Labor Day review, 60 Days 'Till Ski Season

Mammoth Lakes, Labor Day-style:


Arts & Crafts festval at Sam's Woods site. Fun to walk around, run into locals, chat it up and get a Brat at Red's hot dog cart. Steven White's furniture is always amazing.


Free Mountain Biking: Took my brother (F-15 pilot) and his buddy (test pilot) mountain biking. If you don't want to pay to mountain bike on the ski area, here are two trails that are just as good, if not better than most of the trails on the mountain:



Mountain View Trail: Drive up Minaret Rd all the way past the ski area's Main Lodge and park at the Minaret Summit parking lot. Follow the signs (brown sign with yellow arrow and with little mtn bikes in all four corners of the sign) down and away from the main lodge on nice hard packed dirt. Emerges into a pumice field with criss crossing snowmobile paths. Then along hillside with brief bet great views of the Inyo craters. The trail basically parallels Minaret Rd down to the earthquake fault. 1 hour.



Lakes Basin - Panorama Dome - Mammoth Rock Trail: Fun single track / hiking trail around Horseshoe Lake, on past the west side of Maime, and then taking Lake Mary Rd down to the Panorama Dome trailhead. Talk about short but sweet. Feel like you are an Ewok on one of those antigravity speeders winding through trees, dodging branches. Packed dirt, fun banked curves. Lets you out onto Old Mammoth Rd. Cruise down a 1/4 mile to the Mammoth Rock trailhead. Great views of the Snowcreek meadow and of town. Cruise past old avalanche paths and beneath the monstrous Mammoth Rock. Lets you out on Sherwin Creek Rd. Turn left and head back to town. 1 hour.

Mammoth Rock Race: Speaking of the Mammoth Rock trail, Andrew Kastor (High Sierra Striders) and Ilana Levin (High Sierra Tri Club) put on another fantastic 10k race. Starting at Mammoth Creek Park, head out Sherwin Creek Rd, up Mammoth Rock Trail and down Old Mammoth Rd. I was 29 seconds shy of meeting my goal of breaking 50 minutes. Photos here: http://stimbo.myjalbum.net/Mammoth%20Rock%20Race/

Real Estate over Labor Day: NO condos went into escrow during this past week that included Labor Day. I'm finding it better to go out and meet people at outdoor social events and talk real estate than to sit an open house - my colleagues report dismal attendance at their open houses.

60 Days 'Till Ski Season! If you are a buyer and want to get into a rental condo before Ski Season, September 8th is 60 days (i.e. a good escrow period) away from Opening Day.

• Ten condos are reduced 15%+ from their original list price.


• I like the Bridges (ski-in/ski-out)2bd/2ba for $731,000 (which you could probably get for $715,000).


• I like the Eagle Run (ski-in/ski-out) 2bd/2ba for $799,000. Sierra Megeve 2bd/2ba for $525,900 is walking distance to Canyon Lodge and a good deal.


• The Pointe owner is desperate to sell - listed at $839,900 for 3bd/3ba/garage.


• Timberridge 2bd/2ba/garage owner is also willing to sell for a loss (he bought for $665k but will probably take under $600k). You can ski-in/ski-out from this property, too.


• Western Slopes Villas 1bd/1ba/garage for $375,000 is becoming more of a deal. Great condition, walk to Canyon Lodge.


• If you are in to Crowley Lake, for $650,000 you can get 3bd/2.5bath/2-car garage/ 2300 sqft house on 1 acre with stream and view of Crowley Lake.
  

Cool Health Website: Saw a cool website today, http://www.wellfolio.com/, where you can input key health statistics and see how you match up with celebrity athletes, like our own Deena Kastor.



Fall Colors: While anxious about summer coming to and end soon, the fall colors are always such a beautiful site. Don't worry, they are not here yet, but some of the Aspens have started fading to a yellowish-green. Great areas to visit include the June Lake Loop and Lundy Canyon. Even South Lake above Bishop is great.



See you around town!