March 24, 2012

Hi Folks,

Spring skiing is awesome, and now is the time for warm and beautiful mountain experiences at Telluride. Southwest Colorado has received more snow than most resorts in Colorado this winter, and we’re offering an incredible experience this spring as a result. Below is a hiker heading up the shoulder of Palmyra Peak with Wilson in the background:

Telluride is full of unique expereinces, like the stairs to Gold Hill Chute #9:

Telluride offers benefits in the spring such as this:

Spring wouldn’t be complete without decks, beers, wine, and great culinary experiences. Telluride is quickly becoming known as the “best” when it comes to on-mountain culinary expereinces. Below are Nathan and Lexi, welcoming our guests into Alpino Vino for lunch:

A cold one at the Gorrono Ranch Saloon in the late afternoon:

Just two weeks left of the ski season at Telluride. Time to go skiing!

We hope to see you soon at Telluride!

- Dave

P.S. Please feel free to post a comment. Just scroll to the bottom, type away in the dialog box, and hit submit. We love to hear from you.

February 4, 2012

Hi Folks!

I’ve been delinquent in posting blogs lately – sorry about that – it’s been a busy time for me but I really enjoy blogging and intend to step it up again. Thanks for all the input to post more frequently!

We’ve been getting lots of snow at Telluride and the mountain is skiing perfectly! My wife Noreen and I hiked up Black Iron Bowl a few days ago and really enjoyed the conditions in Mountain Quail. See picture below:

Looking into Prospect basin from the top of Mountain Quail

We’ve opened two new restaurants this ski season.

Tomboy Tavern has been an instant success for lunch, apres ski, and dinner. It has a giant zinc “u-shaped” bar in the center, along with a great audio/visual system and really cool interior finishes that turned out awesome. The staff is fantastic and everyone, from locals to visitors, have been loving this great new venue in Mountain Village. Below is an interior picture of the new bar in Tomboy Tavern. I took this in the morning before the place fills up with people having fun:

The interior of the new Tomboy Tavern, located at the base of Village Express

Below is a picture of the new fireplace in Tomboy Tavern:

The fireplace at Tomboy Tavern

Also, this season we opened a new on-mountain French-themed restaurant and umbrella bar called Bon Vivant (which is French for a person who enjoys the good life, food, and particularly great wine). It is located at the top of Polar Queen Express (chair 5). Check out the blue wine bottle deck railing! Below is a picture of this very unique venue:

The new Bon Vivant, located at the top of Polar Queen Express (5)

Below is a sample of the incredible French food they serve at Bon Vivant:

The French Onion Soup at Bon Vivant

Living the good life at the Octagon bar at Bon Vivant:

Early morning at the octagon bar at Bon Vivant

If you haven’t booked a ski vacation to Telluride this season, now is the time to do so. The snow is great, the restaurants are wonderful, and we can assist you with great lodging / lift packages at the best hotels, condos, or vacation rental homes. Call Telluride Resort Lodging at 1-800-778-8581 to speak with a vacation specialist, or go to our website www.tellurideresortlodging.com

Also, if you need anything from me, you can always reach me directly at driley@tellurideskiresort.com. I’d be happy to answer any questions and give you the inside information your looking for to make sure your vacation is perfect.

Please feel free to post a comment to the blog. Just scroll down, type away in the dialog box and hit “submit”. We’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy your turns! – Dave

October 15, 2011

Hi Folks,

Snow has already arrived to the beautiful peaks of Telluride — we’re so excited around here!

Early snow covers the San Sophia Range

This blog post is to update you on several projects the ski company is working on for the coming winter season. In addition to our normal extensive facility, equipment, building and lift maintenance work, we have some exciting new changes to announce. In all, there are over 200 projects we’re working on this summer and fall – too many to list – but here are some highlights. These projects are intended to improve the overall experience of our guests and support our staff with the resources they need to safely and efficiently do their work.

The crews have been busy doing forest stand maintenance (glading) this summer and fall. Continuing with the thinning and forest clean-up work that started last year in the Polar Queen Express (5) pod, we have completed the area between Silver Tip and Henry’s run. Also, the crews have cleaned up a new area to the skier’s right of Bushwacker off the Plunge Lift (9). This run follows the ridge line along the boundary overlooking Lower Bear Creek, then turns left at the saddle before picnic rock and goes all the way down to East Drain. Both projects are now nice big tree skiing areas which I’m sure you’re going to enjoy. Good for the forest and good for the skiers – a win/win situation. Additionally, the boundary rope on Bald Mountain has shifted skiers left on the north side and a new run will open this season called Wildcat. Patrol also improved the exit route on skiers right of Gold Hill #1. Jim Greene, one of our veteran patrollers, built new custom wood trail signs for Prospect Basin. They are beautiful and unique.

Bald Mountain at dusk

Our Culinary Services Department has a lot of new projects this fall. At the top of Polar Queen Express (5), we are constructing a bathroom and kitchen building, along with a new umbrella bar and sundeck. The deck is 2,500 square feet, with an octagon shaped bar in the center and a 38 foot diameter (11 meter) round umbrella. The umbrella is being shipped to Telluride from Austria on a boat at this time. We’re still working on a name for this new facility, which will be announced shortly. The bathroom building design is inspired by architecture found in the Alps with rough sawn cedar siding, facia, soffits, and exposed corbels and knee braces. The interior is all natural stone and mahogany woodwork. These will be some of the nicest restrooms you’ll find in ski country. Below is a picture of the new building. The siding is not quite finished but you can get an idea of what it will look like:

Construction has begun on a new bathroom and kitchen building with a new umbrella bar and sundeck at the top of Polar Queen Express (5)

Here is a close up of some exterior details:

Exterior details

We’re also in the process of remodeling and expanding the interior of the Hop Garden in Mountain Village. The inside will be about twice as big and a huge U-Shaped bar will be in the middle of the room. We’re in the process of tearing out interior walls right now. Alpino Vino’s super popular snowcoach dinners will be offered more frequently this season – every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, as well as a new Sunday Apres’ ski experience where guests stay for the sunset, enjoy food and wine, and are then transported down by snowcoach after dark. Of course, special nights at Alpino Vino can still be booked as “buy-outs” for families and groups any other evening of the week. We see several families getting together and doing this more and more. Call Allred’s for reservations, as this place sells out.

We took delivery of a new Piston Bully snowcat this week:

New Kassbohrer PB400 Park Bully

Snowmaking infrastructure has been expanded on lower Misty Maiden, upper Woozley’s, and Lookout ski runs with new high-quality, energy efficient technology. The Children’s Ski School is boasting new rental equipment. The Plunge Lift (9) received a new digital drive (which is the brain that runs the lift) and a new upper operator house. Lift Operations, Ticket Checking, and Guest Hosts have new uniforms. Mountain Operations received 180 new state-of-the-art digital radios and repeaters for their communication purposes as well as 8 new snowmobiles, 5 replacement trucks, and a 4×4 forklift for safely moving heavy loads. Eco Adventures purchased 5 new snowbikes and is continually expanding their non-ski outdoor experiences from snowshoe tours to snowmobile excursions and more. Patrol received 10 new inflatable rescue backpacks for their avalanche mitigation work. Accounting, ticketing, and IT expanded their wireless equipment, scan guns and all sorts of other digital gadgets that I don’t know how to operate

In Mountain Village, the ski company is adding 3 new retail boutiques in the core. Heritage Apparel is a new men’s and ladies clothing boutique; Alpenglow Beauty is a new skin care and costmetic store which will also offer treatments like facials and messages; Mountain Standard Time is a new watch and jewelry store. All will be open by Thanksgiving. This is in addition to 5 new boutiques we’ve opened in Mountain Village in the last 18 months: Eco Adventures, Gold Hill Gallery, The Resort Store, Telluride Naturals, and the now famous Swanky Buckle.

Family shopping at The Swanky Buckle

Last but certainly not least, this week Telluride Ski and Golf announced a new strategic partnership with the new Hotel Madeline whereby the Hotel Madeline will become the “Official Hotel” of the resort. This gorgeous European inspired hotel opened just recently and is located right in the core of Mountain Village. The iconic hotel has developed a strong international brand and represents the best of ski country. The hotel property is owned by Swed Bank, a Swedish group of gracious and visionary folks. The new partnership will include special lift/lodging packages for this ski season which can only be purchased through Telluride Resort Lodging and Telluride Resort Reservations, the ski company’s official  property management and central reservations division.

The ice skating rink at Hotel Madeline

New packages and pricing will be announced and posted soon on our lodging website under Hot Deals. The toll free number of Telluride Resort Lodging / Telluride Resort Reservations is 800-778-8581.

I’m really excited about the coming ski season. Please feel free to post a comment or question by scrolling to the bottom, typing away in the dialog box, and hitting submit. Or, you can always reach me directly at driley@tellurideskiresort.com.

I am happy to help you in any way, and you have the full resources of Telluride Ski and Golf available to you. Insider tips, lodging recommendations, restaurant recommendations, a favorite ski instructor, etc. – I’m happy to help you and/or get you the personal assistance you require from our wonderful 5-Star staff. That’s the “Telluride Way”!

Kindest regards,

Dave

May 2, 2011

Hi Folks,

Summer in Telluride is an unmatched experience – and a fantastic “get away”.

Why sit on a beach and gain weight when you can experience the recreation, history, education, and beauty of one of the most beautiful mountain environs in the Rockies – right here in Telluride?

I can’t think of a better place to spend some time in the mountains. For decades, the development of fantastic festivals has defined Telluride during the beautiful green and gold months. The golf, hiking, biking, rafting, fishing, jeeping, spas, restaurants, shops, music, alfresco dining, and views are awesome!

Starting Memorial Weekend, MountainFilm kicks everything off. This event is known as a favorite by Telluride locals because it reflects the adventurous nature of the people who call this place home.

The incredible Telluride Golf Course is scheduled to open on May 27, which is another signal that summer is here. The aspen trees explode with vibrant green colors and the ski slopes take on a magical manicured landscape with the purple peaks above. Waterfalls, crystal clear whitewater streams, and unique wildflowers surround you in every direction, only to be punctuated by pastel sunsets and red evening clouds.

For a complete schedule of festivals, please check out the Activities and Events schedule on the Telluride Ski and Golf website.

But if festivals is not your cup of tea, and a hike in the alpine environment is all you need, then Telluride is the place of choice. Exploring wildflower filled high-alpine basins, ghost towns, and extensive wildlife watching can be found on simple day-trips based out of Telluride and Mountain Village.

EcoAdventures and the St. Sophia Nature Center is a great place to start when planning some outdoor recreation.

Telluride and Mountain Village love to take care of and welcome visitors, and you’ll find friendly folks at every turn – that is what we’re known for any season. Come, enjoy, and experience all that Telluride has to offer.

If you need to be pointed in the direction of quality lodging, vacation rentals, restaurants, festivals, or even a favorite hiking route – please feel to contact me either by posting a comment or question to this blog, or by e-mailing me at: driley@tellurideskiresort.com

Kindest regards – Dave

View our latest lodging Hot Deals here

April 4, 2011

Well, it’s time to hang the skis up and pull out the bikes and golf clubs again.

I’d like to sincerely thank the entire staff at Telluride Ski and Golf – you’re the best. A thousand employees in 33 different departments all pulling together to create exceptional experiences for our guests. Great job everyone!

I’d like to also thank all the folks who visited Telluride this winter to enjoy all we have to offer, and of course a big thank you goes out to all the locals too.

The golf course is opening May 27.

Have a great summer in Telluride and Mountain Village!

- Dave

P.S. 2011/2012 ski season is right around the corner

For more information on Telluride Vacations and to book your lodging, contact Telluride Resort Lodging

February 14, 2011

Hi Folks,

One of the differentiating factors about Telluride is the double black diamond expert hike-to terrain we offer.

Skiers and snowboarders can get a true backcountry experience with the benefit of ski patrol avalanche mitigation and oversight. There really isn’t another ski area in North America that offers “adventure terrain” at this scale within its boundaries.

Below is a picture of my wife and daughter hiking up to the top of Palmyra Peak, just shy of 13,300 feet:

There are definitely “top of the world” views from the summit of Palmyra Peak. Unlike some of the other hike-to terrain routes at Telluride, Palmyra Peak is a pretty long climb. Proper equipment is a must. If a climbing guide is desired, please contact our Eco-Adventures staff at 970-728-7300 or www.tellurideskiresort.com/ecoadventures

The ski route down the north face of Palmyra is dramatic and unmatched too:

Below is a picture of Gold Hill chutes #1 and #2. This terrain is just a short walk from the top of the Revelation lift:

The Telluride Ski Patrol has done a wonderful job this season managing the “Adventure Terrain”. Big thanks go out to the entire department.

If expert terrain is not your thing – no worries – Telluride’s terrain is nicely balance (23% beginner, 36% intermediate, and 41% advanced/expert).

Feel free to post a comment or question. We love to hear from you.

- Dave

P.S. Kids love Telluride too!

For more information on Telluride Vacations and to book your lodging, contact Telluride Resort Lodging

January 5, 2011

Hi Folks,

I love January.

The holiday festivities  (and pressures) are past, and now we can simply enjoy the adventure and quality of Telluride.

Skiing and snowboarding Telluride is the best. I remember skiing here 25 years ago and telling my friends that Telluride was my most favorite resort. I still beleive that today. 

There are so many great people that work each day and night at Telluride, on the mountain and in the village and town, to assure that the resort experience is optimal. I’d like to give a sincere THANK YOU to these folks, and commend them for their customer service, dedication, and innovation.

The hike-to terrain all the way up Black Iron Bowl, to Mtn. Quail is now open. It’s places like this that differentiate Telluride from other great alpine resorts:

People often ask me where my favorite places to ski are at Telluride. With all the choices, it’s actually a hard question to answer.

For an intermediate groomed run, I’d say Misty Maiden for carving archs. I like it’s shape and pitch from top to bottom. Morning cordory at its best.

For trees, the new gladed run – Satisfaction. It’s a bowl with big trees spaced perfectly.

For big bumps that go on forever, I’d have to say Mammoth. Need I say more?

For big mountain above- treeline, I’d say any of the Gold Hill Chutes to the aprons below. Feels like backcountry skiing but inbounds.

For drama and an adventurous hike, I’d say Palmyra Peak. Top of the world.

For a starter hike-to – Bald Mountain.

For family time with young kids, I’d say Double Cabin. Widest and longest novice runs in the world. No joke.

For private family skiing with the wee ones – Ute Park.

For nostalgia – the Spiral Stairs. Reminds me of Wayne Wong for some reason. If you don’t know who I”m talking about, google him  :)

For the endless powder run after a big dump, early morning – the Plunge. On and on and on and on.

For the best views – Revelation Bowl. What planet are we skiing again?

For the most unique experience – the stairway to the top of Gold Hill Chute #9. Innovation on steriods.

 — What are your favorite places to ski at Telluride? Post a reply, we’ll see how close our opinions are! – Dave

For more information on Telluride Vacations and to book your lodging, contact Telluride Resort Lodging

January 2, 2011

Hi Folks,

The holiday season is behind us, and a new year is now in front. This is a time for reflection as well as innovation.

Future planning is critical to help Telluride Ski and Golf be the best it can be.

For the last month and a half, we’ve been having weekly meetings to plan  next summer’s projects. There always seems to be more ideas than resources in this business, so we have to prioritize.

A mentor of mine once told me that “two heads are better than one”. In that spirit, I’d like to ask your opinion on what we should focus on over the next year. What do you think we should do in the next 6 to 12 months to improve the resort experience?

By way of background, I’d also like to share with you an important principal at Telluride Ski and Golf, LLC.

Our Company Vision Statement is:

To create a sustainable and responsible resort that provides an unmatched mountain experience

With that in mind, we’d appreciate hearing your suggestions. We can’t promise we’ll do everything everyone asks, but we do promise to listen and carefully consider your thoughts and ideas. Please feel free to post a comment.

Thank you. – Dave

For more information on Telluride Vacations and to book your lodging, contact Telluride Resort Lodging

December 24, 2010

Hi Folks,

I’d like to wish everyone a safe and adventurous time this holiday season in Telluride.

Our snow came late this year, but it’s great now. Below are a few pictures I took this morning while skiing with my daughter Alex. Wife Noreen was at home this morning preparing for the festivities tonight - but she skied powder all week while I worked..

Groomed corduroy in Prospect Basin:

Early sunshine on the Wilsons:

High Camp awaits on Christmas Eve morning:

A nice view of Sneffels from the ski slopes:

Families enjoying Christmas Eve day, skiing at Telluride:

Zoom zoom:

Below is an interesting picture of a winch cat lowering a roller compactor down upper Revelation on a cable. This is a tool we use for avalanche mitigation. Yesterday, we had an avalanche down Bee’s Run which is on the skier’s right side of Revelation, which was set off by patrol with explosives. After bombing, the roller compacts the snow to improve stability.

Silver Cloud, which is on skier’s left of the lift, is already prepared and winch groomed, as you can see below:

Here are two pictures of Revelation Bowl. We will open it as soon as the patrol and grooming department are complete with their work. This is one of the most scenic places to ski in the world:

Happy Holiday’s – from Telluride Ski and Golf.

Warm regards, Dave

For more information on Telluride Vacations and to book your lodging, contact Telluride Resort Lodging

December 20, 2010

Hi Folks,

Oak Street Lift (8) will open tomorrow morning for uploading.

Coonskin Lift  (7) will open tomorrow morning for uploading and downloading.

- Dave