DEEDED INTEREST

The pricelessness of place

The Aspen Times | September 3, 2023

As the concerts in Snowmass rocked on this holiday weekend, a different kind of show captured our family’s attention last week from our very own VIP section of the backyard. The three of us watched as the full August blue moon emerged from behind Basalt Mountain as big and bright as any in recent memory.

From the first glimmer through the trees, to that moment the newly birthed sphere broke away from the horizon and finally floats free, it’s always an exhilarating and inspirational display. Even the dogs gave a big howl.

Since moving here more than two decades ago, I’ve always made it a point to mark the date of the full moon and try to plan it around something meaningful, like a camping trip or a hike through the woods. For me, the ritual elicits a child-like wonder and delight and is always worthy of celebration. It might be a sentiment that is a bit over the top for some, but I’m betting many of you can relate.

Collective experiences like the one we enjoyed as a family last Friday mark a singular moment in time as evidenced by the heavenly light that beamed like a headlamp into our souls. They remind us the power of nature of which we are a part. They ground us and give us a sense of place and connectedness.

Even faced with these less than subtle reminders, we continue our regrettable tendency to divide ourselves into our respective camps. It seems more and more we separate and isolate from each other on the basis of race, color, religion, politics, how much money we have. Around here those differences seem to be centered around the distinction we are a “local”, a parasitic part-timer or worse, disrespectfully labeled a “touron”.

On a recent hike to Thomas Lakes with some local friends, we saw a good number of folks out on the trail. What struck me was the variety of different people we encountered up and down from the lake that day. Out-of-towners were easily identifiable via their brand-new backpacks or fresh-from-the-box hiking shoes. We ran into some locals of course. I also noticed a Spanish speaking couple and wondered if they lived and worked here like we do or flew in private from Peru. The point is, there we were, all walks of life, drawn to the same experience.

So, it occurred to me, one of the many magical traits our valley embodies, is the connective tissue our shared pursuits and enjoyment for this place so vividly illustrate. If you stop to think about it, this place belongs to no one. What was born of vulcanism, home to the dinosaurs, glacial ice, the Utes, the miners, the potato farmers, sheep herders and cattle ranchers, is now our home. All of us; the dropouts, the runaways, the Peter Pans, the dreamers, the locals and the latelys, are here for the same reason; to find our place, stake our claim to peace, prosperity and happiness.

And that my friends is why buyers are more than willing to pay $4,000 a square foot for a new house in Aspen, or nearly $3 million for six acres of irrigated farmland in Emma. Just a few short years ago, half a million could have secured a family’s piece of the American dream in our mid-valley. Now, buyers step over themselves for homes in the 1-to-2-million-dollar range there.

Even for this seasoned real estate veteran, the numbers we are seeing are difficult to fathom. Those that got in early like me had to stretch and scrap to make those down and monthly payments. But we toughed it out to secure our place.

That desire to belong to something and lay down roots is as true today as it was for me when I bought my first home, or for the homesteader that came over Independence Pass in a covered wagon and so too for the migrant worker who mows our lawn, cooks our meals or cleans our home.

It’s also why former Colorado State Senator Gail Schwartz, who now heads the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, is so damn busy these days. She and her staff and volunteers are determined to make sure the working class — the engine of our tourist towns — are also able to secure their piece of the pie. A new program aimed at local realtors was recently launched to aid the effort.

At the end of the day, I think it important to remember we’re all escapees, refugees, pilgrims who ran away from the mundane to join a crew of rag tag rebels and dreamers. We’re members of a private club, where moonlight, wildflowers, champagne powder all amidst a sky so blue it can bring you to tears. And that membership should not be exclusive for those seeking their place.