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Skiing in Telluride
Telluride, set in a canyon against the stunningly beautiful backdrop of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, is a delightfully remote ski resort, steeped in history and old West culture - it’s said that Butch Cassidy robbed the bank here. Skiing was introduced to Telluride over 30 years and recent investment in the slopes has resulted in a breathtaking ski resort with something for everyone. The town of Telluride is a National Historic District and is home to a diverse population, including cowboys and hippies, and hosts the annual Telluride Independent Film Festival. The resort is a good two and a half hours’ away from any other ski resort, and people are outnumbered by the wildlife here, meaning no lift lines, and an incredibly relaxed and very laid back atmosphere.
Skiing in Telluride – The Slopes
The town of Telluride sits at 2662m, and is linked by gondola to Mountain Village, the skiing base, a further 300m higher up. The resort is most suited to intermediates and expert skiers, but the terrain, set against such spectacular scenery, offers enjoyable skiing for all levels. In typical Telluride style, the resort has graded its’ trails with a unique rating system, with greens followed by double greens, and blues by double blues, and so on, creating a good basis for learning and progression. The major ski area is Prospect Bowl, which is served by three high speed lifts, each accessing varying levels of terrain. Ute Park lift take novices to the beginner slopes, while Prospect lift serves the intermediate area, where the trails are partially groomed, creating an interesting mixture of terrain. The Gold Hill lift takes more advanced skiers up almost 450m in under five minutes, to a peak of 3700m, where steep trails and big bumps abound. Here skiers can enjoy 450 acres of above tree-level skiing, in almost backcountry terrain. The Lynx lift carries skiers to the real back country and, for Nordic skiers, Telluride has 30km of cross-country trails to explore. The Air Garden Terrain Park houses a super-pipe for snowboarders, and Prospect Bowl has plenty of areas for superb riding.
Skiing in Telluride – The Après-ski
Telluride town, with the San Miguel River meandering through the centre, is only one mile long and Main Street, with its’ Victorian architecture, is home to the bars, restaurants and shops. The bar scene is very unpretentious, yet there are a number of gourmet restaurants in Telluride. There are stores selling local jewelry, gift shops and art galleries. A year long resort, Telluride is home to a championship golf course, and away from the slopes other winter activities include snowbiking, snowskating, tubing, horse-back riding, dog-sledding, ice-skating, sleigh rides and hot-air ballooning.
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