Aaron Blunck was born to ski.  His grandfather started the ski school here in Crested Butte, his mom was a longtime instructor, his dad loves to ski, and Aaron had to keep up with his big brother somehow, too.  By 8 he and his brother were skiing on their own, equipped with cheap radios to call home in case they needed to. Aaron was always into jumps and he pretty quickly started to excel at it, especially in the halfpipe discipline.  Before he knew it he was competing in the X Games and Olympics before he'd even gotten out of high school.  He went on to win an X Games gold medal, World Championships, and compete in a second Olympics.   In this episode, we talked about the entire arc of his ski career, how grateful he is to have grown up in Crested Butte, and where he sees his ski career heading in the future. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Recently, we've seen a lot of commercial properties and development opportunities go under contract in the Crested Butte area.  Additionally, I recently listed a Crested butte property with 3 homes and great rental income- more info here. Learn More: Aaron Blunck Instagram 

Crested Butte Is Home

Ep. 69 Aaron Blunck | 2X Olympics, Gold Medal X Games

Corey Tibljas spent most of his childhood growing up right here in Crested Butte, as one of the first graduating classes at what was then the new Community School.  It was there, at the school, that he and his friend Ben Somrak decided to make a ski movie and start their company, Two Plank Productions.  Thanks to the help of local film makers Matchstick Productions (see episode 26 Murray Wais), and the local TV station (see episode 46 Noah Wight), they were able to release their film to a packed house at the Center For the Arts.  The duo released several more ski movies, before Corey transitioned the company into a more general film production company and Ben moved on to be a local general contractor.  Another Two Plank event was "Big Air on Elk", which for several years featured skiers towed on snowmobiles launching "big air" right on Elk Avenue in downtown Crested Butte.  It was a favorite event for a lot of people, and he's hoping to bring it back some day.  Corey also began volunteer firefighting while he was still a teen.  Today, 20 years later, he still fights fires in addition to his Two Plank responsibilities- but now as a full time paid Captain of the Crested Butte Fire Protection District.  Not only that, he helps teens that are following his footsteps into firefighting as well. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: In this episode's real estate minute, I discussed the 2021 Crested Butte and Gunnison real estate outlook.  For more information, please visit the post on my website. Learn More: Two Plank Productions

Ep. 68 Corey Tibljas | Film Production and Firefighting

Shamai Buckel grew up in Southern Colorado as well as Santa Fe, New Mexico and went to Western Colorado University after a powder-filled ski trip to Crested Butte convinced her that this was the place to be.  Joe Buckel's journey to the Gunnison valley from Indiana took a little longer, with a short stint in Denver.  But they found each other and eventually moved to California wine country to learn more about wine making.  There, they discovered "warehouse wineries", and decided that they could do the same thing here. They get their grapes in Palisade (near Grand Junction), but make the wine in Gunnison at their Winery, Buckel Family Wines.  We spend a lot of time in this episode talking about how to taste wine (great for someone like me who would like to be "better" at it), how to pair it, and of course how to make wine. And of course, one of the great things about wine is travel, too- so we talked about some of the great places to visit.  I hope you enjoy this interview and get a chance to taste their wines, whether at a local liquor store, a local restaurant, or at their winery in Gunnison. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: In this episode's real estate minute, I highlighted the Meridian Lake Neighborhood, located up the Washington Gulch Trailhead near Mount Crested Butte. This beautiful neighborhood with great access to hiking, Long Lake, and more also has amazing views of the ski area. For more information, maps, and all current listings, visit here. Learn More: Buckel Winery

Ep. 67 Joe and Shamai Buckel | High Country Wine Making

Lucille Lucas grew up in New York City, with parents that were deeply immersed in the art world.  That meant that she was able to meet artists like Salvador Dali and others, and Lucille began practicing her own art at a young age as well.  But a trip across the country proved to her that NYC wasn't her place- the smaller and slower life in the rural West was more her speed.   She learned how to ski and backcountry ski when few people were doing it, and also lived in a teepee above Aspen, CO for a winter. Another adventure started at the farmhouse she was living at in Northern California- "Come with us to Morocco, and let us buy a VW bus in your name", they said.  Give this one a listen to find out where that story ends up.  She also worked at the famous "bathhouse" in Crested Butte, which was a popular spot in the 70's. She is the owner of the Lucille Lucas gallery, specializing in prints- many of which were made by her father.  We finish the conversation discussing art in general, as well as the art scene here in the Creative District of Crested Butte.  This was one of my favorite interviews so far, so I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: This episode is being released in November of 2020, and the real estate market continues to be incredibly busy (normally this is a slower time of year). Therefore, it remains a great time for sellers, and for buyers, they should be ready to "pull the trigger" if they see something that they like. Contact me, Frank Konsella, at my website. for more information. Learn More: Lucille Lucas Gallery

Ep. 66 Lucille Lucas | NYC Art World to a Life of Adventures

Craig Hall grew up in the Southeast Colorado town of La Junta, but often visited the Gunnison and Crested Butte area to ski and fish.  After graduating with a forestry degree from Colorado State University, Craig headed to Crested Butte to ski.  He was part of a small group of skiers that were heading out into the backcountry and started to learn the newly re-discovered telemark turn as the best way to access the mountains surrounding Crested Butte with the gear that was available at the time. A heliskiing company was starting, and Craig was recommended as someone who knew the area.  Thus began Craig's career as a heliskiing guide, skiing many of the runs that are popular with today's backcountry skiers.  Later, the operation moved to Marble to attract the Aspen market, where his clients included Saudi Sheiks and local drug dealers.   After the heliskiing company folded, Craig was able to combine his forestry degree, past experience as a "hot shot" firefighter, and helicopter experience to fight fires from the air, something he still does today.  When we recorded this episode in early October 2020, the Cameron Peak fire had not yet exploded into Colorado's largest ever, and the destructive East Troublesome fire had not yet started.  When you hear updates on those fires, chances are good that Craig was there, assisting the firefighting efforts from the air. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Are you considering a sale of your home or condo in Crested Butte?  A few simple things can really help- like decluttering, repainting, window washing and more. Want to know more? Contact me, Frank Konsella, at my website. Learn More: First Tracks Heliskiing

Ep. 65 Craig Hall | Crested Butte Heliskiing and Flying to Fight Forest Fires

Jay Prentiss grew up on the East coast, and like many of the other people I've interviewed, his first visit to the Gunnison Valley was as a freshman at Western Colorado University.  Already an outdoor athlete, he's taken advantage of all the Crested Butte area offers- climbing, kayaking, skiing, mountain biking and more.  One of those passions is mountaineering, which included a trip to North America's highest peak, Denali.  It didn't get off to a particularly auspicious start, with the pilot saying "sorry" seconds before hitting the glacier.  Another mountaineering trip was cut short by bad weather high on Peru's highest peak, Huascaran.  After an unplanned bivouac, Jay and his partner's adventure was just starting when they got off the mountain and then had to navigate an uprising in the country. Jay is also involved in a number of local non-profits, including Gunnison Valley Mentors.  That organization pairs youth with mentors to help them grow.  Jay previously mentored kids and today, he's on their board of directors. In late February/ early March, Jay was one of many people who caught Covid-19, as the disease quickly spread through Crested Butte and Gunnison.  Now 7 months later, he's still suffering from a number of symptoms, from fatigue to a severe shortness of breath on the bad days.  He's been travelling to doctors across the country looking for help so he can get back to being the mountain athlete that he's known to be Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: A lack of real estate inventory continues to be a problem for buyers, so if you (or someone you know) are considering selling property in Gunnison or Crested Butte, give me (Frank Konsella) a call.  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: Altitude Painting Gunnison Valley Mentors

Ep. 64 Jay Prentiss | Mountaineering, Mentoring, and Long-haul Covid

Jake O Connor grew up in Colorado, enjoying the outdoor lifestyle and building houses as he grew older.  In his final year at CSU in Fort Collins, Jake suffered a spinal cord injury at a jobsite, but mere months later, he returned and earned his construction management degree.  He went on to a successful career, even building a "floating casino" in Kansas City, which we talk about in this episode.   Eventually he decided to move to Crested Butte, and not only that, he thought he could improve upon the handcycle designs of the time and build something better.  After all, he could build homes, so how hard could it be to weld a few tubes together to make a bike?  Hard, obviously- but those were the beginnings of Reactive Adaptations, his handcycle company that now boasts multiple designs and all of them are handbuilt here in Crested Butte. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Local real estate continues to be extremely active, thanks in part to "Zoom buyers"- those that are now working from home permanently, or at least most of the time.  That means that someplace like Crested Butte has a lot of appeal versus a city that they no longer need to be tied to.  Low inventory continues to be a problem, so if you (or someone you know) are considering selling property in Gunnison or Crested Butte, give me (Frank Konsella) a call.  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: Reactive Adaptations Reactive Adaptations Facebook Reactive Adaptations Instagram  

Ep. 63 Jake O'Connor | Building a Better Handcycle

Stevie Kremer was born in Germany, but moved to Connecticut with her family before she was 1 year old.   Her life on the CT shore, not far from New York City, was typical- golf, tennis, etc, before heading to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. It was while attending CC that she was introduced to Crested Butte and fell in love with the place, as so many of us do. Once she arrived in Crested Butte after college, she began hiking and realized she could run instead of hiking half the time, so why not run? So she kept running and even ran her first race, Crested Butte's "Cart to Cart". But it was while she was teaching in Italy that she began competing at a high level in mountain trailrunning, and not only that, she started to win races across Europe, where trailrunning is a huge sport. Trailrunning took her to every continent except Antarctica, even though she was working full time as a teacher at the Crested Butte Community School. In the winter, she discovered "skimo" racing, donning lightweight skis and racing up the mountains and winning those races, too.  Today, she still races, still works at CBCS, but her focus is now on being a mom. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: July 2020 has been an incredibly busy month in Crested Butte real estate.  Low inventory continues to be a problem, so if you (or someone you know) are considering selling property in Gunnison or Crested Butte, give me (Frank Konsella) a call.  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: Stevie's Instagram page  

Ep. 62 Stevie Kremer | Trailrunning Champion Across the World

Kyleena Falzone is originally from Buffalo, New York.  From a young age, she knew she wanted to work in the restaurant business, and that only intensified after a visit with relatives in Sicily, Italy, who owned a restaurant there.  For several years, Kyleena would work in restaurants from Vail to the Hamptons, learning as much as she could about the business, and spending off seasons pursuing her other love- traveling to far-off locales like India.  So far, she's visited roughly 90 countries across the world. When the time was right, she opened a coffee shop in Western New York, but she was ready for a change and fell in love with Crested Butte and a small restaurant space at the end of Elk Avenue, where she opened the original Secret Stash pizza location. She also runs Bonez in the historic Powerhouse location, and for a short time also had a unique concept in Mount Crested Butte called The Sweet Spot, although that didn't work out quite as planned so we talked about that as an interesting counterpoint to the amazing success she's had at "the Stash". Finally, we talked about what she's been doing during the Corona Virus pandemic.  Free food, farmer's markets, delving into social media- Kyleena is one entrepreneur who has not shied away from making changes and keeping her businesses top of mind, while also helping locals at the same time.  Her realization that she has a real knack (and voice) for raising money is now leading her to another project- this time a non-profit. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: June 2020 has been an incredibly busy month in Crested Butte real estate.  Appraisers and title companies are so busy that it's hard to get an appointment in less than 5 weeks.  Low inventory continues to be a problem, so if you (or someone you know) are considering selling property in Gunnison or Crested Butte, give me a call.  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: Secret Stash Bonez

Ep. 61 Kyleena Falzone | Secret Stash, Travel, Philanthropy

Derrick Nehrenberg grew up in 30 different places, although most of them were in the Southeast.  After high school, he attended college for a year and sold books in the summer.  He was known to drive a bit fast at his summer job, however, and therefore a judge suggested a stint in the military (and yes, it's as good of a story as it sounds).  So the military it was- for 5 years. After the military, Derrick went back to college to become a behavioral neuroscientist/geneticist.  He was studying mice and traits within those mice, with an ultimate goal of helping people.  But he eventually decided that the best way to help people was actually to help them get outside more often.  So he traded academia for the trails, and began mapping trails in Colorado. Eventually, he and his partner began developing phone apps for trail systems and that's when the Gunnison/ Crested Butte Tourism Association asked him to not only map all 750+ miles of singletrack in the area, but to also develop a "game" for people to ride or hike all of the trails in the area, which was dubbed Trailquest.  To date, five people have completed this challenge.  That contest led to other applications, including turn by turn navigation and virtual racing events like the Gunnison Growler, which had to be cancelled (at least in person) in 2020 due to the Corona Virus. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Indications from the first two weeks of June are that the Crested Butte and Gunnison real estate market are recovering from Coronavirus quickly.  Pending contracts have nearly doubled and inventory is once again rising (though still low overall).  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: CBG Trails/ Trailquest TerraQuest

Ep. 60 Derrick Nehrenberg | Mapping Brains, Mapping Trails

Jenny Stillo grew up in warm sunny Honduras, playing on the beach and studying in both English and Spanish at the American school.  For college, she ended up at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, which was trying to attract more international students at the time.  Despite the cold weather and cultural shock, Jenny liked the area and stayed after graduation as so many others do, eventually starting a family and working in Crested Butte. She began nordic skiing and it turned out she was good at it, too- placing highly in a regional race series.  That's when things got really interesting- Denver TV stations picked up on the story of the Honduran nordic skier, and the next thing Jenny knew, the Honduran Olympic committee asked her to represent the country at the 1992 winter games in Albertville France.  Whiile she may not have been a contender at the races against athlete powerhouses like Norway and Sweden, it was (obviously) still an amazing experience and she remains the only winter athlete from Honduras. Recently, she and a friend hiked the 500 mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain.  She describes this journey as being on par with her Olympic experience.  I recently hiked a shorter portion of this same route and confirm that "the Camino" is an incredible adventure. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Real Estate Sales in Crested Butte and Gunnison fell in May 2020 due to the Coronavirus, but June already appears to be on the upswing.  Stay up to date on real estate news in Crested Butte by signing up for my monthly market updates here.   Learn More: Camino de Santiago Wiki page Jenny Stillo professional translation services

Ep. 59 Jenny Stillo | Honduran Olympic Nordic Skier, and Journey of the Camino

Scott Williams grew up in a number of places, including Reno, Nevada, where he used to ski.  But it was when he was in Southern California during the 1984 summer Olympic games that he was introduced to field hockey, a moment that would change his life.  Scott took to the sport quickly and was able to train with some of the best Americans in the sport.  Field hockey, for those of you who don't know, is perhaps a bit more like soccer with a stick, than it is to ice hockey. After high school, he went to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs to further his field hockey goals.  He was able to qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and while the team didn't do as well as they hoped, it was still an amazing experience.  Scott was even near the bombing that sadly took place that year, an event which he describes in this interview. We end the conversation talking about what it's like to work from home- something that is new to many people during these Coronavirus times, but something he's been doing for years. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Interest rates remain historically low, which means lower monthly payments, a hedge against inflation, and more buying power.  Waiting to buy property may result in higher prices and higher interest rates.  Visit CrestedButteRealEstateAgent.com for more information or to contact Frank Konsella directly. Learn More: Field Hockey Wikipedia Page Western Governor's University

Ep. 58 Scott Williams | Olympic Field Hockey

Alan Bernholtz grew up in sunny Los Angeles, California and unsurprisingly took to surfing.  Certain aspects of the surf scene didn't appeal to him however, so at 18 he packed up moved to Aspen.  But Aspen never felt like the friendly community he was looking for, and a chance visit to Crested Butte convinced Alan to move here. After a few other jobs, Alan eventually began working for Jean Pavillard and Adventures to the Edge guide service.  He began guiding on his own in the summer and eventually bought the guide service which was renamed Crested Butte Mountain Guides.  He sold that company to some of his guides and then helped Eleven Experience set up their cat skiing operation in Irwin. But what we spoke about a lot in this interview was community.  It was that sense of community that led to Alan running for town council and eventually mayor.  His guiding focus?- keeping that sense of community in Crested Butte strong, after all, that's what convinced him to move here.  Alan is a natural story teller, so this episode flows right along and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  PS- it is marked as "explicit", so keep that in mind when you listen to this episode. Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Sales in April 2020 saw a dip, but it wasn't nearly as drastic as one might think given the COVID-19 outbreak.  In Gunnison, there have even been bidding wars for new homes.  The best way to stay up to date on Gunnison and Crested Butte real estate?  Sign up for my newsletter. Learn More: Eleven Experience

Ep. 57 Alan Bernholtz | LA Surf Bum - Mountain Guide - Crested Butte Mayor

Arvin Ramgoolam was born in Trinidad and Tobago- I was fairly certain that those islands are just off the coast of Venezuela, but it took a Google search to confirm it.  From there, he emigrated to Miami and yet somehow, he still found his way to Crested Butte (don't worry, it's a good story that you'll hear). An opportunity to open a coffee shop with his then-girlfriend (now wife) Danica led to Rumors Coffee and Tea House.  Just a couple of years later, another opportunity arrived and they took over the adjoining bookstore space and named it Townie Books.  For a bookworm like Arvin who would often read three books a week, owning a bookstore is a perfect career.  But it's more than that, and we talk about the community aspects of owning a coffee/ book store. Finally, Arvin and I talk about the craft of being a writer.  He was recently awarded with a fellowship that allows him the freedom to work on his own stories and ideas.  I hope you enjoy this episode of the Crested Butte is Home Podcast- Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Many people are asking me what the local real estate market will do due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The honest answer is that we just don't know yet.  Thus far, I have not seen a drop in prices, but we just don't know.  The best way to stay up to date on Gunnison and Crested Butte real estate?  Sign up for my newsletter. Learn More: Townie Books Rumors Coffee and Tea House High Country Conservation Advocates Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship Townie Books GoFundMe Page

Ep. 56 Arvin Ramgoolam | From Miami to Townie Books owner and writer

Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association Executive Director John Norton grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he played the "typical" ball sports like football.  At Dartmouth College, he met his future wife, an accomplished and avid skier, so he knew he better learn how if he wanted to stick with her.  Today, it's one of his favorite things to do, but he's also a jack-of-all-trades, enjoying kayaking, fishing, mountain biking and everything else we enjoy in Crested Butte. After college, John began climbing the corporate ladder in the marketing department at Proctor and Gamble.  He may have stayed on that track if an old college friend hadn't offered him a job at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), in the marketing department there.  The early 90's were an exciting time at CBMR, with new lifts like the North Face and High lift, plus innovative efforts to attract new business, like guaranteeing airline seats and "free ski".  Later, John spent roughly ten years at the Aspen Skiing Company before being called back to Crested Butte and helping secure the sale of CBMR from the Nortons and Calloways to the Muellers (Triple Peaks).   After the Mueller sale, John eventually became the executive director at the local tourism association (TA).  The TA has since grown to encompass local entrepreneurial efforts as well.  In this episode, we talk about all of this and more, so enjoy this one- Crested Butte Real Estate Minute: Like many other places, Crested Butte and Gunnison are experiencing closures due to the Corona virus.  Please consider supporting local businesses by purchasing gift certificates, or donating to local charities.  Not sure where to donate?  Contact me here. Learn More: Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association

Ep. 55 John Norton | CBMR History and Tourism

Explore the fascinating, eclectic, and entertaining people and organizations of Crested Butte, CO- and the entire Gunnison Valley. Find out why Crested Butte Is Home for them, and how they got here. If you love Crested Butte and the mountain lifestyle, this is the podcast for you.

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Crested Butte Is Home

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