The Crazy Sixties House at 48 Whetstone

That's the location, in a photo taken from the slopes of Mount Crested Butte. The Whetstone is at the foot of Columbine hill about 100 meters from, and above, the Red Lady Lift, which you can see in the lower left, right above the core of the ski village of Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

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Nestled under the grove of Aspen trees, left in the picture above, 48 Whetstone has been renovated and enhanced over the last four years. But, because of the home's early ski architecture, being one of the very first ski houses on the mountain, the exterior has a rustic, funky, unique look. It sort of like a long ranch, cracked and bent in the middle to afford full access to the 270 degree view of 6 mountains!

Welcome to the second private home built at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. We get a lot of snow on the uphill, main entrance side.

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Hi Mom, Hi Julia, Hi Megan!

Once inside the new airlock entry on the back of the building, hang up your skiis and let's start our tour of the building by the fire where it is warm and cozy. (Even in the summer it can get cool up here.) This is a hand-built moss rock fireplace that has been the core of the 2,600 square foot house built in the original subdivision of residential properties at the base of Mount Crested Butte.

Yes, 48 Whetstone is functionally slope-side (see the more detailed description below), and our feedback tells us that the house has the BEST view in Mount Crested Butte! See below.

The fireplace presides over a semicircular sunken living room, each and every one of those window walls (there are six of them) has a view of a mountain (we will show you later, hang on.) There are two of those rustic couches, which convert into full sized beds, if needed.

A dvd/cd player, DirecTV satelite receiver, connected to the TV and Surround Sound entertainment system. At least five Great DVD's are included...

The guitar is mine, so don't break it. And what ever you do, please don't play "Feelings" on it to your significant other. The neck will crack. "Smoke on the Water" or "Please Don't Burn the Outhouse Down" are fine. But, I digress...

Bedrooms

The interior is full of Rocky Mountain furniture hand-made of white pine by local craftsmen.

In the main part of the building, there are two large Bedrooms and a bunk room. This is the master bedroom with its own private bathroom and wardrobe area. The beds and furniture were all handcrafted by local artisans, from indigenous materials.

That is a King Size Bed, and it is wonderful, with high count thread sheets... yummy.

Here is the other large bedroom

The efficient main kitchen hasith all the essentials, like a dishwasher, range, plenty of dishes, and yes, even running water, It is just off the dining room, which is on the other side of the hearth.

Down the hall to the north there is also a bunkbed room with two double bunks.

and its private bathroom.

Somewhere (we keep moving it around, last I saw it was by the Kitchen Peninsula) a computer with Broadband internet access. and of course

WIFI for your wifi enabled portable.

The Owners Pad/Office - Normally included.

The Owners Pad provides a fully separate, acoustically isolated and self contained room with a kitchenette and a fireplace on the North End of the building. The separable Owner's studio features a very comfortable Queen and a Convertible Couch and a half kitchen. (the stove/oven has been disconnected until spring)

A Vermont Castings Stove/Fireplace adds to the ambience.

This portion has its own washer and dryer, clothing closet and full bathroom

Therefore the current sleeping capacity in 4 bedroom mode is 14, and in Three bedroom mode it's 12.

Relax!

In Total, with the Owners Pad, there are Four Bedrooms and Four bathrooms available for rental. .

Hot Tub!

Back outside there is our infamous Hot Tub!

The Hot Tub is installed just off the living room, and if you settle into the lounge chair you face the peak of Crested Butte...

Now, just to remind you where you are...the Mountain with ski tracks back to the house!

Feast your eyes on the View.

So here are the panoramic sweep shots - I gotta remember to clean my lens (see smudge in the lower left)

The Rates

This year, the 2008-9 season, we are we are still discounting the price from the comparable $600 plus a night for a 4 Bedroom 4 bathroom configuration this close to the Slopes. $600 a night would be $4200 plus.

So, as we are still introducing this property to the public, (ok it's predatory market penetration pricing) at this time you can have any regular ski week for $2995, a hot tub fee and tax.

The Crested Butte Rental Calculator 7 nights - Non Holiday

Number of Nights 7
Rent $2,995
Hot tub fee $100.00
Sales Tax 13.00% $402.35

Total Cost of Rental $3,497.35

Security dep. $400.00
Total Cashflow $3,897.35

Deposit required Half of total Cashflow $1,948.68

Average Cost Per Night $499.62 TAX INCLUDED!

Estimated People in the Party 12
Cost Per Person $291.45
Cost/Person/Night $41.64

If you just need 6 nights, its $2695, figured as above.

And if you just need 5 nights its $2395, again figured as above which works out to

The Crested Butte Rental Calculator
Number of Nights 5

Rent $2,395
Hot tub fee $100.00
Sales Tax 13.00% $324.35

Total Cost of Rental $2,819.35

Security dep. $400.00
Total Cashflow $3,219.35

Deposit required Half of total Cashflow $1,609.68

It's that simple, but be aware that Vacations that include The Holidays (New Years week - ie the 26th on, President's week, and Spring Break are a bit more, $3495 for 7 days, and proportionally less for shorter stays.

This Fall, Spring and Summer we are renting for a three day weekend at $1295, and weekly rentals at $1995.

Call re possible other long and short term and in-fill rentals.

Snow in Crested Butte.

We sent out the search dog to find it, and find it he did!

Did I mention we have had a lot of snow? This is 2006!

And this is 2008!

Advisory on Ski ON - Ski OFF for Intermediates and Experts !!!!

The Whetstone house was built on one of the very first lots developed at the base of Crested Butte Mountain. As you can see, it has commanding views of the mountains, the lifts below it, the entire village of Mount Crested Butte and the historic mining town of Crested Butte down in the valley.

If you're a good to expert skier, it is functionally ski on ski off, though there is it an intervening lot between us and the Mountain.

I find it easiest to ski down our driveway and across the back of the Columbine condo, and from there directly onto the ski slopes. Occasionally, when the condo parking lot is completely plowed, or it's late in the season, I take my skis off and walk for a while. This route does work for many novices too.

To ski back to the house, I take the Painter Boy Lift, to the Owners trail, and bear left to the Columbine Hill. The snow here is not groomed, and often has natural texture, ie a hard crust on top, and powder underneath, which is why I don't recommend it for beginners.

On the other hand, for beginners, and those who want to start at the bottom of the Ski Mountain, the free shuttle bus that takes you directly to, and from, the base lifts stops just feet from the bottom of the driveway.

In either event you are very close to the mountain, and you can get there from this house easily.

Our New Driveway construction

Please note that we are in the process of building a new driveway up the very steep western side of the property. It is a work in progress, this has not been completed. Some of the excavation has been completed, and some soils are exposed.

This is an existing condition of the site, and it won't be completed until this next spring at the earliest.

This work does not reduce the useablility of the building or the Hot tub/ BBQ area. The old driveway is still useable, and will be maintained.

No work will be done on the new driveway during the course of your stay.

Construction in the Mount Crested Butte area.

You should be aware that there is a wave of redevelopment sweeping over the Mount Crested Butte area, and within a half mile of the Whetstone property over 350 million dollars worth of projects have been completed. Another Billion dollars of development is planned. We are in the thick of it. My neighbor Barry, to the north, is putting the finishing touches on his dream house by hand.

Mountaineer Square, Tim and Dianne Muellers first big project in the Ski Village is now completed.

It's all a wonderful thing for the future of Crested Butte, and some day we will be part of the major redevelopment of our own site. In the meantime, you get to watch the renovaton of an entire village lying at your feet, and ski ski, and rest by the fireplace after a dip in the hot tub.

OK, that's it for now, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Please call 802 779 2814for Rob or send email to

pikespeaks@gmail.com

or

robpike@verizon.net

A tour of Crested Butte (the old mining town)

And it is the Home of the Great Outdoors Year - Round

Mount Crested Butte in the Summer.

Blue Mesa Lake in the Fall, and a Bicyclist headed from Mt. Crested Butte up to the Gold mining Town of Gothic.

And of Course..

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