Area Guide
South and West
STEAMBOAT PILOT & TODAY
Living in Deerwood Ranches, a development on the southwestern side of Emerald Mountain, has opened the door to a range of activities for the Kmetz family. There's cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing in the winter, and hiking or biking in the summer.
And there's the abundant wildlife, which put on a better show than prime-time television.
"My kids don't even watch T.V. before bed," Cathy Kmetz said. "They watch the elk out the window."
There is a strong sense of community here, where neighbors often get together for hay wagon pulls and dinner parties, Kmetz said. Although Steamboat is only 20 minutes away, the drive adds just enough space so residents feel like they're in their own, quiet world. A world, Kmetz said, that is exceedingly beautiful.
For example, little ponds fed by creeks bringing runoff from snow form around the rolling meadows during springtime, making peaceful background music, Kmetz said.
"The valley just sounds alive," Kmetz said. "It looks pretty and it sounds pretty."
Subdivisions that are separated from town by Emerald Mountain include Creek Ranch, Twenty-Mile Ranch, Whitewood/Aspen Highlands and Deerwood Ranches. Homes in this area sit on lots that run from five to 35 acres, and are mixed in with a lot of large ranches.
The setting out here is rural and agricultural, and the landscape includes wide-open ranges to dense aspen forests.
Residents often own horses, or at least big dogs, as there is plenty of room to roam.
Home prices start at around $450,000, and easily reach into the $2 million range. Some of the ranch homes often date back to the 1940s and 1950s, while most homes in subdivisions were built during or after the 1970s.
Driving to town can take 15 to 30 minutes, but this area can be accessed by going in either direction around Emerald, so commuters have a chance to change their daily routes.
There are a lot of year-round residents in the subdivisions with smaller acreage lots. Areas with larger land parcels tend to have more second-home owners.
All homes are on well and septic, although some subdivisions have a central water system to service their homes.
