Dave's Blog

Looks like some wicked snow. Sorry about your mom i was actin' silly. My name should have meaning Peace on Earth.

Dave's reply: No worries.

Hey great snow conditions. I am getting crazy for the lift 9 blog. I know lift 9 is a big problem but don't you think that 6,7 and 8 are really bad too. Maybe you could work on 9 for now and slowly move on to 6,7 and 8. If you need any help with the lift 9 blog i'll help. :-)

Always,

Fritz

Dave's reply: Hi Fritz, It sounds like you don't like fixed grip chairlifts at all :)

Four new high speed quads would cost about $16,000,000+. For a ski area that only does about 400,000 skier visits per year, that's a big number. Contrast that to the 1.5 to 2 million skier visits that pack onto the slopes of other destination resorts per year!

Why is milk run closed on the best day of the season especially with so much other terrain still closed for avalanche control today?

Thanks.

Dave's reply: Snowmaking equipment spread all over it. We've got some big alpine races coming in later this month so we moved the guns and hoses over there. Sorry Snowman.

First time coming to Telluride this upcoming weekend.  Will this snowstorm have any adverse affect on skiing or getting in?

Dave's reply: Hi Jeff, After reveiwing the most current weather maps, I believe this storm is going to mellow out by Monday night. It should/could snow a little off and on through the week but we'll have things dialed in. That's my prediction. I think your timing is great. Enjoy!

any idea when Lizard Head pass will open--any word from CDOT??? Really want to come up and help shred that fresh powder up. BTW - thanks for the blog. It helps to keep us 2 hrs away informed.

Dave's reply: Hi Durangoskier, We're not getting a clear answer to that question right now from CDOT and it's still snowing very hard up here today. I hear this same storm dumped 5 to 7 feet of snow on the ski resorts in California - and it's delivering the goods at Telluride now! Our base coverage is amazing for early January. This is fun =)

hey Dave -- we are coming in wednesday evening for 5 days.  looks like its going to be awesome!  thanks for the report.

Dave's reply: Yep, good timing :)

Hey Dave, just returned to Chicago from a week in Telluride with my wife and 2 sons (ages 7 & 10).   This was our first visit and we couldn't have been more impressed.   We take 2 or 3 ski vacations every year and the family is already figuring out ways for us to return to Telluride yet this season.  I wanted to pass along a very positive experience we had with Doug Morrison at the Telluride Ski School.   We scheduled a half day private lesson earlier in the week which didn't meet our expectations.   After bringing it to Doug's attention he immediatley offered to rectify the situation, we could not have ask for a more professional and timely resposne.   His handling of this minor matter added to our overall positve experience.   You have really done a great job of focusing everyone on client service.   Finally, one small suggestion; it appeared to us that Telluride needs more "on mountain" dining options, perhaps something at the top or bottom of lift 5.   We enjoyed our visit but found getting food (even as late as 2 or 3) a real challenge (crowds at Gorrono Ranch were out of control all week).   Thanks for blogging and enjoy the massive dump!

Dave's reply: Hi Rick, Thanks for your feedback. We're glad you and the family enjoyed Telluride. It does have an addictive element to it :)

Thanks for mentioning Doug. It's always nice to see a manager publically recognized for providing exceptional service. He's doing a great job.

I hear you regarding more food facilities. All ski areas in the state were maxed out over the Christmas holiday - including the restaurants.

Let me know what you think after your next trip. Telluride is known for it's smaller crowds, especially short lift lines. The Forest Service has approved a new food facility at the top of Chair 5 which we'd like to see in the near future.

Thanks for your post and we hope to see you and the family back again this season!

Whoa is right! All bellyaching aside, hats off and a big thank you to the entire Telski crew for getting the mountain up and running and keeping it open and safe all day.

Dave's reply: The TSG crew rocks!

Hi Dave--Thanks for being so accessible; great move on your part.

Can you tell us specifically what happened to lift 8 today? Also--I don't think many of us are looking for a quad on 8,9,6, or 7 [although one quad with a bubble from town that replaces both 8 and 9 would be awesome]. We just want them [especially 8 and 9] to work consistently. They seem to break a lot, and at the worst possible times. Without replacing 8 and 9, surely there could be a way to make them super reliable. One last thing, I understand people are into racing and you need milk run for some events, but could we have it back by late feb. or early march for the rest of the year? That run is super unique and provides by far the best spring bump skiing on the mt. Even snowboarders can rip those bumps in the spring. It has been a decades-long tradition to head to milky in the spring. Maybe you could work out a deal where you give it to the racers early season to late feb., and at least let us have it in march and early april? And i do agree it should have been open today, but i understand that the still-unneccesarily-running snowmaking equipment needed to be moved. I know everyone was super busy this morning, but the snowmaking guys could have cleaned that up early today. By late today it had been poached numerous times, creating a safety hazard, as you could not see the equipment, as it was partially buried. Thanks again for taking all of our opinions into consideration, I think you are doing a good job in a tough situation.

Dave's reply: Hi Steven, You've got lots of comments and questions packed into that paragraph! :)

I was informed that Chair 8 had a roll-back fault this morning. Lift Maintenance wanted to take everyone off the chair and test it several times which is what took time.

Yes, chairlifts can be significantly rebuilt. New gearboxes, motors, electric drives, wiring, etc. are all possible. There are lifts in Europe that are 50 years old and running fine. So, replacing lifts on the north side is not really necessary unless the objective is to increase capacity or speed.

Regarding Milk, I'll look at the race schedule and see what the options are. I remember those giant sunny spring bumps several years ago.

On a final note, please don't poach any closed runs. In this case, Milk run not only has equipment in place but snowmaking piles needed to be smoothed out.

Thanks for the questions. Enjoy the week - skiing should be awesome.

do you know if the college groups have made it in yet?? i am specifically wondering about the group from Marquette University, in Wisconsin.

my boyfriend is on the bus coming from Marquette. They left yesterday at noon. The last i heard from my boyfriend was at about 12am this morning and they were in nebraska. they were expected to reach telluride at about noon today.

at about 12am this morning our conversation was cut off. I have been trying to get a hold of him since then.

i was wondering if you knew if they got into the resort?? i know with the snowstorm things could be delayed, etc but i was wondering if they would have had to take any of those roads that you said were closed, etc?? please let me know if you know anything... i am very concered.

thank you very much...

Dave's reply: HI Lauren, Do you know what hotel they are staying? If you do I'd call the hotel. I'm aware that a large group was due to arrive today but they are all staying in different hotels and condos so it would be hard for me to locate him without that information.

Coming from the midwest it is likely the bus was coming west on I-70 from Denver. The roads I was talking about in my blog are to the south and would not be the routes the bus would take from Denver.

Feel free to contact me directly tomorrow morning at driley@tellurideskiresort.com if you still have not heard anything. We'll be happy to assist you.

I wouldn't worry too much, CDOT is good about managing safety on the highways in Colorado.

Thanks for the quick response Dave. To clarify, I did not ski milk run, just noticed a bunch of tracks on the way home that I did not see this morning.

I do not think a lift 9 quad is necessary, but it would be nice for alleviating those long lines that form when we have a good snow. This was not much of an issue 15 years ago, but with the break-downs and the increase in skier days maybe it is time to re-assess.  Accessing as much terrain as that lift does, I think those runs could handle more skiers coming down them at the same time. Maybe one long one from town w/ a possible mid-station if you need access at the top 8/bottom 9. Thanks also for checking into the milk run situation--you will make a lot of folks happy by having it open and letting bumps form late feb.!

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input. I'm planning on posting a blog on the Chair 9 debate in the near future. Stay tuned!

Please, consider letting us ski Milk Run until it gets a little closer to race time.  I am no expert but it would seem easy to remove the snow making equipment and put it back after the storm.  Thank you for listening.

MM

Dave's reply: My excellent snowmaking manager, Ryan Mackey would say: "install a bunch of tower fan guns so he'd never have to mess with the conflict and you'd have access even while he's making snow". The air/water system we have on that steep terrain is a pain in the butt and very time consuming to set up and tear down.

We're in a planning process right now regarding our snowmaking system. There are so many good ideas and projects that would make things better for all - guests and staff.

Thanks for the input MM, I hear you.

Hey Dave,

Psycho storm. Looks bigger than anything town's seen in a while.

Any bets for the working world as to when Lifts 12 and 14 will open up tomorrow? Or if they will at all? How does it look over there?

I think half the town is trying very carefully to plan their ski breaks to coincide with the dropping of those ropes.

Dave's reply: Hey Pat, I hear that.

We'll have to evaluate in the morning. Looked out the window a moment ago and it's pounding again up here. As we know, large areas up above can provide source and mass for slides into the gut. Some may provide pressure (with or without tact) to cut corners but our patrollers will apply good judgement and drop rope only when it's ready.

Let's go make some turns this week. Give me a call.

Dave,

First of all, having just read through the previous comments, we are 100% with everything that Steven said and suggested.  

One word:  AMATURE! Eighteen inches of snow shuts it down?  We got in powder line at 8:10, waited forever, heard the stories of the gapers skiing Chair 4, and then were stuck on Chair 8 fearing for our lives (really!).  When that M****'er rolled backwards and then hit the break, your "roll-back fault" wasn't worth any powder day.  I(Jim) leant over and buckled my boots, and we both looked down and tried to plan for the jump.  A ladder down a lift tower seemed awfully attractive from our position up there.  Yes, we heard that a guy climbed down and got busted for it.  Self-preservation.  If anything, maybe you owe that guy an apology.  Was Chair 8 broken down yesterday, or just a rumor?  Did the delayed opening of 8 had anything to do with its functionality, thus safety?

Milk Run!  Snowmaking?!!!  A disrespect to our planet!  We get the mega-dump with a lot more coming after a record December and a 60" base, and you guys are pumping water from our river and burning energy in order to make snow that we don't need. How does that make Telski look as steward of these mountains?  To see you spitting snow in the face of Mother Nature during a time of crisis in this planet's evolution makes us feel ashamed to be any part of it.  Not cool.

You can have no idea at this point of your residence here (and welcome, by the way:) how much this place means to us.  We love to ski so much it makes us want to take one of these and shred until it burns.  Thank you for your attention and availability -- and PLEASE take good care of this place and the people who live here.  

redbusjim@yahoo.com  728-1396

Dave's reply: I appreciate your passion and I've got to say that's a very interesting post!  ;-P

Extreme storm is right! School is out for a snow day Monday! This is craziness. :) What a great place to grow up. All Telluride's kiddos will be up enjoying skiing and boarding for sure. :)

Dave's reply: Funny, we were just talking about that possibility! After the kids two weeks off, a snow day is in order :+)

Been skiing the mountain for the last 3 weeks. this is the biggest snow I have seen in my 8 years in Telluride. Every day seemed like powder day.

One comment, the invisible web rope fence at teh bottom of See Forever was NOT a good idea. I almsot ate it on that one. Suggest you do something else there with more visbility.

When will you replace the leg breaking chair 6??

Dave's reply: Hey Rich, 3 weeks of skiing at Telluride - you must be livin' good!

I looked at the slow skiing banners at bottom of See Forever yesterday, it seemed fine. Maybe it was changed again. I'll check it out. The patrol really wants people to slow it down right there because of the trails that merge, their headquarters, and the top of Lift 7 all in that area. Sounds like a reasonable expectation to me.

What do you mean by "leg breaking Chair 6"? It seems like a comfortable fixed grip lift with a foot rest/safety bar and new chair pads to me.. Enjoy the new pow.

Dave,

I'll be in town briefly in the morning and was wondering how long gold hill might be delayed tomorrow? I need to bust runs off on gold hill ASAP so I can get back to business, if you know what I mean. Are we talking noon? 10AM if things get controlled quickly? Possibly not at all? Any info is most appreciated!

Thanks Dave,

Ron Jeremy

P.S. If you have any info on hike to stuff in prospect, that would be great also.

Dave's reply: Hi Ron, I hate to speak for the patrol in a storm situation like this but if pressed my guess is that I'd be totally surprised if Gold Hill opened before noon tomorrow. It's possible it might not open at all tomorrow if it keeps snowing and blowing up at the top through Monday. It was a total white out up there today. Once they get a break they'll make good progress. The lift was turning today and patrol was trying to run AC routes but it sounded pretty burly on the radio. Chairs 6 and 9 will be awesome though for saturating the needs of the expert skier.

The Telluride school district has graciously decided to give its students, including me, the day off on Monday to go enjoy the epic amounts of snow. I for one felt that today was the best end of break possible and now with no school tomorrow, the true best end of break is going to be tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that every student is going to put off the already heavily procrastinated homework for one more day to shred... I just want to say thanks and hey it would be sweet if gold opened, i can think of some kids that would baby sit your kids for free or any ski patrollers as well. Make it safe first i just can't wait to link some turns... Thanks your doing a good job and hey i don't think you should upgrade lift 9 or lift 8, they are fine just the way they are...

Thanks a lot

Dave's reply: Hi Adam, Yes - the kids all deserve one more day of freshies!

Dave,

No problem with going slow, but I saw the red banners and slowed down, but did not see the light yellow web rope fence right behind it. I was going maybe 5 miles an hour and did not see it until I cleared the red banners. You can keep the web fence, but put up something visble on it.

Chair 6 always gets let go into the back of your knees by the operators. I have gotten injured on it a few times over the years. I have avoided it for a long time, but life 14 was broken last week and I had to take 6 to go up to See Forever. At least put in a rope slowing machine at the bottom.

Your Neighbor with the Boxers.

Dave's reply: Hi Rich, I'm not sure what you mean by a "rope slowing machine", will you explain? All fixed grip lifts are moving at approximately 400 to 500 feet per minute when you load. Detachable lifts slow down to about 200 feet per minute while loading and unloading then speed up to between 1,000 and 1,200 feet per minute, depending on the manufacturer. As a result, loading a fixed grip lift is certainly different. I usually put a hand down on the front of the seat to guage when exactly to sit. That's my technique anyway.

Dave,

We are very passionate people with very interesting posts.  Thank you.  Among our passions are Chair 8 and living, Milk Run and Earth, and a more meaningful response to our concerns.  *** Pleez....

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, Sorry for the brevity in my earlier post :) I'll try and do better in the future.

Dave,

How many of your employees couldn't get to work today? Maybe the area's largest employer needs to make a bigger contribution to deed-restricted employee housing. Maybe Telski could use some of the money that they spent on the water and energy it took to blow "snow" during a blizzard(it's MILK RUN, not Milk, Dave) to offer it's employees a competetive wage, so that they can afford to live closer than 40 miles from this "World Class Resort".

You are right Dave, the "Pow Pow" is great, but it would be greater to ride a safe, reliable lift to terrain that is opened in a timely fashion. What ever does Snowbird do with all their snow?

It seems like the ski area must be dangerously understaffed if two people in the avalanche safety department missing work strains the department to to it's seams.

It's a big job you've got Dave, but please don't lose sight of the details that really matter.

Dave's reply: If you're going to bash the company and insult me at least have the decency to make yourself known instead of hiding behind some handle.

I'm quite familiar with ski resort operations and we are not "dangerously understaffed". I posted that 4 of our most senior avalanche pros were stranded in Ophir but the team performed wonderfully yesterday and opened what was reasonable to open. The weather conditions (blizzard and white-out) up high prevented opening Gold Hill and Prospect.

Snowbird has military artillery which they blind fire in storms from a safe distance. Ski areas close terrain regularly to make sure proper AC work is complete. We understand the details that matter - public safety being number 1.

hey, love all this input, so sad i had to leave the day of the big storm. i did get 4 days of great skiing, after coming back 8 years later to telluride, still remembering most of it, its so epic.

but, after a scare of frostbite, and a broken wrist on my 4th day, both times, i asked SEVERAL telluride staff where the medic was, off of chair 10, and 4, NOT ONE person could tell me where the medic was. this wasnt life or death situations, but if someone is serisouly hurt, no one could tell that person where the medic was. this needs to be changed. it took me 25 minutes to get hold of a medic. it souldnt take that long. telluride was AMAZING other than that. hopefully ill get to go again, without injury. ;] thanks dave.

Dave's reply: Hi Haley, I'm curious, were you asking for a Ski Patroller or the location of a hospital/clinic? Let me know. Thank you.

YIKES man the conditions look SWEET! Reguarding to your question above, I don't exacly hate the fixed gripped chairlifts but its more that they are the oldest lifts in TRide. You should take a look at coloradoskihistory.com it is a pretty cool website showing about telluride's history, old trail maps, where all the lifts cam from and when and the pro's and con's of it. They also show abondoned resorts near the area and all the other ski resort history. That is where I get my information and know that lift 8 is old and was used at another resort before T-Ride so 8 might need to retire and 6 and 7 are very old too. Lift 6 was removed from the bottom of the mountain and relocated. Dave love the blog, keep em' coming.

-Fritz

Dave's reply: Hi Fritz, Yes - I have seen that website, it's pretty neat. Regarding the fixed grip lifts, my point is that around the world, the steel and concrete in a lift lasts a long time, the electrical and moving parts can be replaced without tearing the whole lift down. Talk to you later.

May all our thoughts and prayers be with the families and friends of the 8 victims of yesterday's bus crash who were killed on the their way home from Telluride yesterday. So very sad.

Dave's reply: Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of those involved in this tragic accident.

First of all, let me say, in all my ten years of skiing at Telluride, the conditions were never better.  I went skiing seven times over break and i was happy i went each and every time (save for the big crowds, but i guess i shouldn't complain)

Anyways, The main reason that i am writing here is to inquire about a certian situation.  My school, Ouray High School has traditionally done a ski day to Telluride every year.  While most of us have passes anyways, the kids that didn't only had to pay ten dollars or somewhere around there.  But apparently this year that price was raised to $50 dollars, which some people simply can't afford.

What happened?  Why did this change?  I really don't see why the prices were raised.  We aren't some college group from Iowa, we're local kids.  We live 10 miles away as the crow flies.  We regually compeate in basketball, soccer and volleyball.  We even had two Telluride girls on the Ouray-Ridgway XC Team a few years back.

Is it possiable to accomadate us as you have in years past?  It surely won't cost you much of anything, 80 extra people on the mountian should not be an issue.  And we'll spend money on lunch anyways.  I'm rambeling and i think you get the point, do the right thing here and give us our tradition back, if you would please.

-Grant Zimmerman

Ouray High School Senior

PS: I'm sorry you have to deal with all the ignorant complaining fools, it angers me that some people are so devoid of simple respect.

Dave's reply: Hi Grant, $10 lift tickets? I'm not quite sure what you're talking about but will look into it. Thank you.

I just want to say that boarding yesterday in Telluride was one of the most AMAZING days of my life (though every muscle in my body aches now) and a huge thank you to the staff that made it possible!  Sure I wish Prospect would have been open, but I totally understand that public safety is the #1 priority.  Thank you so much for doing this blog Dave - I used to work in Telluride, but now that I do the commute from Ridgway, it's awesome to know a head of time if it will be worth the hour drive!  What an amazing place we live in!!

Dave's reply: Glad you enjoyed the pow Josey. Chair 12 and 14 where open around noon today. A huge THANK YOU goes out to our dedicated ski patrollers as well as the entire mountain department for recovering so quickly and making the terrain available to our skiers and snowboarders!

Hola! well as usual even when there is plenty of snow for all to harvest and rip, we are unsatisfied with it all???? How about the snow tomorrow and the day after and after that??? why so impatient everybody, take it easy, i believe there will be plenty of untracked POW POW for all:)

Dave's reply: That sounds pretty sane from a loco local! I agree, our cup runith over at Telluride. Anyone who complains should be banished to another ski resort for a month in order to regain appreciation for what we have :)

Dave,

The last few days are proof that we need new lifts.  It is the best skiing in years and we are constantly being told of lift closures and of delayed openings.  It is time for an upgrade.  If chuck horning wants to give back to the comunity at all he needs to update 7,8,9.  

Dave's reply: Hi Scott,

I wouldn't make this a Chuck issue. At this point, I wouldn't recommend to him what you're suggesting anyway. I'm going through a process of determining capital priorities at this time.

There is no reason to exaggerate the issues becasue you want high-speed lifts on the north side =)

Let's remember, we currently have 7 high speed lifts plus the gondola.

Thanks for your input - I appreciate it.

Why does the Telski web site still say we have only received 9 inches in the last 24 hours?

Dave's reply: Website was updated a little after 4:00 pm today. Thank you for your question.

hey! thanks for the response. i was looking for a Ski Patroller. once i found one, they then took me in a van to the clinic. that was nice...

p.s. the ski patrollers are all very nice, and know what they are doing. =] A+ on that!.... thanks dave!

Dave's reply: Hi Haley, Glad everything turned out well for you. Hope to see you in Telluride really soon - like - this season again? You can't wait another 8 years! This is turning out to be one of the best seasons in many years and you need to be a part of it!

Hi Dave,

Great blog. Really appreciate the effort you put into it and the even-handed manner in which you approach all comers.

Just a heads up on a situation that didn't need to happen yesterday (6th). We had first lift on 4 and then went to 5 and were told that 6 would open in about 20 minutes so we headed there. We we waiting patiently with everyone else (not a rowdy crowd at all). Then, a young woman, lift op??? got everyone's attention and said something along the lines of " 6 may not open at all today or it might open. you can hike out. It was truly done in a rude way that was entirely unnecessary.

I understand that there are many issues to getting the mountain open on big snow days. No need for the staff to be rude or, to give what turned out to be completely uninformed information out to customers.  As it turned out people waited patiently and within about 10 minutes or so 6 magically started.

it was a great day and thanks to the troubles on 8 we got first tracks on the Stairs and the powerline! That was just like the old days I remember when I lived here in 1983, when we had a December to rival this one and no front lifts.

Welcome to Telluride. I'm moving back here because of the skiing and the community I love and have missed and will support your efforts to keep Telluride safe, fun and magical as well as progressive and eco-friendly.

P.S. I also was disappointed that it only listed 9 inches this morning. The snow report online should be super accurate for all of us trying to make judgment calls about when to take time from our busy lives to fit in skiing. That's my only suggestion at the moment.

Sincerely,

Lisa

Dave's reply: Hi Lisa, thanks for the input. Sorry about the less than diplomatic communication over at the bottom of 6 yesterday. Based on the info you've provided and the timing my guess is that we can narrow it down and have a coaching discussion with her. Some people are just not as smooth as others when it comes to public speaking =]

No front lifts. Wow. Can we all imagine that today? Let all just think about that for a moment... What a throw back.

Glad you're moving back to Telluride - it is truly a magical place (all marketing spin aside). If anyone who lives here doesn't still feel that way, move away for a period like you did - that will bring perspective back really fast!

Thanks for the heads up on the web reports - I agree we need to update them on a timely basis and make sure they are accurate all through the day. So many people trust the web - and we need to make sure our site is updated regularly.

Have a great season - thanks for your post Lisa.

Dave, thank you for making yourself available to us, puts something like a face on the company. An e-face maybe. A couple of things I'd like to chime in on, I was on lift 8 when it had the roll-back, just made me think that maybe it's time to do some renovation work on 8 & 9. I personally am not interested in seeing high speeds on either lift, maybe to upgrade 9 to a quad perhaps would be not so bad, it would help when we have a lot of people in town, however, to solve the reliability issues would go a long way to improve this resort for locals & out of towners.

Another thing to think about is some way of improving how things are done when there is a powder line. On Sunday morn there were a few incidents of people trying to skip the line, people trying to save spots, etc. this led to some pretty aggro behavior, no fun to see on a day full of freshies. In a perfect world everyone would see that there is enough snow for everyone, be courteous, realize that the people who are there have made the effort & get in line at the back. Alas this is not so. How about some remedies such as a large sign stating "powderline rules" such as; you must stay with your equipment, no saving spots, etc. Or maybe it's as simple as setting up a maze like the security line in the airport?

Thanks for your time.

Dave's reply: Whoa, you've really struck a cord! Thanks for bringing this up - I like your style.

As you know, I'm the new kid on the block. Moved here in July. At some point this fall, Jeff Proteau, VP of Mountain Operations told me this story about people putting skis down in line to hold their place on a powder morning then going in for coffee. I said, "you've got to be kidding"???

Evidently, it's been some kind of strange Telluride tradition. It has caused problems, to say the least, mostly at chair 7 and 8. Last year, I'm told we moved skis "holding" place and that also caused an interesting spin.

It all sounds a little crazy to me. I was talking with some old timers today about this and one guy said, "yeah, it's so funny, the locals go nuts to be first on the chair on a powder morning at Chair 8 but by the time they get to the top they're all about sharing -- "you go first,, no after you"!

Powderline Rules - interesting subject for a future blog..

I personally think that when Telluride gets lots of snow something happens to the ying/yang. As some bloggers have said - it's all about living and life. Telluride powder at its finest.

I'm still just trying to figure it out after 6 months at the helm =+)

P.S. I hear you on the renovation work on 8 and 9. I'm all in favor of allocating the capital for that.

Dave,

Off subject, but on an earlier post you commented on the new Prinoth snowcats and your excitement about their performance.  Is there a particular part of the mountain they are servicing or are they utilized across the board?

Love reading your posts.  Keep up the open forum.

Christopher

Dave's reply: Hi Christopher, The Prinoth's are utilized across the board. Glad you enjoy the blog - it's helpful on many levels internally and externally.

Dave,

Being about as far away from Telluride as you can be while living in the continental U.S., (NJ, no jokes please I've heard them all), I really enjoy reading the blog, and the pictures you post. We visit Telluride every year. Having lived in Crested Butte and skied all the other choices we still choose Telluride every year, plus we have a very good friend to visit, (he's a legend, and not just folklore).

The one thing I would like to see addressed is a "daily" photo. Being out of town I look forward to seeing updated daily pictures on the website. I visit the site everyday in hopes of new pictures but they just don't do it. I have actually written the webmaster and ask why? If you can post such nice pictures so quickly and run Telski, I am sure a daily picture could be posted by your web team. Thanks and we'll see you in early February, keep building that base for our visit.

Thank you, Boomer  

Dave's reply: Hi Boomer, Thanks for the input on the daily photo. I'll talk with the staff about that. See you soon in Telluride - it's been an incredible season so far!

I still cannot get over the rude/you owe me mentality of some Telluride locals. To think you can just drop your skis at Chair 8 and go for coffee or back to bed is absurd. Dave you know what works where you came from "Sorry folks the lift isn't open yet. Please vacate the area." If asked a second time to leave so patrol/lift ops can get the mountain/lift open your pass is pulled for the day. I don't understand what this town doesn't get about letting the ski area do their jobs so we can ALL have fun and do it safely??

Dave's reply: Actually, I think the world of the Telluride residents. There are always a few people at every resort who think then own the place :) There is so much passion for the resort that it manifests itself in odd ways on powder days!

Hey Dave,  Have been skiing for 35 years, though my form does not show it.  Had a T-Ride pass for 19 years, less than some but more than most.  Have been on every know type of lift, Poma, and rope tow,  including a single chair, yes single as in one person, mounted on old ore towers at Park City the first year it opened.  Damn thing angled forward just to add to the fun. Yea I have been stuck on 9 and the old 5 more times than I can remember but still had great days.  Then there was the time I was evacted from 5 but even that was on a good day with a free pass thrown in I could give away.  I think all those whining 'bout the lifts and such should get a life.  Enjoy the mountain, one of the best in the West, or take the option of putting on the skins and hiking.  As for the delayed openings beats waiting for spring until someone finds you.  Speaking of delayed openings there are times in the Sierras when the openings are delays for several DAYS and when the mountain does open the snow is so wet one can walk on the top of it!  I am writing this from CA having left on Monday. Dumb thing to do it do seem. Bill

Dave's reply: Hi Bill, I'm very proud of how quickly our staff put the resort back into a safe condition after 3.5 feet of snow with big winds included. It was an amazing job and our visitors and locals experienced some of the best skiing in the last decade as a result! Thanks for your comments and perspective.

Hey Dave, I know things have been hectic, but when time permits it might be nice to dedicate a future post to telling us more about the Telluride Ski Patrol, who they are, how many, volunteers or paid staff, their responsibilites beyond the obvious, etc.   They have clearly done an outstanding job all season and in particular this past week with all the snow.   Would love to learn more.   Looking forward to getting back in February.

Dave's reply: That is a great idea. Thanks Rick. See you soon in Telluride!

Dave,

What a wonderful trip my wife and I have had this past week!  Our third time to Telluride and proof that we will keep coming back.

I too must compliment you on your excellent employees!. Every member of the staff we met during our stay from the ticket scanners to the ski patrollers we bought t-shirts from were friendly and helpful.  And it looks like you think so too as you are very complimentary of all members of your staff thorughout your various blog posts.  

Having said that, i am curious to know why the end-of season bonusees have been revoked for all of your staff.  We over heard a discussion in the bar and learned that the end of season bonuses many of your staff count on have been taken away without forewarning.  

I am sure you plan to make it up to your staff in other ways, but i wanted to say that we think your staff is awesome and certainly deserving of an end other the season bonus and incentive!!

Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing you next year.

J Wilson

Dave's reply: Hi Jack, Thanks for your compliments towards our excellent staff!

Regarding the old end of season bonus, we moved that money to a recognition and reward program that is distributed throughout the season and changed the basis. The new program, which is fully funded, rewards people who are working to help achieve our resort goals and tactics. We're not dis-investing in our great staff by any means, we simply changed the program.

Change always creates uncertainty in life - but we believe this program is much more contemporary and progressive than the old program.

Thank you for visiting Telluride and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

In response to Bill Schiffbauer: Speaking for myself, when all is said and done it doesn't bother me so much to get stuck sometimes. It generally isn't very long and yeah, it happens.  Once in a while you hit 9 when it's having "issues" and you get frustrated and vent. Sometimes at Dave.

The real problem I have with the lifts stopping a lot is that people come here and pay $85/day for a lift ticket. And sometimes they get only two runs on 9 in per hour! I honestly think the lifts do stop more here than at other resorts, but I will admit that I may have simply talked myself into believing it. Regardless, however, I do know that there is a very real perception that the lifts stop more here than at other resorts, and that perception needs to be fixed. Maybe Telluride needs to be twice as good in order for people to think its the same as others. I don't know. Try to remember it's not just locals, there's also tourists paying a whole lot to come here, and supporting our entire economy! They deserve lifts that run consistently and they'll go somewhere else if they can't find them here.

Dave's reply: Hi Snowball. I honestly don't think our lifts perform at a lower level than other well-run resorts.

I'm not saying that for the effect - it is my experience. In my participation in ski industry conferences I have the pleasure of skiing many other resorts every year for over the past 2 decades. I could go into a whole list of examples but I'd be typing all night.

I'm thinking one recent example though.. A major ski area on the west coast (without naming it) put in a brand new $4,000,000 out-of-base high-speed quad last winter which performed horribly. The public went nuts and it still took them most of the season to work out the bugs. They had engineers flying in from Germany, etc.

In my experience at the prior resorts I have operated, I've seen small and large lift issues: gearbox failures, electrical problems, mechanical problems, etc. It always seemed to happen on a holiday or a powder day :) Never was the public endangered because of all the safety features on todays lifts but they do stop from time to time.

As I said in an earlier reply, the primary reason lifts stop is because of user error loading and unloading.

At the end of the day, our talented Lift Maintenance and Lift Operations staff is totally committed to reliable lifts - and I think they do a very good job.

That's my opinion - FWIW.

Dave, I appreciate you letting the "powder-day magic" do it's thing.

I'm referring to the people that are whining about people who are on top of their games and secure a spot in the powder line as early as possible. In my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with putting your stuff in powder line and going to get a cup of coffee. And if someone lives close enough to go take a nap after putting their gear down, then more powder to them (they probably live in a creaky house with a toilet that's ready to fall through the floor, they deserve early tracks). If one feels they are being shafted when they get in line five minutes before the lift opens, then get there earlier next time and put your stuff in line before you attend to your other things that kept you from being early or at the very least, get a friend to hold your spot because that's what friends are for. If you're still whining, remember: there's enough powder for everyone and don't worry, we'll leave you some!

An ancient Asian person once told me: The early sperm gets the egg. I think it applies in this case, Although in this case, everyone is getting some eggs.

Think about it.

Dave's reply: Hi Pooky, I'm trying to think of a similar analogy to this. Not the sperm and the egg thing - but holding place in a line by putting equipment in place or having a friend say (I was holding your place). I really have not made a final decision on this one yet.

Hi Dave,

I was reading this thread and noticed you didn't address Local Skier's question about affordable housing and competitive wages.  I had a particular point that I am curious about, is it true that Telski's gondola operators start at a higher wage than your ski patrollers?

Dave's reply: Affordable housing is a regional problem that impacts all businesses large and small as well as property owners in the area. Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association has hired a mountain community planner to evaluate that issue as well as others. We're all hoping to gain some insight into the solutions from that forthcoming plan. In large part, it comes down to a land use question - as well as funding.

The gondola is owned and operated by the Town of Mountain Village, not TSG, therefore we have no direct control over the wages and benefits that the town pays. TSG wages are above average across the board for Colorado ski companies.

pooky-

this is probably a discussion to be had somewhere else, and i agree that the early bird gets the worm, but it has always been unacceptable to leave your gear in line and leave, only to come back a few minutes before 9am. i understand a quick bathroom run or getting a QUICK cup of coffee while your buddy watches your stuff, but leaving your gear in line for more than a few minutes is not the way it works. If so, why not just put your skis down the night before and show up at 9? at any other resort your stuff would be tossed aside, which sometimes rightfully happens here. If you want an early chair, get in line and stay with your stuff and earn it. any other way breeds confusion and contempt. do not bring your buddy's skis with you and put them down next to yours either. no saving spots in line. if you want 1st chair, get in line early and stay in line. that is the way it has always been done, and it is the right way. I know times are changing, new school, blah, blah, but powder line has an unwritten code, try and stick to it. It makes a stressful situation go so much smoother.

Dave's reply: Humm, that way of thinking seems to make sense to me. Unless I'm missing something. It just seems more fair - you're either in line or you're not. I guess we'll need to have an internal conversation about this and then see where we take it.

Um, now I'm confused about the proper powder line etiquette. Could someone explain what the powder line rules are now? Then we can all start the conversation from the same place? I thought you had to stay with your stuff? I didn't realize you could go home and go back to sleep?

Dave's reply: We're going to meet on this internally and then get back. Thanks.

Dave,

I just wanted to make a suggestion about how we as a community (Telluride/ Mt. Village) and the Ski Area can show our respect and condolences for those injured and killed in the recent bus accident. This ski group has been enjoying our slopes for over 25 years, and has supported our economy since before Telluride was a famous destination. That goes for the people of Phoenix, perhaps the original Telluride ski market. These folks are loyal customers, but more importantly they are skiers and boarders like ourselves. I think we owe them, their families and the people of Phoenix a gesture which expresses the sadness we share.

First, I suggest Telluride Ski Area shut down all ski lifts for 10 minutes at noon sometime in the next week, for a moment of silence. Maybe some similar gesture can occur in Telluride & Mountain Village.

Second, I think there should be a permanent placard, placed on top of the mountain with the names of those killed in the crash. This is about skiers and boarders recognizing the passing of others who share our passion. They were coming home from a great ski experience in Telluride. Let's do something which shows this bond we share. Thanks Dave!

Dave's reply: Hi Friedman, That is a very thoughtful suggestion which I really like. Let me look into it. Thank you.

snowball-You can't leave your stuff. Regardless of the forthcoming word from telski, the unspoken rule has always been stay w/ your stuff. people not doing that has been the source of the rowdiness. This will continue to be enforced by locals in line. Your stuff will just be removed if you are not with it. Fair is fair.

Dave reply: Hey Steven, We'll be posting on this soon.

since your reply to what i had posted above "I will look into it" will obviously yeild nothing more, i respectly request that you take the previous post of mine down because, quite frankly, i hate seeing myself wrongfully portrayed as a fool.

Basically, I am sick and tired of Ouray and Ridgway getting shafted by the town, ski-resort and quite frankly, community of Telluride.  I would bet you that the people of Ouray County buy just as many season passes and lift tickets, accounting for population differences, than the people of San Miguel County, but still we're treated as tourists, and it makes me sick.

What infurates me more than anything is that the Ouray Ice Festival, the one event that sustains our towns economy during the winter months had to reschedual because the powers that be over in Telluride thought they would have annother one of their festivals during the same weekend.  Due to the fact that we couldn't afford to lose even 10% of the visitors, the Ice Fest was reschedualed. Excuse my language, but why the HELL are we having to bend around your rich asses?  You all have festivals up the wazoo, the income of all of San Miguel's governmental buerocracys is probably at least ten times that of ours, yet still you're too lazy to check your callenders.  Take a lesson from all of your hippy rethoric, treat us as equals, because thats what we damn well are.

Dave's reply: Hi Grant. I did research your previous points and learned that we have a discounted group rate that your school could take advantage of. $10 lift tickets are not feasible though.

Regarding the rest of the issues you're raising, I'm not familiar with the event schedule conflicts you've raised, nor am I familiar with who you are referring to that forced some change.

Speaking personally, I don't think of Ouray and/or Ridgeway residents the way you suggest. Not all Telluride folks are "rich" either. Generalizing usually doesn't work well for me - I'm not sure why it's going to work well for you either :)

Thanks.

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