IMAGES OF TELLURIDE
naturally magnificent

The earth’s mantle coupled with tectonic forces riveted the spirals of the San Juan Mountains into jaggededged peaks and pinnacles nearly 35 million years ago. The now-dormant volcanoes were active for six to seven million years and it is their aftermath along with millennia after millennia of glacial, wind and ice erosion that are responsible for creating the textures and hues of this southernmost band of the Rocky Mountains. The highest peaks encasing Telluride are Mount Wilson, El Diente and Wilson Peak. Standing 14,246’, 14,159’ and 14,017’ respectively above sea level. The threesome act as an ensemble of guards that protect and defend the area. They’re pillars of grandeur and symbols of grandness. It is rumored that Mount Wilson was referred to as "Shandoka" by the Ute Indians. Shandoka supposedly meant a "watchman" of sorts. Today, next to the giant domes caressing the valley’s floor, Mount Wilson and Wilson Peak are probably the area’s most photographed earthly attractions.

It’s an oxymoron that the tremblings of the earth’s innards, its retched belly ache, created one of nature’s most spectacular displays of magnificence. While visiting here, you’ll find there are many oxymorons. It’s a place of extreme contrasts and eloquent monuments. Brutal snowstorms give way to frosty-white, virginal landscapes; brilliant day skies give way to peach, magenta and denim-colored horizons - an alpenglow; the peaceably quieted mountain terrain is awakened by the "yippie, yah, yeahs" of outdoor enthusiasts enraptured in the morning’s tranquil, mystical beauty.

In the 1700s, the Ute Indians deemed the Telluride valley sacred and referred to it as "the valley of hanging waterfalls." In the 1800s, it was written there is "scarcely a more beautiful place on earth." In the 1900s, the ski resort tauts the area as "the most beautiful place you’ll ever ski." Perhaps, in the next four years at the turnof- the-century, Telluride will become known as "heaven’s kissing-cousin or its celestial soul-mate." "Heavenly surroundings" and the town’s rich character add up to TellurideStyle... an unforgettable journey.

Critters of the San Juans

All creatures great and small are well-cared for in the San Juan Mountains. The area’s abundant vegetation supply as well as its balance of prey/predator animals keep the ecosystem in sync with nature’s grand design. The multitude of wild critters largely find their homes in the corridors of Uncompahgre National Forest, Mount Sneffels and Lizard Head Wilderness Areas, which are some of the Rocky Mountains most spectacular and "untouched" regions.

Surrounding Telluride from all points of the compass are governmental lands. For the most part, these lands are celebrated in that they house or give refuge to countless wild things. To name a few....the ptarmigan, coyote, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, mountain lion, brown and black bear, porcupine, rabbit, bald and gold eagle, stellar jay, beaver, brown, gold and rainbow trout and much more. With them come meadow upon meadow of wild flowers, lichen and wild grasses (summertime, of course) as well as deciduous and coniferous trees in the lower to upper segments of the mountain ranges. The state’s much written about Colorado blue spruce, towering ponderosa pine, quaking aspen and iridescent juniper canopied by the rugged mountain peaks are what make Colorado one of the most beautiful and dramatic states in the union.

Instinctively, wildlife migrates with the changing seasons. In the warm months, they move to higher grounds where the foliage is plentiful. As the winds carry the scent of winter and green-hues explode into alabaster oranges, ruddy reds and sunset yellows, the natives begin to follow river drainages to lower grounds where the climes are less harsh and the food more abundant. Winter visitors are more likely to see critters of the San Juans as they are nesting in the lower pockets of the mountains.

A walk in the clouds

Clouds-there are ten different kinds. Cumulus, cirrus, cirrostratus, stratocumulus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, stratus, cumulonimbus, nimbostratus and altocumulus are their names. Only cumulus clouds indicate fine weather. They are fluffy, white puffs. The rest signal changes in forthcoming weather; wet or dry. The stratocumulus clouds spread out in uneven patches. They indicate dry weather while the others signal different forms of precipitation.

Clouds billowing nature bring out the romance and special qualities of an area. Their wispy, fluidity allow them to envelop the contours of any landscape. They are able to block or let in the vibrancy of the sun, moon and stars. Their abundance, or lack of, are perimeters by which we calibrate a large part of our days. Do we wear a parka? Should we go running? Do we go out to dinner or stay in? In essence, their ever-changing presence ushers in a vast array of temperments. They are omnipresent and multifaceted. They can be kind for several weeks and then as harsh and as unforgiving as Mother Nature sees fit. At best, they are a fickle, unpredictable bunch.

In A Walk in the Clouds, Keanu Reeves, the movie’s lead male character, was asked when picked up hitchhiking by a Napa Valley farmer, "What were you doing way out here?" He answered, "I was walking in the clouds." Implying he had momentarily lived his dream and been in a place he equated to supreme happiness. Similarly, Telluride locals see their town as one that offers them a state of fulfillment. They also see it as a vacationer’s haven because they know it is one knotch closer to the veils that conceal the heavens above.

Vertical Action

Expert skiers and boarders are attracted to Telluride for a number of obvious and not-so-obvious reasons.

Obvious reason number one: There are steeps and deeps here. Take for example the skier on the top. Notice the abundance of champagne powder and the nearly 30° angle that allows him to ricochet from one turn to another.

Obvious reason number two: A mountain of moguls. Moguls, moguls and more moguls are what bumpers seek. There’s over 3,000 vertical feet of moguls between the town of Telluride and the top of Chair 9 - A bumper’s paradise and the local’s turf.

Obvious reason number three: Rarely a lift line...need we say more.

Obvious reason number four: Nowhere in the United States, except Jackson Hole, is there more vertical drop. This puts an avid skier on edge; where they most like to reside.

A not-so-obvious reason: As most legends allure wanna bes and young hopefuls, Telluride seems to attract serious skiers. From ski resort to ski resort, the word is, "Watch the Telluride skiers....they’re hot." And so, alpine snowsport die-hards, make their junkets to a slew of Telluride’s double black diamond runs. The Plunge, Kant-Mak-M, Spiral Stairs, Mammoth and other "for experts only" slopes give these cold-weather athletes an adrenaline rush coupled with an extreme challenge.

Another not-so-obvious reason: Our mountain seems to put well-seasoned skiers in a skier’s daze. This is an altered state of sorts in which the boardclad enthusiast cannot stop skiing. Sometimes, not even the exiting of lift ops and the turning off of the chairlifts will stop these obsessed few. In their mind’s eye, there is twilight adventure.

Another more obvious reason: Telluride is also recognized as one the country’s best beginner and intermediate mountains.

A Worldly West

Images of Telluride, particularly of the landscape, seem to largely depict the area as having a stronghold on the Western culture...cowboy, Indian and horse memorabilia. It is the territory that Charles Russell, Remington and other great American artists pioneered and logged visually. However, as you walk into the galleries and shops of Telluride, you’ll notice there is not one particular type of art or feeling prevalent. In fact, there is a kaleidoscope of different kinds. There’s European, contemporary, Western, Southwestern, Southern Hemisphere and more. What we’d describe our town as is...the worldly West.