Nestled on the banks of the Fryingpan River and just five miles outside Basalt, Colorado, lies Porcupine Ranch, a second home with decades of memories and a namesake that doubles as a term of endearment.
“We named the property Porcupine Ranch because 'Porcupine' is my husband's nickname for me,” homeowner Jen Grossman said. Grossman, 67, is a big fan of Bonnie Raitt’s song “A Thing Called Love.”
“There’s a verse in there that goes, ‘I ain’t no porcupine. Take off your kid gloves,'” Grossman said.
‘The place where friends and family gathered’
After more than two decades, Grossman and her husband of 33 years, Cap, 72, are auctioning off the 73.87-acre ranch for an asking price of $24 million. It will go to the highest bidder on Nov. 15. DeCaro Auctions is handling the sale.
Grossman, who works in real estate, and her husband, who owned a scrap metal business, bought the property in 2000.
They started building the 5,739-square-foot house with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in 2002 and moved into it in 2003. Matthew Tate, the listing agent of Coldwell Banker, said the property is a legacy estate with access to various mountain activities such as fly fishing and hiking.
Primarily located in St. Louis, Missouri, Grossman and her family used Porcupine Ranch as a second home to enjoy mountain life.
“When the home was finished, we became the place where friends and family gathered for holidays,” Grossman said. “Many New Year’s Eve parties, we moved the furniture out of the living room and set up tables. I brought my horses out in the summer. We came every school break, and we skied, snowshoed, went snowmobiling.”
Rock formations ‘smacked you right in the face’
Grossman and Cap met when she was on another date. They started seeing each other in 1987 and married in 1992.
She said a lot of effort when into designing and building the home, which has two barns, a fishing cabin and direct views of surrounding rock formations.
“We drove over to take a look, and as we turned down the drive, the Seven Castles rock formations just smacked you right in the face,” Grossman said.
The property at 5548 Frying Pan Road is the second home the Grossmans purchased in Basalt. She said they needed a larger place as their first cottage was becoming a popular place for friends and family to stay.
Grossman was attracted to Frying Pan Road for the views and because she could house her horses.
“There were a few horses grazing in the pasture and a barn situated away from the road tucked at the base of the mountain,” Grossman said. “My thought was with the barn already there, I could bring my horses out in the summer, and we could enjoy the property while we built exactly what we wanted.”
Grossman used the same person who built the Roaring Fork Club in Basalt and a friend to create and design the main house on Porcupine Ranch. She said they found most of the furnishings, which are included in the sale, in Denver.
“The living room rug we had custom made,” she said. “We also found fabulous metal and wood artisans who hand carved our three wood mantels and made most of our chandeliers and sconces.”
‘Time to pass the torch’
Over time, the couple started to utilize Porcupine less. “Three years ago, we built a home on the grounds of the Roaring Fork Club,” Grossman said.
The family enjoy golfing, swimming and other forms of entertainment and recreation in the area. Grossman said the couple kept the ranch for so long because they weren’t ready to let it go yet.
“We’ve come to realize it’s silly to let such a beautiful property sit empty,” she said. “Someone should be enjoying the place like we did.”
Grossman said it’s bittersweet to think about someone else owning the property, but it’s time.
“Nothing lasts forever. People change as they get older, and it’s time to pass the torch,” she said.
Grossman said she hopes the home will go to buyers who love horses, fishing and mountain life as much as her family does. She said there has been some interest in using the ranch as a retreat.
“I do know that 75 acres and 1,700 feet of gold medal fly-fishing in your backyard doesn’t come along every day,” she said. “When it’s gone, it’s gone. We’ve been blessed and very lucky to have had those years and memories.”