Photo from http://mteverest2011.com/

A snap shot of clear blue sky, crisp, white snow and glimpses of black rock peek out from piles of snow, topped by four smiling, goggled faces peering out over bright red snow suits. It could be the typical scene from a mountaintop in Aspen or Snowmass Village, Colorado. However, the only things Aspen/Snowmass Village in this picture are the people.

This picture, posted on the website www.mteverest2011.com, shows Chris Davenport, Neil Beidleman and their team of climbers on May 20, 2011, from the top of Mt. Everest. Beidleman and Davenport’s team were followed to the summit by two more Aspenites, Lindon Mallory and Erin Lally, within 24 hours. Meaning that five locals stood on the top of the world within one day of each other. An impressive accomplishment for any town, but of course, Aspen and Snowmass Village, are not just any town.

Living in the shadows of seven ‘14ers,’ as climbers call mountains whose summit is 14,000 feet or higher, has been known to expose the locals to climbing fever. Whether it is the mountains calling to the people or man’s inherent need to try to conquer Mother Nature, mountain climbing is part of life in Aspen and Snowmass Village. Davenport is no newcomer to high adventure. A professional big mountain skier, and the first person to ski all of Colorado’s 14ers in a single year, Everest was a natural next step in his adventures. It is also not surprising to learn from the Aspen Daily News that Davenport and Beidleman spent some time while acclimating skiing the Lhotse Face. They return home not only as climbers of Everest, but with the additional title of the only two Everest skiers of the year.

When climbing fever strikes the residents of the Roaring Fork River Valley, they don’t have to fly across the world for a cure.  Aspen and Snowmass Village boast of some of the climbing options in the world right in their own backyards. During the summer months Aspen Expeditions, an Aspen based mountain climbing guide company, offers guided tours of all seven of these 14ers, North Maroon Bells, South Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak, Capitol Peak, Castle Peak, Snowmass Peak and Mount Sopris. In addition to the serious hikes, Aspen Expeditions guide rope tours, short climbs and camping, offering some kind of mountain experience for every level of climber. Of course, once all of the mountains in Colorado’s backyard have been climbed again, and again, the really adventurous climbers can follow Aspen Expeditions on destination climbs throughout the world.

If climbing fever strikes during the winter months Aspen Expeditions offers ice climbing classes, avalanche classes and guided backcountry skiing expeditions. The climbing wall at the City of Aspen’s indoor climbing gym is a great place to stay in shape when weather won’t allow climbers out on in the elements. It also a great place for beginners to learn the proper techniques for climbing and to prepare them for their summer ambitions.  Instructors are available for private climbing lessons on an hourly basis.

Photo from http://mteverest2011.com/

The picture of Chris Davenport and Neil Beidleman standing on top of the world is a tribute to the spirit of all Aspen and Snowmass Village residents. Inspiration, excellence, and dedication, like climbing fever, are contagious.  The Roaring Forks Valley is definitely infected. For your own dose, click here to see homes, residences and investment properties in the Aspen/Snowmass Village area.  The mountains are calling you!

On June 19 the ten finalists in the Grand Cochon culinary competition will sharpen their knives and prepare to take their heritage breed pig to dinner. In this ‘snout-to-tail’ competition, ten chefs from around the country will prepare every part of the pig while onlookers and 20 judges from the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen taste and judge their creations.

Guests on the Main Floor will have the opportunity to sip wine and cocktails while tasting the creations of the chefs and enjoying a demonstration from Joshua Applestone on breaking down a pig. Dry-aged Grass-Fed beef will also be served with wine from the Long Meadow Ranch. For the more serious Cochon guest, the VIP options include sustainable Black River Caviar, reserve wines, artisan cheeses, oysters and a special selection of rye’s and bourbons to sample. Click on the banner to purchase tickets at SAS.

In the midst of the excitement surrounding the Food & Wine Classic, the Grand Cochon stands out as a major event, however it has been included in the Food & Wine Classic as a reminder to participants that sustainable farming, ranching and production of food are an essential aspect of fine dining, but even more importantly, sustainable farming ensures the simple food put on the dinner table each night in homes across America.

While the ‘foodies’ gather around the ceremonial slaughtering of these 10 pigs, just down the road on a quiet farm in Carbondale, sustainable farming in action is on display. The farm, Sustainable Settings, is a family owned farm born out the desire of Brook and Rose LeVan to create a sustainable farm which can be profitable, organic and reproducible in other areas in the country. Sustainable Settings began as a community-supported agriculture membership farm, meaning members pay annually for a weekly box of produce from June to mid-October. Today the LeVans offer beef and pork cuts from animals raised on the farm. Plans are in motion to expand into dairy farming offering shareholding of dairy cows, allowing people to purchase a share of a cow in exchange for raw milk, and milk products. The LeVans produce honey from hives on their farm, and sell a 40 dozen eggs a week gathered from their diverse group of chickens. They sell their products at their farm, and deliver food boxes to the Aspen weekly Saturday market. True to their sustainable ideals, the LeVans will not ship food, citing the consumption of fuel, and the pollution involved.

For those who would like a break from the chefs and fancy food at the Food & Wine Classic, or for those who simply want to witness sustainable farming in person, a trip down to Sustainable Settings may be the perfect way to see, taste and learn about the benefits of sustainability and the ways those practices can be brought back up the mountain into the homes of the kitchens of every chef and onto the tables of every American. Sustainable Settings offers tours of the farm and workshops on tree pruning, beekeeping and beer making. For the full experience, spend a day working the farm with area residents who work down their CSA membership by spending two days a week working the farm, harvesting and preparing food for other CSA members.

Sustainability is an ideal that residents of Aspen and Snowmass Village hold dear to their hearts, as can be seen through their extensive recycling programs, mass transit programs, and by the way most Pitkin County residents lead their lives. Deeply devoted to their beautiful surroundings, residents here want to preserve this way of life for generations to come. Sustainable Settings and other sustainable farms are natural and necessary partners in this goal. Many homes and residences in the Aspen and Snowmass Village have environmental features such as solar heating, high efficiency furnaces.

To see homes, condo, and investment properties in the Aspen and Snowmass Village area built to harness nature’s resources to power, heat and beautify the home, click www.GregRulon.com

The history of the West cannot be discussed without a large chapter being devoted to ranchers and cowboys. Snowmass Village and Aspen, like most of the West, has a rich history of ranching, living on the land and taming the wild.

Part of this history comes back to life every summer in Snowmass Village at the Snowmass Rodeo. Every Wednesday from June 15th through August 17th, the roots of Aspen and Snowmass Village come out in full gear at 7 p.m. Before the gates open and the rodeo queen rides, pre-rodeo activities warm up the evening. At 5p.m. the mechanical bull, the petting zoo and roping lessons start building the excitement.  The inflatable bouncy house, in full bounce-mode, and pony rides, for just $10, are offered for the budding rodeo stars.

Part in parcel with rodeo is good Bar-B-Q. The Hickory House serves up delicious, traditional fare, on-site, ranging from baby back ribs, pulled pork along side potatoes, cole slaw and baked beans. With the kids in mind, The Hickory House offers a kid’s meal with either a hot dog or chicken sandwich. Every grown-up cowboy and girl needs a Saloon, with seats overlooking the rodeo arena, it is the perfect spot to unwind and witness all the rodeo action.

After enjoying delicious ranch fare, the kids can sign-up for their own role in the rodeo. Future rodeo stars can choose to participate in either the Calf Scramble or the Mutton Bustin’. In the Calf Scramble, little cowboys and cowgirls chase calves and try to pull ribbons from their tails in order to win prizes. Mutton Bustin’ offers the littler ones the opportunity to ride woolly sheep, like a real cowboy or girl.

The real excitement starts at seven when cowboys and girls ride in for the rodeo parade. From that moment on, it is non-stop action. Saddle Bronc Riding to Roping, to Bull Riding, all the classics of old time rodeo make their appearance at the Snowmass Rodeo. After the excitement and the rodeo dies down, gather ‘round the campfire for a sing-a-long and roasted marshmallows.  There is nothing like gathering in the setting summer sun, and listening to campfire songs.

The traditions showcased by the rodeo, like the roping, have historical reference in the old round-ups of the spring, in which cowboys would head to out the cattle in their grazing land, bring them in for the summer and divide the young calves from the adults. Bronc riding summons images from the early days when men would have to break horses, and train them for life on the ranch. The rodeo itself is more than simply a reminder of times past it is and was an opportunity for cowboys and girls to demonstrate their skills with the animals and within their community.

Snowmass Village and Aspen are still some of the few places within modern Western cities where one can still rodeo all summer long and find open land, with ranching opportunities. If a beautiful, and luxurious ranch home is what your spirit longs for, click here to see all the homes, residences and ranches in the Snowmass Village and Aspen area.

In May, as the last of snowstorms flurry across the Rocky Mountains, and the ski slopes finally stop calling, the fish begin their own song. Streams rushing with last winter’s snow give outdoor enthusiasts and fishermen a summer diversion, allowing them the opportunity to pull out their fishing poles and dive in – making the most of the summer months.

Fly fishing is especially popular in the Roaring Fork Valley due to the fast moving waters and the seemingly magnetic draw Aspen and Snowmass Village exert over residents and visitors to test their limits and go extreme.

Aspen Fly Fishing offers guided wading tours to all levels of expertise. Beginners who want a morning out with experts trying their hands at fishing to float trips in which experienced fisherman can really try for their own personal Moby Dick.

Aspen Trout Guides offers their customers an exclusive #509 White River National Forest Use Permit, allowing them to fish exclusive areas restricted to other companies. Catered lunches for full day excursions by the tasty Wild Rose Catering service or Jour de Fete round out the day making it truly a luxury experience.

In addition to wading and float trips, most fishing tour companies offer pond fishing as well. Aspen Outfitting Company boasts a Certified Guide Program, exclusive river leases and pond fishing. These private pond-fishing excursions offer families, or small groups, a calm and safe environment in which to learn fishing techniques and procedures. Aspen Outfitting Company also offers winter fly-fishing. For those true outdoor enthusiasts, the Double Header – fishing in the morning, and skiing in the afternoon, or vice versa may be right up their alley!

In fishing, as in most things in Aspen and Snowmass Village, Nature has laid the groundwork for perfection. Ample streams and rivers wind their way through the area offering ideal fishing ground for those anglers ready to go out on their own.  The Frying Pan River is world-renowned for trout fishing and amazing views. Even if the fish aren’t biting, a day spent on the Frying Pan is time well spent. Calm in places and rushing in others, the Roaring Fork is a good place to keep the day interesting.

Whether searching for trout, a fun day in the sun, or your own white whale, click here to see homes, properties and residences in the Aspen and Snowmass Village area. Make the Roaring Fork River Valley home, but don’t forget your fishing license, because you just never know when the fish and the rivers of the valley will call your name!

The most fabulous thing on the Snowmass Village calendar this summer is not a festival or any outdoor outing. It is not parties or social gatherings. The most exciting thing happening in Snowmass Village this summer is happening in the mud and dirt at Zeigler Reservoir. Beginning May 16^th scientists, teachers and community volunteers from the Roaring Forks River Valley and from around the world will gather under tents to dig, discover and preserve the ice age mastodons, bison and other animals found last October in this unlikely spot. With just seven short weeks to get the fossils out of the ground and complete the dig, the pressure is on.

While the citizens of Snowmass Village and Colorado have mastodon on the brain, excitement around the find, and the on-going findings is growing. The ice age camel tooth unveiled during the first days of the dig has prompted museum officials to plaster posters of the camel up on the walls throughout the museum. Even more exciting is the full ice age bison skull on display in the prehistoric exhibit in the DMNS. Through long glass windows, museum visitors can see the fossils and the scientists as they dry out the bones to preserve and study them. Just behind the bison skull lays a full thighbone of a mastodon emphasizing the magnitude of the animal and its potential impact on prehistoric studies in Colorado.

The Snowmass Sun has reported that the lead paleobotanists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) on site at the dig are Dr. Ian Miller and Dr. Kirk Johnson. These two gentlemen hope, through plant fossils, seeds and wood found in the site, to establish a more accurate understanding of the eco-system of Colorado during the ice age.  Additionally, they hope to possibly acquire clues about the climate of the earth as a whole. While volunteers have only 7 weeks to dig, museum curators expect the preservation and exhibit to take a full two years before becoming completely available to the public.

In the meantime, members of the Snowmass community have banded together to form the Ice Age Discovery Committee. This self-described ‘tusk force’ hopes to create a plan for the future of the mastodons in Snowmass Village. In conjunction with the DMNS, the preservation of these fossils and the ability to educate and inform the public about ice age life is a top priority.  On June 25-26 Snowmass Ice Age Discover Weekend will bring the museum experts to Snowmass Village to discuss the dig, the fossils found there and to have some good ol’ fashioned mastodon fun!

Aspen and Snowmass Village regularly offer their residents and visitors exotic and rare experiences, but this summer, like never before – Snowmass Village has a once in a lifetime, no – a once in a millennium experience.

Luxury Portfolio International, the largest global network of brokerages, prides itself on working with only the best real estate professionals in the industry. It is no surprise to learn Greg Rulon and Joshua & Co. have joined the Luxury Portfolio International network. This partnership offers the opportunity to connect the luxury real estate market worldwide with the sumptuous homes and residences available in Aspen and Snowmass Village.

A shared standard of excellence creates a natural fusion between Greg Rulon and Luxury Portfolio International.  Luxury Portfolio International offers worldwide clients the opportunity to view listings throughout the world, including Aspen and Snowmass Village. Customers relocating internationally or nationally have the opportunity with Luxury Portfolio International to click on cities of interest to learn about luxury homes and estates through its state-of-the-art website. Gorgeous photos of properties greet the viewer, along with voice-guided tours on homes over $5,000,000. Critical information is communicated in these tours, such as location in town, views and acreage.  Visitors from over 200 countries and territories visit Luxury Portfolio International’s website each month. Advertising in the American, European and Asian editions of the Wall Street Journal ensures large market coverage of these properties and investments available in luxury markets worldwide.

Since 2005 Luxury Portfolio International has been the ‘luxury standard of excellence’ throughout the world. Listing properties in 45 states, and 25 countries, the name and quality associated with Luxury Portfolio International has earned the respect of investors and estate owners worldwide. Aspen and Snowmass Village have long carried the same level of pedigree.  Greg Rulon and Joshua & Co. have made this connection to mutual excellence more accessible than ever.

Aspen and Snowmass Village are the ultimate in excellence and luxury living. With the best skiing and snowboarding the world can offer, accessorized by high culture, excellent art and accompanied by the best music of every genre, Aspen and Snowmass Village have a little bit of everything wrapped up in the most beautiful setting imaginable. Truly a small community, Snowmass Village and Aspen offer the perfect combination of a laid-back community mixed perfectly with high fashion and society.  A welcoming atmosphere loved the world over, residents of Pitkin County pride themselves on welcoming people from every walk of life, every country in the world and making them feel at home in the Aspen/Snowmass Village area.

In conjunction with Luxury Portfolio International, Greg Rulon and Joshua & Co. will push the definition of excellence – taking it to new levels and exceeding every expectation. To see properties, homes and real estate investment opportunities listed by Greg Rulon in the beautiful and extraordinary Aspen and Snowmass Village area, click here. Experience truly luxurious living in the Colorado Rocky Mountains!

For many, the words, “Aspen Food & Wine Festival,” evoke images of Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. They also give rise to visions of beautiful foods, tremendous cooking challenges and the talented, entertaining chefs who have competed on the show, “Top Chef.”  Prizes for those chefs include reward money, a spread in the Food and Wine Magazine and best of all, a showcase in the Aspen Food and Wine Festival.

However, the Aspen Food & Wine Festival has been coming to Aspen for 28 years. Hosted by Food & Wine Magazine, this Aspen event is one of the most anticipated food events of the year. Chefs and food lovers from the world-over, flock to Aspen to see the most innovative food and food trends in the country and throughout the world.

Beginning Friday, June 17^th at 9:15 a.m. and continuing late into the afternoon on Sunday, June 19^th, clinics, seminars and cooking demonstrations will take place featuring such celebrity chefs as Mario Batali, Jacques Pepin and of course, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. These chefs, and many others will introduce new food to the American pallet, such as Seafood of the Adriatic, other will reinvent the wheel with classics like, ‘Grilled Cheese, Please.”

When purchasing tickets, attendees create their own itinerary based on their interests from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, by requesting courses from the schedule. During the course of these three days there are several reserve tastings and private sessions with select chefs or wine specialists. Upgrading the base ticket allows guests to attend the New Chef Dinner. Private attendees, coming purely for the love of food, have a list of ‘foodie’ activities geared toward the advanced home-cook or serious food lover.

Trade tickets allow those in the restaurant industry a more specialized view of the industry and its advances. Networking power lunches are scheduled throughout the festival, as well as trade wine tastings and food samples.

The Grow for Good Pass is the ultimate ticket, allowing 100 exclusive guests, trade or private, a sneak peak at the lives of celebrity chefs, while donating $1,000 to the Food & Wine “Grow for Good” charity campaign. These limited tickets open the doors to a private reception on Thursday evening before the events kick off, as well as an invitation to the New Chefs Dinner on Saturday night, in addition to many other perks throughout the weekend.

Events like the Aspen Food and Wine Festival remind residents and visitors alike of the creative power that dwells within Aspen.  The long history of cultural events makes Aspen a perfect venue for the Food & Wine Festival.  The exposure to the best of the best in virtually every industry, Aspenites are a discerning audience, with refined tastes and excellent judgement concerning every art or sport they encounter.

Aspen/Snowmass Village are like an amuse bouche – one taste is just never enough. After your first taste of life in the Rockies, click here to see home, residences and investment properties in the Aspen/Snowmass Village area and dig in to all the best life can offer!

For many, the words, “Aspen Food & Wine Festival,” evoke images of Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. They also give rise to visions of beautiful foods, tremendous cooking challenges and the talented, entertaining chefs who have competed on the show, “Top Chef.”  Prizes for those chefs include reward money, a spread in the Food and Wine Magazine and best of all, a showcase in the Aspen Food and Wine Festival.

However, the Aspen Food & Wine Festival has been coming to Aspen for 28 years. Hosted by Food & Wine Magazine, this Aspen event is one of the most anticipated food events of the year. Chefs and food lovers from the world-over, flock to Aspen to see the most innovative food and food trends in the country and throughout the world.

Beginning Friday, June 17^th at 9:15 a.m. and continuing late into the afternoon on Sunday, June 19^th, clinics, seminars and cooking demonstrations will take place featuring such celebrity chefs as Mario Batali, Jacques Pepin and of course, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. These chefs, and many others will introduce new food to the American pallet, such as Seafood of the Adriatic, other will reinvent the wheel with classics like, ‘Grilled Cheese, Please.”

When purchasing tickets, attendees create their own itinerary based on their interests from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, by requesting courses from the schedule. During the course of these three days there are several reserve tastings and private sessions with select chefs or wine specialists. Upgrading the base ticket allows guests to attend the New Chef Dinner. Private attendees, coming purely for the love of food, have a list of ‘foodie’ activities geared toward the advanced home-cook or serious food lover.

Trade tickets allow those in the restaurant industry a more specialized view of the industry and its advances. Networking power lunches are scheduled throughout the festival, as well as trade wine tastings and food samples.

The Grow for Good Pass is the ultimate ticket, allowing 100 exclusive guests, trade or private, a sneak peak at the lives of celebrity chefs, while donating $1,000 to the Food & Wine “Grow for Good” charity campaign. These limited tickets open the doors to a private reception on Thursday evening before the events kick off, as well as an invitation to the New Chefs Dinner on Saturday night, in addition to many other perks throughout the weekend.

Events like the Aspen Food and Wine Festival remind residents and visitors alike of the creative power that dwells within Aspen.  The long history of cultural events makes Aspen a perfect venue for the Food & Wine Festival.  The exposure to the best of the best in virtually every industry, Aspenites are a discerning audience, with refined tastes and excellent judgement concerning every art or sport they encounter.

Aspen/Snowmass Village are like an amuse bouche – one taste is just never enough. After your first taste of life in the Rockies, click here to see home, residences and investment properties in the Aspen/Snowmass Village area and dig in to all the best life can offer!

Walter Paepcke, a major influence on the cultural development of Aspen, once said, the City of Aspen ought to be, “an ideal gathering place for thinkers, leaders artists and musicians from all over the world to step away from their daily routines and reflect on the underlying values of society and culture.”

This ambition has been a cornerstone in the development of Aspen, and has heavily influenced the priorities of the citizens of Aspen. Not only does Aspen boast of being home to the Aspen Institute, where intellectuals focus on problems facing the world and possible solutions. Aspen is also very pro-active in taking action against the problems in the community and the world as whole.

For the fourth year running, The Aspen Environment Forum will gather concerned individuals, activists and scientists together on May 30^th through June 2, for The Aspen Environment Forum. Presented by The Aspen Institute in conjunction with National Geographic, some of the greatest minds in environmentalism will meet with concerned citizens for talks, round tables and meetings in which they will tackle the question of the current global population of 7 billion people. Topics related to human population growth such as cities, energy, food, goods and nature will be explored.  It promises to be an interesting series of discussions with speakers featuring journalists, photographers, CEOs of large corporations, policy makers and former UN officials. Here, it is hoped that long-term solutions for finding balance between humanity and nature can be hammered out, then placed into action both locally and globally.

While the challenges of the world population are discussed, the Aspen Skiing Company has been focusing on finding its own balance within the ski industry and nature. Since 2000, the Aspen Skiing Company has set forth and actively worked toward goals for reducing the impact their company makes on the environment.  For example, the Aspen Skiing Company committed to reducing their energy use by 10% by 2012 and 25% by 2020 from a 2000 benchmark. On April 23^rd, 2011 the Aspen Skiing Company announced in the Aspen Business Journal that they have successfully cut energy use by 6.5 percent. Aspen Skiing Company has also worked to replace inefficient boilers throughout the resort and has turned to using toilets requiring less water.

The City of Aspen also prides itself in being an environmental leader, finding balance and helping its citizens to do the same. Within their own offices and buildings, the City has invested in significant energy reductions. The Aspen Recreation Center will be refitted to reduce energy through a one million dollar project. LED lights have replaced holiday Christmas lights in city buildings in addition to the implementation of “Green Days” for police officers. Officers are asked on these to patrol by foot or on bike. The city offers recycling services through the regular trash service, enabling all citizens to recycle for no extra fee. It also offers programs to encourage carpooling, car rental and provides free shuttle buses throughout the city.

The people of Aspen love their city. They are committed to finding a sustainable balance between nature and human life here, and throughout the world.   Click here to see homes, condos and investment properties in the Aspen and Snowmass Village area, then join in the conversation and become part of the solution to the challenges that face our earth!