The Time Warp in Buckskin Gulch

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By Dallice Tylee

Saturday had been a long day. Good, but long.  Sunday morning started quite differently.

Best Western offered a breakfast downstairs in the lobby. I say this not to bore you with details but to set the stage for a later post.  We were delighted to find cereal, bagels, pastries, a self serve waffle iron and an automatic pancake maker.

Glad you asked ... The pancake maker was a closed contraption with an "ok" button on the front. Hit it once, two pancakes were dispensed from inside to your waiting plate in about minute, hit the button twice and out came four.  Genius.  Except that most of the guests were foreign and the number of times they repeatedly hit "ok" and failed to place a plate under the exit hole, was astounding - and amusing!  As for the waffle iron; You pour a pre-measured amount of batter into the iron, close it, flip it, and wait for the beep before opening and removing a perfect waffle.  Not rocket science by any means but Mark and I (the control freaks that we are) took pleasure in making our own waffles.

With full bellies and the plan to visit Paria Canyon, we gathered a few snacks and some water and sped out of town in our Mazda 6.  Stopping at an information board we did the next best thing to actually having a map and took a picture of this one on our cell phones.  It was here we also saw a gorgeous photograph of a narrow canyon... Buckskin Gulch the caption read.

At 11:55 am, parked at the Buckskin gulch trail head, we paid the $6/person fee and signed the hikers register.  It was a 4.5 mile one way hike through the gulch to the intersection of Wire Pass.  Not knowing how fast the hike would be and being sure that I would slow us down with a thousand photos, we set a time to turn around.  Two hours in.... Meant two hours out.  We aimed for being back at the car by 4 pm, with the notion that a sunset flight would be ideal too.

The trail followed a river bed, dry now, but with obvious signs that it was recently and violently flowing. Wild flowers were abundant and in the quietness that only the "middle of nowhere" offers, we occasionally saw critters and birds too.  Around every bend we were convinced we would stumble upon the narrow part of Buckskin that would lead to dozens of stunning pictures.  Alas, no.

It was warm and dry out here and snacks were calling.  A quick check of the time revealed it was already 2:35 pm.  How could that be?  We both agreed that it didn't feel like we had been hiking over 2.5 hours, but cell phones don't lie... Right?

Perplexed and looking for a reason that we had lost track of time so badly, we used the hike back to the trail head to do the math, using time zones and the weirdness of Arizona's lack of daylight savings time as possible excuses.

Fact: We were pretty close to the Arizona-Utah border.
Fact:  Denver, Arizona and Utah were all in the same time zone.
Fact:  Utah was on daylight savings time, Arizona was not.

Questionable:  Whether the hike, which began in Utah, was still in Utah when we checked the time.
Questionable:  Where our cell phones (all 3 of them, from 3 different service providers) got their time/date information from.
Questionable:   Whether we were more dehydrated than originally thought.

To be completely honest, if you had run into us on the return hike, you would have seen two incredible confused individuals.  Unable to tell you the time, unsure of how long they had been hiking out here and completely baffled as to how they, normally intelligent and sensible people, had become so disoriented.

At this point we thought we had run out of time for a sunset flight, plus I felt I lacked the wits needed to operate an aircraft safely.  That plan was put on hold until we knew the time and had freed up the brain space needed.

Back at the car we realized we had our hour back!  Somewhere along the trail, the cell phones had gone back in time once again and it was looking more and more like a daylight savings time issue.

Arriving in Page, it became a priority to figure out exactly where the daylight savings time ended and how reliable our phones were.  After all, we had a booking for a tour tomorrow at 1pm and needed to be sure exactly when 1pm was!

So... Here is what we figured out.

1.  Yes, Utah has daylight savings time.
2.  No, Arizona does not observe daylight savings time.
3.  Our hike was definitely in Utah, but close to the Arizona border.
4.  Navajo Nation spans both Arizona and Utah, and does observe daylight savings time... even in AZ.
5.  Page AZ sits just outside Navajo Nation.
6.  Our cell phones get their time data not from GPS, but from cell towers.
7.  If you Google the current time in Page AZ, you get two different answers!!!!

www.google.com shows Page AZ using daylight savings time

www.timetemperature.com has the correct time.  No observance of daylight savings.

 Conclusion:
We left Page on mountain time and arrived at the trail head with phones still showing mountain time, despite us having traveled into Utah.  We were still using a cell tower located in AZ.

Part of the way into the hike, the cell phones changed towers and picked up Utah time... Mountain Daylight Time.  The clocks went forward an hour.

They returned to mountain time as we neared the trail head again.   And remained on mountain time as we crossed back into Arizona.

As for Navajo Nation... Well that time warp didn't affect us today, but could be a real problem tomorrow, depending on where our pick up for the Antelope Canyon tour was.  Pick in Page at 1pm = Pick up at Antelope Canyon/Navajo Nation at 2pm.  Good to know!

Once all this was figured out, we opted for an early night followed by an even earlier morning tomorrow. New plan:  Get up at 5:30 am, wheels up by 6 am and watch the sunrise over Monument Valley.

O'er the Hills and Far Away

By Dallice Tylee

Ooh-wee!  It has been a long time since I posted an aviation adventure.  Luckily, these last few days saw me fly west, over the hills and far away... For play time in the cloudless blue sky and on the sunny ground too.

Actually, it started with an incredibly well planned flight to Wisconsin, a  much needed "unplug" from work, the house and life as I experience it daily.  The weather was checked, the flight plan stored and ready to file and a bag packed full of warm clothing and comfort food stood ready.

About an hour before anticipated departure northeast, doubt began to creep in.  It seemed that while 5 days holed up in a cozy cabin on a lake could be really nice, it would also mean that every time we stepped foot outside, we would get wet and cold.  Yep, the extended forecast, which started with a late departure from Longmont due to snow, was filled with rain and sleet in the woods, ended with potentially disturbed homeward flying plans due to snow in northern Wisconsin too.  Hmmm....  Not ideal.

After eyeing the weather graphics for the entire US, it came down to Texas or the Arizona area. Arizona was a quicker flight, offered mountain flying practice, stunning scenery and plenty to see and do once there. The Texas coast, while still looking beautiful, was coming up in second place.

We departed early-ish on Saturday.  It was calm and clear.  The new flight plan had us heading south to Colorado Springs to gain altitude before heading west, past Pike's Peak, over Salida, across Monarch Pass and just south of Crested Butte.  We sailed merrily out of the mountains just after Montrose and onward to the land of canyons.

 

First stop... Cal Black Municipal Airport at Halls Crossing, UT.  This tiny spot perched not far from a marina at Lake Powell was intended as our snack, bathroom and fuel break.  They sell auto gas - and at over $1/gallon less than 100LL, this stop on the way to Page, AZ was more than worth it.  N303B was thirsty! The airport is run by a cute husband and wife team.  What an industrious couple!  Out in the middle of nowhere (80 miles from the nearest supermarket) they keep a friendly and spotlessly clean FBO and in their down time, they are building themselves a little house.

 

By noon on Saturday we had reached Page Airport.  As luck would have it, an "airshow" was in full swing. I use quotation marks because a bouncy castle, pizza truck and vintage cars do not an airshow make! We did have a little giggle about the complete and utter lack of flying, as we filled our hungry bellies from the food truck and peered into a DeSoto's windows.  And it didn't escape our attention that the very second a couple of older airplanes took to the sky and did a low pass down the runway, we were super impressed. No, this was not Oshkosh... and you take what you can get!  The community was enthusiastic and the tents, colorful. It was all gravy.  Mark and I had spent the last 3 hours flying through snow-capped mountains, marveling at the rugged canyons and admiring reflections in Lake Powell.  A great day already.

We unloaded the Bonanza and loaded the rental car.  Checking into the hotel involved the mandatory asking of recommendations.  We were advised of canyon tours, boat tours, hiking, restaurants and more.  Already we knew our 4 days in Page were going to be packed with activity.

The day was rounded out with a sunset/twilight hike.  Just a short one, from the nearby trail head to the top of a 1000 foot precipice, overlooking Horseshoe Bend.  This 270 degree bend in the Colorado River has to be one of the most photographed places in the area..  In fact, a Google image of this spot was what first attracted me to Page as a potential destination, while scoping for sunnier, alternative vacation spots just the day before.

 

Day 1 of our vacation was rounded out by a steak dinner and live music by a talented Johnny Cash cover guy... and a soak in the hot tub under a full moon.

Our "plan" for the next 3 days was already scratched out on a Best Western notepad.  Hiking... Flying... Photography... Eating... And repeat!

Mmmm.  Vacation.  :-)


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I provide the latest real estate market information, straight forward advice and the highest standards of service. If you refer your friends and family to me, I promise to make you proud, to exceed expectations and never give you a moments doubt that it was the right thing to do for them.

You can reach Dallice at (303)746-6765.

Four Peaks Ranch in Old Snowmass - For Sale $65M

By Dallice Tylee,
GRI, MCNE, SRES, CRS, ASP,  Eco-Broker


Quite a few months ago, I was given the number of a lady who was looking for a Realtor in Boulder.  We spent days together, getting to know the market and over the next few months got to know each other better too.

I learned that my Buyer was also a Seller.  She and her husband had their property in Old Snowmass listed with an Aspen Realtor and were patiently awaiting just the right Buyer.

This post is about their extraordinary property.

Four Peaks Ranch

It's an adventure story of sorts... If you can be convinced that it's adventurous to drive up a very well maintained Watson Divide Road, and with permission, enter the gated 876 acre property and be welcomed into an 18,000+ square foot luxury residence.

What makes Four Peaks unique?
At first glance you will see an awe-inspiring 876 acre parcel of Rocky Mountain land, whose fence line traces Watson Divide Road on both sides as you leave Colorado Highway 82 and head up to the top of the ridge.

Soon after passing through the main gate you might be fooled into thinking you already see the house perched on a pristine lake, with a manicured beach in front and a view to those 4 high peaks beyond. No. In fact, you have just laid eyes on "the beach house"... A small but insanely cute cottage where one might shelter, change clothes or play card games.

 

I don't know how long it takes for the novelty of 3 private swimming ponds, a water fall, generous splashes of colorful flowers and incredible stonescaping to wear thin.  I just know that it never did during my stay and even now I find myself daydreaming of the outdoor kitchen and comfortable loungers in the sand.

Leaving the beach house and continuing up the driveway, I was delighted by the plethera of colorful Colorado flowers lining each side.  At no time was the view anything other than spectacular and shortly thereafter the road opened up and I found myself in a wide courtyard.  Bricks underfoot in every direction!  On the left... garage doors, above them, a managers office and carriage house.

Everything was neat, clean, planned and impeccably executed.  The grand main entrance to the Craftsman styled home atop the promontory, lay before me.  It was flanked in glass and structured by stone and enormous wood beams.  I later learned that each beam had been hand selected and harvested by helicopter in Canada!  I was wowed, but at the same time, had not yet glimpsed the rest of the house and knew my mind was about to be expanded like never before.

The housekeeper, Adelina, let us in.  Our host was not yet home and we (and the staff) had the house to ourselves.  She started our visit with a full house tour.  OMG!

The main floor was home to a gourmet kitchen.  You know the sort... refrigerated draws hidden by cabinetry, multiple ovens, dishwashers and islands.  Artistic and incredibly functional.  Views from this kitchen were nothing short of breathtaking and even though I love to cook, I knew I would like to cook even more if this was mine!

Outside, the valley that spread before me was long and wide and  I took in an eyeful of Mt Sopris, Mt Daly, Snowmass and Capital Peak.  It was mid afternoon and wavelengths were long.  I love the afternoon light.  The photographer in me was already busy making the most of it and I was ever so grateful for the intricate system of window shades that, with a push of a button, silently moved up and down.  This house has no shortage of natural light and, to be sure, no shortage of electronically controlled systems either. Every room featured a panel (or two) or these buttons.  Window blinds, lighting, heat, gas fireplaces ... They were all at my fingertips.

 Just off the kitchen, there was a casual dining area that led straight out to one of the outdoor kitchens in one direction and into a casual family room in the other.  Even though the living room space was elegant and furnishings expertly chosen, the feel was comfortable, warm and inviting.  We spent hours here, chatting with our host, watching TV together, sprawled lazily on the sectional.

 

Like it wasn't surreal enough being on vacation for the first time in 9 months, I was now sitting in a $65M luxury estate in Snowmass, watching CNBC feature this very home on a show called "Secret Lives Of  The Super Wealthy".  I'm not exaggerating!

Ok... So what does a person do when the sun sets on 18,000 square feet of luxurious amenities?  Why, one goes for a dip in the heated indoor-outdoor pool of course!

The covers (inside and out) were retracted, the dividing wall went up and we swam out from under the indoor (stunning) starry sky to the outdoors. The evening was cool-ish and absolutely clear.  I may have only lasted 10 minutes in the crisp outdoor air, but it was worth it.  Few experiences can be recalled as perfect. My indoor-outdoor Fall swim with a view over Watson Divide was perfect. Leaving the pool, wrapped in fluffy white robes, we headed to the spa.  The steam room awaited... then the soaking tub in the guest suite... and finally the rain shower.  Turning myself into a prune in order to experience this lifestyle was a sacrifice I was willing to make.  It's a hard life!

Did I mention that while sitting in the soaking tub, I could reach for the remote control and turn on the TV? And that the TV appeared through the vanity mirror!  Oh boy, this is not your average house.

Crawling into bed I was never more grateful for an overfilled comforter and the guest room fireplace. It had been a long day.  This Realtor had left early from Boulder, explored Independence Pass, gorged on lunch at an Aspen restaurant and run herself ragged in an enormous house.  Of course, I could have used the glass elevator and not surprisingly, it's gorgeous.  If I was to stay longer, I certainly would have made more use of it.  After all, three floors and 18,000 square feet is quite the work out.  It's just that the staircase is pretty cool too.

Fast forward 8 hours.  Rolling over in bed and peaking through the shear window coverings of the sliding glass doors, Mt Sopris stared back, hot pink.  Lit by the rising sun, it enticed me out for some early morning photography.  The thing to understand is, if I can see four peaks from the inside of the house, from the outside, I can see four peaks reflected in the windows.  It was a glorious morning.

 

In between taking a thousand photographs, documenting a truly extraordinary house and a once-in-a-lifetime visit, I made nice with a Miele built-in espresso machine, chased 3 playful dogs across a pristine lawn and got to know our host a little more.

 

As the sun rose gradually and filled the house with morning light, I was lucky enough to get better pictures of the formal living and dining rooms on the main floor.

 

Estates of this caliber normally sell completely furnished and this one is no different.  It would be a shame to separate many of the art pieces from their perfect places anyway. If the formal living and dining rooms have not been featured in a design magazine before now, I would be surprised.  They are masterpieces of sophistication.

I wandered downstairs again.
Would I need to stay a week in order to experience all this home offered?  Probably.

The pool table remained untouched, the movie room (complete with small stage), home gym and spa hadn't gotten the chance to meet me properly either.  There were multiple hot tubs I had not dipped into and somewhere deep inside me, I was asking myself "What does wood fired pizza from (one of ) the outdoor kitchens, taste like at Four Peaks?" and "How does one create enough time to fit in a stay at the furnished and heated Teepee?"

Outside once again, the tons of buff flagstone skillfully arranged to create waterfalls, terraces, fire pits and sculpted rivers, captivated me. All around, flowers continued to bloom.  What magic did this place possess? Those same flowers 3000 feet lower in elevation, were already dead or dying at my own wee house in Boulder... Yet, here they persisted.

  

 Just when I thought I had seen it all, Javier (groundskeeper extraordinaire) offered us a tour of the property, 4-wheeler style.  Hello!

For the next hour we traversed 15 miles of trails, peeking in at the paintball area, complete with tent headquarters, camouflage netting and structures behind which to hide, and stopping to visit with horses being grazed on the property.  The owners don't currently have their own horses here, but generously allow neighbor friends to let their horses roam the hills, frolicking in the sunshine together.

 

 

This was my first 4-wheeling experience.  How it happened to be on the most expensive property that Colorado offers - even in the top 10 most expensive in the US - was just my good fortune and the owners wonderful generosity.

Fortunate is not a word that could be overused here.  I understand that few people will ever get the chance to visit a $65M luxury property and even fewer will be invited to stay a while and cram in as much of the experience as possible.

I have also been lucky enough to have the chance to spend time with the owners. You might imagine this couple to be ostentatious, extroverted or in some way arrogant.  Far from it!

They can both hold their own in enviable circles, talk business and literature, have mastered the art of raising adventurous twin boys, and they design, build and deal real estate like few will ever be able to.
Both excel at entertaining and conversing with "regular" people like myself and I for one, appreciated the down-to-earth atmosphere, the sharing of personal stories and valuable advice.  It might surprise you to hear they are fairly private people and appear to feel most comfortable when at home, enjoying the tranquility, seclusion and connection to nature that Four Peaks, unlike any other property, offers.

For them, this journey started 12 years ago.  The chance to buy and build on 876 of the prettiest acres in all of the Aspen-Snowmass area was just too exciting to pass up.  Six years later, their 7 bed, 10 bath dream home, the place they wanted their boys to run, play, learn and be safe in, was a reality.


For me, the journey to Four Peaks Ranch came and went in a heartbeat.  But that heart has been forever touched and the memories and photos I have, can only be experienced by you, right here. There is no shortage of "google search results" for this property.  It is for sale and what Realtor in their right mind wouldn't want to bring the buyer?   Aside from being featured on the Joshua and Co website (listing brokerage) you can also dig up numerous television programs featuring this luxury home... but can any of those publicists say they stayed at Four Peaks?  Walked and 4-wheeled the grounds, took a thousand photographs?  I can.   :-)



Dallice's top 10 reasons to fall in love with Four Peaks Ranch


1.   Whether you are a fisherman, 4-wheeler, hiker, horseback rider, movie buff, swimmer or gourmet cook... you can INDULGE YOUR HOBBY here.  This is your happy place.

2.   It's a place you can CONNECT WITH NATURE.   There is no shortage of wildlife and Four Peaks gives those animals a safe place to run wild and free.

3.   Superb AIR QUALITY.  Just breathe in the mountains and feel healthy.

4.   The house is THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED with space, comfort, light and amenities.

5.   It's QUIET.  Just the sound of water, birds and insects to lull you to sleep and gently awaken you.  Bliss.

6.   The VIEWS are breathtaking... You won't find them anywhere else like this.

7.   With multiple indoor and outdoor entertaining areas, you could easily accommodate 100 of your closest friends for gatherings and celebrations.  It's the perfect place to ENTERTAIN. 

8.   Just minutes from the airport (a must for busy personal and business travelers), downtown Aspen and some of the best skiing the Rocky Mountains offer, this ranch has an amazing LOCATION.

9.   Behind the secure gate, tucked into the hills and with hundreds of acres in every direction that are yours, this house is PRIVATE.

10.  It's UNIQUE.  Nowhere will you find another Four Peaks.  
A custom home on a truly one-of-a-kind parcel of land, nestled in the Rocky Mountains.


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I provide the latest market information, straight forward advice and the highest standards of service. If you refer your friends and family to me, I promise to make you proud, to exceed expectations and never give you a moments doubt that it was the right thing to do for them.

You can reach Dallice at (303)746-6765.