Tim and Linda's Colorado Chalet

“THE BEAR HOUSE”

Linda and I have traveled the US and Canada extensively for over 30 years, always eyeing potential retirement locations. Finally, high in the Colorado Rockies, a Colorado chalet tugged at our hearts, pleading, "buy me!" After standing on the decks and looking out at Hoosier Pass and Mount Silverheels over the tops of pines and spruce, we made it our own.

Our mountain home, at an elevation of over two miles above sea level, is just south of Hoosier Pass between Breckenridge (ski resort) and Alma (frontier town). It puts us in the middle of year-round fun, ranging from exciting to serene.

In winter, we can choose such challenges as downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice climbing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and dog sledding. Whew, are we be busy! (Or we might opt for sitting in front of the windows overlooking both the mountains and the road, and drink our morning coffee as we watch people drive over Hoosier Pass to work.) Other seasons hold out offers of rock climbing, hiking to mountain meadows full of alpine flowers, four-wheeling to stands of Bristlecone pine trees over 1,000 years old, exploring numerous ghost towns, trying out world class golfing in air so thin that the ball travels amazing distances, record setting fishing, fly fishing, and hunting, rafting down the exciting white water rivers, and rugged mountain biking through stands of aspen and over trails once used to haul gold by mules and burros.

One of our favorite local events in nearby Fairplay, is a grueling annual burro race to the top of the over 13,000-foot Mosquito Pass, which locals refer to as "Get Your Ass Over the Pass".

Oh, and when we are in Fairplay, we like frequent visits to the real "South Park, Colorado," the reconstructed mining town for which the TV cartoon show was named.

From our chalet's location high on Mt. Bross, we have a choice of Summit County (Breckenridge) with it's amenities and luxuries, or Park County (Alma, Fairplay) with its rugged, wild peaks and high plains, a truly authentic, unspoiled frontier - The best of both worlds!