Vail house info

Important Information

0173 Little Dipper Road
Wolcott, CO 81655
970-926-5007 Wolcott home
970-926-0055 Wolcott fax
800-444-9860 KC office
888-541-0505 KC home
913-441-6593 KC home
816-520-4000 cell (Gary)
gyantis@midtec.com

Please, No Smoking

Directions: I-70 exit 157 (Wolcott). Exit numbers are also mile markers so watch exits on I-70 to determine how far you are from Wolcott exit. Main Vail exit is 176, I-70 at Utah border is 0 and at Kansas border is 454. After exiting I-70 take road directly south of exit going up mountain (this is Bellyache Ridge Road). Go four miles to Big Dipper Road – turn right – 0.3 miles to Little Dipper Road – turn left. Go 700 feet to second driveway (black topped) on your left. Watch for 0173 marker sign. Our gravel driveway branches off from the black top driveway to the right and continues 600 feet through the trees (you can’t see the house from the street).

Entry to House: If you don’t already have an exterior door key or a garage door opener there is a key hidden _______________________________________

Note: If you plan to arrive after dark be sure to bring a flashlight to find the door lock – it gets dark in the woods!

Your temporary security code is _______________________________

Upon entering the house (garage doors are not alarmed) you have one minute to turn off the security system before it automatically calls in a break-in. The keypad is located on the wall in the entryway but just follow the loud buzzing noise. Punch in the security code and the buzzing should stop. To turn the system on when going out close all windows and exterior doors then stand still next to keypad until it shows ready. Punch in code (it should say "on - leave now") then leave house within one minute.

Opening the House:

Turn on main water to house. Water valve (red handle) is located in the crawl space. Crawl space door is at bottom of stairs to basement. Open door and turn on overhead light. The water valve handle is down and to your right about five feet (watch your step!).

Turn on the two hot water heater circuit breakers (yellow dots) in circuit breaker panels in garage.

Raise the shades as you wish.

Set the two thermostats to 65 degrees or whatever you feel comfortable with. Set humidifiers to +20. To adjust thermostat raise cover and momentarily push and release HOLD button then push either UP or DOWN button to desired temperature. The temperature display will go back to displaying room temperature in about ten seconds. Anytime you wish to know the outside temperature raise the cover and push the OUTSIDE button. The heating system consists of two separate zoned propane gas furnaces in basement (one for upstairs area and one for downstairs area). If you won’t be using the entry level you may wish to set it’s temperature lower. For summer cooling just open the windows! We usually shut the furnaces off in the summer.

Garage door openers are on the kitchen counter. Feel free to use them but remember to not drive off with them still in your car when you depart.

The refrigerator icemaker may be turned off. If you need more ice to turn the icemaker on just gently push the lever down (horizontal position is off).

Closing the House:

Reverse of opening the house.

Turn off all lights, main water and turn off hot water heater circuit breaker.
Put all perishable food down the disposal unless you know someone else is coming soon.
Reset both thermostats to 50 degrees. Turn humidifier controls to minus 20.
Close and lock all windows. Lower shades. Lock all doors and set alarm.
If you have the hidden key return it to where you found it.

More Important Information:

If you smell gas (unlikely) leave the house and turn off the gas at the outside tank (lift lid).
Call 911 for fire, police or ambulance. Closest hospitals are Vail Medical Center exit 176 (one block south then one block west) and the Vail Medical Center Edwards annex on the northwest corner of the Edwards exit 163.
If you use the washer be sure the water valves to it are both on.
Kitchen stove has two down draft fans on cook top plus a vent hood above. Do not use at the same time as they cancel each other out. Usually one of the bottom fans is enough.
Light switches are mostly on dimmers. When turning one off be sure it is turned off and not just dimmed. The control gets hot if left in dimmed position rather than totally off.
Because we’re in bear country on Bellyache Ridge there is no trash pickup. I haul all trash home to Kansas City. Please help by putting ALL perishable food down the disposal. This includes rinsing out tin cans, pop cans, TV dinner trays, juice containers, etc. EVERY solid or liquid that is biodegradable should go down the disposal. What’s left should be clean no-smell trash. Put this (compacted) trash in the garage for me to haul to Kansas City. For urgent trash that won’t wait (baby diapers) there is a public dumpster at the Edwards rest area. If you have room in your car taking trash with you would be appreciated but not necessary.
We clean the house ourselves so we’d appreciate you leaving the house as you found it. Cleaning supplies are next to the washer and under the kitchen sink. The vacuum cleaner is in the hall closet. If you leave too early to do a wash load leave the beds unmade and it will be up to us or the next guests to wash.
Thanks to the U.S. Congress mandating low water usage toilets as of 1994 the toilets also don’t work very well and stop up easily. There are plungers under the master bath sink and guest bath sink. It should unstop with one quick plunge.
The water is safe to drink but tastes like well water (it is). There is bottled water in the kitchen to drink. Buy more at the market or Wal-Mart as you need to.
The furnaces are automatic (no pilot lights) and the hot water heaters are electric. If you temporarily lose power they should come back on automatically. The furnaces also draw in some outside fresh air so you don’t need to open a window on cold days. Otherwise the house is air-tight with the windows closed. On sunny winter days many times you won’t need the furnaces and you’ll need to open windows to cool the house!
The gas to the fireplace is shut off. If you wish to use the fireplace, please call me (don’t use the instructions in the fireplace – they are incorrect). I’ll walk you through the startup.
When opening a window be sure to unlock it first (awning windows do not have locks). Best to open only the windows with screens for ventilation. Be careful of small children around the north windows (they are up to 25 feet off the ground).
TV audio plays through stereo. Turn volume of stereo (not TV) up and down. Leave TV on EXT S-Video input and change TV channels with RCA satellite remote control. See TV/Stereo Instructions by TV for more information.
Some of the books in the MBR library area are antique and very fragile. Feel free to read them but please handle with care. Hiking books and maps are in the guest bedroom and are for your use.
Queen sofas both up and down are both sofa sleepers. Bedding is in the guest bedroom closet.
Jacuzzi switches are white buttons on inside of tubs. Be sure to have water above water jets before turning on. If left on too long a thermal overload will turn off the Jacuzzi.
The steam shower timer switch in the MBR bath is the black knob on the wall. The steam portion works by itself (not necessary to have shower on). Turn the black timer knob about half way (20 minutes of 120 degrees steam). After about five minutes the shower stall will fill with steam. Like any "Turkish bath – sauna" it does get hot. Use care – remember you’re at a high altitude and hot humid air affects people much faster particularly if you’ve had a beer or two!
Mailbox key (Box 97) is in a kitchen drawer. Wolcott post office is on Highway Six one half mile east of Wolcott. Mail Boxes Etc. in Avon and City Market can do UPS and FED-EX.

Repairs and Problems:

Please call me first! The call is cheap and I don’t mind. Midtec is 1-800-844-9860 and home is 913-441-6593. My cellular is 816-520-4000.
Tools are in the garage.
Propane shutoff is under the black metal cover at the propane tank in south yard.
Snow plowing – should be automatic but if needed call 524-5010.
Plumber – Jeff Sibeley 524-9376 949-3482 mobile
Furnace – Climate Control 479-6390
Electrician – Rob Wagner 949-6161
Water company – 476-7480
Alarm company – 1-800-441-3662 local Vail 476-7300 (Clive)
Window repair – 970-984-2827
Propane supplier – 328-7722
Propane leak repair – 970-401-0105 or 524-6906
Phone company -- 1-800-754-5251

Things to do!

Summer:

Hiking. Hiking books are together on a bookshelf in the MBR library area. My favorite easy hikes are Shrine Ridge, Half Moon Pass, Piney Lake area and hiking Vail and Beaver Creek mountains after taking ski lifts up. These are all a few hours or less. For other fun but more strenuous hikes I like Missouri Lakes, Holy Cross City, Cross Creek, Meadow Mountain and the many trails between Minturn and Leadville. For first time Vail area hiking refer to the "Vail Hiker" on the bookshelf for good advice. There are also many good hiking trails on the top of Bellyache Ridge. Be careful of lightning – the only real danger in the mountains. If you’re on a ridge or mountaintop and see or hear lightning head for lower ground ASAP.

Ballooning.

River rafting.

Golf.

Shopping.

Fishing.

Or just sit and wash the sunrises, para-sailers, balloons, wildlife and storms out the window!

Winter:

Skiing. Beaver Creek is quieter and less crowded then Vail. Vail is much bigger so if you like aggressive big-time skiing it’s for you. For really quiet and easy skiing I like Ski Cooper 20 miles south of Minturn.

Snow shoeing.

Snow mobiling.

Cross country skiing.

Ballooning. Not as cold as you think if it’s sunny!

Restaurants:

Our favorites in Edwards (closest area) include Fiestas (Mexican), The Brewery and Zino’s (Italian). Avon has many new restaurants. Minturn has the Turntable (basic diner – (good food and cheap). Try Reno’s in Redcliff (Mexican) or explore the shops in Leadville and eat at "The Grill" Mexican restaurant at 714 Chestnut or at the restored Delaware hotel (1890's motif). In Vail proper, our favorite lunch spot is the Up The Creek restaurant. Vail dinners are more expensive but, for a nice evening that’s not too expensive, try Russell’s. If you try another restaurant and like it, please let us know. The Vail area has over a hundred and there are many we haven’t tried yet. New ones open up almost every month.

Markets:

Best grocery shopping is City Market in Vail, Avon and Eagle (Wal-Mart is in Avon too). The Village Market in Edwards is very nice too (same prices). It’s less crowded and closer but less selection. Eagle ten miles west has a City Market just like the ones in Avon and Vail but no crowds.

Road Conditions: 479-2226 Vail and east. 328-6345 Eagle and west. Kansas: 1-800-585-ROAD

We Hope You Enjoyed Your Visit! Please Take the Time To Record your Stay in our Guest Book (in guest bedroom).

updated 12/1/03

Rainbow Valley (view from yard)	*Master Bedroom*	600' driveway	Hammock!	Great room	Ski run views
Rainbow Valley (view from yard)	Bedroom	Master Bath	Library	Kitchen	Great room view
Master BR view	Bedroom	Guest Bedroom	Dining

*Click on any picture to enlarge it*
Located at the west end of the valley atop Bellyache Ridge (view from the 12th hole of Arrowhead golf course)	On the edge of a cliff 1,700 feet above the valley with 30+ mile line-of-sight visibility.