The Whetstone House

Available Presidents Week Feb 15 on

Welcome to the Whetstone - The second private home built at Mount Crested Butte Resort

That's the house 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 at the core of the ski village of Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

Nestled under the grove of Aspen trees, in the lower left of the picture above, the Whetstone has been renovated and enhanced over the last two years. Because of the home's early ski architecture, being one of the first 2 ski houses on the mountain, the exterior has a rustic, funky, yet linear look.

On the other hand, the interior is full of Rocky Mountain furniture made of white pine, by local craftsmen.

Once inside the new airlock entry on the back of the building 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, The 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 the Winter panarama view 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

Bedrooms - 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 kitchen, with all the essentials, like a dishwasher, plenty of dishes, and yes, even running water, is just off the dining room, which is on the other side of the hearth.

So, there is also a bunkbed room with two double bunks.

and a computer with internet access

WIFI!

and wifi for your wifi enabled portable

The Owners Studio

Recently completed, the separable Owner's studio features a very comforable Queen and a Convertible Couch and a complete kitchen. 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 16, and in Three bedroom mode it's 12.

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.

Accordingly, with the exception of the two winter weeks the Owner has the owner's Pad (March 2 -7, 2007) blocked off, there are be Four Bedrooms and Four bathrooms available for rental. Call for the details.

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 what is there...

Feast your eyes on the View.

Gotta remember to clean my lens (see smudge in the lower left) - Columbine Hill in the foreground - Crestred Butte Mountain in the Background.. (see the ski off directions below)

That's Mount Whetstone rising in the right above and on the upper left below. (Oh and that's the old driveway going from left to right (tis the route to ski to the slopes below)

See the lifts! And the Core of the ski village at Mount Crested Butte.. (See the lifts, see Jane on the Lifts!)

Ho hum, another mountain...

The Rates

This year, the 2007 season, we are we are still discounting the price from the usual $500 - 600 a night for a 4 Bedroom 4 bathroom configuration this close to the Slopes

So, at this time you can have any regular ski week for $2995 plus tax. Vacations that include and of The Holidays (New Years week - ie the 26th on, MLK, Presidents week, and Spring Break (March 2nd - 22nd) are a bit more, $3995.

This Fall, Spring and Summer we are renting for a three day weekend at $995, and weekly rentals at $1995.

Call Shannon for shorter week, ie 5 and 6 day rates, basically you can expect about 10% off per day.

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 may 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 plan, and some soils are exposed, and in need of the retaining systems in the plan.

This is an existing condition of the site, and it won't be completed until this next spring at the earliest. You should keep away from this steep side of the property, as it has not been fully stablized.

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 200 million dollars worth of projects are currently underway. My neighbor Barry, to the north, is building his dream house by hand, Mountaineer Square, Tim and Dianne Muellers first big project in the Ski Village is well underway, enclosed and going through internal finish out right now. Work will continue through the winter during the day.

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 802 228 4228 for Rob or send email to

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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