The Ski Home

Today the first of the preliminary votes of the 2016 US Presidential election will be tallied;  it is New Hampshire Primary Day.  With billionaires central to this season's political conversation (those funding their purchased candidate, those running for President themselves, and those targeted for take-down by Sanders...), I'm wondering how many billionaires-in-chief have a ski house of their own in the ultra-rich ski town, Aspen, Colorado.  It has, after all, mountains of spectacular skiing (alongside those mountains of money)...and it's also the place for the wealthy to be seen.  But even Aspen billionaires aren't immune from less than respectable behavior...the slopes of Aspen were, after all, the site of that ugly on-the-ski-trail cat fight between Trump's (then) wife, and (then) girlfriend at Christmas in 1990.    

So... with those politically-minded billionaires in mind, check out the ski house that CNBC dubbed "the biggest home in the richest town in America."  The house is an astonishing 21,000 sq ft, on 7 slope-side acres, with features like a car turntable in its immaculate, massive garage.  In 2013, the incredible house was for sale at the reduced asking price of $40 million.  

On this 2016 New Hampshire Primary Day, this Aspen ski compound is my pick for Ski House of the Day.   

It is simply called "The Ski Home." 

Source: CNBC


There are not enough superlatives to describe this ski house, so I'll suggest the quick tour instead:

 Tour The Ski Home 

...and remember to vote!

Ski House Gone Red

Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend, but for a more important reason, February is Heart Month (according to the CDC).  In addition, the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women / Wear Red Day is today...to call attention to women's heart health in particular.  According to this organization, heart attacks are the Number 1 killer of women (more than all cancers combined).  Even we women skiers can be at risk for cardiovascular disease, like Leann who experienced a heart attack while she was skiing.  But it is empowering to note that (the American Heart Association says) 80% of all cardiovascular disease may be preventable!

My interpretation of the "Go Red for Women" program is that maybe each time we see something red (whether it's a red dress, red shoes, red car, red skis, red ski parka, red mittens, red home decor, red furniture, red house ...anything) let it be a reminder about our own heart health.

So, in honor of "Go Red for Women," I'll offer today's Ski House of the Day as a gentle suggestion to us all to find out about our risk, know the warning signs, and have a plan about what to do in the event of a heart attack.

The Ski House of the Day is the Aquila Lodge in Sunriver, Oregon.  Why did I select this one for today? Like women who take control of their heart health, it's bold, beautiful, strong, and in its own way it's got GO RED written all over it:

Check out the red leather furniture in this cozy living room - it  is gorgeous!

Bold and beautiful log bed and red decor in the bedroom.

                                                   Pretty red towels in the bathroom.

(OK...the hot tub is one thing that isn't red, but maybe some apres-ski red wine could complete this inviting scene):

Whether in a lovely ski house like this or elsewhere, take notice of everything red and empower yourself this February.  

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn showed her support for "Go Red for Women / Wear Red Day"...and similarly we can all do the same by wearing something red (skiing or not) this month, as a sign of support, awareness, and most importantly as a reminder to ourselves that we each have the power to take action for our own heart health.

Go Red for Women!

A Sweet Swap in Switzerland

Here's a ski house that could be just perfect for a Valentine's Day ski trip later this month:

I recently found this very sweet ski chalet on an interesting website that was new to me (although it's been around for several years)...Snow Swappers.  They way it works is that owners of ski houses join in order to "swap" with each other.  This way owning a ski house doesn't keep them stuck skiing the same mountain all the time. There are simply swap agreements between members -- no rentals, no sales, just a system of  "I'll let you use mine, if you let me use yours."  What a great concept!

Assuming that I'd find less-than-desirable ski houses here, I was pleasantly surprised when I actually browsed through to see what kind of places were being listed for swaps.  Ski houses of all types, all over the world, in some fabulous ski resorts, and many that were highly desirable...just like this one.

First, I'll say that when a ski house is in a location like this, I don't know why anyone would need to ski anywhere else because you can ski 400 miles (650 km) of trails right from the front door of this chalet!  It's in Morgins, Switzerland, and is connected to the expansive Portes du Soleil which is Europe's largest linked-together ski area:

The chalet itself looks adorable, and it seems pretty roomy with three bedrooms and two baths, plus the all-important heated ski boot room!

There's even comfy leather living room furniture for resting up after hitting all those trails:

So, for those lucky enough to own their own ski house...this is something to have a look at...and maybe swap for a cute chalet like this for a cozy Valentine's Day ski holiday.  Sweet swapping!