Leigh Rychel is what you would call a true Vail local. Leigh’s family moved here in 1968 when Vail had less than 100 year-round residents. The streets were unpaved, and there were hitching posts for your horses throughout the town. With supplies limited back then, locals took turns driving to Denver over Loveland Pass to grocery shop for each other. If there was a wedding, the invitation was nailed to a post in the center of Vail Village for all to attend. Leigh and her family camped in the wilderness of what is now Beaver Creek, fearlessly slept outside and drank water from the streams.  Though life was much simpler back then, the same beauty and magic still exists today.

Leigh went to kindergarten in the basement of the Interfaith Chapel in Vail that still exists today and attended 1^st and 2^nd grades in a room attached to the Vail Clinic.  Her adventurous, independent spirit led her to skiing Vail Mountain solo by the age of 4, where locals still recall seeing her in the lift line holding her pole in the air, shouting “single.” Those early days of skiing resulted in Leigh qualifying for the Junior Olympics in Lake Placid. The same year she won a gold medal in the Colorado State Figure Skating Championships. Though she doesn’t compete anymore, Leigh still gets outdoors often to hike, bike and telemark ski. An avid animal lover, it is not unusual to run into Leigh on a mountain trail with 3-4 dogs in tow.

After attending the University of Colorado in Boulder, Leigh had an opportunity to work in the hospitality industry back in Vail where she worked her way up to managing a luxury hotel in Vail Village. After 16 years of loyalty at Lodge Tower, Leigh decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps in real estate, where she was hired to sell The Residences at Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek along with the other fractional properties in the area. After earning the top developer sales at The Residences at Park Hyatt, it was only natural for Leigh to venture into residential real estate.

Leigh has a true passion for the Vail Valley and enjoys helping families find the perfect place to make lasting memories in the valley where she’s lucky enough to call home.