#lone-mountain-ranch

#lone-mountain-ranch

The Million Dollar Highway is a narrow, two-lane road that runs above a deep gorge, with sheer rock walls on one side and an unguarded drop on the other. Drivers experience awe-inspiring views of 14,000-foot peaks as they navigate this perilous route.

More than a third of the nation's local newspapers have folded in the last 20 years, with the Western U.S. being especially hard-hit, including significant losses in Utah and New Mexico.

"As we wrap up the season, I want to thank our loyal guests who showed up smiling day in and day out to support their local hill. I also want to thank our dedicated staff whose immense efforts and pride in their work kept Eldora running all season long. We hope everyone comes to celebrate the season with us this weekend." - Andrew Gast, Eldora's president and general manager.

Relics of L.A.'s agricultural past, when the city was more renowned as a producer of lima beans than of movie stars, these outposts provide direct links to the days when the region was knit together by a network of dusty bridle paths that have long since been paved to make way for our latest beast of burden, the car.

On these spacious properties, Western culture is alive and well. You'll drift off to sleep under clear, starry skies and wake up to hot coffee and a warm meal. During the day, you might hop on your trusty steed for a tour of the land by horseback or sit on a sprawling deck with a glass of sweet tea and enjoy the expansive views.

Wildlife populations are in decline. Recreation sites are crowded and often underfunded. Wildfires are larger, more destructive and harder to control. Climate change is reshaping natural systems, from ocean fisheries to mountain snowpacks, faster than institutions can respond. At the same time, communities are being asked to host new energy projects, transmission lines and mineral development - often without clear processes, adequate resources or trust that decisions are being made in the public interest.

This season asked a lot from all of us. With the warmest winter and lowest snowpack on record, there were real challenges. But what stands out the most isn't that. It's the strength of this community and the spirit of this team.

Perched high atop a dappled-colored horse at Alisal Ranch, I stroked the equine's coarse hair in an effort to bond before sauntering off to an authentic cowboy breakfast. I was with a group of like-minded women in search of a wellness weekend but we chose to trade our spa robes for cowgirl hats and forgo mani-pedis for dusty trail rides. This was not a typical dude ranch experience. It seamlessly blended nurturing self-care, enriching workshops, nourishing meals, and fostering friendships.

Prospect and refuge: These two themes have long guided the work of Tom Kundig. Siting houses in some of America's most breathtaking but also rugged terrains, the AD100 architect takes care to create a deep sense of shelter-nestling buildings into hillsides, even blasting into rock-and engineer awe through sweeping vistas and intimate connections to nature. "Architecture is not the center of the world," he has often said. "It's the landscape that's the center of the world for me."

Mary Jane typically stays open later than the Winter Park side of the resort, oftentimes keeping the Super Gauge Express spinning until late May.

Buttermilk's season came to an end after months of welcoming beginners, park riders, and world-class athletes alike, described as 'our smallest mountain in size, but biggest in heart.'

Just 10 miles south of Yellowstone, this incredible national park is home to beautiful sights, breathtaking nature, and some great hotels and vacation rentals to boot. As a local, I've visited Grand Teton National Park countless times, and I've spent just as many nights camping in a tent in the park as I have in one of the wonderful accommodations nearby.

"Whether you're drawn to the refined energy of Vail, the connected ease of Park City, or the rich culture of the Roaring Fork Valley, one thing is certain: living in a world-class ski town means embracing a lifestyle that doesn't end when the lifts stop running,"

The proposed two-stage gondola will start in the base area, stop at the Merry-Go-Round restaurant, and continue to Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, rising 2,700 vertical feet. This will significantly enhance uphill capacity out of the base area and provide skiing options on the upper mountain when the lower mountain is bare or melted out.

While a growing number of luxury hotels and estates now offer bring-your-own-horse programs - with purpose-built stables, veterinary access, and experienced grooms - the golden rule remains unchanged: the horse's happiness, health, and safety must come first. Transport stress, unfamiliar terrain, changes in climate, and short stays can be unsettling for horses, which is why many professionals advise that bringing your own horse only makes sense for longer visits, familiar landscapes, or trips centered around competition or training.

Henry Crown was born as Henry Krinsky in Chicago in 1896 to Lithuanian immigrant parents. With just an eighth‑grade education, he and his brothers founded the Material Service Corporation in 1919, selling gravel, sand and building materials to the booming Midwest construction industry. By the late 1950s, Crown had used that business as a springboard into defense contracting, gaining controlling interest in General Dynamics in 1959.

Home to Grand Teton National Park, world-class ski slopes, and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a destination unlike any other. Victoria Gonzalez, lead Pathfinder at The Cloudveil, describes the region as "the intersection of wilderness and the resilient American spirit." In other words, it's somewhere travelers can go to experience a "flourishing cultural arts center with celebrated restaurants, a playground for year-round recreational opportunities ... and natural wonder."

Deer Valley's expansion may be the largest ski area expansion in history. Prior to the expansion, Deer Valley was the 15th largest resort in the United States, boasting over 2,000 acres. The expansion, aptly named "Expanded Excellence," more than doubled Deer Valley's size, bringing the total to 5,700 skiable acres.

Winter Park Resort is officially opening the Mary Jane side of the ski area on Friday, January 9th, just one day before the areas' 50th anniversary birthday bash. Mary Jane became a part of Winter Park back in 1975, adding 18 new trails to the resort. For half a century the area has been home to epic mogul, tree, and bowl skiing, defining what it means to truly ski with grit. Trails like Outhouse, Super Gauge, and Trestle have cemented themselves among mogul skiing royalty.