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Colorado - Mon. 07/27/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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THE MONSOON SEASON HAS ARRIVED, BUT FIRE DANGER STILL EXISTS ON WEST SLOPE
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It is apparent the monsoon season has arrived on the West Slope, with rainstorms resulting in mud-rock-debris slides that closed roads near New Castle, Telluride, and on Red Mountain Pass over the past two weeks. Wildfire officials, however, say there still has not been enough moisture to make a significant impact on the abundant dry fuels, especially thick trees and downed logs. As Red, White & Blue Wildfire Division Chief Matt Benedict says, “Yes, we’re getting rain…but, until the dirt gets truly saturated, it’s pretty superficial.” He adds, "We can get four days of rain, get two days of really dry weather — and we’re right back at it.” Much of Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, Grand, Garfield, Rio Blanco and Routt counties have been under exceptional drought — the highest level — for more than three months, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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A LOOK AT THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MARKET IN COLORADO’S RESORT TOWNS
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Daniel Leifeld, director of business development with Key Data, produced a statistical look at the short-term rental market in the state, comparing ski and non-ski markets in 2025. Average daily rates for short-term rentals across Colorado’s ski markets increased to $424 in 2025, up from $419 in 2024. Pacing for 2026 has already surpassed that, sitting at $454 compared to last summer’s $441 pacing. For ski rentals, direct bookings account for the largest share of guest check-ins, around 43 percent, followed by Airbnb at 33 percent. Direct bookings also generate the highest average daily rates and booking windows, bringing in more revenue than other channels.
Denver residents remain the largest customer for short-term rentals in Colorado, making up roughly 3.2 percent of renters, which jumps to 4 percent when combined with visitors from Colorado Springs, followed by Dallas and Houston, at 2.5 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively. As many as one-in-three properties are used as a short-term rental in some ski towns, and around 50 percent of homes can sit vacant throughout the year, according to local housing studies and U.S. Census data.
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RAF USING EGE-HAATS FOR HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING AGAIN
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The only high-altitude aviation training site of the U.S. Dept. of Defense is the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, or HAATS, located on the grounds of the Eagle County Regional Airport. Again, this year, as it has been for the past few years, the Royal Air Force is conducting training there this summer The RAF is the aerial and space branch of the United Kingdom's armed forces. The aircraft flying low across Eagle County is the RAF McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport plane. The huge plane is 55 feet tall, has a wingspan of nearly 170 feet and can haul 171,000 pounds of cargo.
The C-17 is especially notable in Eagle County not just because of their size, but the training involves making low passes without landing so there is quite a bit of noise. The training at EGE involves crews dealing with reduced engine and aerodynamic performance because of the altitude, a topography with nearby peaks and ridges that is demanding for finding corridors, and safe handling - and because there’s no landing it prevents excessive wear and interference at EGE.
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TAKE COLORADO WINE WITH YOU AS YOU LEAVE GJT
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Travelers catching flights out of Grand Junction will soon be able to carry a bottle of Western Slope wine aboard, as the gift shop behind the security checkpoint in the Grand Junction Regional Airport plans to begin selling local vintages. Jeff Switzer, the CEO of GJT concessionaire Tailwind Hospitality, hopes the renovation work will be completed and wine stocked by the end of September. The retailer has not yet chosen which labels will line its shelves, according to Switzer, with the business “considering every option” among the long list of locally made wines for which the Grand Valley is nationally renowned.
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DURANGO-LA PLATA COUNTY AIRPORT BREAKING RECORDS, MORE EXPANSION COMING
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The Durango-La Plata County Airport has been undergoing the expansion of its terminal for the past few years, the first expansion since the terminal was built in 1988, and even in the midst of expansion, passenger numbers are booming. June passenger traffic topped 59,000 travelers, a record not just for June, but the airport’s all-time monthly passenger record. July numbers are expected to be close, if not more. The year-to-date passenger numbers are already up 13 percent from the numbers a year ago, so DRO is on track for another record-breaking year. In addition to the terminal expansion, the airport will add another parking lot in 2027. In the terminal expansion, new concessions are underway, with updated TSA screening and boarding gates coming, there also will be in-seat charging outlets and worktables. Plans are not yet completed for the new parking area coming in 2027, but it is expected to add 120 to 200 new spots.
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A-BASIN PROPOSES MORE PARKING, INCREASED SNOWMAKING AND AVALANCHE CONTROL
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Officials at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area have submitted a proposal to the U.S. Forest Service which is currently in the public comment period until Aug. 24. The proposal includes expanding snowmaking; the creation of two new parking areas, along with a second pedestrian crossing over U.S. Hwy. 6; and, the implementation of remote avalanche systems, known as RACs, along the East Wall and the west side of Montezuma Bowl. The proposal outlines 4.4 miles of snowmaking lines, expanding overall snowmaking coverage from the current 75 acres to 140 acres. The new parking areas would add about 400 new parking spots. The full proposal is available at FS.USDA.gov.
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LA PLATA COUNTY REDUCES FIRE RESTRICTIONS FROM STAGE 2 TO STAGE 1
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While the monsoon rains have increased across the state, only La Plata County has reduced fire restrictions. That decision came last Friday when La Plata County reduced fire restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1 at the request of Sheriff Sean Smith and the area’s fire chiefs as the recent rainfall and monsoon weather have reduced some of the risk of wildfire. The reduction applies to all unincorporated areas of La Plata County and all lands owned by the county, excluding private land in Bayfield, Ignacio, Durango and any federal or tribal lands. Meteorologist Tom Renwick, with the National Weather Service office in Grand Junction says there is a sustained stretch of wetter-than-normal conditions across the region, however, he notes the official drought status has only seen modest improvement so far. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update shows slight gains in the Four Corners area, largely in Cortez, as conditions have moved from D3 – D4 to D2 – D4.
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BEST CITIES IN COLORADO FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS
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Personal financial site WalletHub ranked the best cities in the U.S. for first-time buyers. The cities were ranked based on affordability, the real estate market and quality of life, including factors such as real-estate taxes, crime rates and home sales statistics. Thornton is the best city in Colorado for first-time homebuyers. WalletHub looked at 13 Colorado cities in its study, all along the Front Range.
The cities were measured against all other cities nationally and their peers — large cities (more than 300,000 people), midsize cities (150,000 to 300,000 people) and small cities (less than 150,000 people):
- Thornton (No. 30 overall, No. 10 small city)
- Arvada (No. 40 overall, No. 12 small city)
- Longmont (No. 54 overall, No. 18 small city)
- Colorado Springs (No. 56 overall, No. 12 large city)
- Pueblo (No. 58 overall, No. 20 small city)
- Centennial (No. 66 overall, No. 23 small city)
- Greeley (No. 77 overall, No. 29 small city)
- Westminster (No. 78 overall, No. 30 small city)
- Fort Collins (No. 82 overall, No. 35 mid-sized city)
- Aurora (No. 162 overall, No. 32 large city)
- Denver (No. 173 overall, No. 38 large city)
- Lakewood (No. 181 overall, No. 70 mid-sized city)
- Boulder (No. 237 overall, No. 98 small city)
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AUG. 1 IS COLORADO DAY: THE SESQUICENTENNIAL FOR THE CENTENNIAL STATE
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The Centennial State is throwing birthday bashes all over the state in celebration of Colorado’s big 150th birthday. A good source for celebrations: colorado.com/am250-co150-events.
Here are some in the Denver area:
Colorado Day: 150th Birthday Celebration at Denver Union Station
- Where: Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St, Denver
- When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1
- Cost: Free to attend
- denverunionstation.com
Colorado Day at History Colorado Museum
- Where: History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver
- When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1
- Cost: Free museum admission
- historycolorado.org
Mile Long Table
- Where: National Western Center, 5115 Race Court, Denver
- When: 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1
- Cost: General admission starts at $5.28
- milelongtable.org
Colorado Day Art Market & Free Day
- Where: Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver
- When: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1
- Cost: Free general admission.
- denverartmuseum.org
Colorado Day Bazaar
- Where: Commons Park, 2101 15th St, Denver
- When: Noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1
- Cost: Free to attend
- downtowndenver.com
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WEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN COLORADO: 5 OF THE TOP 6 ON THE WEST SLOPE
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Personal finance website SmartAsset ranked the wealthiest counties in the state, using data sourced from Zillow, the Internal Revenue Service and the Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey:
- Pitkin County: $100,318 median income, $432,683 investment income, $2,214,068 median home value
- San Miguel County: $80,117 median income, $246,378 investment income, $1,588,972 median home value
- Eagle County: $103,174 median income, $146,126 investment income, $1,183,561 median home value
- Douglas County: $145,737 median income, $52,760 investment income, $720,506 median home value
- Routt County: $104,803 median income, $135,391 investment income, $1,003,931 median home value
- Summit County: $106,255 median income, $79,849 investment income, $1,036,096 median home value
- Elbert County, $129,477 median income, $39,351 investment income, $664,272 median home value
- Broomfield County, $121,025 median income, $37,520 investment income, $645,459 median home value
- Boulder County, $102,772 median income, $91,456 investment income, $745,434 median home value
- Jefferson County, $107,800 median income, $44,314 investment income, $620,519 median home value
Pitkin County ranked second in the U.S. for overall wealth. The wealthiest county in the U.S. was Teton County in Wyoming. Home to Jackson, Teton posted $112,681 for median earnings, $879,309 in investment income and $1,977,829 median home value.
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MARKET UPDATE - 07/24/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 07/23/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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