Telluride is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and its mountains offer some of the greatest skiing on Earth.
If you’ve ever longed to experience the amazing skiing and
the beauty of the Swiss Alps, but your wallet hasn’t allowed you to do so, a
trip to Telluride, Colorado is a
great substitute. No, Telluride is not
really a bargain hunter’s vacation find, but it’s certainly less expensive than
traveling to the Alps and it’s almost as beautiful and
the skiing is pretty amazing.
According to those in know, Telluride is “the new Aspen.” Located in the southwestern portion of the Rocky
Mountains, the former mining town, turned upscale ski destination,
offers skiers of all ages and abilities an excellent skiing adventure. The historic town is small and cozy and
nearly everything is within walking distance, including the chair lift and
gondola. It is nestled inside an
incredible box canyon so everywhere you look is an alpine mountain wall.
Connected to Telluride via the Gondola, is Mountain
Village, a sort of suburb to the
town of telluride. It was founded in
1987 and it features several upscale lodges, restaurants, condos and shopping
areas and is home to many of the worlds rich and famous. Both mountain towns link to the slopes and
lifts.
Mountain Facts
The Telluride Ski Resort features 1,700 acres of skiable
terrain at elevations ranging from 8,725 at the base of Coonskin trail to
12,260 feet at Gold Hill Summit. The
mountain includes a total of 84 trails, about a third of which are beginner,
intermediate or advanced. Skiers who
enjoy variety will not be bored in Telluride.
The trails interconnect nicely, allowing skiers to try out different
paths to the bottom all day long. The
longest trail is the Galloping Goose, which is 4.6 miles long. There are sixteen lifts, including two high
speed gondolas and seven high speed quads, which keep wait times short. The Telluride mountains enjoy an annual
snowfall of 309 inches and there is snow making capabilities to ensure there
are always well groomed trails.
Ticket Pricing
Lift ticket prices for the upcoming 2005-06 season have not
yet been announced, but last year’s prices were as follows: Single day adult: $74.00, child: $43.00,
senior: $53.50.
Terrain Parks
Younger or more extreme skiers and boarders will love
Telluride’s terrain parks. For the
beginning daredevil, there is a “pocket park” in the Ute
Park area. It features smaller and milder versions of
the attractions in Air Garden
off of the Lower See Forever trail. Air
Garden now features a state of the
art Superpipe called the Pipe Monster.
It was designed by the same Swiss company who designs the Superpipes for
the famous X-Games.
Tubing
If you want to try going down the mountain without skis or a
board, check out Thrill Hill Tubing located at the base of lift 2 in the Mountain
Village. You and the kids can tube Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons. When you need a
rest, check out the Gravity Garage hang out zone. Unfortunately, the tubing experience is not
free. It is $3.00 for one run or $9.00
for children under 17 and $14.00 for adults for unlimited runs.
Backcountry Adventure
For backcountry skiers, there is the guided hike-to back
country terrain. Advanced skiers and
boarders are led by experienced ski patrol guides to Mountain Quail, the
highest point on Prospect Ridge. After a
30 minute hike from lift 12, skiers and boarders ride undisturbed powder down
1,100 vertical feet of the north-facing chute.
The cost for this extreme experience is $75.00 per person.
Nordic Skiing
Nordic skiers will enjoy the Topaten Picnic Touring Area,
which includes 10 kilometers of groomed trails ready for Nordic skiing and
snowshoeing. Nordic skiers and
snowshoers can make a day of it as there is a picnic deck, restrooms and even a
teepee to get out of the elements for awhile.
The intermediate trails meander through mountain meadows and Rocky
Mountain forests. The Toaten Area is located at the top of lift
10 and a lift ticket is $10.00.
Heliskiing
Serious adventure skiers and boarders will love Telluride’s
Helitrax helicopter experience. Ride the
helicopter to fantastic, out of bounds fresh powder and then glide down 1,100
vertical feet of brand new snow. The
resort’s website claims that even “mid-intermediate first-time powder” skiers
can handle the terrain, but only those who love an adventure should consider
heliskiing. The “One-Run” program allows
a limited number of skiers and boarders to sign up for an early morning single
Helitrax run for $250.00.
Other Activities
In addition to all of these great skiing and boarding
options, Telluride Ski and Golf Resort offers access to many other exciting
activities, including snowmobiling, horse riding, sleigh rides, ice skating,
ice climbing, mountain tours and sled dog trips. In addition, nearly every weekend in
Telluride there is a festival or other entertainment event to enjoy.
Ski School
If you or a member of your family is new to skiing or
boarding, or needs to brush up on some skills, Telluride has an excellent ski
school program. Their children’s
programs are designed to teach age-appropriate skills to kids three to twelve
years old. They offer both skiing and
boarding lessons for the kids, which not all resort programs do. There is even a nursery for the kids too
young to ski.
Adults can take private or group lessons and there is even a
teen program designed just for the teenaged skier or boarder.
The Telluride Adaptive Ski Program is a special organization
that seeks to make skiing available to all people. Their staff is trained to work with people
who have all types of disabilities to ensure they experience an excellent
mountain adventure.
Dining and Lodging
There are nearly as many places to eat in Telluride as there
are year round residents. There are no
less than 55 ski-in/ski-out restaurants and countless more in the towns of
Telluride and Mountain Village. The range of cuisine and atmosphere varies
accordingly as well. The hungry skier
can nosh on five star gourmet meals at a number of upscale restaurants
including Allred’s, or the historicThe New Sheridan Chop House, or get a superb
hot dog at the Diggity Dog hot dog cart – whatever your taste buds desire.
Lodging options also vary by price and style. There are many condo-style lodges both in
Telluride and Mountain Village. Some offer a basic hotel experience, while
others offer more of an extended stay resort atmosphere. There are no national chain motels available,
so each lodge is unique. For the more
budget conscious, there is the Victorian Inn or the Telluride Mountainside Inn.
There are also some high end choices, such as the Fairmont Heritage Place Franz
Klammer Lodge or the Wyndham Peaks Resort and Golden Door Spa. Of course your budget may dictate your choice
of Telluride digs, but whatever your needs, you’ll find it and enjoy it.
Getting There
Telluride is a little off the beaten path, but there are a
few transportation options. It is
located 65 miles south of Montrose, 125 miles northeast of the Durango,
and 127 southeast of Grand Junction. Travelers can fly to any of these towns and
then rent a car and drive or take an airport shuttle into Telluride. Or, you can fly directly into Telluride’s Regional
Airport, but you’ll be on a smaller
airplane. Flying into Denver
is not a great option as Telluride is about a seven hour mountain drive
away.
No matter how you get there, your trip will be scenic, to
say the least. Traveling through the San
Juan Mountains is an amazingly surreal experience. Once you get there, you won’t want to ever want
to go home again, so get ready!