The Majesty of the Mountains
The Editor's Letter from the July 2018 Small Spaces Issue
“Their fierce beauty, their power to enchant, we migrate to them in the millions each year…”
So says actor/narrator Willem Dafoe in the beautiful new film Mountain: A Breathtaking Journey into the Extreme. Opening in theaters this summer, the movie captures the magic spell the beloved peaks cast upon us and examines their power to draw us to them. It's the perfect film for mountain-lovers.
Portrait by Povy Kendal Atchison
Inevitably, when interviewing homeowners about their mountain homes, the conversation turns to the allure of the mountain lifestyle. In this issue we highlight smaller-sized homes and condos that serve as launching pads for big mountain fun. The O’Brien family Lake Tahoe-area cabin is the ideal retreat after a day of skiing; the Davidsons discovered a condo at the base of Aspen Mountain, perfectly located for easy access to the slopes (she skis, he’s a snowboarder). In Beaver Creek, an active multigenerational Texas family was drawn to the area’s many recreational offerings. Peter and Michelle Lami from South Carolina, passionate fly-fishers, built a wonderful Livingston, Montana, home with a garage precisely measured to house a ClackaCraft drift boat and trailer. And a renovated Steamboat Springs residence became home base for a couple who enjoy area trails and biking into town.
For many, owning a mountain property is a dream. Jackson Hole’s Snake River Sporting Club offers homes located at this summit playground with fishing, horseback riding, golf and biking. And even if you can only escape to the mountains for a weekend, summer festivals abound. We look at the Crested Butte Wine & Food Festival, providing a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the charming historic town while sampling food-and-wine pairings from master chefs.
Summer in the mountains is a precious time of golden sunshine, cool breezes and wildflower meadows. Whether we enjoy it by sitting on the deck and watching the sunset or by climbing a fourteener, in a quote from the upcoming film, “To those who are enthralled by the mountains, their wonder is beyond all dispute.”
