This is
independence THIS IS TELLURIDE Proudly Independent. EST. 1887
“Although I’ve lived in Telluride for 16 years, its beauty still blows me away. Like, every single day. When I pedal my townie bike east on Colorado Avenue toward the post office, and Ingram Falls pops up on the horizon, the view never looks the same as the day before—whether it’s the subtle way the light plays on 12,785-foot Ajax Peak or the over-the-top, peacock bravado of a double rainbow. (And we enjoy many more double rainbows than any small town has a right to.) The scenery below the peaks ain’t too shabby either. This town, which once mixed cowboys, miners, and ladies of the evening, has smoothly given way to athletes, hippies, and celebrities you’ve heard of. The people-watching is even better because folks do their thing against a backdrop of gingerbread houses and Victorian flourishes of our National Historic District. When riding a Telluride chairlift or strolling the farmer’s market, I sometimes chuckle to myself with gratitude, “Man, I actually live here!” Still, one doesn’t need 16 years of residence in Telluride to appreciate it. I remember experiencing love at first sight on my virgin trip in March 1991, when I kissed a beautiful girl and skied three feet of powder. So there’s that.”
–Rob Story Rob Story is a columnist for Skiing magazine, correspondent for Outside magazine, and senior writer for Powder magazine. He has lived in Telluride since 1998, and is the author of Telluride Storys.
Welcome
Modern
Frontier
T
he story of Telluride began 127 years ago. Over that time, the characters have been miners, hippies, ski bums, and explorers. They are the ones who dared to build the roads, hammer the nails, and cut the trails. This is a story about the brave explorers who had the nerve to seek freedom, defy the status quo, and live on their own terms. Together, they made the Town of Telluride—quite possibly the greatest ski town in North America. An eclectic mix of Wild West gruffness and cosmopolitan flair. Just up the hill sits the town of Mountain Village—a modern twist on the Telluride ski experience. These towns, old and new, are connected by a gondola. Each of its cabins is a place where riders swap stories, relive the day, and help build on our 127-year story.
S K I G R O UN D
FEW DARE
T
elluride was not built for those traveling in the direction of convention. It was built for those who would go farther for something better. It is for those who reject the masses and still appreciate what’s good and wild. They appreciate the trailblazers who came before them, and then walk in their footsteps. From Palmyra Peak to Prospect Basin— skiing here takes you further, and it’s worth every step.
Four in-bounds, hike-to terrain areas access hundreds of acres of quiet wilderness and get you off the beaten path.
L E AV E YOU R
LIMITS M
ankind wasn’t put on Earth to accept the status quo. We were put here to live a life that leads somewhere. Here, every age and every ability level can find comfort in pushing their personal boundaries. Untracked and undiscovered terrain is endless and accessed by snowshoe, snowmobile, or helicopter. When you are ready to leave your limits in the rearview mirror, freedom is just a snowball’s throw away.
Helitrax is Colorado’s premier heli-skiing operation servicing two hundred square miles of untouched powder.
T E L LU R I D E
NUMBERS SKIABLE TERRAIN
2,000 skiable acres (810 hectares) LONGEST RUN 4.6 miles (7.4 km) TOTAL TRAILS
127 TOTAL DIFFICULTY
23% Beginner 36% Intermediate 41% Advanced/Expert TOTAL LIFTS: 18 Total
2 Gondolas 7 High Speed Quads, 1 Fixed Quad 2 Triples 2 Doubles 2 Magic Carpets —Beginners 2 Surface Lifts VERTICAL DROP 4,425 feet (1,349 m) LIFT SERVED VERTICAL DROP 3,845 feet (1,172 m) AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL 309 inches (789 cm)
Telluride is stashed among the highest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks in North America.
G R E E N, B LUE
AND WHITE
T
elluride’s green circles, groomed blues and gourmet powder can be found at every turn. Heck, nearly 60 percent of our terrain is beginner or intermediate, but lift lines and crowded slopes seem like a million miles away. Visiting Telluride is all about going your own way, leaving the pack behind, and skiing a mecca few are lucky enough to enjoy.
Our ski and snowboard school coaches use uncrowded learning terrain to take ability levels to new heights.
KIDS GROW WE’VE GOT PLENTY OF SPACE
T
elluride is a special place for family vacations. Massive lift lines, daily shuttle rides, and schlepping gear across icy parking lots don’t happen here. Nearly all of our lodging is close to the trail system, our ski school is located slopeside in Mountain Village, and kid-friendly restaurants can be found on any corner. This mountain playground is wide open.
Eco Adventures lets kids explore parts of the resort that go unseen by most guests.
from
FARM TO TABLE TO
FORK TO
MOUTH T
iny bistros, mountaintop fare, and foamy brew pubs make Telluride’s dining scene adventurous. Decorated chefs are making magic in the kitchen. Their ingredients turn to gold and dining rooms explode with laughter. Candlelight sets the mood while wine and sauce soothe the sore muscles of a day well spent. In Telluride, good eating and good skiing are alike: both thrill the senses. So dive in, with fork and knife in hand.
Telluride and Mountain Village have over 60 restaurants and pubs. Finding a place to nosh is never a problem.
HOME TO
INDEPENDENTS
soon to be
S
pending time in Telluride means immersion into a counterculture of sorts. This is the home of seekers and freethinkers. This is a place where students, retirees, and business tycoons rub shoulders. Ski bums from overrun resort towns ďŹ nd this a haven for authentic ski culture. Our residents are dreamers and doers. They’ve made Telluride, Telluride. They are independent, honest and oh, so real.
Telluride is 39 miles from the nearest stoplight. Fast food, strip malls, and traffic will never find you here.
F LY
IN THE FACE OF STATUS QUO
N
ow boasting 10 nonstop destinations, Telluride ranks among the best in the Rockies for access. New flights this year include San Francisco (SFO) and Phoenix (PHX) to the Telluride/Montrose Airport (MTJ). Daily service from Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) will see a 50% increase in availability, and New York/Newark (EWR) will jump to twice-weekly with added Sunday flights. Direct service also continues from Denver (DEN), Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), and Phoenix (IWA). With this massive increase and growing national network, it’s easier than ever to leave the crowds behind for the secluded slopes of America’s greatest ski town.
RENTAL CARS
GET DUSTY HERE
W
hen you arrive in Telluride, everything is accessible by foot, free gondola or free shuttle services. Shopping and dining in both Telluride and Mountain Village are within an easy walk of most lodging. Plus, a free pedestrian gondola operates from 7am to midnight. For those in accommodations on the outskirts of our towns, a free shuttle is available to take you to the heart of the action. As for rental cars, they can collect dust at the airport.
Our gondola, the first and only free transportation of its kind in the US, moves over 2 million passengers per year.
TELLURIDE SKI RESORT 565 Mountain Village Boulevard Telluride, CO 81435 TellurideSkiResort.com 800.778.8581
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