POPULATION 1,500-BUDGET $200 MILLION

Nederland has long been a town that has done things its own way, with a flair for quirkiness and rugged individualism. Who would expect anything less from a region that allegedly kept one of its storied locals cryogenically frozen for generations, and then hosted a festival in honor of such. 

The mountain community recently shook things up again when it announced that they, the town of Nederland, would purchase Eldora Mountain Resort. In their backyard lies this hidden treasure, and they don’t seem keen to let it out of their grasp. How the town of 1,500 residents is going to make this work has been a head scratcher, but it’s great to see local resorts stay in the hands of local operators (at least in theory). A multi resort operator selling to an independent single hill owner is uncommon in the resort industry today, as the big boys gobble up independent resorts like there’s no tomorrow. If the sale of Eldora goes through, it will be the first such sale in Colorado since 1997.

All the players are still working out the details at the negotiating table, so nothing is set in stone yet. However, the gist of it is Nederland is going to purchase the ski area using municipal bonds, which is basically the equivalent of putting it on a credit card - except instead of your credit score taking a hit, its private investors footing the bill.

The current operators are going to run the resort for two years post sale, to provide some stability while the new owners get the feel for the place, and then operations will transition to a partnership with 303 Ski - a coalition of local Front Range ski-industry veterans.

The purchase price remains under wraps due to confidentiality agreements, though it’s rumored to be in the $100-$200 million range. You know, just pocket change for a town of 1,500 people. Skiing ain’t cheap these days! If all goes smoothly, the purchase could be finalized by October of this year. If my experience in real estate has demonstrated anything, deals always take longer than expected, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

REAL ESTATE

Here’s a neat little cabin up in Idledale, just a few steps off Bear Creek, for a relatively affordable price (and just got a price cut!). It’s got that quiet, low key vibe to it, but you’re not far from the Front Range or Evergreen. I’m loving the outdoor patio space, and with a little creativity, could be transformed into something pretty sweet.

VOTE RESULTS

71% of you said yes to longer local history content.

I’m thrilled by the strong response. It’s clear many of you are passionate about exploring and preserving our local stories.

For those who shared opinions about the current format - don’t worry, this Tuesday newsletter isn’t going anywhere. Whenever possible, we’ll share some of the local history snippets in short form.

What I’m planning is something additional: a separate, bi-weekly deep dive for the enthusiasts who want the full stories. Think of it as the “rest of the story” that can’t be included in short form - detailed explorations of forgotten scandals, lost landmarks, and the colorful characters who shaped our area.

More details coming next week!

THE BRIEFING

Sunrise 5:57 AM
Sunset 8:16 PM
Fire Bans - None
Clear Creek Status - Green Flag, Open to All Uses

Want a Featured Event? Reach out and say hello.

Care to submit an event? Send it here.

TUESDAY

Celebration Plaza, Golden- Golden Bicycle Cruise: Old West Themed, 5:30-9pm. Saddle up

Golden Gate Canyon, Golden- JeffCo Mountain Bike Club weekly ride, 5:30pm. More details

Green Mountain Brewery, Lakewood- Weekly Run Club, 6pm. Run, then beers

Mad Macks Brewing, Golden- Bingo Night, with Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck, 6:30-8pm. Winner Winner

Gnarly’s Theater, Golden- Trickster Tuesday: Family Friendly Magic Show, 7-9pm. Laughs

WEDNESDAY

Chatfield Farms, Littleton- Seasonal Discovery Garden Tour, 10-11am. Meander

New Terrain Brewing, Golden- Bike Demo Days with Mondraker Bikes, 2-7pm. Go for a spin

Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden- Live music with Chrispy, 4-8pm.

The Golden Hotel, Golden- Wednesdays on the Creek Summer Music Series: Jeff Goodwin, 5-8pm. Check it out

Miners Saloon, Golden- Live music Wednesdays, 6-9pm.

THURSDAY

Floyd Hill Meadow, Evergreen- Volunteer Day with Mountain Area Land Trust, 9am-12pm. Sign up here

Runner’s Roost, Golden- Weekly Run Club, meet at store, 6pm

BP Run Co, Wheat Ridge- Weekly run club, starting at 6pm. Lace ‘em up

Earth Sweet Boutique, Golden- Herbal Mocktails Make & Take Class, 6-8pm. Make your own

Cactus Jack’s Saloon, Evergreen- Thank you Thursday. Locals get 10% off all day while the kitchen is open.

New Terrain Brewing, Golden- Music by the Mesa: Broken Compass Bluegrass, 6-9pm. Tasteful Pickin’

Center for the Arts, Evergreen- Artful Pairings: Tequila & Tamales, 6-8pm. Spice it up

FRIDAY

The Golden Mill, Golden- Rooftop Yoga, 9:30-10:30am. Rain or Shine

State 38 Distilling, Golden- Colorado Day Whiskey Release, 4-9pm. Celebrate

Buchanan Park Ball Fields, Evergreen- Summer Movie Night (Shrek) & Family Campout, 4pm start. Bring your tent

Cheese Ranch Artisan Deli, Golden- Fondue Friday, 5pm. Call ahead to reserve

Mines Museum, Golden- First Friday Night at the Museum, 6-9pm. Fun for the whole fam

Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden- Rails & Cocktails, 6:30pm. Travel back in time

Barrels & Bottles Brewery, Golden- Live music with Andy Eppler, 6-9pm.

Goosetown Station, Golden- Golden Ghosts & Spirits Tour, 7pm. Spooky

Little Bear Saloon, Evergreen- DeadPhish Orchestra, 8-11pm. Deep Jams, Good Vibes

SATURDAY

Staunton State Park, Pine- 10 Mile Trail Race, 7am. Sign up

Golden Library Parking Lot, Golden- Golden Farmers Market, 8am-1pm. Fresh

Parfet Park, Golden- Yoga in the Park, 9-10am.

Hiwan Park, Evergreen- Outdoor Yoga with Free Range Yoga, 9-10am. Stretch it out

Snowpack Taproom, Conifer- Saturday Morning Yoga, 10-11am. Flow state

Shadow Mountain Gallery, Evergreen- “Yart” Sale, 10am-5pm. Sweet deals

Evergreen Dam, Evergreen- Dam Ducky Derby, 11am-3pm. Racing

Hiwan Homestead Museum, Evergreen- Sacred Spaces Museum Tour and History, 3-5pm. Stay for ice cream

Talnua Distillery, Arvada- Barks & Barrels, 3-6pm. Woof Woof

Holidaily Brewing, Golden- Monthly Brewery Tour, 3-4pm. Behind the scenes

Golden- Golden Super Cruise, 5-8:30pm. Sweet Cars

Goosetown Station, Golden- An evening of fine bluegrass with Tonewood & Off the Rails, 6:30pm. Tix

Buffalo Rose, Golden- The Long Run: Colorado’s Tribute to The Eagles, 7pm doors. Rock Show

SUNDAY

Olde Town, Arvada- Farmers Market, 9am-1:30pm. Fresh produce and fun

Bivouac Coffee, Evergreen- Evergreen Run series with Norrona, 9:30-11am. Hit the trails

Golden Outpost, Golden- Country Market, 10am-3pm. Yeehaw

Little White Schoolhouse, Conifer- Colorado Heritage Day Celebration, 11am-3pm. Explore

The Woodcellar, Evergreen- Breadbox: The Jerry Garcia Birthday Soiree, 4-7pm. Celebrate a legend

Mountain Toad Brewing, Golden- Board Game Night, 5pm-close. Have fun

MONDAY

New Terrain Brewing Co, Golden- Yoga on Tap 🧘 Yoga from 6-7pm, beers anytime. Get your ticket

The Eddy Taproom & Hotel, Golden- Rooftop Tango Lessons, 6pm. No experience necessary

🤝 If you think someone else would enjoy these updates, please pass along. The more the crew grows, the better it gets for everyone.

💌 If you have good friends who were kind enough to forward this to you, skip the middleman and join the crew directly! 👇️ 

See you around the next bend!