The Pro Cycling Challenge is ready to roll back into town. From August 22–23, Dancing Bear Aspen celebrates the return of one of the country's premier two-wheeling sports events when Aspen plays host to two stages of the race. The USA Pro Cycling Challenge brings 135 of the world's best riders into one competition, and it boasts what may be the most challenging course ever offered on American soil. Here's how you can enjoy it from the vantage of our luxury vacation homes.

The Race

In a seven-day test of skill and pedaling endurance, August 20–26, the participants in the Pro Cycling Challenge tackle nothing less than the Rockies. In its inaugural year, in 2011, almost 1 million spectators watched the drama unfold. This summer promises to be an equally breathtaking 683-mile ride.

Originally envisioned by Colorado governor Bill Ritter and Lance Armstrong, since its start, the race has been a source of Colorado pride.

“The USA Pro Challenge was an event that shined an international spotlight on Colorado,” said current Governor John Hickenlooper to race officials. “Any expectations we had for success were surpassed ten-fold.  We want race week each August to be known as a Colorado Cycling Holiday to attract visitors from all over the world and to celebrate Colorado, good health and cycling.”

Dancing Bear Aspen and the Pro Cycling Challenge

Not only is Dancing Bear Aspen a bronze sponsor of the PCC, our luxury residence property provides a dramatic vantage as the riders pass through Stages 3 and 4.

Aspen is home to what's known as the race's Queen Stage. Cyclists will ascend well outside of most rider's typical altitudinal comfort level, climbing and descending mountain roads at thousands of feet.

It's here you'll find the opportunities to get up close with the action alongside the course that winds through Aspen's downtown It's here at the Stage 3 finish line, and the start of Stage 4, that you'll be able to brush shoulders with the athletes. All the excitement — and elegance — you'd expect while in Aspen, a venerable cycling capitol of Colorado - and at Dancing Bear Aspen, the most luxurious private residence club in town.

Owners at One Steamboat Place and The Sebastian - Vail can also watch the race when it rolls through Colorado by following the 2012 route.

To discover the exquisite lifestyle at Dancing Bear Aspen, visit our site, cycle on over to our Sales Gallery at 411 South Monarch Street in Aspen, or contact us via phone at 970.925.2510 or via email at [email protected].

One of the pleasures of summertime hiking around Timbers Resorts' Colorado properties, Dancing Bear Aspen, The Timbers Club in Snowmass, One Steamboat Place or The Sebastian - Vail, is the dazzling floral display you’re sure to encounter. Wildflowers usually present their colorful heads mid-summer, but with the mild spring conditions throughout the state this year, they've been blooming weeks ahead of schedule. Don't delay your hikes in the high country to see gems in Mother Nature's jewelbox. At each of our luxury resorts, Owners and guests can take guided hikes with naturalists who will point out all of the variations on the trails and hillsides such as these six wildflowers.

1. Birdfoot Violet (Viola pedata)

Dainty birdfoot violet flowers are pale to dark purple with a white splash in the center of the bloom. The plant gets its name from the fact that the foliage resembles a bird’s foot. Birdfoot violet is a clumping, low-growing plant, reaching just 4 to 10 inches high with leaves that are 1 to 2 inches long. Find this violet in dry outcroppings up to 8,500 feet.

Source: Wikipedia

2. Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

The fuchsia-colored, tufted flower-heads of this wildflower sit atop 3- to 4-foot-tall stems. Blazing star is an erect grower with thin, medium-green leaves. Spy this wildflower in dry, open areas at 3,500 to 8,000 feet.

3. Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea)

Colorado’s state flower grows 1 to 2 feet tall and features light green foliage and blue and white spurred petals that resemble eagle’s talons. Discover this beauty at elevations of 7,000 to 12,000 feet in a variety of habitats, from aspen groves, to open woodlands, to stream-side.

4 Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum)

Spot the bright purple flowers of this wildflower at a distance. The distinctive blooms sit atop 1- to 5-foot-tall, thin stems. All parts of the plant are poisonous, so just admire the flower — no touching. Find monkshood growing up to 8,000 feet in partially shaded areas.

Source: Wikipedia

5. Scarlet Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)

Reaching 6 to 16 inches tall, this plant sports striking, orange-red plumes that resemble a paintbrush. The plant’s silvery-gray foliage is narrow. Locate scarlet paintbrush in woodlands at 10,000 to 12,000 feet.

6. Winding Mariposa Lily (Calochortus flexuosus)

This exotic wildflower features white to lavender petals with yellow centers and pink stamens. The plant gets its name from the fact that its grass-like foliage naturally curls, and the stems tend to twine. Leaves may be present during flowering or have withered and fallen. The plant is commonly found in dry locations at 1,600 to 6,500 feet.

Source: SWColoradowildflowers.com

For more information about Timbers Resorts, contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.

As you come in for a landing in Colorado en route to one of the Timbers Resorts private residence clubs like One Steamboat Place, The Sebastian - Vail, The Timbers Club in Snowmass or Dancing Bear Aspen, you can’t help but fall in love with the breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains. Therefore, it’s only fitting that you take along some of the world’s best mountain climbing books, which provide awe-inspiring looks into the danger and glory of climbing the world’s highest peaks. Here are five of our favorites:

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air has been one of the most popular books about climbing Mount Everest for more than a decade. The book is the author’s account of successfully summitting the world’s highest mountain while examining what mistakes led to five fellow climbers losing their lives. These events in May 1996 have become a significant part of Everest’s history and lore. Guide Anatoli Boukreev wrote a competing account of the events, The Climb, after taking exception to Krakauer’s portrayal of him. Be warned though — once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down until you've finished it. Timbers Resorts tie-in: Neal Beidleman who was a guide on the famed 1996 climb is an Aspen, Colorado, resident and friend to Timbers Resorts.

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks by David Roberts and Ed Viesturs
There are only 14 mountains on the planet higher that 8,000 meters, and mountaineering legend Ed Viesturs set out to climb all of them without the aid of bottled oxygen. It took Viesturs 18 years to accomplish the task before publishing this memoir in 2007. To be inspired by one of the world’s most incredible achievements (and men) No Shortcuts to the Top is the perfect vacation read. Timbers Resorts tie-in: In 2008, One Steamboat Place brought Viesturs to town for a slideshow presentation from his 8,000-meter peak quest, which drew a full house at the Community Center. Ski mountaineer Chris Davenport of Aspen, Colorado, opened the presentation with an account from his "Ski the 14ers" project where he skied all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks in a record-setting time of one year.

Annapurna: The First Conquest of an 8,000-Meter Peak by Maurice Herzog and Conrad Anker
Annapurna claims the life of more than half of those who attempt to reach its summit. Not only is it 8,100 meters high, but the approach is one of the most treacherous in the Himalayas. All of this makes the tale of the men who reached Annapurna’s top for the first time in 1950 – without oxygen or modern climbing equipment – all the more amazing. This book is Maurice Herzog’s account of the climb, dictated from his hospital bed after barely escaping the mountain with his life. Timbers Resorts tie-in: Conrad Anker was the keynote speaker at the 2010 5Point Film Festival sponsored by Timbers Resorts in our hometown of Carbondale, Colorado.

Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado and Vince Rause
On October 13 1972, a plane crashed in the Andes carrying 45 people including a Chilean rugby team. After being unconscious for three days then waiting for a rescue that never came, Nando Parrado led a group of survivors 45 miles through the Andes to find help, then lived to tell the tale.

Savage Summit: The True Stories of the First Five Women Who Climbed K2, the World's Most Feared Mountain by Jennifer Jordan
K2 is not as high as Everest, but it's far more dangerous. At the time this book was published in 2005, only six women had reached its summit, compared to Everest’s 90. Three died on the way back down. Jennifer Jordan tells the stories of these courageous women.

Got a favorite arm-chair mountaineering book we didn't list? Share it with us in the comments section below.

For more information about Timbers Resorts, contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.

Timbers Resorts' affinity for The Arts can be traced through our properties' designs and decor, temporary exhibitions and permanent collections, culinary programs and special menus, vineyards and wine production, and more. With a nod to the artistic lifestyle, Timbers Resorts hosted a reception at The San Jose Museum of Art on Thursday, September 27, for Owners, guests and friends. This unique art museum in San Jose, housed in a statuesque, landmarked former 19th century library and adjoining modern gallery, exhibits a contemporary art collection, as well as the artworks of emerging West Coast artists.

At this special evening celebrating, "The Art of Living Well," museum docents led tours through the exhibits, an artist created her interpretation of one of the properties within the Timbers Resorts portfolio, PlumpJack and CADE Wineries' prized varietals were served alongside Castello di Casole's Sangiovese blend from Tuscany.  Signature cocktails and dishes were also provided, each inspired by the distinctive properties of Timbers Resorts.  Click here to view the photo gallery from the event.

For more information on Timbers Resorts events or ownership opportunities, please contact us at 970.963.5019 or via email, [email protected].

For some folks, picking the right holiday gift for a friend or family member is a snap. But what if you're buying for the snapper of the bunch?

Unless you're a photographer yourself, it can be a bit bewildering to wade into the lenses, bodies, and accessories that help fuel a picture-taking hobby or career.

Well, the good news is, photographers and gear go together like ducks and water. You can be clever about what you choose, and you needn't go looking for a full four-figure rig. Photographers appreciate options. Let's look at some of yours, and bring some good gift ideas into focus.

1. 360 Panorama app ($0.99 | Buy It)

This app gives you a point-and-match grid for photographers who want to get a multi-shot panoramic image.

2. Holga SLFT-IP4 Lens for iPhone ($23.99 | Buy It)

Featuring a clip-on case, this ingenious wheel of lenses and filters pushes the envelope of what your iPhone camera can do. From colors to close-ups, and multi-image effects as well, the Holga lens transforms your picture-taking into something more like toting a traditional bag of cool accessories.

3. Keyboard Shortcut Skins for Photoshop, Aperture, and Final Cut ($15–$40 | Buy It)

The photographer in the digital age may still retreat to the darkroom now and then, but odds are they're a digital editor. These intuitive and innovate flexible skins overlay their computer keyboard, revealing all the quickest ways to do the most common and useful image-editing tasks with just a keyclick.

4. Impossible Project Classic and Modern Polaroids ($50–$149 | Buy It)

In 2008, The Impossible Project gathered a team of 10 former Polaroid employees and saved the last Polaroid production plant on Earth. They put it back to work, inventing and producing new instant film cameras, accessories, and film-packs. For the analog fan on your list!

5. GoPro Hero 3 ($199.99–$399.99 [Harness: $39.99] | Buy It)

What if you could take your camera hands-free? GoPro makes this hi-def wearable camera that can survive almost any environment. Say you're skiing at Dancing Bear Aspen, or dipping into the waters of Cabo San Lucas at Esperanza, the Hero 3 doesn't mind the cold, wet, or most anything else the elements can throw at it. The unit is even time-lapse-photo capable, so photographers can set it up on its own, outdoors, for some spectacular nature work.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts and where you can capture a picture perfect lifestyle, please contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.

Denver is the gateway to any vacation in Colorado, whether you’re en route to or from One Steamboat Place, The Sebastian, The Timbers Club or Dancing Bear Aspen doesn’t mean you should just pass through. Tack a day onto your vacation and take a whirlwind tour of Denver.

Get a jump on the day with breakfast with a cup of coffee and a walk around Larimer Square. Larimer between 14th and 15th streets made up the entire town of Denver when it was founded in 1858 during the gold rush. In 1965, Larimer Square was the focus of Denver’s first historic preservation effort and it is now home to trendy shops, restaurants and nightclubs.

If shopping is your thing then you’ll also be right next to the 16th Street Mall, a 12-block-long shopping area. Still not satisfied? Well, then Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood will definitely do the trick with more than 500 stores, spas and galleries.

Denver is not commerce without culture though. Take in some of Denver’s Western heritage with a stop at the Denver Art Museum. Although you’ll find pieces by the masters, it’s the selection of Old West art that can’t be missed. This will place you right nearby the Colorado State Capitol and its gold-leafed dome. Even if you don’t take the time for the free tour, take a photo at the step marked exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. There’s a reason Denver is called the Mile High City!

Denver and Philadelphia are home to the only two U.S. mints open to the public so a peek around the Denver U.S. Mint is quite unique. Although you won’t see gold being melted into bars as they used to do when the mint opened in 1862, you will get to see how lumps of copper and nickel become shiny coins and sent into circulation.
Nighttime in Denver is best set aside for sports and beer. Denver is home to professional football, basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer teams so there is almost always a game to catch. Afterwards, head out to one of the city’s many brewpubs to take in the local beer. Wynkoop Brewing Co, Breckenridge Brewery and Great Divide Brewing Company are all popular with locals and tourists alike.

Are you a Denver local? Let us know if we missed anything in comments below.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts and our Colorado properties - and others around the world - please contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.

For five winning students, when the credits roll on five inspiring projects in 2013, it'll be Timbers Resorts that helped to make it happen.

In its third year supporting the 5Point Film Festival's high-school outreach Dream Project, Timbers Resorts is pleased to be the title sponsor of the current program.

Let's take a moment to look at the 5Point Dream Project, where it comes from, and what it means to the young people who join it as participants.

5Point Dream Project

What do you dream about? Do your dreams keep you going, every day?

The organizers of the 5Point Film Festival, held annually in Carbondale, and the folks at Timbers Resorts think these are two important questions.

For high school students local to the 5Point festival area — roughly speaking, that'se the Roaring Fork Valley, from Aspen, Colorado to Rifle, Ohio — the chance to find out just what a dream can mean is a chance to win a scholarship that will help them pursue a life-changing opportunity. All they have to do is dream it up.

Lucien Blakemore, a junior at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, took one such opportunity with the help of 5Point, in March 2012.

With a scholarship from the Dream Project, he was off to the mountains of Chile, hiking and skiing the rugged Andes before joining a sustainable agriculture project in Peru, working specifically on recycling and waste sorting in small communities.

"Every day held new challenges, most of them physical," he told the Project. "And seeing the ease with which the Peruvian locals carried stones and trees which doubtless weighed well over 100 lbs,, the experience was a humbling one, to say the least."

In other projects: Claire Woolcott, a junior at Polaris High School, went to Canada to work with international caregivers in communities of people with special needs.

"I learned that I am stronger than I thought," she said to 5Point, "which gives me so much confidence for anything I do in the future.”

5Points asks its student applicants to submit essay materials that describe something that they'd like to accomplish, and how they mean to go about that, and to show the ways that they exemplify 5Points' five guiding principals: respect, commitment, humility, purpose, and balance.

"While we can ultimately only give five students the opportunity to go on a unique adventure," says Crosby Nordblom, festival manager and Dream Project coordinator, "we find that we are offering all applicants the opportunity to search their dreams, find a channel to chase a passion, and fully realize their potential.

"Requiring students to describe how they will embody these principles, we want them to throw themselves into a life-changing experience that will inspire them to create something meaningful, push them to be a better person, and have a positive impact on a community."

The deadline for applications is March 1. Download the forms at the 5Point website.

5Point Film Festival passes and individual tickets can be ordered via the website or at the Carbondale Rec Center's front desk leading up to and during the festival.

Action sports make their home at Buttermilk Mountain again this January, as the ESPN X Games bring the world's cutting-edge skiers, snowboarders, and other athletes right to the doorstep of Timbers Resorts' luxury private residence clubs at Dancing Bear Aspen and the Timbers Club.

In its 12th year on the slopes, many well-known X Games faces will be back: Snowboarding star Shaun White, Snowmobile standout Tucker Hibbert, Ski hero Tom Wallisch and others. Check the full list of athletes on the X Games website.
A fresh, new face will be appearing front and center this month as the host of the global X Games circuit: Ramona Bruland. The Aspen local and Aussie native has been a familiar fixture in the Aspen Snowmass area for several years as a host on Plum TV. She makes the giant leap to ESPN with this January's Winter Games and the support of friends from the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.

There are all kinds of additional surprises in store this year, and so, in the run-up to the action, we turn to the hottest moments and unbelievable records from last year's action.

On the Trail of 2012: Remarkable Moments

Aspen 2012 was very much about honoring the achievements of the late, great Canadian Sarah Burke, a world renowned freestyle skier who passed away shortly before the Aspen events convened.

In a sense, many of the accomplishments that came out of last January's competitions were infused with the spirit of that 29-year-old phenom.
— It was the Canadians who scooped up a special honor in Burke's name. Her teammate Roz Groenewoud nabbed the country's first gold in the wake of the tragedy. And Burke's teammate Kaya Turski notched a nearly flawless ski run in the champion's honor as well.

A lot of perfection showed up on the slopes.
— Take Shaun White's snowboarding perfect score. Carving up a super-pipe with an injured ankle, he still managed to tick every box in the competition ranking: 100 out of 100 points.

— Torstein Horgmo also logged a perfect snowboarding score with dramatic new spins, including a triple cork spin that sent ripples through riders' worlds.

X Games Aspen by the Numbers

It wasn't just the athletes and the stories that caught enthusiasts' attention last time. The 2012 games marked the record second-highest attendance in the history of the event — some 108,000 attendees showed up to watch.

If you're thinking of coming — making a day-by-day breakdown (courtesy of Aspen Daily News) should help you plan things this coming year.

— In 2012, crowds peaked on Saturday at 45,000.

— Sunday was the second busiest, at 26,800 people.

— Thursday and Friday were lighter days: 16,200 and 20,000 respectively.

So, set your schedules. X Games Aspen 2013 is scheduled for Jan. 24 through Jan 27. The full schedule is now online.
And leave some time each day for entertainment such as DJ Calvin Harris at Belly Up Aspen and Major Lazer at Buttermilk.

Another ideal way to unwind is enjoying your own luxurious finishing line at Dancing Bear Aspen for a bit of post-game relaxation — running the numbers and the highlights of your own over a plate and glass at Brexi Brasserie as the perfect way to recap the action.

See you on the slopes!

To discover the X-traordinary lifestyle at Dancing Bear Aspen, visit our site, stop by our Sales Gallery at 411 South Monarch Street in Aspen, or contact us via phone at 970.925.2510 or via email at [email protected].

When you think of America’s top chefs, a lot of things might come to mind: Mario Batali’s orange Crocs and Thomas Keller’s starched kitchen whites. Bechamel and butter. Foie Gras and fondue. Flames and passions and the struggle of trying to get a reservation at Matsuhisa, Cache Cache or one of Aspen's top restaurants at the start of the summer season.

What probably doesn’t come up, or at least perhaps not immediately, is physical exercise – much less an early,  winding foot race. But at this year’s Food & Wine Classic in Aspen from June 14 - 16, one of the top events will be just that: a brisk5K run, starting at 7 AM, and hosted by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

What could possibly get America’s best and brightest toques out of bed and into their running shoes while many of the Food & Wine Classic’s participants are still sleeping off the previous evening’s kick-off parties? The short answer is a good cause: Flay’s 5K raises money to support Wholesome Wave, a charity that supports small farms and works to bring fresh, locally-grown produce to some of America’s lesser fortunate .

It’s hard to imagine a charity that would be closer to a chef’s heart: in 28 states, Wholesome Wave takes on America’s worst food struggles at both ends of the process. On the production side, it partners with some of America’s remaining privately-owned farms, helping them find outlets to sell their produce. On the opposite side, it helps bring food to neighborhoods that often don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

But even apart from the good cause, there are few better places to work up an appetite. The 5K begins just a few blocks away from Dancing Bear Aspen - A Timbers Resorts Residence Club. The start/finish is in Rio Grande Park, loops through Aspen’s tony West End neighborhood, through the Aspen Meadows Resort and down the Rio Grande Trail back to the park. Along the course, runners will take in views of Aspen’s stunning mountains, the breathtaking landscape that served as the inspiration for former local John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High.”

If that’s not reason enough for joining in the run, there are the rest of the participants. Last year’s 5K featured some of the nation’s top foodsmiths, including Chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Richard Blaise and, of course, Flay himself. Top Chef star Spike Mendelsohn tried to make it, but later admitted that he was unable to drag himself out of bed. As for Top Chef star Fabio Viviani, it’s hard to say if he actually ran the race: he showed up and traveled the route…in a wagon that was pulled by another runner!

Bobby Flay’s 5K will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on June 14. Early bird registration is $30, and includes an official registration bag and C-9 tee. If you’re in the area, come out to support a great cause, meet some of America’s best chefs, and work up an appetite for America’s premier food festival!

To learn more about ownership opportunities at Dancing Bear Aspen, please contact us at 855.920.2510 (toll free in the US) or 970.920.2510 (direct) or via email at [email protected].