 Avery
Ranch
Colorado,
La Plata County, Durango.
Location and Area
Nestled in the picturesque
La Plata Mountain valley a convenient fifteen minutes west
of the Durango historic downtown area, the ranch is located
just off of County Road 120, a paved road accessed from Highway
140 and US Highway 160.
Durango is a town
of rural mountain charm and character, and has many big city
conveniences, including a state-of-the-art new hospital, many
fine restaurants, hotels, shopping, a four-year college, and
many cultural activities. There are endless activities for
the outdoor sports enthusiast. It is located 6,512 ft. above
sea level (the ranch is at 8,000 ft. above sea level), surrounded
by scenic mountain views, and over 300 days of sunshine each
year. Comfortable summer temperatures reach the upper 80s,
while the autumn days are clear, cool and full of vibrant
foliage colors. The crisp and sunny winter days often feature
abundant, light powdery snow.
The La Plata County
area that includes Durango and Bayfield has a population of
45,000. La Plata County Airport runs daily commercial air
service to Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City and Phoenix,
with seasonal service to Houston, and includes facilities
for full service general aviation. The property is 100 miles
from Telluride, 170 miles from Grand Junction, 200 miles from
Albuquerque and Santa Fe, about 300 miles from Denver and
Colorado Springs and 450 miles from Phoenix.
Property
Details
Grounds
• 400 acres of beautiful meadows and Pine/Oak forest
• 100 acres of irrigated hay meadow
• 300 acres of high-fenced wildlife preserve with trophy
elk and other game
• Barn and complete livestock working facility for elk,
buffalo, cattle, horses etc.
• Old cabin that could be restored as quaint hunting
cabin or guest cottage
• Commercial well
• Water feature next to the porte cochere
• Year round live fishing stream, 1⁄2 mile plus
• Doubled-lined pond at rear of house
• Expansive deck and patio areas with exquisite views
• Native vegetation landscaping
• The property is platted for development if desired
and it also has a commercial classification available for
use if one wanted to use it as a retreat site or other commercial
purpose
• There is adequate room and terrain to build a 5,000
ft. private airstrip
Main
Residence
Stepping out of your vehicle under the 14' high porte cochere,
you know you’re in the Rockies, as every design feature
in this luxurious and quality oriented custom log home brings
your attention to mountains, water and wildlife. Before you
ascend the steps to the entrance, you hear the sound of water
from a fountain just under the porte cochere.
The owner/builder
has been instrumental in the design and crafting of much of
this home along with his team of artisans and craftsmen. His
goal for this ranch—every aspect of the interior and
exterior puts a smile on your face and there are always new
discoveries that engage and delight your senses.
As you walk up the
entry steps, there are two massive 4'x9' custom-carved front
doors to greet you and on either side of them there are decorative
etched glass windows of aspen trees trimmed in copper. These
full-length windows open, allowing the fresh mountain air
to circulate throughout the house. The copper molding around
the doors is handmade by a coppersmith in Mexico and then
has been hand-finished on site to a high quality patina. The
solid core doors were made by Rene Rubalcava, a famous 79
year-old wood carver from Sonora, Mexico. Each door features
a bronze sculpture replica (exact, to-the-millimeter) of Skips
Napoleon, the famous stud horse, made by highly acclaimed
Tucson artist, Paul Olesniewicz.
The first thing
one sees when entering the house through these doors are the
floor to ceiling picture windows on the opposite side of the
living room that frame the nearby La Plata Mountains and the
pond at the rear of the house.
Main
Level
Living
Room/Great Room
The living room or in the true sense of the word—great
room—opens from the front to rear of the house. The
walls are made from log and beautifully hand-polished Venetian
plaster and the ceiling is vaulted to a height of 40 feet
to open log beams. On one side of the room is a floor to ceiling
stacked-rock, double-sided fireplace (the other side opening
to the dining room and kitchen) with custom, oversized wrought
iron doors detailed with copper trim. Over the fireplace is
a copper mantle with a custom bronze relief replica, entitled
“Cowboy’s Dream”, depicting the snow-covered
La Platas, as seen from the property. On the opposite wall
is a built-in rock waterfall enclosing a lighted fish aquarium;
the soothing sound of flowing water can be heard from most
areas of house.
An exquisite hand-carved
central pillar, by artist Chad Haskell, accents this great
room depicting the owner’s father’s life as a
lion hunter while living on the Idaho River of No Return.
The entire column consists of 17 pack mules, each with a different
expression on their face and carrying authentic packs, ascending
the mountain to a cabin at the top. This lovely column supports
a beautifully crafted log bridge that connects the two second-floor
wings.
Kitchen/Dining
Room Wing
Adjacent to the living room is the kitchen and dining area.
At one side of the kitchen is the stacked-rock fireplace.
Framing the front of the fireplace are vertical and horizontal
log beams, with a custom made wrought iron face/door and custom
copper mantle. At the rear of this room is a custom made built-in
wet bar constructed of hand carved Alder. The sink in this
wet bar is hammered copper and there are hand carved Alder
designs trimming the picture window behind the bar providing
a spectacular view of the pond and La Plata Mountain range.
Next to the bar are double-doors leading to the patio/deck.
The work side of
the kitchen has large picture windows framing the entire wall
with complete views of the irrigated pastures and wooded areas
beyond. This gourmet kitchen has commercial grade appliances
and a custom copper hood over 60" stove with swing arm
for easy water access, two dishwashers, built-in refrigerators/freezers,
and oversized sink. The whole kitchen is extremely functional
for entertaining large groups of people—there was great
thought and care given to traffic design and flow—with
large prep areas and ample bar seating. The counter tops are
concrete with durable polymer polish to protect the unique
artistic charcoal and pencil renderings of various ranch scenes.
Off the kitchen
is a half bathroom that also functions as a utility room and
pantry, with finely finished concrete counter tops and custom
etched glass door.
Reception
Area/Half-Bath/Bedroom/Office
On the opposite side of living room from the kitchen is the
north wing of the first floor where there is another front
entrance, office, half bathroom and a handicapped accessible
bedroom with its own full ADA accessible bathroom. This wing
can be accessed from the garage, guest house/manager’s
quarters, living room and from the front exterior near the
main entrance stairs. This area was envisioned as a reception
area for formal events or corporate retreat activities. The
entry area allows for a desk and is the site for a PBX reception
board. From here the great room is easily accessible and is
stunning at first view from this entry. The reception area
has oversized picture windows that look out to the front of
the house. Next to the reception area is an ADA accessible
half bath and office area. This wing also houses the Train
Room, a lovely bedroom/sitting suite
with handicap ADA accessible shower with custom artwork, Jacuzzi
tub, toilet, sink, and, its own deck/patio. The Train Room
has a beautiful view through picture windows facing the pond
and mountains. (Note that each of the 7 bedroom suites in
the house is created with a theme in mind that is reflective
of the western lifestyle and regional culture.)
Manager’s
Quarters
Accessible from this wing of the house is an attached yet
separate lockout apartment of 1,372 square feet. It is strategically
situated on the easterly most corner of the house, elevated
to view the ranch entry and ranch house grounds. The bright
and sunny quarters consist of a downstairs living room, dining
area and kitchen with loft bedroom, bath and office. Kitchen
has hand-troweled designs in the concrete floor and decorative
artwork drawn onto the concrete countertops with a large half
bath/laundry room off kitchen. Cabinets in the kitchen and
bathroom are custom-made of Alder wood. The bedroom has a
sitting room, oversized picture windows, and a walk-in closet.
The separate bathroom with pedestal sink includes a Jacuzzi
tub and steam shower that features a decorative, enclosed
waterfall. This apartment was conceived to be highly finished
to recognize the importance of the manager’s role while
being separated from the rest of the house and yet readily
accessible for security and maintenance when required.
Second
Level
Bedroom
Suites
On the west end of the second level is the spacious Santa
Fe Suite with a private living area
accented by a built-in adobe wood-burning fireplace, Anasazi
decorations and large windows with views of the hay meadows
and southern vistas. Connected to the living area are two
separate bedrooms and baths. Both have steam showers, one
with a hand painted drawing of Mesa Verde and the other with
a wildflower scene. One has a Jacuzzi tub and the other a
freestanding, porcelain claw tub, each with modern accents
in the rest of the bath area. A bridge/breezeway, exterior
decks or stairs from the first floor kitchen area can access
the Santa Fe Suite.
On the north end
of the second level there are split level stairs accessing
a two-bedroom suite down and a second master suite up. The
lower suite level includes the Navajo
Room and Cowboy
Room. The Navajo
Room has a bedroom, full bath with
Jacuzzi tub, separate steam shower with Navajo themed etched
paintings and exterior deck. The Cowboy
Room includes a sitting room, Jacuzzi
tub, steam shower with etched paintings of cowboy life and
exterior deck.
On the upper level
is a VIP or second master suite named the Eagle’s
Nest. This private suite is very
large and can be used as a master or as a bunkroom to accommodate
many children. A beautifully carved eagle’s head on
one of the beams as you enter gives this room its name. There
are open wood beams, mountain and hunting scenes illustrated
on select walls; a sitting area, large private deck, one large
closet, beautiful views looking at the La Platas and a kitchen
suite featuring microwave, refrigerator and sink. The bath
area includes a Jacuzzi tub with decorative inlays surrounding
it and custom steam shower with hand painted artwork.
Third
Level
The third floor
and can be accessed either by custom staircases from the first
and second levels or from the exterior decks via stairways.
The third level houses the Cattle
Baron’s Suite. This master
suite, reminiscent of the Victorian style used by the old
cattle barons, is a large private suite located at the highest
level on the west end of the house. The main access point
is from a stairway on the second level that is enclosed by
a replica of the cell bars and door found in the Noglas jailhouse.
It is a fully functional private entrance as well as a delightful
touch that brings a smile from all who enter. When one arrives
at the top of the stairs, it opens into a spacious room and
one’s eye immediately is drawn to a beautifully carved
floor-to-ceiling mantelpiece of cherry wood with coat of arms
over the fireplace. Across from the king-size bed area there
are two walk-in closets with a custom built-in wood bookcase
and separate entertainment center. There is custom fixture
lighting throughout. Walls are a combination of wood and high
luster Venetian plaster. There is also a kitchen suite in
this room with concrete countertops, custom Alder wood cabinets,
sink, microwave and refrigerator. The suite has a Jacuzzi
tub and separate steam shower, both with gorgeous views of
the La Plata Mountains. Also, there is a separate walk-in
sauna, imported from Finland. Out the large carved double
door there is a large porch designed so you can follow the
sun throughout the day. The doors and porch are designed where
you can actually roll a king size bed on to the porch and
sleep under the stars like the cattle barons were reported
to do.
Lower
Level
The Board Room/Conference
Room or Game
Room is spacious and very private
with sitting room alcove outside for coffee service and informal
discussions. Inside the room, there are no windows to facilitate
uninterrupted meetings and privacy. It is designed to house
a sophisticated satellite communication system which is wired
to the entire house. There is an LCD projection unit for projection
to a 96" screen along with hook-ups for multiple computers.
If a board or conference room is not required, it would easily
retrofit into an outstanding game room—large enough
for pool table, pinball machines and computer games played
on the big-screen.
The Media
Room has been created to replicate
an old-fashioned theatre with modern rear project equipment,
102" screen and surround sound. The décor includes
three level seating, decorative potbelly stove and a walk-in
safe that is functional for the purpose of securing all valuables
and firearms.
The large Workout
Room provides all the essentials
for a good exercise program when outside recreation is not
on the agenda. It has been designed with a reinforced ceiling
for heavy bags, a rubberized floor for comfort/safety, and
numerous electrical outlets for workout machines. There is
also a half bathroom off the gym.
Other
interior and exterior features and upgrades
• Numerous picture windows provide exquisite views and
plenty of natural sunlight
• Highly upgraded dual pane vinyl casement windows—most
have been custom built and designed for the house and many
have numerous oversized panels to take advantage of the great
views
• Highly decorative custom made wood railings and staircases—Interior
and exterior
• Detailed, hand-carved door jambs around main entrances
• Highly finished tongue-and-groove wood beams (Fir
and Pine) along with vertical and horizontal beams throughout
house
• Highly efficient in-floor heating on all levels with
numerous heating zone options for energy management. Heat
source is highly efficient exterior wood-fired water coiled
furnace or propane fired furnace that automatically fires
if wood furnace is not used or is not fueled. This system
is highly economical and easy to manage
• Recessed lighting in ceilings and niches throughout
home, much of this lighting is customized with variable switching
• Engelmann Spruce logs and railings from British Columbia,
red Cedar from Vancouver for many pillars and vertical beams—all
hand- rubbed and finished to furniture quality
• Arched doorways throughout the house
• Floors are hand-troweled concrete—some in-laid
with wood
• Beautifully executed Venetian plaster finish on many
the walls
• Highest possible fire detection system throughout
house; 4" thick floors
• Custom fixtures and track lighting creates up-lighting
on cross beams throughout house to highlight beautiful natural
wood (art gallery quality)
• Double 5/8 inch sheet rock throughout the house
• Interior doors throughout house are hand rubbed solid
core knotty Alder with multiple coats of polyurethane
• Numerous logs and wood burrows from the ranch were
incorporated into railings and other accents around house—many
with custom hand carvings of animals
• All rooms in house wired for satellite TV and high-speed
internet
• Upgraded plumbing, lighting, door fixtures and hardware
throughout house
• Custom window sills and ledges throughout home, including
upgraded base board molding and trim around the doors and
windows
• Attached oversized two-car insulated and heated garage,
with a shower and wash sink
• Custom finished concrete throughout house –
floors, countertops, Jacuzzi tub bases and showers—many
of these surfaces have etched drawings of local points of
interest or western lore
• Wall panels for accessibility to all water pipes leading
to entire house
• There are 2 mechanical rooms with state-of-the-art
hot water heating systems with separate zones for each room
of the house; computer regulates each zone in an easy user-friendly
way.
• In west mechanical room there is space for commercial
laundry
External
house upgrades include:
• Beautifully designed Porte Cochere off the front entry
makes attractive entry statement and provides all weather
protection
• Extensive multi-level Trex decking in front and rear
of house
• Custom metal railings and staircases provide access
to all levels for safety and private suite entrance
• Exterior decks have metal railings to reinforce wood
railing
• Engelmann Spruce exterior logs walls with river rock
wainscoting around house
• Upgraded wood garage doors
• Custom wood and iron artwork around house
• Wood tongue-and-groove ceilings and open log beams
(both vertical and horizontal) over covered deck areas
Wildlife
and Recreation
There is an abundance of game on this ranch due to its location,
unique features and game management program. The ranch supports
a variety of habitat suitable for many species. Animals often
use the open habitat (not high-fenced) seasonally and the
function—cover, food acquisition, calving, etc.—often
varies by season. In the open areas there are migrating elk,
mule deer, coyote, and many other small animals and sporting
birds with an abundance of turkey. Within the high-fenced
game preserve, there is a herd of trophy elk that have been
specially bred over 18 years to produce one of the most spectacular
herds in the world. There are approximately 75 animals in
the herd.
The game preserve has been hunted with the philosophy of “big-game
catch and release.” A dart rifle has been perfected
and used for limited hunting where the animal is downed, picture
taken, antlers removed and the animal walks away only to grow
a more impressive set of antlers the next season. A unique
approach that has allowed the herd to prosper. Only the elder
bulls are taken in the traditional way when their health is
weakened and in jeopardy. For the new owner, all options are
open for establishing the purpose for the preserve. It is
a very special place—full of beauty and opportunities
for adventure and wonderment.
The local area also
provides a myriad of opportunities for all types of recreation.
For downhill skiing, Durango Mountain Resort is a 45-minute
drive from the ranch, while Wolf Creek and Silverton Mountain
Ski Areas are a little over an hour away. Cross-country skiing,
snow-shoeing and snowmobiling are also available on the ranch
and throughout the area. Equine enthusiasts will find Avery
Ranch to be first-rate riding terrain. Trail riding possibilities
are virtually endless on and around the property. The ranch
has been used as a quarter horse facility for 18 years, producing
some of the finest performance horses in the country. Summertime
is also filled with opportunities for hiking, fishing, boating,
golfing and visiting the local Durango to Silverton Narrow
Gauge Railroad, Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners
National Monument.
Excellent golf can
be found at Dalton Ranch Golf Club, Hillcrest Community Club,
the private Glacier Club (memberships available), and a top-rated
public course at Pinion Hills in Farmington, NM (approximately
35 miles).
$4,550,000 with 400 acres. Significant Reduction
This
property is offered by Legacy Properties West, LLC. All information
provided by Legacy Properties West, LLC or their sales representatives
in connection with this property was acquired from sources
deemed reliable and is believed to be accurate and reliable,
however, we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness. Legacy
Properties West, LLC recommends that every item of interest
to the purchaser (i.e. water laws, mineral laws, zoning, land
use regulations, state, federal and private permits) be independently
verified by the purchaser's attorney.
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