Howdy,
Went to Telluride this past Friday and Saturday. The snow was great both days.
My two favorite areas, where I hang out, are Aspen Highlands and Beaver Creek. Inbounds, Telluride is just as steep as Aspen Highlands – it’s steeper than the Beav. The bump runs (my favorite terrain) at Highlands and the Beav are more challenging, because they’re longer.
Where Telluride shines, where it’s like no other, is the side country and “out-of-bounds-inbounds terrain”. Without question, Telluride has the best side country anywhere. And the out-of-bounds-inbounds terrain is a step up from Highlands. For those who love Silverton, Telluride will give you a new lover. I’ve never been to Silverton. But for me, I can’t see why I’d go there when there’s Telluride. No one I know in Telluride has ever been to Silverton. Nothing against Silverton, I’m sure it’s great. But Telluride has all the access that Silverton does – and more, right off the chair lift.
The hike up to Palmyra Peak is gnarly; twice as steep, twice as long and much more dangerous than the hike up Highland Bowl. It is not, for Joe Q. Skier — fat skis, overrated skills.
Here’s a piece my buddy blackwellspace sent me that says a lot about the whole backcountry vibe at Telluride:
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/natural-intelligence/Backcountry-Monopoly.html
Telluride is unique. The skiing experience there is much different than say, what Vail, Aspen, Copper or even A-Basin offers. For example check out this piece the NYT did on Vail.
I’m all about the whole skiing experience. Looking around, the mountain could really benefit from some upgrades. They still have some old, slow chair lifts. There’s zero social experience. The mountain is way behind when compared to what Vail and Aspen offers. I’m not saying that’s bad. In fact perhaps that’s by design. But for the sake of the mountain, I can’t see where there’s a business to be had or how the skiing experience will compete. If I was Telluride, I’d sell to Vail Resorts. Chris Jarnot and company could make that place shine. Wow. What if Telluride was on the Epic Pass?!
Telluride should be on every serious skier’s list of mountains to ski. I know as long as my friends are there, I’ll be back every year. Here’s a short video on Little Rose, off of Chair 14 :
Leave a Reply