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).