Location:
Off Highway 82 , east of Carbondale near Snowmass, Aspen,
and Glenwood Springs, COLORADO
Accommodations:
Private home, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths (sleeps up to 10)
CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW FULL PHOTO
This beautiful three year
old architect-designed home is situated close to the lively Roaring Fork
River, one of the finest trout-fishing rivers in the West. Step off the deck and cast!
Or just relax in the spacious hot tub nearby after a glorious day
of skiing. Enjoy the lovely sight and sound of the river as it flows
within 20 feet of the house.
Four bedrooms and three baths make this house especially attractive for families or a group of friends. One guest bedroom has a queen bed, another has two twin and two trundle beds, and the third has a double and twin bed. The master bedroom has a king bed and a luxurious bath with large soaking tub, a spacious shower facing the river, double sinks, bidet and commode; tall casement windows look over a small wooded area next to a charming stream (in addition to the river!). Three of the bedrooms show off spectacular views onto the river and beyond. In the warmer months, open the French doors and let the song of the river lull you to a restful sleep (or close them for a secure silence, if you prefer!).
The master bedroom offers hidden stereo speakers in the walls, a very high ceiling lit by a starlike sparkle of tiny lights, and an elegant (and silent) Ron Rizik ceiling fan. At night you can watch the moon and stars through the high windows. In the morning, wake to the remarkable sight, through one set of French doors, of the river flowing toward you and on past the deck outside the other set of French doors.
The kitchen,
dining and living areas all look out on the oversize deck and the river a
few feet beyond. The
riverside wall of this section of the house is 50 feet long, entirely
glass, opening onto the deck through three 10’ X 10’ sliding doors.
A large leather sofa (that opens into a queen-size bed),
upholstered and leather armchairs (one is a recliner) and a variety of low
tables create a comfortable seating area in front of a large fireplace.
A stereo system (CD player with programmable disc-changer, tape
deck and tuner) is hidden behind two beautiful hardwood doors flanking the
fireplace. A large satellite
TV and VCR, normally kept in the small study off the master bedroom, can
easily be moved from room to room on its rolling platform.
A spacious French country dining table provides comfortable seating for 10. There is also a bistro-style bar for quick lunches, breakfast for the kids, or having a drink and hors d’oeuvres while chatting with the cook on the other side of the bar! The kitchen is equipped with yards of zinc counter space, lots of custom-built cupboard and drawer space, a double sink with disposal, 5-burner gas cooktop with retractable exhaust fan and hi-low simmer controls, an extra-large programmable electric oven, microwave, large side-by-side SubZero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher (totally silent), and small appliances. In addition to the numerous upper and lower cupboards, there is an enormous custom-built pantry with both fixed and slide-out shelves. The kitchen is totally furnished with pots and pans, cooking utensils, dishes and glassware, silverware, etc.
An 8-person hot tub awaits you on one corner of the huge deck, close to the master bedroom. Rest and rejuvenate in the invigorating bubbles after a long hike or a hard day of skiing. Enjoy the comfort on a crisp evening as moonlight washes over the river and countryside. Or get an early start on the day with a quiet soak as the sun begins to brighten the mountains (in the winter, the resident family of bald eagles will fly past you up the river on their own fishing expedition!).
Maybe you're tired and just want to relax in front of the tube. Three TVs (one is HDTV) with digital satellite (over 150 channels!), as well as the VCR, DVD player, and Playstation 2 should satisfy that desire!
In the
living/dining area, the wall opposite the river looks out on a stone patio
that runs almost the length of the house in front.
Much of this wall is glass also, and many of its windows open to
create good cross-ventilation. The
ceiling in this part of the house is an unbroken expanse, rising from 8
feet high along the front wall to 18 feet high on the river wall.
Custom-designed lighting throughout this area is controlled in
separate sections, offering a wide range of brightness and “mood.”
A 10-candle chandelier can be lighted over the dining table for
that special ambiance that only candlelight creates.
Porcelain
floor tiles in shades of tan and gray create a quiet background for the
The main
entrance to the house is an extra-wide doorway with handmade painted
Taos-style doors. They can
both be opened and swung wide, creating an especially inviting welcome on
a warm summer evening. A
large mudroom carpeted in coir and furnished with a bench, shoe rack, lots
of coathooks, a storage area for skis and an antique mirror lets everyone
remove shoes or boots and get comfortable before going on into the foyer,
with its handsome country-style buffet/cupboard, doorway to the
first-floor guest room and stairway to the upper guest room.
A utility
room just off the foyer houses a large laundry sink with upper and lower
cupboards and a full-size washer/dryer combination.
This room has a separate door to the outside.
Near one
end of the building is a totally private separate one-story building that
is furnished with a double and twin bed. It
is “attached” to the main house by a connecting overhead trellis,
where a grapevine and scarlet trumpet vine are being trained to cover it
(hummingbirds adore trumpet vine nectar).
Access to the house is provided by a county-maintained road that connects with US Highway 82 about ½-mile away. The highway is far enough away that its traffic cannot be heard. The distance of the house from the county road, and the river’s sound, completely mask any traffic sound from that side. Trees block sight of the county road; across the river the view is of trees, woody undergrowth and tall grasses. Many kinds of wildlife inhabit or visit the river and adjacent woods and fields, including the nearby island (a favorite haunt of heron, which can often be seen patiently waiting to catch a fish or frog).
Activities
(on-site or nearby):
Winter:
Snowmass (20 minutes) and Ajax/Highlands/Buttermilk (30-35 minutes)
are easily driveable or accessible by bus nearby on Highway 82.
Parking is free at Snowmass at the Rodeo Lot and free even closer
with 3 or more people. There
is easy access to Ajax by using the Aspen parking structure off Main
Street and then the Galena Street Shuttle; parking
price is $7.50/day or less. Highlands
parking is $5/day or free with 3 or more or if you park at Buttermilk and
shuttle to Highlands. Cross-country
skiing is available in nearby Redstone, at Ashcroft near Aspen on Castle
Creek, or right outside Aspen. Snowshoeing,
sledding and ice skating are also available.
Summer and Fall: Private flyfishing in Gold Medal waters off the deck, hiking beyond your dreams, biking, horseback riding, golf, tennis (see also “nearby amenities,” below).
Nearby
amenities: These include (in addition
to sports activities listed above): a charming small town (Carbondale)
with excellent grocery and hardware stores, several wonderful restaurants,
a good library, well-known community college, interesting pubs, antique
stores, and other attractions. The
hot springs resort at Glenwood Springs is about 10 miles away. The nearby villages of Basalt and El Jebel also boast
excellent restaurants, fine antique stores, other charming small shops of
all sorts, and the locally-famous Grana Bread Bakery.
There is a movie theatre in Carbondale (5 minutes from house) and
another nearby on Highway 82. There
is excellent public transportation on the highway all the way from
Glenwood Springs to Aspen, with park-and-ride lots within a mile of the
house. The Anderson Ranch
arts center, offering high-quality short-term classes in a wide variety of
visual and literary arts, is located in Snowmass, about 20 minutes away.
In the summer, the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival (with
attendant movie festivals and lecture series) takes place. The Aspen Institute also offers a variety of public lectures
and panel discussions on timely topics, and the Aspen Library is an
attraction in itself. Of
course, the shopping in Aspen is world-famous.
The house is
attended by a full-time caretaker, who will ensure your comfort and
convenience, direct you to local amenities, and be available to answer
questions or otherwise assist you.
House features: Fireplace, 8-person hot tub, satellite TV, VCR, CD player, tape deck, gourmet kitchen, microwave, SubZero frig, silent dishwasher, washer/dryer, phones in kitchen and every bedroom, luxurious master bath, in-floor heating, sleeps 10, two-car garage and additional on-site parking, and an up-close view of the beautiful Roaring Fork River.
