I'm still trying to catch up but I'm getting there! I had intended on blogging about Telluride Ski Resort before leaving Telluride but it never happened. Having spent the last two weeks in the desert, the ski area is feeling very far away!
I have never skied in such an amazing ski area. It was not only the snow, but the vista that made it so incredible. Every direction that you looked was breathtaking. There were 14 lifts of all types and the one I liked the best was the gondola. This is no ordinary gondola but one that runs almost year round. It is used to transport not only skiers, but anyone wishing to travel from the town of Telluride to Mountain Village, which is also in Telluride. The gondola runs from early morning until midnight each day.
The ski season opens officially around Thanksgiving each year and the locals are praying for snow. The mountain is leased for 4 months each year and despite how much snow remains come April, it still shuts down. I had a really hard time understanding this; the mountain closed despite the fact that about 7 feet of snow remained on the mountain when it closed and two more feet of snow fell in the same week after the closure.
Apparently, the money making season is over by then. All of the locals have already bought their season passes months before. Tourists stop coming in as it is spring and they are headed for warmer climates. Telluride is so off the beaten trail that it is not feasible to keep it open. Skiers coming to CO head for the slopes closer to Denver. Still, it seemed to strange to abandon a mountain full of snow. I imagine the snow will still be there come June as there was so much!
I had the best time sking ,ever, and took full advantage of skiing whenever I could. You can see the town of Telluride in the pictures. I walked from my house to the gondola, got on, and rode to the first slope. From there, one could ski to other lifts and slopes with the highest elevations being at 13,320 ft. I never skied from those elevations as I stuck with the intermediate slopes. My favorite run was over 4 1/2 miles of sheer beauty. At the end of the day, I skied Telluride Trail back to the town and walked 5 min. home.....perfect!
At night, I could lie in bed and watch from my windows, as they groomed the slopes. I think they worked most of the night to get everything ready for the next morning. It is the Mexicans and immigrants that do all the labor in Telluride, the surrounding towns and states. Fortunately, they seemed to be getting paid well for their work.
Again, I can't tell you how lucky I felt to spend the winter in such a magical place and I was sad when it was time to leave. I still have my house there and will get back a little before the end of my stay in CO.
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