Pic credit: Instagram/ John Oates, Aspen Associates Realty
“The good news is you don’t have to take Highway 82, which is the main highway. McLain Flats Road parallels Highway 82, and you can literally just drive in and out of town with no traffic. In 2017, the couple listed the property for $6 million.
Because he felt right at home.
It was this really great community of well-known but down-home people,” he told the outlet. “Longtime Woody Creek residents, John and Aimee Oates have decided to relocate to downtown Aspen and put their 35-year home on the market,” the description listed by Scott Davidson of Christie’s International Real Estate read. For nearly three decades, the Oates family used the ranch as their Colorado escape. Between their primary home in Nashville and this sprawling mountain refuge, they split their time between the two, returning to Colorado for holidays and getaways. The rock ‘n’ roll legend called Woody Creek the ‘bohemian suburb of Aspen’. Why? In Manhattan, he lived in Greenwich Village, which is flooded with artists, musicians, actors and all types of creative people. This Colorado ranch had the same vibe. “I felt right at home in Woody Creek from the very beginning. Don Henley lived down the road. Don Johnson lived not far from him. Jimmy Ibbotson from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band lived up the road from us; still does. And Hunter Thompson lived across the street. My closest neighbour was Bob Beattie, the legendary ski coach, who we shared a lane with. The accessibility also attracted the Oates family. It’s about eight miles from downtown Aspen. That can get very crowded in-season. The couple decided to list it after they realised that they were spending less time in Colorado. They were spending more months in Nashville. The ranch no longer needed to sustain horses or the lifestyle it had supported for decades. So they decided to list it.
By the end of 2018, they pulled it from the market. Set against the breathtaking mountain views, the 4.3-acre property is centred around a five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom log home with spacious interiors.
The Little Woody Creek Ranch is a ‘perfect example of a gentleman’s ranch’, according to the listing. For months, the ranch didn’t find a prospective buyer. It sat on the market for months, even after price cuts. Eight years would pass before they tried again. But the property also has several features suited to a working ranch. The house comes with high ceilings and a large stone fireplace, perfect for the winter. The living space flows into the open-plan kitchen and dining area, where one can host multiple guests. The master suite comes with its own fireplace, a marble vanity with dual sinks and a separate soaking tub. There’s a separate caretaker unit with its own kitchen and bathroom. The game room displays Oates’ gold and platinum records, a perk for music enthusiasts. It also has a two-car garage and a home gym.