “hiking in Colorado”. Note: We will let you in on a little secret; if this trail system were in Aspen it would be called The Nature Trail and it would be on all the tourist maps- but this isn’t Aspen is it#@*!

In the Telluride Mountain Village the core plaza area offers a wide selection of options for soft adventure and playing outdoors. There is the rock climbing multi-sided boulder that youngsters can never get enough of. Beyond that there is a nice little pond for pint sized explorations. The Fishing Pond is great fun to explore late into the afternoon and is located near the firehouse and the Village Market area. Next to the Summer Sunset Concert Series tent area there is a small developed kid’s playground hosting a jungle gym, slide and see saw. Within the core you have the origin of the pedestrian-bike pathway, featuring the 4-mile long gravel lined trail which shadows the Mountain Village Boulevard. The Village’s greatest asset however would be the free gondola linking its users to limitless hiking choices and access. There are simple straightforward trails beginning at the steps of the San Sophia station and leading onwards to more expert terrain. Feel free to stop by the informative and cozy Nature Center located at the top of the gondola for trail infor and ideas; like a scavenger hike where everyone brings back something from the forest then uses the centers resources and tools to further their knowledge. The ski resort itself offers endless wide swaths of clear cut ski trails often with hiking trails interlaced throughout the vast network. Hiking through the resort’s developed high countryside will take you in and out of the woods showcasing grandiose views and add a “Peak Experience” within a few minutes gondola ride. *Several, not all, of the resort’s hiking routes/ski trails serve also as notoriously popular downhill mountain biking trails as well! So be aware of the combination of slow moving object (YOU; Hiking and the fast moving objects bikers!). The Code for bikers dictates that they reduce their speed when approaching pedestrian hikers but it only takes one bad apple to give the whole lot of them a bad reputation. In any event some paths take you up and some take you downwards. It’s a great feeling to be in charge of your destiny!*

The Valley Floor is all about nature and self discovery along the way for all ages! The presence of alpine flora and fauna will not disappoint from the ripened raspberries on the side hills of the steep Boomerang Hill, or the tiny juicy strawberries along the boggy paths of the valley floor. Dense moss covered rocks and trails are waiting for your exploration as are the meandering flat dandelion laden cow pastures which proliferate in the valley. The headwaters of the San Miguel originate less than 5-miles upriver at a pristine high alpine lake of the name Blue Lake among other water sources. The water that you’ll splash around in is cold, fast moving and crystal clear. There are a few wading pools and miles and miles of fun to be had on any given sunny summer afternoon. They are easily accessed from the edge of Town at Mahoney Drive or from mid-valley at Hillside or from the parking area at Society Turn.

If getting into the car …..
does not present any problems
then the gates to EXPLORATION are wide open!

Illium Valley- 10 minutes drive-mostly federal and BLM lands- open to all with easy access. Limited facilities located mid-valley in the campground

Secret spots for fishing and many more that are not so secret, established campsites with BBQ facilities, Ker plunking (swishing around in the streams), top rated bouldering, reading under a forested canopy, relatively flat mtn bike riding and then some expert terrain- exploring an old homestead, trails, mushrooming, exploring beaver ponds, old rail road tracks and a defunct but refurbished mine. The Fish and Game Dept have stocked the waters with trout along sections of the South Fork of the San Miquel. You name it. Ideal moment; a downhill bike ride from Society Conoco with a pick up in Ilium! Or a picnic from Aemono Deli, book, kid(s), sunshine, with a slight breeze (no bugs) next to the river.

Deep Creek- 10 minutes drive. No facilities but easily accessed! High and steep stream bed. Great exploring and stream trout fishing. Ideal moment: Good light, good gooey worms and a fishing pole! Or a sturdy hiking stick!

Trout Lake-15-20 minute drive. No facilities. Parking lots and easy access. A high alpine lake with storybook views. Bring the camera. Pack a picnic keep your eyes peeled for Dick Van Dyke family- this territory has plenty of history and character. Funky 1950’s cabins, families who pioneered the area from way back still use the grounds in the summertime. Access to a boat can be a little tricky to arrange but if you can wrangle one up you, the kids and the misses’ will have a day on the lake to remember. It is a shallow lake along the majority of the shoreline which makes for great observing and exploring. Heavily forested and seldom fished you can take it all in from shoreline or from the bow. Many hikes originate from this lake basin and there is a nice ‘ole railroad low level jeeping loop behind the lake. Ideal moment: Mixed group of friends/family, a vessel of some sort; like a canoe or kayaks, a picnic and maybe some beers – that’s about all you need! Some can meet you at the lakes far end and some can paddle across the lake to get there. Very beautiful and serene. Strawberries on the far side!

The Lizard Head Wilderness area- 20 minutes drive. Facilities, hiking routes access to the real deal for backcountry wilderness backpacking. What more can be said? In mid-September or October there can be a mushroom or two in this woods- hire an expert and get yourself some fixings for a scrumptious mushroom omelet for breakfast. Ideal moment: botanist guide, tattered guidebook, brown bag and a hiking group or friends or fellow curious types. Further – just a neat place to explore with the kids- keep them close- it is a dense forest up there. There are several creeks which always easily capture a long afternoons worth of attention.

Sunshine Campground-10 minutes- limited facilities, established campsites with BBQ grills, picnic tables and parking at the “camp sites” Best to go there on non-festival weeks and during the weekdays- less chance for choice sites if on a weekend. Located across from the now privately owned Skyline Guest Ranch, this BLM campground is nestled on a ridgeline with the Wilson trio of 14,000’ peaks featured as the living room view! Incredible sites, a great place to cook some burgers and pretend you camping for an early evening out-of-the-house. Let the kids be kids and GO WILD! in this spectacular next to nature (and your house) spot!

Woods Lake- 40 minutes drive. We will stop at this one since it is getting farther out-of-town. We mention it because the drive goes fast, is pretty and it is so well worth the effort. Pristine, untouched by the Dept. of Fish and Game and just a plain old idyllic setting. A heavily forested lake with killer backdrop views, facilities for camping and grilling and horsing around with the motorcycles, ATV or the jeep. Kastle Keepers could probably manage to get a horse outfitter to bring horses up for an afternoon with plenty of notice beforehand. Hiking trailheads abound or just circumnavigate via mindless meandering around the spectacular mossy sided lake all afternoon. It is a lake in the woods- bring bug repellant and check for ticks! Ideal moment: Camping out overnight. Otherwise, a shared meal, various forms of fishing paraphernalia including floatie boats! A nice fly rod, the right fly and a beer!

___________________________________________

NOTE: √
Kids activities like swim lessons, organized soccer camp, baseball and hockey camps fill up fast with locals or visiting families in the know. www.townoftelluride.co.org

Alternatively drop-in activities like the ranger program at Bear Creek or the San Sophia Nature center discovery programs and the Ah Haa four-hour classes are never overcrowded but we would advise you to call to confirm there is in fact a meeting planned! Local experts in just about any discipline are more than likely available for hire- with plenty of notice. Most have real jobs and only get to work in the field that they love because of us knowing who they are and then knowing who you are! Pole dancing for exercise, herb walkers, private outdoor Pilates instruction or elite running companionship are all a phone call way!

___________________________________________

What you’ll find at Colorado ski resorts. What makes heliskiing HELISKIING is the snow quality. The snow is soft and untracked on every run and skiers and boarders ride all day without crossing another set of tracks.

Colorado’s Only Heliskiing

The Thrill of a Skiing Lifetime awaits you…..

Intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders are invited to join Telluride Helitrax, Colorado’s only Heliskiing guide service, for the ultimate thrill, skiing on over 250 square miles of untracked powder on some of the highest helicopter-accessed terrain in the world, Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.

Helitrax.net * 970.728.8377 * 866.435.4754
Thinking Snow... ))
John Humphries ((
Telluride Helitrax ))
970.728.8377 office((
970.729.1587 cell ))

___________________________________________

News

TOWN'S CARBON FOOTPRINT

The Town of Telluride experienced a 6 percent decrease in the level of CO2 "exhaled" by town-owned vehicles, lights and computers in town offices, water treatment plant, Galloping Goose, ice rink, campground restrooms and all other public facilities. In 2007 the town's effort to slash energy consumption was mostly by doing small things. Copies were made on both sides of paper. Computers turned off and e-mails used instead of paper copies. Motion detectors for lights replaced lights not in use and the town fleet of cars were replaced with hybrids or electrics

The town released a summary of the 2007 energy use of its vehicles and facilities, identifying problem areas and making recommendations for 2008. These recommendations include eliminating the creation of ice in the Hanley Rink in August for a special event, improving gas mileage on the town's fleet, more temperature control in town buildings and eliminating the mowing of grass along the River Trail.

___________________________________________

March 2008 Calendar

Friday, March 14, 2008
The Eric Lindell Band Singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell brings sould, R & B, wamp-pop, funk and blues to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m.
970.728.6363
Friday, March 14, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - Sunday, March 16, 2008
Smartwool Race Series
Over 200 ski racers (ages 15-25) from Colorado compete on Milk Run to qualify for the state FIS Rocky Mountain Trophy series. 970.728.6163
Sunday, March 16, 2008
One to One Cardboard Derby
The young masterminds of Telluride race their hand-made cardboard sleds on the Thrill Hill for the benefit of the One to One Youth Program. Race begins at 10 a.m. and a traditional BBQ follows. 970.728.0885
Monday, March 17, 2008
Baseball on Skis
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by witnessing the annual spectacle of skiers dueling it out with bats, balls and bases at the base of Lift 7.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Spring Creek Bluegrass Band
From Lyons, Colorado, the quartet that makes up the Spring Creek Bluegrass Band is quickly gaining a reputation as the hottest young band in Colorado. They are performing with special guest Arkamo Rangers at the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m.
970.728.6363
Friday, March 21, 2008
Bonerama
With a four-trombone frontline, Bonerama brings New Orleans funk to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m. 970.728.6363
Friday, March 21, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Little Women
The Broadway musical Little Women comes to the Palm Theatre, 8 p.m. 970.369.5669
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Melvin Seals & His Funky Friends
Melvin Seals, musical director and keyboardist for the Jerry Garcia Band for nearly two decades, bring his newly formed band to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m. 970.728.6363
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Special Olympic Family Day
A day of racing, games, food and fun for Special Olympic participants and their families. Telluride Ski Resort/Mountain Village, time TBA. 970.728.3524
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Egg Hunt
Join the Telluride Ski Resort for an on-mountain Easter egg hunt. 970.728.7400
Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Sunday, March 30, 2008
Show and Tell Series
The Telluride Repertory Theatre presents a staged musical reading of the 1989 Best Off Broadway Musical Closer Than Ever at the Sheridan Opera House Gallery Room: 6:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. 970.708.7728
Friday, March 28, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Swing Camp Telluride
Telluride Lindy Society presents a swing dance camp for all enthusiasts. 970.327.4908
Saturday, March 29, 2008 - Sunday, March 30, 2008
Winter Festival
Celebrate the season in Mountain Village with two days of live music and entertainment. 970.369.7632

___________________________________________

Kastle Keepers, LLC update

We really enjoy collaborating with you on what you find thrilling, exciting and rejuvenating in Telluride. All of us at Kastle Keepers have an outdoors based sort of mindset- a good one to have if you are based at 8,750’ in altitude in a town full of 65-year old ski bums! The Palm Presents, the Sunset Concert Series and other cultural & entertainment attractions each do a great job of reaching out to the part time residents with regards to their enticing schedules and their smoke and mirrors. Surveying a fine oils artists’ work in progress while strolling the sidewalks on a warm summer’s eve is a savored moment for almost everyone. But who also does not appreciate the lakes/streams and muddy puddles that kids of all ages thrive upon? Who will market their wares to you? You have these wonderful homes and invite your loved ones to share memories along your brief interludes with Telluride. The Box Canyon Newsletter is a consortium of alpine lifestyle best of the best suggestion book. So what has been one of your best experiences here? We have heard good things about rafting with Trevor and riflemanship at the Valhalla Ranch, a private jeep trip town-town and so much more. Drop us an email and we will put it on the next letter.

We take great strides towards providing you and your family with the tools for A) the hassle free visit and secondly B) a true Telluride experience. You Own A House Here. We Take Care Of It.

Running a service business can be full of complexities. Take for example our high end caretaking company. There are a number of homeowners coming and going during the same week and each having personal preferences. The homes themselves can be very complex what with multiple boiler rooms, idiosyncratic problems and challenges. The success relies upon one simple principle: trust in the guys at the helm. The guys focus on the nitty gritty meat and bones of the house caretaking 24/7, 365 and then some as most of you know from personal interactions. The odd stuff trickles thru, “I left my cell phone and need it FED EX this morning”, and “My computer has shut down can you purchase, set up and get me back in gear by tomorrow?“ The team handles these requests one at a time but they are random and fleeting occurrences. Overwhelmingly the core mission has remained the same year after year (18-years in all). Provide thoughtful, professional, personalized service to each homeowner with integrity, respect and courtesy. Preserve the residences with diligent care, mind full forethought and immediate intervention when needed. Of course the number of houses being covered has expanded at a nice steady pace- thank you very much- thus more arms, legs and brains are needed each year as we progress. While the Homeowner has full control of a vessel that is off shore so to speak- truly it is the guys that have the pulse of her operations under their command. Thus the nature of our relationships is that of a two-way street. We need your input, direction; resources to keep the homes in as good a shape as when you first bought it. Communication back and forth in a written form, either fax or email, sets everyone up for success.

The community at large got slammed by snow this past winter- and it’s not over yet. It was a regional once in a lifetime experience. There are towns within a few hours drive of here where there were roof collapses, stranded townships and other difficult obstacles to overcome this winter. In a section of the country that typically enjoys over 300 days-a year of sunshine this winter’s climate demonstrated Mother Nature’s range of power and intensity. Naturally the strain tested our relationships at every level. Lee had to walk every individual homeowner through the logistical nightmare borne out of the heavy snows accumulated around the residences. He had to ship in outside help from across the state. Now we have the big melt off to contend with. Lee prepared all the homeowners for the interventions he had to implement to maintain safety at the homes, access and general normal winter upkeep. Otherwise we would be sending out more emails about costly broken deck rails, collapsed walls and interior roof leaks. It was an interesting learning experience. None of us expect to be in the same ballpark next year. We wanted you to know we appreciate your insight and trust in us here in the land of snow.

Come and enjoy what will be a wonderful white spring,
Lee, Sheilagh, Freddie, Trevor and Rusty