Having just returned from a trip to Montana, where I happily picked up a Pendleton handbag at Bob's Outdoor in downtown Livingston (not to be confused with Bob's Taxidermy, which is right up the road), imagine my surprise to find that Pendleton -- the Oregon family-owned woolen mill that's been around for 140 years -- is on trend for fall. Carried this season by retail's litmus-test-for-hip Opening Ceremony, the iconic brand seems to be making the reverse commute from country to town.
The Chinle Tote, at right, retails for $128 and measures 17 3/4 by 16 3/4 by 5 1/2 inches with 10 inch leather handles. The virgin wool print evokes early 20th century Navajo rugs from the Chinle region. Its base is made from canvas, and the bag is fully lined.
If you've ever thought about having property in Montana, you can snap up a condo for pretty reasonable prices during an online auction. Deer Creek At Whitefish which is located near Glacier National Park, is selling off 14 units by online auction. Minimum bids are starting as low as $99,000 for a two-bedroom unit. The two-bedroom unit is the only one selling by open auction and is the only one that is fully furnished. The rest are being sold via sealed bid from now until October 23. All units are more than one floor: two three-bedroom units have $140,000 starting bids, four three-bedroom units have $150,000 starting bids, and seven two-bedroom units have $160,000 starting bids. The complex includes a clubhouse with a fitness center, spas, a fireplace, a wet bar and a pool table and homeowner fees are $115 per month. Twenty-nine units have been constructed as Phase One, The project originally called for 168 units at the site of the former Par 3 on 93 golf course but was later pared down.
There aren't too many chances to own your own island in Montana. This estate is on a private island in Whitefish Lake and sits on 10 acres with over 2600 waterfront feet. The home is a custom 7,554 square foot house with three bedrooms, an attached guest apartment, attached oversized two-car garage plus a separate three-car oversized garage with space upstairs for a work room. The interior has a beautiful log cabin style and seems to be the ideal place to retreat from the world. It appears to be the home of State Senator Dan Weinberg who announced in December he wasn't seeking reelection. This home is listed at $17 million.
Last January, we heard about the plans for a $155 million home planned for the Yellowstone Club, the exclusive millionaires' playground in Montana. The AP reports that Tim Blixseth, the founder of the Yellowstone Club has sold the parcel of land where he had planned to build the home. Big Sky resident Loren Bough bought the 160-acre parcel.
Earlier this month, The Desert Sun did a comprehensive story on Blixseth's fight to keep his wealth. He and his wife Edra Blixseth have been involved in a bitter divorce. He's also been fighting a multimillion-dollar settlement with former cycling star Greg LeMond. When Tim and Edra first split in December 2006 after a 25 year relationship, they were lauded for dividing their property and assets without fights and lawyers. But since then, they have been involved in a protracted battle for their shared assets.
Also Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, his parents-in-law David and Sacia Morris, and Jorge Jasson, a family friend have claimed i ncourt that Blixseth tried to buy their shares at the Yellowstone Club for a total of $13 million, which they say was a fraction of their value. The parties reached a $38 million settlement in the case. Blixseth paid the first installment on the suit but missed a payment in January and interest is now accruing.
Blixseth is trying to sell the 13,400-acre gated community. In January he was working with CrossHarbor Capital Partners LLC, the Boston-based private- equity firm founded by Yellowstone member Sam Byrne to sell assets of the club for $455.7 million.
Usually I don't write up pieces of land without homes on them but this one is pretty impressive, a huge 1,507-acre spread (1,374 deeded along with 133-acre BLM lease) in Montana on the Yellowstone River. This area was named Black Bluffs by Capt. William Clark of Thomas Jefferson's Corps of Discovery and has been basically untouched for over 200 years. The property is bordered on the north by 2.5 miles of private Yellowstone River frontage and has dramatic upriver views framed by the Beartooth Mountains, Montana's tallest peaks. The river is full of wild brown and rainbow trout and the area is rich with wildlife including sage grouse, wild turkey, elk, moose, black bear, antelope, eagle and osprey. The property is located about 30 minutes away from Billings, Montana. Hopefully whoever buys this land will preserve this beautiful open space. It is listed at $5,750,000.
Why this one? Because it's a lighthouse, in Bigfork, Montana. Okay, it's not so much a lighthouse as a house with a lighthouse-like structure appended to it. Still you have to admire the commitment to the nautical in this one. Most of the houses we see in Montana are full of antler chandeliers, roughhewn logs and western fabrics. Not so here. this one could easily be plunked down on an East Coast shoreline. Boat-shaped bookcases and nautical art add to the rather relentless theme decorating. The house is located south of Woods Bay and is perched above Flathead Lake for some truly beautiful views. The home is under 4,000 square feet and sits on one acre. It is listed at $2.95 million.
Last October I wrote about Tom Ford's move to pay $84,000 to buy the mineral rights beneath his Galisteo ranch in order to protect his land from possible oil exploration in the region. It looks like a pretty smart investment when you consider what is happening to candy billionaire Forrest Mars Jr. Businessweek reports that Mars, who is worth around $14 billion from his family's ownership of candy company Mars Inc, has been fighting to keep a gas company off his huge Montana ranch. Pinnacle Gas Resources has a mineral lease to the land and a state judge has ruled that the company has the right to enter Mars' Diamond Cross Ranch to drill an exploratory well. The company is looking for coal-bed methane, natural gas that is often stored in thick coal seams in the region.The ranch is spread over more than 82,000 acres and Pinnacle's lease covers 10,300 acres of the property. Mars is worried that if the company does find methane they could use millions of gallons of water from underground aquifers to access it. This in turn would hurt the ranch's ability to maintain the large herds of livestock on the property. Beth Kaeding, chairwoman of the Northern Plains Resource Council, summed the situation up perfectly in an article in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune, saying: ""If you don't own the mineral rights, it doesn't matter how huge your ranch is, how politically powerful you are, how much money you have. Mineral rights trump surface rights."
Those with a hankering for luxury, a Western experience and an eco-friendly experience might want to check out The Lodge at Sun Ranch in Cameron, Montana. The Lodge is an intimate retreat at the heart of the 26,000 acre Sun Ranch. The eight-room lodge will provide guests with luxurious accommodations and a variety of experiences including hiking, fly fishing, archeology tours and horseback riding. Packages start at $900 per person, double occupancy, for a three-night basic Sun Ranch Package.
Property around Whitefish Lake in Montana has gotten rather pricey. Case in point, today's home, a newer home with large glass windows facing the lake. The five-bedroom home was built in 2002 and has 80 feet of waterfrontage. It's a lovely home with balconies to enjoy the view and simple stone steps down to the shore. The balconies can also be reached from some of the bedrooms. The home is 4,400 square feet and sits on .33 acre. It is priced at $4.5 million which is a bit more than similar homes in the area but in this case you are paying for the privilege of being on the lake.
Today we are checking out Tranquility Ranch in Seely Lake, Montana, the 720-acre retreat owned by Art Ortenberg and his late wife, clothing designer Liz Claiborne. Ms Claiborne died earlier this year but the ranch has been on the market for a year. The ranch has a variety of water features including ponds, wetlands and a private 20-acre lake. The main log and stone home is located at the water's edge. It is close to 9,000 square feet but has just two bedrooms (guests stay elsewhere on the property) and includes an indoor pool. The land also includes a guest home, caretaker's home, a barn and a large riding arena. Christina Lewis of the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column reports that Claiborne and Ortenberg retired to the ranch in 1989 to devote themselves to wildlife-preservation causes. The property was listed at $8.5 million but has been knocked down to $7.5 million. Not too many interior shots on the listing but it does seem like a very tranquil place, although a bit more Ralph Lauren than sporty Liz.
I like the idea behind the Ameya Preserve. The property is designed to be an eco-friendly community in Paradise Valley, Montana. The Ameya Preserve will draw 100 percent of its energy from a wind farm and will use a water recycling system to irrigate the property. The preserve will also be part of a program where greenhouse gas emissions are offset by planned tree-planting on other property owned by the developer.
What sets this development apart is a unique program involving "cultural directors" who will provide residents with learning experiences ranging from fine cuisine to music to archaeological digs. Leaders in astronomy, archeology, biology, environmentalism, literature and visual arts will spend months at a time at Ameya as part of its Discoveries-in-residence program to study and share their work with residents and the world. There will also be a master guide program where residents can experience world class fly-fishing, hiking, horseback riding and wildlife photography, among many other pursuits. The development will be home to pre-designed homes, custom and estate lots. The goal is to build a small amount of homes on less than 500 acres and keep most of the 11,000 acres of land as open space.
Looking for a Montana getaway? The Wilderness Club is a collection of home sites and cabins that have mountain, lake and golf course views. There is a Nick Faldo-designed 18-hole golf course. The Wilderness Club overlooks Lake Wilderness and is located in Eureka, which is near the Canadian border. The development offers special features for families with a need for adventure. The concierge service will help coordinate recreational activities such as horseback riding, skiing, hiking, fly-fishing, hunting and other excursions. The club also has fitness and spa facilities, swimming pools and hot tubs. Membership is included with ownership of property and homesites starting at $250,000 with cabins beginning at $700,000.
The Bridger Villa is a mountain home with beautiful views from every window. It is surrounded by 39 acres that insulate the home from the world. The home is made of reinforced concrete with radiant heat flooring. The five bedroom home includes a master suite with his and her baths. There are also four other bedroom suites, an office, family room, formal living room and a separate detached 1,000 square foot studio/office. For recreation, there is a gym/game area with pool, ping-pong & air hockey tables,and a bar with wine cooler. The home also has a three car garage. The home is within easy reach of hiking, biking and skiing opportunities. It is listed at $10.7 million. After the jump, a very space age kitchen.
Last time I checked in on the Bozeman watch company they were debuting the rugged Smokejumper watch. Their latest watch is a bit more elegant. The USS Montana watch commemorates WWII veterans and also the fact that Montana is the only one of the 48 states in the U.S. during the days of battleship building, to never have had an active duty battleship named for it. There were three attempts of ships named Montana but none saw active duty under the name. The watch has a 44.5 diameter and has a white enamel dial with blue numerals. It uses a Swiss automatic movement and has a domed sapphire crystal and a crocodile strap. It is a limited edition of 50 numbered pieces and sells for $7,100.
Custom windows in a home can be risky, especially when they are windows that resemble the feather pattern of a bird. Soaring Osprey, an estate on the west shore of Flathead Lake in Montana, however wins me over with its huge custom window design. The home's great room gives the feel of being in a giant winged bird and soaring out over the lake and yet it doesn't seem gimmicky at all. The overall effect is delightfully graceful. The rest of the five-bedroom house doesn't move me quite so much but all the bells and whistles are there. A large kitchen, exercise room, sauna, wine cellar, tons of deckspace and a patio with a hot tub as well as a dock with boat slips. The bird can be yours for $7.75 million. After the jump,
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Having just returned from a trip to Montana, where I happily picked up a Pendleton handbag at Bob's Outdoor in downtown Livingston (not to be confused with Bob's Taxidermy, which is right up the road), imagine my surprise to find that Pendleton -- the Oregon family-owned woolen mill that's been around for 140 years -- is on trend for fall. Carried this season by retail's litmus-test-for-hip Opening Ceremony, the iconic brand seems to be making the reverse commute from country to town. 
