Dave's Blog

Hey thanks for your recommondations earlier. I am glad you think that Taos is a good place. I was wondering if Ski Santa Fe was any good because Taos is pricy. I also wanted to tell you I have a better chance of going up there this year my parents have a place in Aspen Ridge and we might stay there for a couple of nights. I was just wondering also if Jello's Bowl will be open soon. I went skiing last year and was guided up there and it was great. When will it open? Thanks

-Fritz

Dave's reply:Hi Fritz, I've never had the pleasure of skiing Santa Fe. All of Black Iron Blow is now open including Jello's Bowl. Hope you can ski it soon!

Wow!  Unbelievable that those guys have it open that far up.  Kudos for working so hard to make this happen so early!  I know I speak for, at least, dozens of others who really appreciate it!  Thanks again and we'll see you up there!  Peace and have a great end of the year!

Dave's reply: Ski Patrol deserves a huge round of applause. It's great to be able to offer this incredible terrain this early and they made it happen.

Thank you to you and your team.

Great job.

Everyone who enjoys the mountain and those who have invested in the area will all benefit from the job you are doing.

I have a condo in Mountain Village that I rent out and I can tell you I have never had more people trying to rent our condo this early in the year. I know the natural snow, the new terrain and the Peaks problems have been factors, but I think the job you are doing has made a considerable impact.

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

Dave's reply: Hi Craig, thanks for your kind comments - but I have to give all the credit to my team members. I'm blessed to be surrounded by a very talented team.

My work is to help that team identify where we want to go and to provide the resouces and support to get there - in a very open, honest, and communicative way.

The team is clearly making good things happen that will benefit our community, our visitors, our residents, as well as the people who work here. Thanks for recognizing the progress!

Dave-

What is the status of Thrill Hill and lift 2? We are headed out there on Friday for a week and have a house full of kids. I've been talking up the tubing hill and everyone is psyched for it. Will it be up and running?

Dave's reply: Hi Greg, Sorry to break the news but the tubing hill will not be reopened this year. The reason is that it diverted 5,000,000 gallons of water for snowmaking and really was not utilized by many people. We're going to devote that water to creating a better base on the important connections and runs that get the most use as well as building better terrain features.

Dave,

Great news on Mountain Quail. I'll have to hike it ASAP. I've been skiing here for nearly 13 years and have been very happy with some changes and not so much with others as one may expect. I'm very pleased with what I've seen of how you've approached the community and the mountain.

That said, I have a question. Butterfly (the run) has been more or less closed ever since that eye-sore of a house was built on the Northern edge 2 - 3 years ago. Is there a reason for that other than the house? My biggest issues with the community here, especially in Mountain Village is the apparent and blatant corruption and favoritism show by the City Council and the Design Review Board. Is the closing of Butterfly another piece of evidence?

Thanks and Merry Christmas.

Dave's reply: Hi Marcus, Butterfly is open, I think you're talking about the Smuggler run. There is a summer road down below that we like to make snow on before we open it. It's essentially a lower priority for our snowmaking. It will be open a little later.

It doesn't involve the Town of Mountain Village or DRB at all. As an aside, in the 5 months I've been CEO for Telluride Ski and Golf, my work with the elected officials in Mountain Village has been pretty darn good. It was a little rocky in the beginning but the relationship between TSG and Mountain Village has been on a positive curve upward. I'm hopeful that we can set aside whatever bad blood may exist from the past and work together for the benefit of our community. It's not rocket science :)

Thank you for the question.

Hi Dave,

Last time we were at Telluride, going back to the early 90's and on long planks, the season was an average one.  We're heading back out to your fair mountain and wanted to say that through your blog I have felt that we have been involved in the excitement as the season unfolds, even though we are currently in an Aus summer and surfing instead of skiing.  Keep up the great work.  Every mountain should run with this initiative.

See you on the slopes in early Feb.

Regards,

Jim & Lilly

Mt. Hotham Ski Patrol

PS.  Ever thought of a Patrol page where a Patroller has a chance to write a small article on an aspect of being a Patroller?  Mind you, I am biased here and we do this at Mt. Hotham.

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, Thanks for checking in. I went to Mt. Hotham's website and clicked on the Ski Patrol page and couldn't find what you're describing. Am I looking in the right place or is it something that only happens during the open season? Sounds like a neat idea to me. There are some very unique stories and work situations that people would find interesting.

We skied Mt. Quail yesterday on Xmas Eve!!! Santa came early with some of the sweetest turns this season. THANKS DAVE!!!! As a local I appreciate all that you are doing for the ski area, some may disagree, but I am excited and supportive of the changes. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Just one note- are you sure all of your snow machines on the mountain have flags on them? I was coming down to 5 from 4 the other day and never saw one until he was right up under me. I didn't notice a flag but could have missed it.

THANKS!!

Dave's reply: Hi TG, Glad you enjoyed Mt. Quail on Christmas Eve! I was also able to get up to Dihedral Chute late yesterday with a couple of the nicest patrollers - it was truly a great experience and I appreciated the opportunity to spend time with the team!

Regarding changes at Telluride Ski and Golf, everything we're doing is taking a long-term view. Change is never easy at first but if we're smart about our moves it will all be obvious over time why we're doing what we're doing. We're focused on the outcomes - and it appears to many that the results are already showing in a positive light.

I believe all the machines have safety flags on them but we'll double check. Thanks for the heads-up!

Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the new snow today!

Dave - That is great about Mountain Quail and thanks for your great reply to Marcus K....Isn't it great when people make comments when they are misinformed?....That seems to be a problem around here. As you know the better the Towns and TSG work together, the better for all of us and anything you can do to keep going in that positive direction is very much appreciated.

Dave's reply: Hi John, Not only are things better by working together, it's more fun! Happy Holidays.

i have young kids and was wondering if ute park terrain park was going to be there this year? we love it because it keeps the kids away from lift 4 and all the traffic.

Dave's reply: Hi Jessica, Sorry but we're not going to build that park again this year. It's utilization in that area was very low. We are moving things around though so stay tuned for those changes. Thank you.

on your multimedia gallery you guys have some nice pics but the never show the dates that those were taken, those pictures could be from 1994 and no one would know. I liked it much better when they had the full screen pictures with a small summary of the picture and the date. I think screw the multimedia gallery.

Now that that is taken care of, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

-Michael N. from El Paso :D

Dave's reply: Hi Michael, I'll double check but I believe all the pictures in the gallery are from this season. Thanks for the input.

Hi Dave,

I'm impressed that you checked.  The Mt. Hotham web site changes from Winter to Summer and only an overview of Patrol service is included.  Dare I say that our own CEO can learn something from you.  I might suggest he review Dave's Blog as a great idea to help Mt. Hotham Management be more accessible and transparent.

Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Jim

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, Offering a blog forum is a good thing that I'd recommend for any ski area CEO. I'll check the Hotham site again when you open.

We appreciate all of your hard work.  We know this is a very busy time for you.  That being said, the 3-5 year-old ski school needs some attention.  On the 24th I watched 5 instructors socializing with each other at the bottom of the majic carpet while a line of little ones waited at the top for 5-10 minutes not knowing what to do.  I also saw one instructor lead a group of 13 kids from the magic carpet to the next activity.  The ratio needs to be better than 13:1.  Today I watched an instructor tell a 3-year-old who was obviously scared and upset about the magic carpet tell the child to "let me know when you want to go" and then walk away, leaving the kid crying in the snow.  For families like ours who enjoy ski vacations, the quality of the ski school determines where we plan our next trip.  Happy kids make happy parents.  From our view point (our 4th year w/ Tride ski school), this is the one weak spot with the Tride experience.  Thank you!

Dave's reply: Hi Mary, Thank you so much for letting us know what you observed. Just so you know, an instructor will take that many kids down to the bottom of Chair 4 where they will meet with their instructors and get on the "magic bus" which shuttles them over to Sunset Plaza so they don't have to walk. 13:1 is not our standard for children's lessons. The other issues you raised are more concerning to me and I guarantee we will remedy this immediately - I've already discussed this with the Ski School Director today. Our ski school has a great reputation for high-quality service and we want to keep it that way. Thanks again for the favor of communicating with me. We'll get right on it!

Hey Dave- Just wanted to first say I appreciate all of your hard work at Telski.  This is a great forum for locals and visitors to keep informed.

I just heard a rumor that Taos is now going to be open to boarders starting this March.  Is this true, and do we as season passholders still get a few free days over there.  I have never been there before because I am not an expert skier, but I have heard they have some sick terrain that I may now be able to enjoy.  

Keep up the good work, Happy Holidays!

Dave's reply: Hi Tellurider, My understanding is that Taos will allow snowboarding starting March 19, 2008 - you might want to double check with them though. If you have purchased a valid TSG season pass for the 07/08 season, Taos will allow you to ski there 3 days this season. Just show your pass and they keep track. We do the same for their passholders. Thank you.

Hi Dave,

One question - how many runs are you planning to groom?  I see you are at about a 1/3 of them right now.

Just a quick one (and not a biggie...).  The webcam at the Camels Garden Hotel has shifted and is now mainly showing the room and not the outside.

TNX,

Modi.

(Coming in on Jan 18th)

Dave's reply: Hi Mobi, I'd check the daily grooming map at: http://prance.com/iPrance/telluride/default.asp for current groomed runs as you get closer to your ski vacation. Thanks for choosing Telluride - the conditions are great!

Also, thanks for the heads up on that webcam, we've made a call to the hotel so they can adjust it.

Dave,

Me again...what about some pictures?  I loved the ones you posted in the past couple of weeks.

Modi.

Dave's reply: Yes, I've had a systems problem but they fixed to today. I'll get a new blog up asap. Thank you for your interest.

Mountain Quail is the shizzzz. i cant wait to get some fresh!

Dave's reply: yep, it is.

hey dave,

Merry Christmas, i've liked everything you have done this year so far; but i didn't like some news i heard in one of your replys to jessica about ute park. i wish i could change your mind about building it. It was me and my friends favorite spot for freestyle and the low utilization was the best part. think about it for future seasons

stephen    

Dave's reply: Hi Stephen, we've been strategizing on several changes to parks that will take a few weeks to fully implement. Why don't you give us an opportunity to implement these and then let us know what you think! Thank you - input is always valuable!

My name is John and I am 11 years old. I have been skiing Telluride since I was 4 years old. I have a season pass and I try to come up every time I have a chance to. One of my favorite spots is Ute Park. It always has fresh powder, its not really crowded, and I love to take all the tree runs. But most of all I loved the terrain park. The jumps were a perfect size for the younger skier. That little half pipe was so fun just because it gives you something new to ski on. I'm here now and have found that the new park to be nowhere near as fun. You can't match the environment of  Ute Park. Please consider reopening the Ute Terrain Park.  

Dave's reply: Hi John, We're going to be building some new easy features off the Chondola. Give us a little time to make the snow and get it done. I think you'll like it!

Thank you for your response regarding the 3-5 year old ski school.  I do appreciate your comments and attention to our concerns.  Your immediate attention indicates your concern also.  I am sure this will improve the Telluride experience for everyone.

Dave's reply: Hi Mary, We've had several meetings over your comments and observations already. Thanks for the heads-up!

Dave, your blog is great.  It allows those of us not fortunate enough to live in Telluride to keep up with what is going on there.  I have a question?

How will the new terrain (black Iron Bowl and Palmyra Peak) compare with runs like Genevieve.  I love Genevieve but anything steeper is beyond my ability.  I love skiing but don’t care to die doing it!

Thank you for taking the time to do this blog.  It is really appreciated.

Dave's reply: Hi David, If Genevieve is the steepest you'd like to ski, I would NOT recommend going higher up Black Iron Bowl or Palmyra. Thanks - enjoy!