SUMMERTIME

with the Telluride Tourism Board’s Allison Bills

Sure, Telluride is famous as a winter sports mecca, but for Allison Bills it was summer that drew the Chicago native to the area. “Summer is my season,” she says simply, adding that come summertime (and fall, for that matter), her activity mix inevitably involves getting outdoors with her husband, Eddie, as well as with George Costanza, the most outdoorsy of the couple’s three dogs. Allison recently sat down with the Guide to chat about her favorite pup-friendly summer adventures in the beautiful San Juans.

Tell us a little about your perfect summer day. We’re assuming it includes George Costanza (the dog, not the Seinfeld character)?

Our perfect summer day definitely includes George Costanza, and hiking or paddling. I’m a sucker for water. As a hiker, I need a reward at the end, like a lake or a waterfall, and a favorite is the hike to Blue Lakes. It’s where my husband proposed, which means I have a real soft spot for it. I also love paddling — and George does too — so after a nice long hike, we often end up at Woods Lake. It’s quiet and beautiful. I’ll put George on the paddle board, open a can of wine and paddle. It’s very relaxing.

Telluride and Mountain Village seem very welcoming to pooches and their humans. Tell us more.

My favorite is Oak. The patio overlooks the Telluride Gondola Plaza and there are always dogs running around and playing there. The Gondola is also dog friendly. One of our other dogs, Stanley, is a real troublemaker but he sleeps like an angel on the Gondola. In Mountain Village, the Village Center is a common consumption area and we really enjoy the Telluride Distilling Company’s frozen slushies. We often get slushies to go and sit on the grass in Sunset Plaza, enjoying our drinks while the dogs run around.

Any advice for dog owners exploring the backcountry this summer?

Yes. My advice is to be responsible for your dog. Pick up your dog’s poop and pack it out with you. I use Ruffwear’s pack-out poop bags, which makes it easy. I would also say that even if your dog is friendly, other dogs might not be. So, if your dog isn’t under complete voice control, they should be on a leash. I also always bring a dog medical kit on hikes. And I think, too, especially for those who are new to a trail, consider either leashing your dog or getting a tracker for them. It’s so easy for a dog to go after something like a squirrel and get lost. Recently, I read somewhere that we may only get about 10 summers with our dogs, so my last piece of advice is to enjoy every last one of them.

— with Erin Spillane