Telluride

Terrain:

Telluride is famously known for having extreme terrain and very high elevations. I visited Telluride early season when the snow conditions were not in my favor. I enjoyed the terrain nonetheless. I went to Telluride to explore their great bowls and chutes in front of Palmyra Peak, but the early season snow pack was not deep enough for the terrain to be open. Instead I got to explore some of the open hike to terrain. I had a blast skiing as much of the advanced terrain as I could. After skiing off of Bald Mountain and the tree runs off of Lift 6, 9 and 14 I came to the realization I have to come back to Telluride later in the season. I could not fathom how amazing Telluride could be on a powder day. 

On the other hand, no matter what condition Telluride has, no other resort has the views Telluride offers. I skied an amazing blue bird day, where you could see all the surrounding mountains. I may have looked at the views more than I skied. It is truly breathtaking and of course pictures don’t quite do it justice. I took an extended lunch on the mountain just to take it all in.

Apart from the views, Telluride has great long groomed blues which are meant for intermediate skiers. These blues were quite steep in certain areas. This terrain reminded me a lot of skiing on the east coast. If you are not confident in your skiing on steeper and sometimes icy terrain, these runs can seem intimidating. This is the main reason a majority of the skiers at the resort were ski racers practicing. 

This is also the reason that Telluride rates their runs on a bit of a different color scale than other resorts in Colorado. They have the typical colors, but have greens, double greens, blues, double blues, blacks, doubles blacks and extreme double blacks. Each rating is more advanced than the next, giving the resort a gradient of terrain. This helps skiers and boarders know that the double blues are just steepers blues. Although, if you’re used to the typical signs it can be hard to notice the difference until you are actually on the run.

This is not a great resort for beginners. There are some learning areas in the village base, but the rest of the resort are blues and blacks. There are also two parks at Telluride; a beginner park and an advanced park. When the conditions are not the best for the great advanced terrain Telluride has, it’s a great time to explore the park. The advanced terrain has creative M and L features. You will find some true park rat locals here. Then the beginner terrain park is perfect for those just learning how to do park.

Due to the vast elevation change at Telluride be careful not to overdo it if you have not been in Colorado for awhile. Even for me, I was more winded hiking to terrain just because of the high elevations. Telluride has over 4,000 ft of elevation gain in bounds. If you are coming from out of town, it is best to get used to the elevation first. You will find yourself becoming tired more easily. Water and oxygen bars are your friends and are all over the mountain. Don’t over do it on the first day and get elevation sickness. Take your time and enjoy the great views from the high up terrain when you’ve been properly acclimated. 

Base Elevation – 8,725 ft

Peak Elevation – 13,150 ft

Number of Lifts – 17

Number of Trails – 147

Total Terrain – 2,000 acres

Easiest Terrain (Greens) – 16%

More Difficult Terrain (Blues) – 30%

Most Difficult Terrain (Blacks)  – 21%

Expert Terrain (Double Blacks) – 34%

Resort Hours – 9am-4pm Daily

Atmosphere and Locals:

Because of the gorgeous views and remote location, Telluride tends to bring in a ritsy crowd of skiers and boarders. There are often very famous celebrities that will visit Telluride to ski. There is also a huge presence of ski racers, this is due to the long steep terrain that is perfect for practicing.

There was another type of local that I experienced while I was there and those were the true, true native Coloradoans that have been in Telluride longer than most of us have been skiing. These locals were a blast to talk to and loved that I chose to ski at Telluride. This atmosphere of true locals was reciprocated in the employees as well. They were so friendly and glad to have you in their famous remote resort, which can often be hard to find in Colorado. 

Accessibility and Parking:

There are very limited free parking options at Telluride and they fill up very fast. There are a bunch of other parking options that are paid to park as well. All the parking lots are in various areas around the resorts. At the end of the day make sure you plan your runs so you can make it back to the correct parking lot. It can be confusing finding the right lifts to take to get where you need to go.

Since it is so remote, it is hard to get to which is what gives Telluride some of its charm. You will either have to fly directly into the Telluride airport, which can be closed often due to storms or drive over 6 hours from Denver. The roads to Telluride can be tedious during storms because where Telluride is in the San Juan Mountain range gets a lot of snow in Colorado. Plan your trip accordingly, because you could get stuck in Telluride or may not be able to make it there. Getting stuck in a place like Telluride wouldn’t be too bad when you’re skiing.

Pricing: $$

Lift Tickets – 

Currently Unavailable due to COVID-19.

Associated Season Pass – Epic Pass

Lessons – 

Private Lessons: $825 (Full Day), $590 (AM Half Day), $490 (PM Half Day), $425 (Early Bird 9am-11am)

Children Group Lessons (3-14): $200

Children Group Max of 4: $395

Mountain Guide: $825 (Full Day), $590 (AM Half Day), $490 (PM Half Day), $425 (Early Bird 9am-11am)

Rentals – 

Demo Skis: $83

Performance Skis: $73

Sport Skis: $63

Junior Skis: $47

Demo Board: $83

Performance Board: $63

Junior Board: $47

For more information visit https://www.tellurideskiresort.com/