Colorado, La Plata County, Durango.

Location and Area
Nestled at the base of the picturesque La Plata mountain range, a convenient twelve minutes west of the historic downtown Durango area, the ranch is located just off of US Highway 160 West, in the Durango Ridge Ranch development.
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. Its 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.

MAIN RESIDENCE
You enter Crystal Sky Ranch through a Ponderosa tree-lined drive to a turn around in front of the home. The 4,267 SF home is built of 10 inch Swedish Cope logs and sits nestled in a grove of pines looking down a slope toward Cherry Gulch with expansive views of the La Plata Mountains and the Twin Buttes. The feeling is one of being on top of the world, with views of meadows, forest and mountains in all directions.
From the circle driveway, you approach the home over a flagstone sidewalk and covered portico constructed of stone columns and log trusses. Inside the inviting entrance there is a large foyer with slate flooring providing access to the great room, kitchen, master bedroom, and laundry. A towering stairwell constructed of logs provides access to the upstairs captains walk and the lower level entertainment room.

Main Level
The great room, with a beautiful maple hardwood floor, is framed in logs and has a vaulted ceiling of aspen supported by huge Queensbury log trusses. As you enter the great room, one’s eyes are immediately attracted to the large floor to ceiling wood burning fireplace to the right and the wall of windows straight ahead aimed at the twin buttes and the bluff just west of Durango, 8 miles away.
To the left off the foyer is the kitchen, with maple hardwood floors, raised panel pine cabinets, and Brazilian Granite counters. The cabinets have been scribed into the logs to blend seamlessly. A breakfast counter separates the kitchen from the dining area, which has a maple hardwood floor and beautifully crafted log walls. Above, there are log rafters supporting a tongue and groove ceiling, which extends from the kitchen on into the dining area. The dining room, with two alcove bay windows, has spectacular views of the La Plata Mountain peaks to the north. Covered in snow for half the year, the La Plata peaks are a majestic sight.
To the right off the great room and foyer is a spacious master bedroom with vaulted ceiling. A large picture window and sliding glass door give way to a private section of the deck facing the twin buttes. An arched opening reveals a large travertine covered master bathroom with raised jetted tub overlooking the woods and distant mountain ranges to the south. There are double sinks on a wide travertine covered pine cabinet, along with a large travertine shower. Off the bath is a large custom-built master closet.
To the right off the main foyer there is a powder room and further down the hall is a large laundry room with abundant cabinetry, granite countertops and washer/dryer area. Off the laundry room is an oversized 26x26 SF 2-car garage, with 18-foot power doors and access to the outside through a rear door.
Off the kitchen and living room is a large covered porch with aspen ceiling supported by a whimsical butterfly truss. This porch is attached to a large wrap around long-life Trex deck with log railings. On the east side, the deck is partially covered by an extension of the great room vaulted ceiling and an exterior Queensbury truss. These covered porches provide exterior seating areas with protection from the elements.

Upper Level
Up the log railed stairway from the Foyer is a log and aspen captains walk overlooking the great room. This open area provides access to two bedrooms with log walls and aspen ceilings, a ceramic tiled bath with granite countertop and maple cabinets, and a large bonus room/office. The office has an outside door leading to a private deck and log steps to the back yard.

Lower Level
Down the stairwell from the Foyer opens to a entertainment and recreation room with 8 foot ceilings, and a wall of windows looking to the Twin Buttes. Off this room is a large bedroom and bath with shower. Also on this level is a large exercise room, boiler room as well as ample under-stair storage.

Other Features
The house is designed to be very energy efficient. It is heated with a hydronic in-floor system. In floor heating creates a warm zone closer to the floor where we sit and stand, whereas forced air systems heat the air, which tends to rise to the ceiling leaving a cold zone near the floor. Cold floors result in higher thermostats and higher heating costs. To heat the house, there is a state-of-the-art Steffes off-peak heat storage furnace. Electricity heats up a thermal storage unit using off-peak electric rates, and releases the heat on demand during the daytime hours. The off-peak electric rates are currently one-third the price of on peak rates.
The log construction has unique thermal storage capabilities, which help to reduce energy consumption. In the winter, the logs provide an insulating barrier, which absorbs heat and reflects it back into the house. In the summer, the logs absorb outside sun heat and reflect it back outside, keeping the inside cool. Also, during the summer, there is a whole house fan in the upper attic, which refreshes the air in the house in less than a half hour. This takes advantage of the late afternoon cool breezes that roll down from the higher elevations and draws them into the house.
In the mountains, water is a valuable commodity and Crystal Sky Ranch is blessed with excellent water. The well is drilled in Cherry Gulch, 600 feet down slope from the house. It was originally rated at 10 gallons a minute when drilled, but tests during construction rated it up to 22 gallons per minute. The water tested clean and clear and is great to taste without conditioning. To maximize the water capacity at the house, a 3 horsepower submersible pump in the well along with the 1.5 inch pipe run to two 25 gallon pressure tanks in the house. A stub with a frostless stanchion near the house has been provided for future use for a garden or horse barn.

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