Getting your player ready...
Winter Park and Grand County have always meant the best of the Rocky Mountains for Don and Susan Hicks of Lone Tree – where they learned to ski, and where they’ve explored Rocky Mountain National Park, the charms of Grand Lake, and the expanse of Granby Reservoir, (they have a boat). Now the Hicks have their own place for weekend getaways there – one big enough to bring the kids and grandkids, right at the center of the action. And the best thing about it is the price.
What the Hicks hadn’t liked about either Grand County or Summit County were the dated resort properties they saw. “They look like mom-and-pop places,” Hicks says. “They’re grossly overpriced, and most you’d want to scrape and start over.” Now the Hicks are making regular forays to their entirely new 3-bedroom condo at The Reserve at Ten Mile Creek, after reading about Ten Mile Creek in the Denver Post. “We liked that it was a condo,” Hicks adds, noting that they’ve also had a cabin up in South Dakota: “It’s a lot of work, something always has to be fixed,” he says. “We wanted something where you just turn a key.” That’s exactly what the Hicks have at Granby Ranch – a place that’s worked so well for the family that their two toddler grandkids, age 4 and under, ask when they’ll get to go back. You can see what they bought today, 20 minutes past Winter Park, along with 19 new condos being readied from the $130s — from the low $300s for big-family 3-bedroom/2-bath plans. The Reserve “is dead center for everything we do,” says Hicks – valleys where he hunts elk in fall, and a favorite family hike into Monarch Lake; but also Granby Ranch’s own amenities – family-styled ski mountain, 18-hole golf course, and a base lodge with grill, pool and spa where the Hicks enjoy working out. “Many times there’ll be nobody there but us,” Hicks says. All of that – skiing, mountain biking, golf foursomes, and a fishing reserve on the Fraser River, are wrapped into a membership. And The Reserve is entirely new — homes that make a big contrast to 1980s condos with popcorn ceilings and tired carpet: Included in the ‘Homestead’ building underway are some ‘Treehouse’ 2-story designs with 2-sided views from bedroom suites. All homes get classic mountain features: granite kitchen with pendant lights, living room with stone fireplace under a chinked-wood mantel, plank floors, rubbed-bronze fixtures; plus covered decks on many where you can expand your living space even during winter with an optional infrared deck heater. There’re options for garages with room for ATVs and other gear. The Hicks used those features as a starting point in creating a welcoming, Western look that works with their family retreat concept. “We feel like we’ve done something really good here,” Don Hicks adds. The Reserve’s Jim Houston will point up the large conservation easement alongside The Reserve, and views of Willow Creek Pass and the Falcon Preserve. To explore possibilities of your own retreat, call Houston (970-557-3022) or take I-70 past Idaho Springs to U.S. 40 and continue west, past Winter Park; 15 more miles to a right at Village Road. Visit Facebook/Lodgeat1OMileCreek or 10milecreek.com. WHERE: Reserve at Ten Mile Creek, Granby Ranch; final 1-to-3-bed resort condos with year-round amenities: golf, trails, spa, river fishing, Ski Granby Ranch family ski mountain; new ‘Treehouse’ 2-bed designs with views from two sides. 160 Village Rd., Granby; take U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass, past Winter Park, 15 more miles to Village Rd (entrance to Granby Ranch); right 1 blk. PRICE: 1-bedroom from $130s, 3-beds from low $300s
