Telluride

posted on : May 6, 2022 posted by : GNExplorer 0 Comment

Is an early or late season ski trip worth it?

A ski trip to Telluride, Colorado in early or late winter might not seem like the best time to visit, especially given the ongoing drought conditions in the state and La Nina weather pattern. However, we had heard so much about this ski town and resort that we jumped at the opportunity despite minimal amounts of snow accumulations in early December. Telluride is consistently acknowledged as one of the best ski resorts in the United States and even North America. It is known for an expansive variety of trails on its two thousand skiable acres. We decided to roll the dice and booked our trip hoping there would be plenty of alternative activities if the skiing didn’t pan out.

Telluride is a little off the beaten track compared to its Colorado cousins. You can’t conveniently drive from the Denver airport to Telluride, unlike Vail, Breckenridge, and Copper, to name a few. 431drive an hour and a half to Telluride. There is a small airstrip in Telluride perched atop a precarious looking plateau that services a lot of the private jets and small carriers, if you prefer to avoid the drive and don’t share my fear of tiny airplanes. Paris Hilton couldn’t loan us her private jet anyway.

The scenery is breathtaking on the drive into Telluride. Our driver from the Franz Klammer Lodge described the nearby hot springs in Ouray. There are a few to choose from, but his favorite was bathing suit optional Orvis in Ridgway – no judgement dude. We ascended the main road into Telluride Mountain Village with spectacular vistas of the San Juan mountains, my anticipation growing. Perhaps Franz Klammer makes a point of stopping by the FK Lodge when he’s stateside, and we’d get a chance to hob knob with him. I’m a sucker for a celebrity sighting. The concierge service at the hotel was excellent; they whisked our skis off to the valet station upon arrival and got us situated in our room. The hotel boasts a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, complimentary tea and coffee and airport transfers. Our three bedroom/three bath unit had a full kitchen, washer/dryer and balcony overlooking the San Juan mountains. There were upscale touches like humidifiers in every room and a cozy gas fireplace – everything to fulfill a skier’s needs.

We provisioned up at the nearby market and opted to cook dinner in the condo for our first night. The sunset cast a pink glow over the snowcapped mountains. We toasted the start of our vacation on our balcony in the brisk mountain air then, feeling travel weary, hit the sack.

I struggle with mild insomnia, and when I travel out west my body wakes up bright and alert only to realize it’s three a.m. mountain time. This time I armed myself with melatonin and valerian tea (Sleepytime Extra). I’d pop some melatonin and make up the tea before bedtime then drink it if I woke up in the middle of the night. My little chemistry experiment helped me get a better night’s rest. By the end of the trip, I had become a melatonin dispensary to my friends who were waking up at odd hours.

Telluride was sporting two or three open trails, so we opted to seek out alternative entertainment. We knew we were pushing it in early December and were happy to embark on a series of fun little adventures. Our goal was to stay active. We are skiers after all.

We rode the complimentary gondola into the town of Telluride. The views from this gondola are beautiful as it ferries you 10,500 feet over Coonskin Ridge. We enjoyed a simple hike in the surrounding foothills of downtown, doable because of the lack of snow and mild temperatures. The downtown section of Telluride is designated a National Historic Landmark district, so on another afternoon we took a self-guided walking tour checking out the interesting architecture from brick front stores to Victorian homes and mining huts. It’s interesting to note that Butch Cassidy waged his first robbery here at the San Miguel Valley bank in 1889. We popped into a variety of stores including Hook for housewares and Overland for trying on luxurious western garb. There are many local dining options. We had some authentic middle eastern food for lunch at Caravan and hearty sandwiches and delicious cookies at Butcher and Baker Café.

I’ll admit that we indulged in a little day drinking. It was vacation after all. We liked the margaritas at Esperanza’s and discovered Corona Premier (when you’re too embarrassed to order water). The New Sheridan Historic Bar is a slice of Colorado history and has been in business since 1895. The bartender told us about the bar’s storied past and pointed out some of the oldest features. The weekly poker game in the loft was interesting to learn about, but by then our day drinking had moved into overdrive so I can’t remember all the specifics.

It wasn’t hard to find alternate activities in and around Telluride. Some of us went for a dip in the perfectly heated outdoor pool and hot tub at the Franz Klammer while others rented fat tire bikes at Box Canyon Bicycles and picked up the bike path near South Aspen Street. The bike path is maintained year-round and offers great views of the valley floor as it runs parallel to highway 145. There is a picturesque little outdoor ice rink in Mountain Village near the Hotel Madeline, so we rented skates one evening and practiced our best Kristi Yamaguchi moves.

Mountain Village was decked out for the holidays with beautiful greenery, twinkling lights and outdoor fire pits wherever you turned.

One of our favorite places to hang was the Black Iron bar on the ground level of the Madeline Hotel. Their outdoor fire displays are impressive plus they feature smoked bourbon drinks, a mixology feat in and of itself. It’s like a drink and a show.

For me the highlight of our trip was an evening at the Aldasoro Ranch arranged by Telluride Sleighs and Wagons. We had pre-booked this experience, which fills up quickly. Their driver arrived at our hotel in a van and transported us to an alpine meadow where a horse drawn wagon was waiting. The wagon was equipped with Pendleton blankets to keep us warm and comfortable. The wagon driver worked on the Aldasoro Ranch year-round and gave us some history. The ranch was established in the 1920s after the family emigrated from the Basque country of northern Spain. Some of the acreage has been sold off and developed but the main core of the ranch remains unspoiled. It felt like we were miles away from civilization. The only sounds were of the horses and the quiet crunch of the wagon wheels on the snow. We arrived at the campsite to a six-foot blazing outdoor fire crackling rowdily, a large teepee, and a tent cabin decorated with an antler chandelier, wood burning stove and lots of cozy rugs on the hard wood floor. The rustic table for ten people easily managed the six of us.

I strongly recommend this experience, and I suggest you go there with a big appetite. There was so much food that I’d wished I hadn’t eaten a late lunch. The chef was top notch and served us a butternut squash soup first course, Spanish tapas, and a choice of main courses (buffalo, trout, lamb, or mushroom pappardelle). By the time my trout came I was contemplating how to surreptitiously undo the top button of my jeans, but I managed to eat some more and sampled dessert as well. There were hot drinks, bourbon drinks, wine, etcetera. The downside is that from now on any other regular restaurant experience will pale in comparison to private dining experiences in a heated mountain tent.

We finally decided to ski mid-week given the recent snow and our expanding waistlines. The Franz Klammer ski valet had our skis ready to go close to the base lift. All we had to do was walk out the hotel and across the courtyard to the base of the gondola. It was a bit of a tease to get a small sample of the mountain on the trails that were open. However, the runs were long and there weren’t any lift lines. We went into the lodge to warm up and grab a bite to eat. Lodge COVID protocols directed us to order food from an app and someone brought it to our table; the tables were also spaced far apart. I assume on a busy day skiers would be able to eat at the abundance of outdoor deck tables. The perks of skiing and being outside in the mountains far outweigh the aggravations of lodges and COVID protocols in my opinion. At the time of this article, Telluride had mask mandates in place. We wore them in stores, hotel common areas, etcetera; we all know the drill. Telluride also has some renowned slope side restaurants known for culinary excellence and remarkable mountain views such as Alpino Vino and Bon Vivant; both take reservations, but they hadn’t opened yet for the winter season, unfortunately.

This was an entertaining trip on so many levels despite the lack of snow and pandemic disruptions. Telluride is best in class as a Colorado destination not only for the skiing but also for the many sights and alternate activities. In fact, I would argue that the snow conditions forced us to seek out unique and truly memorable active experiences while we were there and get to see all that Telluride has to offer. We have many reasons to return.

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LODGING:

Fairmont Franz Klammer Lodge: 3 bedrooms with kitchen, pool and hot tub, complimentary tea and coffee, airport transfers

https://www.fairmont.com/klammer-lodge-telluride/?cmpid=google_fkl_search-branded-na_brand-e-revsh&kpid=go_cmp-218498170_adg-17879555050_ad-432919246010_kwd-3564121040_dev-c_ext-_prd-&gclid=CjwKCAiAsNKQBhAPEiwAB-I5zZ9u7HHzbKNMmcGq_kWPYVw4mti_Dk4wyENivyld-As-RVsbMUbsWRoCchkQAvD_BwE

EATING:

Telluride Sleighs and Wagons

http://www.telluridesleighs.com

For lunch in town of Telluride:

Caravan