JUNE 2006

Breckenridge, GENUINE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Huge Announcement!!!! Breckenridge Ski Resort will soon begin working on a master plan to bring skiing to Peak 6! The ski area and the Nordic Center recently worked out a deal to adjust boundaries to make the access to Peak 6 possible. The ski area took about 300 acres from the Nordic Center that was not suitable for cross-country skiing. Peak 6 is within the ski area’s permit area but specific lifts and trails will have to be planned and approved as well as undergo a public comment period. Contained in the deal is an agreement that The Nordic Center will be allowed free gondola rides for its patrons. The two entities are also looking at closer marketing ties.

Whattodo in Breckenridge in the summer? Wow, check out my schedule of events and you will find the fun just never ends here. Also check out the Breckenridge Recreation Center for programs for all ages. Little ones have the Tiny Adventurers’ Summer Club, Teens have the Adventure Programs and oldsters have Cycling for Boomers and “Over the Hill Water Fitness”. These are just a few of the offerings. There are also two pools, tennis courts and a fantastic skate park. Finally don’t forget the Breckenridge Golf Club with 27 holes of championship golf and one of the prettiest decks on earth for a great outdoor luncheon. If you need more answers the Breckenridge Welcome Center on Main St. at Washington Park can take care of everything.

If you like to work outdoors and believe our backcountry is a vital part of the Breckenridge experience then you may be interested in the French Gulch Project. In cooperation with The Friends of Breckenridge Trails and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, the project hopes to gather 200 volunteers for a weekend of massive improvements to trails in the area. What a great way to spend a family weekend! It happens July 29 and 30, call 970-547-3155 to sign up.

The Arts District on the NE corner of S. Ridge and E. Washington continues to grow with the relocation of the historic Quandary Antiques building and restoration of the Fuqua Livery Stable. The goal is to create a home for resident artists occupying studios and presenting workshops. Don’t miss the Arts District Celebration July 2 nd .

The new town council is responding to the pulse of the locals. The two biggest issues on the minds of the voters are childcare and affordable housing. The council is looking into the possibility of building its own childcare facility or building and partnering with an operator. The affordable housing issue will be studied as a top priority to see where the focus should be. Also on the minds of the council are encouraging builders to go green and continuing to purchase open space before land costs get completely out of hand.

The Breckenridge Sanitation District won an EPA environmental achievement award for its “remarkable commitment to protecting the Blue River Basin”. The award is just the latest in a long legacy of protecting water quality. The BSD has won five national and five regional Clean Water Act awards for its operation and management.

More good info can be found at: http://www.BestoftheRockies.com

WHY I LIVE HERE…

Last month more than 200 walkers participated in the local Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser. They journeyed from the Dillon Marina to Summit Cove on a beautiful spring day. The Summit group usually raises about $25,000, most of which goes towards assisting those afflicted with MS. This was just one of 12 walks held throughout Colorado raising over $1 million total annually. Team Tatro, in remembrance of local Bill Tatro who passed away from complications of MS a few years ago, had 75 walkers in their group and brought in about half the total. My wife lost her brother to MS many years ago and has been actively participating in walks and fundraisers ever since. This year she is on the committee organizing the 50 mile Wild West Walkabout to be held in Fort Collins August 23-25 th . June 10 at MiCasa Restaurant in Breckenridge will be her annual silent auction with lots of great buys to be had. If you are in town please stop by from 6-9pm.

Heavy metal contamination from mining activities is a problem for many of our mountain streams. Trout Unlimited and the Snake River Task Force has set an ambitious goal of getting a healthy trout population in the Snake River near Keystone within three years. The difficulties come because most of the sources of pollution come from mines that are not only remote but have been abandoned for over a hundred years. It’s impossible to find those responsible so the task falls on the government and private organizations. Another hurdle involves getting the liability waived for those trying to do the clean up. No one wants to be sued for doing good deeds but the risk exists. Congress is considering a “good Samaritan” law that would protect voluntary clean up efforts. It remains to be seen whether the water can ever be made clean again.

Something probably not widely known across the country but dear to Summit County is the President’s roadless area destruction act. Under the plan local governments petition their state Governor for continued protection of pristine roadless areas who in turn pass this on to Washington. Roadless areas in Summit County cover more than 60,000 acres. The inventory process has been completed locally and one local group, Citizens for Roadless Area Defense, has started a program of adoption of sections of the roadless inventory to lobby the Governor to pass these on to the next level. By going to their website: www.wrroadless.org you can adopt any of the 84 roadless areas in the White River National Forest. The WRNF has 640,000 acres of roadlessness and we would love to save it all because once it’s gone you can’t get it back.

SCHOOL NEWS…

Every month at Summit High four students are selected as Students with Outstanding Character. Consistently these students display an attitude of caring for others. They are chosen because they make a difference in the community. Two of the students chosen in April are immigrants. Henry Martinez, only six months here from Guatemala, has consistently helped others by freely sharing his knowledge of computers. Elizabeth Gomez has progressed tremendously in English since arriving from Mexico a year ago. Elizabeth is doing an internship at Dillon Valley Elementary and wishes to become a teacher after college. Summit County is a community that embraces cultural diversity.

The National Ski Areas Association announced they entertained a record number of skiers last season. The preliminary data indicates 58.8 million skiers came out, a 3.3% increase from a year ago. The Rocky Mountain’s six states saw a 5.8% increase and Colorado’s 25 resorts may top 12 million skier days for the first time ever. The new records are attributed to lots of young people taking up snow riding as well as the improvements to equipment that have allowed baby boomers to stay with the sport longer.

Keystone has put together a draft environmental plan to extend its snowcat skiing into 278 acres of Jones Gulch. The new expansion would be some of the steepest terrain in the resort. One concern is the presence of Canadian Lynx. The area is considered prime habitat for the threatened species. The environmental plan will look at the impact of neighboring resort A-Basin’s proposed expansion into Montezuma Bowl and how that ties in with Keystone’s expansion.

An option for your trip to Colorado is getting better. The Eagle County airport is undergoing a number of upgrades over the next few years that will make travel there better and more convenient. A longer runway will enable larger planes to land and new electronics will improve arrivals in bad weather as well as increasing the efficiency of traffic. With the increased capacity you may want to check to see if this is a better place to fly into for your next trip. It’s about the same distance as Denver International but in many cases is significantly cheaper. Additionally, if you are flying over the weekend the traffic is way smoother on I-70 than going to Denver.

Think snow, always!

*TRAVEL TIPS…HAWAII THROUGH THE EYES OF A SEASONED TRAVELER

Live Aloha, you hear it, you see it, what does it mean? To a mainlander we are told it’s “hello and goodbye”. To a Hawaiian it is a deeply spiritual concept that has been commercialized, much like “Merry Christmas” to an Anglo-Saxon. It is a noun, adjective, verb and adverb. It is an action. It is the spiritual center around how the Hawaiians live their lives by being aware of your world and living in harmony with it. When you are living Aloha you are sharing the essence of your being, with openness, honesty and humility. You are acting out of love and respect for the other person accepting and giving dignity to who they are. Aloha is the expression of family and community with friends and strangers.

On the subject of timeshares, it’s just another site you see in every tourist destination nowadays. In Hawaii it is very subdued as opposed to some other places we have been where they literally chase you down the beach. Whether a purchase is right for you I will not give you advise on but going to a presentation for the freebies can be a really good deal. If you have the time to waste and you plan on doing a lot of activities while you are there you can save a boatload of money. For a couple of hours of your time you will get snorkeling trips, luaus, helicopter rides and many other attractions at about 25% of retail cost. On our second honeymoon we booked our SCUBA lessons at 60% off, a luau for $25pp and a dive boat trip for 75% off. We saved almost $1000 for a two-hour presentation. Not bad if you can get the work.

Which island is your favorite? The wonder of Hawaii is its diversity. The islands each have their own personality, while still maintaining their essence. The Big Island of Hawaii has seven climate zones all within its hundred-mile diameter. It climbs from sea level to over 13,000 feet. You can find desert cactus, rainforest and alpine tundra all in a day’s drive. You can literally step from a jungle to fresh lava that is as barren as the moon. Additionally it is blessed with some of the most spectacular reefs in the world. Maui has whales and miles of sandy beaches to watch them from. Many people say Kauai is their favorite. It is uncrowded, lush with jungles and flowers, and full of spectacular cliffs, canyons and waterfalls. One caution, the ocean is treacherous here; many people are swept off the beach or away from the shoreline never to be seen again. Which island is the best, I say it’s all good.

Contact Me if you need further tips on where to stay, eat or play.