Telluride in March

Mar 24, 2008  ·  10:05 AM  ·  permalink

My first time in Telluride in winter turned out to be fabulous. It was warm, sunny, not too busy, and there was plenty of soft snow.

Some highlights:

Our best runs were in Black Iron bowl. We opted for a few hikes and hit Westlake, Lakeview, and Dihedral Chute.

Dihedral Chute was, by far, the most fun of the weekend—steep, challenging, and varied, with a wicked but skiable ridge on skier’s left for the truly brave. Warning: falling in Dihedral Chute could be hazardous to your health. I tried this maneuver and slid down a few hundred feet before I could arrest. The 150’ hike back up for my gear was grueling, but _so_ worth it to be able to ski the whole thing.

On our second day, we skied largely in the trees of Prospect life which were lovely, loaded with powder, and strangely untracked. Jason and I hiked Bald Mountain for a disappointing run down Audrey—I’d do it again, but opt for Jackpot.

In the evenings we chilled out at places like:

• Fat Alley BBQ: Cheap, delicious, Memphis-style BBQ and gumbo. Unpretentious atmosphere, and not crowed. A total winner.
• La Marmotte: My third time there was not a charm. The country French cuisine this time around was uninspired (my first two experiences there were excellent and good, respectively, so maybe we hit them on an off night). One highlight, however, was the kitchen’s willingness to make special accommodations for our vegan friends. They raved.
• The Bubble Lounge: Cool idea to focus on oxygen and sparkling wine, we went there for a special evening of swing dancing hosted by some of our friends in Telluride. The music was great, the drinks were good, the atmosphere was friendly, the dance floor passable, and the food….dreadful. Stick to the booze.
• Las Montañas for a late dinner was an excellent choice. Everyone enjoyed their food, the fresh guacamole was to-die-for, the margaritas were delicious, and the service friendly and accommodating.

But the absolute highlight of the weekend was getting married at the top of Coonskin Mountain, near St. Sophia Station. My bride, Shana, and I decided to elope and invite six of our our ski buddies to join us. We hired a great photographer and did a simple “event.” Telluride was the perfect setting.

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We started with a walk through town to the Gondola. As the eight of us walked down main street, the passing traffic and Telluride locals honked, waved, and wished us well. It couldn’t have been a more welcoming setting.

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Then we rode up the gondola and had an impromptu ceremony on one of the stone balconies outside Allred’s.

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From there, we had champagne and more photos with our group on the slope, and then rode back to town for dinner at La Marmotte.

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I highly recommend Telluride for skiing and wedded bliss.