Featured Blog Posts Archives

Latest Adaptation Trend – Extended Mountain Stays

Many urban and suburbanites are looking towards the mountains as more than a holiday escape. As the global pandemic continues with no end in sight, people seeking a respite from the stress of crowds see mountain communities like the Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen to Glenwood Springs, Colorado) as the perfect place to relocate for an extended stay.

Mountain homes provide for a welcome change of scenery and access to fresh air and the great outdoors, something in short supply in major metropolitan areas. According to a recent article in the Denver Post, “initial predictions of a wave of panic selling depressing second home prices never materialized. Instead, the opposite has happened. More people are buying in resort areas to escape big cities, and the available inventory has tightened.”

Vacation property rental agencies reported that “not only did occupancy roar back, but guests were staying for long periods of time. [Guests] were either taking extended vacations or, more likely, they were working remotely.”

In fact, “guests have started asking for something that was a rare request before — desks in their rooms.”

“If they can work remotely what does it matter if they are working from their apartment or house or further away,” said [a Denver-based property rental associate]. He also noted that many guests don’t always tell their employers where they are actually located.

Guesty, a [popular] property management software, has seen a 117% increase in reservations of 90 days or more. It is also seeing more spur-of-the-moment rentals. In July, for example, a majority of bookings came within seven days of arrival.

Bookings for holidays periods, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, are running behind they did this time last year, but that might change given the trend to booking closer in. At Gareth Williams Aspen Snowmass Real Estate, we certainly expect those bookings to pick up as the season approaches!

Indeed, given the likelihood that winter resort activities could move to a reservation-only setup, the time to book your accommodations is now. If you are looking for the flexibility to work remotely while taking advantage of everything the Aspen/Snowmass area has to offer be sure to give Gareth a call at (970) 309-7649!

App Adds to Aspen Fun

How do you make the most of your time on the mountain?

Aspen Skiing Company has been polling guests and has just what they need. Vacationers these days look for their cell phone apps to enhance all kinds of experiences, from travel to dining to tracking fitness. Aspen's newly improved on-mountain app does all of the above and more. A recent Aspen Times article interviewed the in-house developers at Aspen Skiing Company about just what goes in to building and improving their app.

Guests can now start their day with the latest information about on-mountain conditions. They can see current weather and snow reports from each of the four mountains. This info is updated every hour, but that’s just the beginning.

Worried about getting lost or taking a wrong turn? Peace of mind is close to hand as the app can actually track your location on the mountain and even alert ski patrol if necessary.

Are you someone who loves setting goals and measuring your progress? The built-in tracker lets you see how many vertical feet you covered each day. It’s the perfect way to challenge your friends and see who’s really in shape the next time you have a powder day!

According to the article, future improvements could include ways to meet up with friends and family on the mountain, assuming cell network coverage permits.

Being on vacation can be a great way to escape from our phones, but for those who enjoy having them alongside sometimes a little technology can make being out on the mountain even more fun and rewarding. At last count over 100,000 current users would agree!

Dining in Aspen – The Secret Code

Bar at L'Hostaria - courtesy of Aspen Times

Getting your Money's Worth

While Aspen boasts amazing cuisine from around the world, sometimes the prices can be as elevated as the altitude of the town itself! What’s the secret code for locals and guests alike? Say hello to the bar menu, a select group of signature dishes available in the bar area (and even some dining rooms) of many of Aspen’s most sought-after restaurants. Join us as we dive in to discover what’s cooking!

Our Top Picks

MEZZALUNA

This lively, social Italian spot one block from the Aspen Mountain gondola features some delicious, wallet friendly bar menu options including salads for $8-$9, brick-oven pizzas for $10, traditional pastas from $11 to $14 and drink specials at the bar starting at 5:30 pm until closing. 624 E Cooper Ave., (970) 925-5882

7908

Part restaurant, part lounge/nightclub, 7908 offers patrons a bar menu strong on decadent comfort food if not outright value. Chile-glazed fried chicken ($26) and achiote-marinated hanger steak ($31) share space with duck confit ($28) and an indulgent burger featuring a truffle parmesan sauce and tater tots ($20). Wash it all down with a few glasses of prosecco or even Moët & Chandon—7908 has three choices by the glass. 415 E Hyman Ave., (970) 516-7908

JING

Asian fusion cuisine comes to life at Jing’s bar with a menu featuring great sushi including nigiri ($5-$12 per 2 pieces), specialty rolls, and even the popular lobster taco ($20). Bar patrons can also enjoy spicy edamame and a wide assortment of dumplings from the dim sum menu. Add in a $5 sake and you’ve got a perfect far-east meal. 413 E Main St., (970) 920-9988

Owner Jimmy Yeager at the bar at Jimmy's Aspen

JIMMY’S

Another go-to spot for locals since 1997 is the bar at Jimmy’s. If you don’t mind a crowd, the high-top tables feature a menu of great comfort food including a delicious meatloaf ($17), a flat-iron steak ($21), and blackened fish tacos ($15). Jimmy’s also features an unparalleled selection of tequila (think high-end and exclusive anejo and reposado!) 205 S. Mill Street (Upstairs) (970) 925-6020

L’HOSTARIA

A locals’ favorite for over 20 years, L’Hostaria owner Tiziano Gortan offers his guests a comprehensive bar menu that boasts more options than many competitors’ full menus. Think flavorful pastas and classic Italian entrees from both land and sea. Standouts include the carpaccio and burrata crostino appetizers, hearty carbonara and Bolognese pastas and grilled steak with mushrooms (all under $20). The welcoming bar staff stands ready with wonderful wine options ($10-$14 per glass) to accompany everything. 620 E Hyman Ave, 970-925-9022

STEAKHOUSE NO. 316

As befits the fashionable, rat-pack atmosphere, Steakhouse No. 316 has a bar menu with suitably decadent options that will more than satisfy your appetite. Think jumbo crab cakes ($21), tuna tartare ($21), fish and chips ($20) and a wonderful filet accompanied by steak sauce, chimichurri, and a fried egg ($26). 316 E Hopkins Ave, 970-920-1893

Winter Alternatives on the Upswing

While downhill skiing and snowboarding take the lion’s share of the spotlight in Aspen, a variety of winter recreation alternatives including uphilling, snowshoeing and nordic skiing are increasingly popular with locals and guests alike. These winter alternatives can be great options for those looking for new outdoor experiences!

Uphilling

Uphilling, skinning or ski touring is essentially hiking up the mountain on modified skis or a split snowboard. This method of scaling our four mountains includes attaching “skins” (adhesive strips) to the bottoms of skis that allow the ski to move freely forward but catch the snow and “stick” instead of sliding backwards. This method also requires special skis with bindings that release from the heels, (or a special snowboard that splits left and right for each foot).

Several local ski shops including Four Mountain Sports, Performance Ski, the Ute Mountaineer and Cripple Creek Backcountry rent this equipment.

Snowshoeing

As the snowpack rises, trail runners and hikers turn to snowshoes. Modern snowshoes are highly portable, lightweight, made of fabric and metal and attach easily to winter boots. Being able to set foot on top of the show rather than sink through it makes all the difference in the backcountry. A day hike becomes a treat rather than a slog!

Snowshoes can be found at almost all backcountry equipment retailers including Ute Mountaineer and Cripple Creek Backcountry.

Cross-Country Skiing

Nordic or cross-country skis have been transporting Aspenites around town and between the mountains for well over 100 years. Both classic and skate-skiing techniques are in full swing during the winters out here.

In fact, though the Winter Olympics Nordic events have always been the domain of the Europeans, the U.S. Ski Team has made serious strides in competition recently, thanks in part to local athletes Simi Hamilton and Noah Hoffman.

The Aspen Snowmass Nordic Trail System boasts over 60 miles of trails stretching between and through the towns of Aspen and Snowmass Village, many of which are groomed daily and several that are dog-friendly.

Renters should head to the Aspen Golf Course or the Snowmass Golf Course for rentals and more information.

What’s the appeal?

If you follow the rules, uphilling can get you access to our ski mountains including on-mountain restaurants and earn you one free downhill run, i.e. save you the cost of a lift ticket. Any further lift access does require a lift ticket however.

All of the above offer terrific exercise, giving you the benefits of being outdoors and the freedom to go where you please. Aspen/Snowmass has tons of recreational trails outside of the ski mountains themselves that can be accessed this way. In fact, most people going on hut trips use ski mountaineering including nordic and uphilling techniques to get from one hut to the next.

Regardless of the method you choose, book your vacation with Gareth, then get out there and enjoy the best of winter in the Rocky Mountains!

Aspen Music Festival – Free Music for You!

The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is one of the world’s premier classical music festivals, bringing together superstars and emerging young artists from the most prestigious orchestras and conservatories in the world for more than 400 events in eight weeks. The 2019 summer season runs from June 28 through August 18. Sounds impressive right?

It's actually remarkable how many opportunities there are to experience AMFS's world-class performances for free. From the classical music-curious, to the casual fan, to the aficionado seeking musical immersion, here's how to treat your ears and your wallet at the same time!

1. Lawn Seating

The AMFS is known around the world for its incredible orchestras and you can experience these weekly concerts for no charge at all! Simply bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the music from the David Karetsky Music Lawn outside the Benedict Music Tent. Because the Music Festival's tent walls are adjustable louvers, the sound quality from outside the venue is extraordinary. There’s nothing quite like sitting outside, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of Aspen on a perfect summer day, and listening to classical music. During the season, come by the Benedict Music Tent at 6 pm on Wednesdays to hear the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, at 6 pm on Fridays to hear the Aspen Chamber Symphony, and at 4 pm on Sundays to hear the Aspen Festival Orchestra.

2. ACA Orchestra

You can also experience an orchestra concert inside the Tent for free with our series of Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra concerts. These events take place at 4 pm on July 2, 9, 16, and 30 and August 6 and 13, and are led by students in the AMFS’s prestigious conducting program. A different student conductor leads each movement of each piece, making the pacing a bit more digestible for newcomers and fresh and exciting for seasoned concert-goers. The students are eager to hone their skills in front of an audience and you reap the benefits!

3. Music on the Mountain

Saturday afternoons are tailor made for picnicking at the top of a mountain with beautiful chamber music playing nearby! You can do just that with the AMFS’s Music on the Mountain series (1 pm Saturdays from July 6 through August 10). Though a gondola ticket or strenuous hike to the top of Aspen Mountain is required, the event itself is free of charge, and it offers a great casual atmosphere that proves classical music is just as vibrant outside the concert hall.

4. Music with a View

This series, in collaboration with the Aspen Art Museum, combines phenomenal visual art with chamber music performed by some of the AMFS’s top students and visiting musicians. Head to the Roof Deck Sculpture Garden at the museum (637 E. Hyman Ave.) and enjoy one-hour performances as well as refreshments available for purchase from SO café. Music with a View takes place at 6 pm on Tuesdays from July 9 through August 13.

5. Spotlight Recitals

Sprinkled throughout the season are Spotlight Recitals, featuring a juried selection of the AMFS’s brilliant student musicians performing chamber music masterworks. The programs and performers are announced at the events, so what you end up hearing is always a fun surprise. Spotlight Recitals take place at Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Community Church, Aspen Chapel, and Christ Episcopal Church. Visit the AMFS’s online calendar at www.aspenmusicfestival.com/events/calendar for exact dates, times, and locations.

Gareth Sells Aspen Snowmass Estate for $21.2 Million

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2019
Contact: Gareth Williams, Aspen Snowmass Real Estate 970.309.7649

ASPEN, COLORADO –Aspen Snowmass Real Estate is proud to announce that Gareth Williams successfully represented the buyer of 1500 Owl Creek Ranch throughout the sales process which just closed for $21.2 million.

Situated on 80 Acres nestled between Aspen and Snowmass, the estate “has everything that my buyers were looking for,” said Williams. He first noticed this property located in the prestigious Owl Creek Ranch subdivision property when it was listed in 2012 at $37.5 million. “By 2018 the asking price had come down to $25.5M and was starting to look like a real opportunity for my buyers,” Williams added.

The spacious and luxurious 6-bedroom, 11,722-square-foot home offers everything from a substantial movie theater and guest master wing to a gym and panoramic views of the mountains of Aspen/Snowmass. There is plenty of outdoor space, which boasts 2 ponds, a swimming beach, rolling pastures and views of Mt. Daly, all just minutes from downtown Aspen.

Last month Williams also sold 1227 Alta Vista, a 4400 square foot townhouse adjacent to the Aspen Golf Course for $6,755,000. “We had an above full price offer within a week,” said Williams who was the listing agent and closed the sale in a matter of weeks. Williams adds that the market is still hot for the right properties. Interested sellers and buyers are encouraged to call him at (970) 309-7649.