Recently I visited a friend in Stratton Vermont for a long weekend.  He had mentioned to me that, "in the east, the snow is harder, so skiers should be stronger, but everyone skids thier turns".  With today's new equipment, skis will hold much better, even on eastern hard pack.  The key is learning how to balance on an edged ski.  When my children were young, it was as simple as saying, "I want to see the bottoms of your skis", when below them on the hill.  They didn't think about rolling their foot, (feet) onto the inside edge of the downhill ski.  Yes, world cup skiers are so strong that they actually work with both feet on matching edges, but we can really get away with the downhill ski predominately.  Just control the inside ski so little things like tips don't cross or the feet don... 02/26/2012

Located on the Vail Golf Course, this wonderful home just came back on the market. Listed at $5,500,000.00, it is a great option for the buyer looking to spend time in Vail in the Summer as well as skinng in Vail over the winter. 02/25/2012

PINK VAIL - MARCH 3, 2012 As a volunteer with the Vail Valley Medical Center Volunteer Corps, I'm so excited to share this upcoming event for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center!  Bust out some pink winter-wear and ski/ride to help raise money for breast cancer! via the Vail Valley Medical Center PINK VAIL website: Pink Vail is the largest breast cancer ski/ride event and concert in the world! Register as an individual or start a team, and raise funds for breast cancer programs and resources. Anyone can participate; there is no age limit or ability requirements. Costumes encouraged! Pink Vail is the largest fundraising event for Shaw Regional Cancer Center – a service of Vail Valley Medical Center, a nonprofit 501(c)(3). THE EVENT DATE: Saturday, March 3, 2012 PLACE: Vail Mountain & The Arr... 02/25/2012

HAPPY FAT TUESDAY! According to Wikipedia:  “Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the rutual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.” If you are in Vail, CO today, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to celebrate Fat Tuesday: Today, February 21:  Fat Tuesday Parade & Bud Light Street Party in Vail Village (venue opens at 3pm) Fat Tuesday Parade starts at 4pm followed by a free concert with Frogs Gone Fishin’  Here’s a peak at last year’s festivities in Vail: Wherever you are, I hope you get the chance to whoop it up today, gain a few beads, eat some crawfish or gumbo and boogie to a little zydeco! 02/21/2012

Although my daughter didn't qualify for the High School State Ski Championships held in Beaver Creek yesterday, I just wanted to pass on a cool photo.  Vail Valley skiing is great! There are great Real Estate opportunities as well. www.LandinVail.com. 02/18/2012

I met with a great Florida family last week and will be showing them resort real estate Monday.  Here is a nice open house on the Vail Golf course, a short drive to Vail Village. Listing price is $4,500,000.00. www.LandinVail.com for anything Vail.   02/18/2012

. Vail Colorado Daily Photo - Nice Turns! Did you ever notice that there are times in life when looking backward is as satifying as looking forward?  Some nice linked turns in new powder creates one of those opportunities.  What great skiing we are having this week! There are lots of folks in town and real estate activity is "spirited".  Warm temperatures and blue sky are the icing on the cake.   Photo: Nilsson Images 02/15/2012

    Vail Valley Daily Photo:  If you aren't here now, your're missing out! What more could you ask for?  15+ inches of new snow in the last 7 days (falling mostly at night), blue skys and comfortable temperatures, 90% of the mountain open, great nightlife and lots of family fun.  If the low snow reports of the previous month have discouraged you from coming to Vail, let me assure you that the skiing experience here now is as good as it gets. Some of the best skiing, snow, and temperatures are traditionally right around the corner.  Get on up here! Photo:  NilssonImages.com 02/12/2012

    Vail Valley Daily Photo:  The new 10th Restaurant is a Winner! Vail Mountain has a fabulous new sit-down-order-from-the-menu restaurant that is really impressive!  If you are tired of stomping with the heards through slippery lunch counter lines and fighting to keep from having your tray knocked out of your hand in the standard run of the mill mid mountain restaurant, you are going to love the 10th!  The restaurant's immediate big time success demonstrates that you won't be the only one. Try this experience on for size:  Ski the morning until your legs can't take it any more.  Then, go to Mid Vail and walk in the door of The 10th where you are greated by a delightful hostess who directs you to the plush coat room where you can hang your steaming ski parka, take your boots off, and s... 02/10/2012

Vail, Colorado Daily Photo - Vail Mountain Skiing is much improved! With well over 24" of new snow this last week, skiing in Vail is much improved!  Much of Vail's 6,000 acres is now open with the addition of a good deal of the back bowls and many runs in Blue Ski this last week.  The weather forecast for this evening (Feb. 2) is calling for 8" to 10" more.  Looks like a powder day tomorrow morning!  One of way too few this year. If you've been waiting for better conditions to come to Vail, stop waiting.  From now on you will be missing out! Photo:  NilssonImages.com             02/02/2012

SNOW!  Yes, another post about the white stuff that falls from the sky.  But really, this season has left us snow-hounds begging for something to fall!  Who knew that a La Nina year would have us aching for snowfall here in the Rocky Mountains?  So far the snowfall has been light, and I mean VERY light.  The good news is the past few storms have brought some great pow to the valley and slopes.  It looks like the year of the Dragon might turn out alright after all.   Keep it comin' Dragon!  Here’s today’s forecast via www.weather.com 02/02/2012

We hear the skiing in Vail is just fair this winter.  Here is an image of just fair from this morning in Vail.  Come to Vail, refer to Vail. www.landinVail.com 01/28/2012

Vail, Colorado Daily Photo - History in Black and White - I passed a pastorial historical scene along the Eagle River this morning on my way to ski Vail Mountain.  We have just been blessed with a few inches of snow here in the "Down Valley" and the sun just poked out of heavy clouds.  Nice light! Vail Mountain has had over 20" of new snow in the last few days and another 9" last night.  Seems the word got out and litterally every powder hound in the state decided to come to Vail this morning.  It's nice to have the season up and running at full tilt again after a rather meager start!  Vail Resorts is opening more and more of the mountain every morning.  Time to come up for few turns! Photo:  NilssonImages.com     01/22/2012

This would be Vail's chair 5, coming out of the Back Bowls.  Who do you know that loves to ski and would like a piece of a great lifestyle to own real estate in the Vail Valley?  www.LandinVail.com 01/22/2012

Slifer Smith & Frampton Vail Valley Real Estate Portfolio Issue 1/21-1/27 View it here first!  The newest Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate Vail Valley Real Estate Portfolio is ready to view online, and look for a copy in this weekend's Vail Daily.  Click the image below to open this online Vail Valley Real Estate Portfolio magazine featuring properties for sale in Eagle County by Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.  If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in the Vail Valley, please contact me.  I’d love to help you call the mountains home! 01/20/2012

We  in the ski resorts know how every flake of snow received this year has been "white gold"  It was amazing that during the holidays, Vail visitors and resort owners alike were impressed of the quality of snow considering that lack of it early.  Huge kudo's must be given to the snowmaking and grooming crews at Vail and beaver Creek.  The good news is that in the past few weeks, we have received more that 2 feet and more snow is in the forcast.  Vail was ab le to open at least a portion of the Back Bowls today and more is scheduled to open this coming weekend. On the real estate front, our 2011 numbers just came in and while no amazing records were broken, 2011 actually had as many transactions since 2007.  Obviously, dollar volume was down, however buyers are seeing what seems to be go... 01/19/2012

Vail, Colorado Daily Photo - Significant Snow Blesses he Vail Valley Over 8" of snow has fallen on Vail Mountain over the last 24 hour period.  While skiing has been very good on limited terraine over the last month, there has been a definite lack of the white stuff.   This nice dump has brought smiles to the faces of locals and visitors alike!  Further adding to valley grins is an improved jet stream flow and a nice line of Pacific storms that are forecast to track through the area over the next few days with a really big storm promised for the weekend.  We have just heard that Vail Resorts will be announcing the opening of portions of the back bowls - hopefully tomorrow morning.  Things are definitely looking up! The real estate market here in the Valley is also showing some terrific... 01/18/2012

Snow Snow Snow Snow... Vail gets 10" and Beaver Creek 9" ... YES!  An awesome snow storm hit the Vail Valley last night, blanketing the mountains with inches of fresh snow.  Vail reported 10” this morning and Beaver Creek 9”.  Photo taken by Daniel Milchev – Vail Resorts 1/17/2012 According to www.weather.com it looks like it’s going to be a great time to hit the slopes in the next couple weeks.... Get your skis and snowboards tuned up, it’s time to hit the mountains! 01/17/2012

Our Beautiful Valley Daily Shot - Vail, CO: Fun an dSun on the Practice Course - It's no secret that we have not had a terrific amount of snow this ski season - true all over the West.  As you can see, however, things are just fine here on the Golden Peak practice course where Lindsey Vonn learned her turns.  In fact, the entire mountain (the part that's open) is offering surprisingly good skiing for the Martin Luther King weekend.  As I make this entry, we are enjoying a nice snow storm with hopefully enough inches to shake a stick at! We are promised limited openings of some back bowl runs tomorrow! Photo:Nilsson Images       01/16/2012

I love when I open up www.weather.com and the front page looks like this! It’s been snowing all day in Vail Village and we hope it keeps on dumping for days.  Get your rooms booked and ready to ride the snow covered mountains!  Here's the view from my office at Solaris in Vail Village this afternoon: 01/16/2012