Dave's Blog

Dave,

thanks for this forum. Say,what ahppened to the porta potties on top of lift 5. would hate to see too much yellow snow.

thanks

Dave's reply: Hi Richard, I've never seen porta potties at ski resorts - they're not real practical and hard to maintain in remote locations. There are lots of real restrooms: Gorrono Ranch, High Camp Warming Hut, Guiseppe's, the angle station of the Gondola, Big Billies, Town and the Village. Please use one of them. Thank you.

Dave,

Amazing pictures, as usual.  I am so thrilled to see such amazing terrain and incredible conditions.  Please, please, please keep blogging and posting pictures.  I don't care if you really don't have anything at all to say, just post an update with a picture of the white stuff.  I am in Atlanta, and today it was 73 degrees.  Your pictures help us to believe.

And as to all the locals who decided to post their venom earlier - good for you for taking the high road.

Hoping to ski in and out of Mountain Lodge, hitting Lift 10 by the 21st.  Too bad it looks like there is no snow coming your way (shhh...don't jinx it!)

Dave's reply: Hi Lee, Conditions should be great by the time you arrive. You'll love Mountain Lodge also. Ski-in/ski-out and very nice architecture. I understand they have a new restaurant there although I have not had a chance to check it out.

I'll keep blogging. It's a way of life - even if it includes some minor abuse ;-)

Thanks for choosing Telluride for your vacation. Let us know if there is anything we can help you with or if you have any questions.

Hello Dave,

we've just got to thank you for the blog that is getting us so geeked to hit these slope for real.  Our club's group of [40] will be @ Telluride Jan 12-19, and it can't come soon enough.

Thanks again and keep the updates and pics coming!!

Jim Michon

Thunderbird Ski Club

Dearborn, Michigan

jjmichon@comcast.net

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, I checked out your ski club website. Wow, 59 years old! Looks like a very active and fun club to me. Thanks for putting Telluride on your schedule - I'm sure you'll love it. See you all in January!

have you ever posted a negative comment?

Dave's reply: Hi Brad, I'm not sure what your point is.. Yes, I focus on the positive - afterall, we live, work, and play in Telluride, the most beautiful and incredible alpine resort in North America!

Dear Dave,

This is my 20th year as a season passholder at Telluride.  I'm impressed with many things that I've observed this year: the order of the runs that are being covered with man-made snow; the alacrity with which you are opening runs; the fact that snow is being made again on See Forever above Lift 7 to cover the rocks, and the politeness of all of the mountain employees.  It's good to know that you are out there skiing - unlike other Telski CEOs of the past - so that you know what is happening on the mountain.  I'm also impressed by your accessibility via this blog.

I wish I could have skiied Lift 9 today, and I think that waiting until Wednesday is really a marketing decision.  However, that's your job, and the whiners need to understand that. I guess they have never been in business :-)  And I'll enjoy 9 when it opens!

Now a request:  Please, please, make snow on lower Lookout, so that we can all take Telluride Trail from the Gondola or 7 to Lower Lookout and head directly to 9.  Skiing 4, 5, and 6 to get there is slow and kinda boring.  It takes a lot of man-made to cover lower Lookout, so I hope you have started. :-)

Keep up the good work, and don't let the complainers (rude ones, too!) get to you!

Gary

Dave's reply: Hi Gary, I remember meeting you this summer at Tracks. You immediately impressed me as a thoughtful and experienced local that I can learn from.

You've raised some great points - where do I start?

Regarding Chair 9, the funny thing to me is that from a skiing point-of-view, marketing point-of-view, or financial point-of-view - the process I have laid out is the same. We want a super high-quality and bomber base for our guests at one of the most important pods at the resort. The nay-sayers won't likely admit it after the fact but Chair 9 is going to benefit from how we've approached it's opening. If it snows as forecast this Monday night, and we groom it yet again, the coverage and base is going to be the best anyone has seen in many years. What really cracks me up is the accusations that I'm doing this to save money - what a joke. It's all about the quality.

My philosophy is that if we offer an unmatched experience, the money will follow - not the reverse.

Regarding my skiing - yes - I'm very aware of what is going on outside. I ski without a uniform most of the time just to be able to have a good coversation on the chairlift. It is very important for me to see things through the eyes of our guests. I also like to discuss grooming and snowmaking issues with the operations folks seven days a week.

I hear what your saying about Lower Lookout. We have not started making snow there yet though. There are several reasons. I'm sure you can relate to all this.

First, we had a late start because of the unseasonable temperatures in November. Initially, we lost about three weeks of snowmaking. It finally turned cold - real cold - which really helped our productivity. Then, we had to hit the main routes off Chair 4 and the Chondola while building a fairly huge base down lower Misty Maiden for the Jeep King of the Mountain Tour. Now, we're focusing on See Forever, upper Misty, a few micro spots like Adverse Traverse. We're moving guns tonight to the bottom of Double Cabin. We have good snow on the top 80% of the Chair 10 pod but just need some man-made down low to finish it out. Completing the Chair 10 pod is very important this week because we really want to open Chair 12 by Saturday and most people exit the Chair 12 pod through the Chair 10 pod. Also, the Chair 10 pod offers a huge amount of gentle terrain which is pretty much ready to go except for the last few hundred yards.

It's cold tonight and the forecast is for some natural snow Monday night into Tuesday. All of this is very positive given that it is early December. I think everyone is going to be extremely happy by next weekend with what we role out - as well as the extent and quality we will be able to offer over the critical holiday period.

But, I will not forget your point - we'll work hard and get to lower Lookout as quickly as we can! Thank you for raising my awareness on this Gary.

I do want to say one final thing - and it's actually the most important point. You mentioned the politeness of the mountain employees. This is a huge thing that you have raised.

I'm so pleased with our staff - they are really putting their best foot forward and actively engaging our guests. Thank you SO much for noticing and saying something about it. A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the TSG employees!

Talk to you soon Gary. Thanks again.

So, first of all, today was awesome...and that course for the Jeep King of the Mountian thing just looks really cool, are you planning on keeping it past the event?(not that i'm ever going to do it, jumps are my nemisis, but...)  Anyways, i'm wondering if there will be any route down Misty Maden that will be open to the public.  

My reason for asking for this is that today i noticed that Lower Bommerang is a massive bottleneck, and saw a few to many near misses and although the Yellow Jackets most definately help, i'm under the impression that the influx of people that Telluride will probably experiance this weekend is just too much for that little chute to handle.

Anyways, you've undoubtedly already thought of this, and i'm just wondering what the plan is.

Thanks

Dave's reply: Hi Grant, Yes - we will have a route down skiers left of the competition course this weekend. Also, we will flatten the course after the event. Thanks for your questions, have a great week.

Thanks for the blog.  I am part of large group (750) that will be in Telluride Dec 15 - 21st for our annual ski trip.  You have seen a few post from other in my group.  We cannot wait and one question I had for you was do you think Prospector bowl will be open in time/  Might be wishful thinking but skied it last year when we came to check things out and had a blast.  Thanks in advance.

Dave's reply: Hi David, Chair 12 (Prospect Bowl) is most likely going to be turning by this weekend. There has been significant avalanche activity up on Prospect Ridge so I can't predict what steep terrain the patrol will end up opening on skiers right. We'll have to wait and see. One thing for sure, the skiing is going to be great for your group's vacation with all the snow we've received over the last 3 weeks. Enjoy!

We are from Western Australia in Perth and it will be our first time in Telluride on Christmas Eve. We can't wait to rekindle our skiing after fifteen years of drought (no snow skiing).

We have been reading the blog every day and just can't believe that we will be having a white Christmas and New Year, as we always are sweltering hot on Chirstmas day with temperatures usually exceeding 40degrees celcius.

So watch out as the Aussies are invading and we can't wait to get there.....

See you soon

Dougall and Diana

Dave's reply: Hi Dougall and Diana! After 15 years, you are going to have a great time in Telluride! Thanks for your post - travel safe.

Dave,

Mmmmmmmm cold at last.

Good luck with all your hard work, see you in 20 days.

Best regards,

Julian

Dave's reply: Hi Julian, counting down the days?  :)  See you soon.

Hi Dave, Thanks to you I am now an addict of the site and your blog. I wonder, can you update it earlier in the morning so we can know what to expect in the day's skiing. Perhaps a ski patrol update. If not, whatev, You are still doing a great job wiht the blog!

Dave's reply: Hi Michael, Thanks for your support. My schedule of posting is variable based on many other commitments.

While you are discussing snow curing has anyone noticed the ski area has abandoned the rest of the mountain to stick its nose up the jeep tours xxx,maybe jeep will give us all a rebate on our passes.doubt it

Dave's reply: I think things are coming together quite well on the mountain :)

will lift 8 be opening Wednesday for access to lift 9, or will we have to do the 4,5,6 shuffle?

Dave's reply: Hi B. I'll be posting a blog either later today or early tomorrow outlining how that all will work. Thank you and stay tuned.

Dave, you have a definitive skill at "rolling with the punches".  I think there's a position for you as White House Press Secretary if you ever decide to move on.

All kidding aside, I do appreciate the attention you've devoted to people's concerns on this blog as well as getting the mountain into shape; however, I find the "hold" on lift 9 terrain to be another instance of a disturbing trend of catering to marketing and special interests at the expense of the unique attributes this mountain naturally has to offer.

I suppose one has to "connect the dots", but it seems more of the "pound the square block in the circular hole" perspective to reach out to a particular market demographic.  From where a lot of us stand, it's more a case of "the tail wagging the dog" in order to insure the groomed runs will do OK in the long run as a matter of egress & variety for folks who already have other options available on the mountain.  If I recall correctly, the addition of intermediate and advanced intermediate terrain was the primary the reason for the Prospect Bowl expansion in the first place!  Lets face it, "the goods" on 9 are probably ready to go.  Worst case scenario if 9 was opened this past weekend (assuming everything doesn't dry up altogether):  there would still have been a route in and out of 9.  It might not have been picture perfect, but it would be there ... and I doubt you'd hear anything about it from those of us "complaining" on your blog.

As far as my reference to special interests:  I believe Milk Run has essentially been hi-jacked from the public - at least partially.  Since snowmaking has been installed (about 5 years ago), the run typically opens in late January ... whereas in prior years it opened whenever patrol said it was safe.  It's one of the most unique runs on this mountain (and in the state) in terms of it's moderate pitch, sun exposure, and bump profile - when left to develop naturally without grooming.  I believe the freestyle team would love to have an unmolested Milk Run to practice on (a box is much less obtrusive vs. closing the run for days at a time by the alpine team), and Coonskin would probably be a welcomed alternative by the alpine team ... aside from having a better aspect to retain snow & being more sustainable.

Dave, I respect your ability to juggle different and competing interests & think you're doing a good job at it; however, this is based on the assumption that interests above and beyond safety should be on the table in the first place ... let alone prevail.

Dave's reply:Hi Eric, I remember your post on Milk Run / Coonskin back on September 7th at 3:30 p.m. :) Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

Hi Dave,

I have never been to Telluride but after reading your blog, I felt like I should make a trip there this Winter. I was just wondering how bad is the road condition on 145 has been in the past? Do I need to chain my wheel? I don't have the big 4x4 truck, would I still be able to enjoy the place with just a compact car?

Dave's reply: Hi Ray, I always recommend at least carrying tractions devices or having traction tires when driving in the mountains. Once you're in Telluride, there is very little need for a vehicle due to the free gondola which goes back and forth between Telluride and Mountain Village and the local transit shuttle system. It's very easy to get around without a car here. Let me know if there is anything else we can help you with. Thank you.

I see on prior posts that you would like to have 12 open by this weekend.   What are you thinking for 14?  If not the chair will it be open for hike to access?  If conditions allow any chance of prospect ridge open out to MQ?

Dave's reply: Hi Erik, I'll be posting a new blog with lift details either this afternoon or Tuesday morning. Stay tuned. Thanks.

This comment is to the prior poster, Ray, regarding conditions on 145. We live in Arizona, but have a second home in Telluride. We've made the trip over Lizard Head (145) numerous times in the winter. I've always been amazed how well it is plowed in the winter. So far we've never had a problem in the Winter. Then again, this has been one of the snowiest early Decembers I can remember. CDOT has a web site that lists current road conditions, including 145 over Lizard Head: http://www.dot.state.co.us/#.

Safe travels,

Mike

Dave's reply: Thanks Mike, that was a much more informative reply than what I came up with! :)

Dave,

I respect your civility in handling the angry folk who have posted angry comments on your blog.  It would be a lot more entertaining though if you stooped to their level and told them to shove it.  It has tension and drama written all over it.   Lets stir some more emotions, Dave!   It's entertainment.

very truly yours,

Art Vandelay

Dave's reply: Thanks for the good laugh Art!

Please be honest with this community as to why Telski is saving Lift 9 for tourist groups. There are too many in Telluride who have far more snow science knowledge (on and off the area) who know that snow does not need to "cure" but rather be skied for best results. You must be thinking of the Northwest snowpack?

We are an educated community. Telluride locals see through ski resort marketing motives so it's best to be honest up front. We have seen many CEOs come and go—few of whom have paraded themselves skiing unopened terrain promising an opening after the "next storm." We know from years of experience, and ski patrol friends, that Lift 9 is ready. But perhaps it's only ready for skier groups, many of whom can't even ski Lift 9?

The majority of happy skiers about Lift 9's opening do not reside in Telluride. You'll learn a lot about this small passionate town fast, and not from those who live out of town. Please listen closely and locally.

Dave's reply: Hi TR. I'm listening - and I'm also thinking.

Here is the short answer, please listen carefully: I want the Chair 9 pod to look great and ski great for the duration. I don't want it to look like the Chair 6 pod looks right now. We pushed the opening of Chair 6. Now don't tell me that by opening Chair 9 it would have spread the wear and tear - there were over three thousand people on the mountain yesterday and my guess is that the majority of them would have abandoned Chair 6 and moved over to do laps on 9. We're just now moving snowmaking equipment from See Forever to lower Lookout, it's nothing but natural snow down there and the access would get hammered in one day. The forecast is for another foot of snow between now and Wednesday, this will further help achieve the goal I outlined above.  

I didn't just fall off the apple cart and hit my head. I'm totally focused on putting our best product forward for both locals and visitors alike. Thank you.

Thanks Dave for an awesome blog and I really appreciate your taking the time to keep us all up to date on mountain activities.  I too am a local, but from the "other" side of Lizard Head and it actually embarrases me to see all these outraged comments from "locals" about how and when parts of the mountain get opened and the concept of saving it "for the tourists".  Not sure what some of these locals do for employment but if they live in Telluride then I suspect their livelihood depends to a certain extent on the tourists.  Were it not for the influx of their dollars into our communities, it would be difficult for all of us to carve out a living in this gorgeous location!  Remember well all we want about the old days when we had to hike Gold Hill, it is still better to lap it on a high speed lift!!  Hope you get the Prospect steeps open soon and keep up the good work!

Dave's reply: Thanks for your support Stephen. I appreciate it.

It's great to see the pictures!  Our son is with the Cal Poly Ski club visiting this week and it's nice to be able to see what he is experiencing. Thanks!

Dave's reply: Hi Cindi, it's snowing again today and we might even get another foot before this latest storm ends. He's lovin' it I'm sure! You should be here too!

Hi Dave,

I must have been out at the same time as you yesterday afternoon. It was great over on Palmyra and we were so excited to get into the intermediate bumps.

I noticed that one person did make a comment about the portolets. As a solid intermediate telemarker, this is pretty much my home base. I'm 45 and have no aspirations of doing non-stops on Kan't Makum.

As a woman, I REALLY miss the portolets at the top of 5! I like to ski, and ski, and ski, and while you say that bathrooms are close by, sometimes, they are not close enough for me and some of my other girlfriends. I don't want to take 20 minutes out of my routine to find a bathroom, especially when I am in the groove. And while <i>I</i> don't mind dropping trou on the side of the trails, I'm sure some folks could be offended. (Luckily, my behind is still pretty tiny ;) )

PLEASE BRING THEM BACK. They were not gross. The mountain staff kept them clean and they are super handy for the peanut bladdered amoung us. While it's easy (and shortsighted) for a man to say it's easy to pee anywhere on the mountain, that's not always the case for everyone.

Dave's reply: Hi Katie, A quick ride up Chair 12, or a quick slide down Cake Walk and your there. I'm going to look into building some real restrooms at the top of 5 next summer. When I moved here I heard several complaints about the "gross porta potties all over the mountain" so I looked into it. In reality, no ski areas I know of put them all over the place like Telluride had for the past few years. If access to a restroom is one lift or one trail away, that's the way it works - and it works just fine. Therefore, I decided to get rid of those that were not necessary. We have 4 on mountain stations and 4 base areas - i.e., lots of choices. There is no reason to "bare it all"!

Dave,

I have enjoyed reading all of your blog posts over the months.  I must say I was most shocked by your post with photos of you accompanied by your staff skiing 9. I find it to be a contradiction to state in your blog that you and your staff are not sitting around the office drinking coffee but that you are out there making things happen to get the mountain open for guests.  How exactly do you justify this remark with photos of multiple tracks on Plunge posted by YOU on YOUR blog? I would almost RATHER you sit around the office with coffee than be out skiing, offering us locals some lame excuse.  In your opinion, is the fact that I watched several members of your staff duck the rope to ski 9 last week ensuring a safe opening?  With non lift op or ski patrol employees ducking the rope to ski 9 it doesn't sound safe to me.  And yes Dave, we are talking about office employees who really shouldn't be out there either if it isn't safe for us.

Also - By having only 4,5, and 6 open this weekend I think you posed a serious safety issue to the guests that were here this weekend.  It's not much fun and is actually quite dangerous when you have to fight the 20 year olds for a little piece of a run.  Where is the safety in this?

Another piece of advice - don't invite the press to go out skiing with you while you 'test' waist deep powder on 9.  It makes you look bad.  And don't make empty promises about opening when we get another 'big dump' because it also makes you look bad when you don't keep your word.

Telluride has been operating for a long time and we were doing just fine before you got here-so please don't patronize us with your 'ski resort management 101'.  Us locals who have lived here for 5, 10 , 20+ years know a lot more than you do about this mountain.

Eagerly awaiting your response,

Telluride Local

Dave's reply: No response necessary... All this anger is going to give you a head cold :)

I'm a senior in high school near Dallas, Texas and I can't tell you how much fun my father and i have coming to Telluride each March. It is probably the greatest experience I have ever had. This year my dads brother and my sister are coming down from Minnesota to come skiing with us. I can't wait. You really seem like a great CEO who more than the snow, the money, or aclaim, you care about the people. It's a great mentality and I think this blog is just a positive harbinger for what great ski CEO's will model in the future. Mark my words, you are a pioneer. You have your priorities set. Another reason i love this blog is because honestly the Telluride ski resort website falls short in giving updated pictures compared to a lot of other resorts. Not only am I able to vicariously live and feel Telluride from these pictures but I'm also able to view commentary and relate and talk to the CEO of this great resort. Way to maintain the intimacy Telluride is known for, where some mega resorts are driven simply by capital and numbers you focus on quality and the customer. Brilliant!

PS: I really have been contemplating golf course architecture and management which draws a lot of parallels with your job. I am just wondering what process you went through to work your way up to were you are now.

Dave's reply: Hi Sam, What a nice post! Thank you.

I'm not sure if my experience applies to golf course architecture but I'd be happy to share my thoughts. My experience has been that most ski CEOs come up through accounting/finance, marketing, human resources, or just through raw determination and performance climbing the ladder in ski resort operations.

The other thing I've seen as an important influence on your career is where you take your first job. For me, starting at Keystone Resort in Colorado fresh out of college turned out to be a really good move. It had the name recognition I needed when I was ready to take the next step and I developed some great references.

Good luck and enjoy your next vacation to Telluride!

P.S. I'll be discussing your opinion regarding our website photos in the marketing department tomorrow morning :)

Katie, Sorry for deleting your comments but I'm not going to post any more personal attacts on this blog. If you can keep your comments civil I'd be happy to post, even if your opinions differ from mine. - Dave

Dave-

Thanks for the picture of me titled "Late Afternoon runs"  I'm a 34 year Telluride skier and reading your blog has been great.  Information helps even when we all don't agree.

Dave's reply: Hi Jeff. Wow, small world. Thanks.