Dave's Blog

In my experience, the long (restful) chair ride compliments the physical demand of the long runs that it serves.

Although on bitter cold days that last stretch up kant-mak-m I often wish the chair would move a bit faster.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Will.

My family and many friends would greatly appreciate an upgraded lift; My wife and and various friends like Black runs, but at age 50ish dont relish the bumps so lift 9 is a great place for us; Unfortunatley, due to its length and cold, we avoid it more than we would like; our kids, age 8 and 10, who have learned to ski at age 4 at Telluride on the magic carpet, love the terrain but won't go on the lift due to the missing safety bar (I'm sure the cold and speed also play a part); While we realize that an upgrade will increase traffic so the double black skiers wont be happy, with the new double black terrain that has opened over the past few years, those skiers seem to be taken care of, but the single black skiers who dont do bumps dont have too much terrain; An upgrade would signficantly upgrade our experience

Dave's reply: Hi Bill, Thanks for your input.

We also do more winch-cat grooming in the Chair 9 pod now. We try and have one real long winch groomed run each day at chair 9 since we purchased a new winch cat this fall. We'll never groom everything out but having steep fresh groomed terrain daily is great!

Upgrading the lift to a high speed will destroy the terrain, Plunge and Bushwhacker will be ice skating rinks and the awesome skier formed bumps on Make em and Stairs will be lost for good. Suffering on the chair when it is cold and nasty is sort of a right of passage to get to ski the goods! LOL. There are no lift lines to justify the upgrade in my opinion and there are plenty of high speed quads on the mountain for people that need them. And like the guy said before, the long ride back up is a great way for your legs to recover.

How about upgrading 6 to a high speed quad first and see what the result over there is before messing with 9?  

Dave's reply: Hi TG, Thanks for the input.

Hi Dave,

Although Gold Hill is terrific, I think that the Lift 9 terrain is incomparable.  No other ski resort that I know of has the long continuous bump runs that we all love.  Because of the prevailing winds, Lift 9 usually has the best snow on the mountain.  I want those runs to be preserved. Most of my friends are in their 60's and we still rip the bumps on 9!  So:

1) A high speed detachable quad will put too many skiers on the snow.  It will ruin the powder on the bumps and in the trees.  I don't think a new lift of that sort would improve the skiing, but would ruin it.  Not to mention the expense of a high speed quad.

2) Rebuilding the Lift 9 top terminal, and installing a new more powerful electric motor might be an option.  I don't know if this is feasible.

3) Installing a new fixed grip quad might be a good compromise.  It would have the footrests that would make the visitors happy and it would up the capacity and probably be a little faster, but still not put enough skiers on the snow to ruin it.

Bottom line is that I don't think a high speed quad is needed on 9.  Frankly, I'd be happy if the lift stayed the way is is, if you could assure its mechanical reliablity.  Everyone can use the rest after skiing 9!

As always, thanks for listening.

Gary

Dave's reply: Hi Gary, It's always nice to hear from you! Thank you for your input.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.  I only get to come to Telluride for one week each year, and as a annual visitor, my one and only "issue" with Telluride is the lift 9 chairs.  I love Bushwacker, but I have never been comfortable with lift 9.  As you are waiting for the chair to swing around and "smoke" you in the calf, all I think about is the long, slow, cold ride back up the mountain.  I think lift 9 should be replaced if at all possible.  

I would also like to comment that I really like your blog.  I live in North Carolina, so your blog is one of my daily escapes so that I can see some real snow (instead of the east coast ice).  Please keep up the great work and I cannot wait to see the mountain during my annual trip in early March!  

Dave's reply: Hi Brad, Thanks for the input on the Chair 9 topic - and for the nice compliment regarding the blog. I'll keep posting if you keep reading and commenting! It's nice to have an easy and timely way available to communicate. Glad you enjoy it as much as I do!

I agree with Gary and TG.  I skied all over the mountain today and some of the best snow around is on 9, and its because not as many people get to it.  Although I recognize it's not a viable option for doing laps, Plunge, and even Bushwacker, are accessible from the top of 6; people can still get there.  If money is spent on 9 I'd say use it to upgrade the motor (if that's an option, I don't know anything about lifts really....) and maybe put in foot rests, but don't increase capacity.

Dave's reply:Thanks for your input Snowball. Always appreciated!

I don't think 9 needs a high speed quad however a foot rest / safety bar is essential for reasonable comfort.  It is nice to rest on the lift which seems to excuse the  speed issue. Also I think it would really improve the service quality if the ski area gave out cookies at the top of some lifts as Aspen and other competitive Resorts do.

Dave's reply: Hi Dude. Thanks for the input on Chair 9. We had a meeting on cookies just last week and are working on a few interesting ideas in that regard. Stay tuned. Have a great week!

I think Chair 9 is long overdo for a replacement.

However, the debate should not be simply whether to replace chair 9, but where to do with the old chair 9.

Telluride has 2 prime locations for the old chair -

1.) Palmyra Bowl lift

2.) San Juaquin Bowl lift

www.coloradoskihistory.com/.../telluride_future_expansion.jpg

Both would be exceptional locations for an old, rebuilt chair 9.

Why chair 9 should be a high-speed quad?

1. Continued Mechanical Issues.

The chair is not that reliable. It generally has one major malfunction per year which renders it useless for a few days.

2. One of the longest and slowest in Colorado.

Telluride's competitors have decided that key chairlifts with similar length, popularity and vertical should be high-speed -- especially when you charge $80+ per ticket.

3. Chair 9 terrain

This is some of Telluride's best terrain. Every tourist skis it. Local love to do laps on lunch hour. It's well-used. And there is a lot of capacity in downhill trail choice.

Appropriate Chair 9 Capacities...

Framing this debate into preserve Chair 9 for higher quality low density skiing is not not true. Many new high speed quads have low design capacities in the number of skiers the chair can move in an hour. For example, Sun Valley's Challenger (3000 vert HS Quad) only delivers 1500 skiers per hour.  There are many other cases of high-speed quads moving only 1500 skiers per hour. This seems like a good number for a new high-speed chair 9,

Chair 9 as a piece of history...

No way! This is not the Mad River Glen single chair. It's a 1980s vintage triple. Not really a unique chair lift from a mechanical point of view.

Dave's reply: Hi Chris, thanks for your post.

The 9 pod has so much terrain served by this slow triple.  It is inadequate to have such great terrain served by the present lift: it makes Telluride look third world.  Given the diversity and width/number of runs, I just don't believe the 9 pod will get ripped-up by an increase in traffic from the installation of a high-speed quad.  

If we need to rest on the way back up now, we are hardly going to ski twice as many runs: what will happen is that we will ski a little more, possibly alternating between 6 and 9.

Some some of the increased lift traffic would not ski the 9 pod.  All the visitors staying in town would use 8/9 to acces the mountain, rather than waste time going via the Gondala/MV.  That will indirectly benefit 4, and reduce some early bottlenecks.

And yes, 6 should also be upgraded.

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, thanks for the comments.

Dave,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on such an important issue, and again your blog is a fantastic marketing tool. In regard to chair 9, after skiing a "mak-m/stairs/plunge", its a very welcome rest and peaceful ride back up 9. I do agree that safety bars and foot rests should be installed, especially for children. Switching to a quad sounds like the best compromise, if the surplus is there then put the high speed on Gold Hill. See you February 6. Let it Snow.

Dave's reply: Hi Boomer, thanks for the comments. Travel safe and enjoy Telluride!

I can understand why some people feel they need 9 to be slow so they can rest their legs going back up but in my opinion, they need to get in better shape if they want to lap chair 9. Seriously, who has all day to sit on 9 trying to bust laps when they have other things to do? I'm not complaining that the gold hill lift is too fast. Since that lift has been installed, I've gotten in better shape to handle multiple fast laps and with just a two hour window of skiing, I can get a bunch of runs in and go  get in the hot tub that much quicker.

As far as the terrain getting beat quicker, cmon people! There's PLENTY of terrain off 9 that will keep even if we do have a quad spitting people up the hill quicker. Sure, the high traffic areas might be a little more beat but who cares? The stashes will still be there and with us being able to do more laps in an hour, we'll be more inclined to get to the never-ever stashes more often, thus spreading us all out once again.

It's kind of like the keystone hill project: sure we could have avoided the construction, sure it sucked at first dealing with the mess but now that it's finished, It's fun letting the car exercise it's lungs with a safe, blast up the new, wide passing lane past the slow moving trucks.

Why fight progress? Putting a high speed quad in will not ruin the terrain, if anyone really believes this, then they need to step up their game and learn how to ski/ride all kinds of terrain and conditions. Sure there might be some more gapers that "ruin" the snow but for every gaper, there's usually a ripper that will "fix" the snow and make it nice again. Ride the edges of runs and you won't have a problem.

If you really need a whole 15 minutes to rest after a lap, then maybe it's time for lunch or a date with your personal trainer. Rest on your couch at home, not chair 9.

But then what the hell do I know, I just ride everyday.

Oh yea, forget the cookies at the top of nine, how about free bong rips?

Dave's reply: Thanks for the opinions Golly III.

Hey Dave

I know you are a 'Cookie Geru' from MHM times--remember all the high fives for cookies and hot chocolate and the positive comments on the blog?

The new Still Creek lift at TL has the foot rests and safety bar and I hear a lot of positive comments from customers particularly those with children about that restraining device--its the comfort factor and it looks like the challenging terrain you are viewing while riding up chair nine could use that comfort factor!

Dave's reply: Hi SDS, Always great to hear from you. Thanks for your post.

Please, no high speed quad on lift 9.  I haven't been riding it much this year but i rode it a lot last year and never saw any lift lines there.  Sure, upgrades and improvements to the current lift would be fine and are needed, but why put that much extra traffic on this area?  I don't need the rest time on the long ride up, but I agree that extra traffic would adversely effect the snow conditions there.  Bushwacker and the Plunge all iced up would be a nightmare.  Plus, I just enjoy cruising those runs without tons of people.  This is part of what makes the mountain fun.  Sometimes new is not better!!!!

Dave's reply: Thanks for weighing in with your thoughts Beth.

Hi Dave

I refer to my comments on your Blog Dec 12th.

---------------

Re: Lift 9. I know the locals would love it like it was 1972 however Telluride must move on with improving  the ascents on the North side. How about ripping out Oak St Lift and Chair 9 and putting in a two stage quad chair or gondola?  

I hope they still serving Fat Tire in Gorrono Saloon as I will be needing one after a morning on the North Side >> I get out there March 4th ...

Keep up the good work.

Stanton

The Netherlands

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Stanton - see you at Telluride soon.

Dave,

We have been skiing in Telluride for apprx. 10 years and liked it so much we bought a place in town.Chair 9 has always been an enigma to me,and your first option(making it a true fixed grip triplr with a capacity of 1800 skiers per hour) seems to me the best.I know nothing about lifts,but preserving the terrain and slightly increasing speed and capacity seems to be the solution.Also,if you can add a footrest and safety bar,my wife would appreciate it.

Jim T.

Dave's reply: Thanks Jim. Enjoy the season.

Telluride is the hidden jewel of Colorado and will remain that way for a long time due to its accessibility factor.  With one small airport and only two mountain pass highways, getting to Telluride is not easy.  Many people have commented that a main reason for not replacing Chair 9 is due to longer lift lines and skied out terrain.  But Telluride only has lift lines once or twice a year! For the rest of the season there are no lines and unbeatable terrain across the entire mountain.  The quads at Prospect and Gold Hill haven't made that terrain skied out.  Chair 9 is slow and cold and out of date.  Putting in a high speed chair will only allow for more runs down by the people that ski it most.  Yes, I agree, during those peak season weeks we will have to put up with an extra 5 minute wait and maybe a few more icy patches but the rest of the season will be fast and comfy!

Dave's reply: Thanks LIndsay. I agree that Telluride is Colorado's hidden jewel.

hi dave,

you just started this form of questioning. so lets nip this in the bud. i think you need to remind these people who think that a HSQ (high speed quad) will ruin the terrain and snow quality, that they don't have all the facts. this seems to happen a lot in theis town whether it's lift 7, VF, or ch. 9. EXPLAIN TO THEM PLEASE that you have the ability to put a HSQ that puts out the same amount of skiers as the present one, or even less. this will seem confusing to them.

however, as you stated to us at the TELSKI orientation, if you put a lot of chairs, you have a lot of people. if you put half the chairs, you have half the people.

the end result would be a faster chair with the same snow quality.

from here on out, DONT LISTEN TO THE SNOW QUALITY ARGUMENT!!!

as for ch. 6 (from an above reader) - c'mon. a 1 1/2 minute HSQ??? seriously?

i'd rather see a fix-up of ch 9 and expanding into prospect and/or san juaquin bowl... how sweet would that be!!!?

Dave's reply: Hi Kevin. Thanks for the comments.

I am all for replacing any lift that results in faster times up the mouuntain.  Not sure how many lifts are getting replaced, if any, but would look at 7 first and go from there.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input D.

After spending the last couple of weeks sking around the west at several resortJackson, big sky, fernie),I do agree chair 9 is old and slow, with that said do we really want a gondola on 9 or a high speed quad, to service does few busy days. lets face it, its not like theres a line up, unlike other resorts. I like the comment about the kids and safety on the chair, safety bar with footrest would be appriciated for them. I like watching the other skiers having fun from 9, checking out all the ways down that i did not see before, leting the snow pile up on me on big dumps:) get it!! enjoy and think of the kids

Dave's reply: Thanks loco.

Dave,

Thanks for opening up this debate. I have lived and skied here for 20 years...and hardly ever ski on 9 anymore. Those of us who ski for a couple hours a day go to Gold Hill where we can get in some vertical. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from town. I would love to ski 9 more often but the lift is much to slow...it's 2008 after all.  Besides my own personal reasons for wanting a new lift, we all know that a high speed quad on 9 would just make Telluride a more desirable place to ski...and that's probably why some locals have a problem with the idea.

Dave's reply: Interesting perspective Anie :)

HI Dave,

Thanks for the forum.

Replace the chair with a high speed quad. The terrain will not be affected. It is the only real sore spot on the mountain lift-wise. It is  also the best way to the top of the mountain from town and it's time has come and gone. I was skiing with a visitor from Italy and his only complaint was about the vintage of the chairs! He loved the terrain hated chair 9.

Also every time I load on chair 6 the added on footrests swing down and almost clock me - has that ever happened to you? Some sort of counterbalance ought to be added or just remove them.

PS - Boomer there IS a High speed quad on Gold Hill! Maybe you don't ski there...

PSS  - I have a $500.00 bet that 9 will be replaced by a high speed quad within 5 years  - if you do it i"ll split the cash with you!

Dave's reply: Is that a bribe?  =)

I have been traveling with my girlfriend's family to Telluride for 4 years now. I actually learned to ski in Telluride. Anyway I would love to see lift 9 replaced. We ski for two and half weeks a year and we love the terrain off of lift 9 the only problem is the lift take way to long to get back to the top. Every time we ride lift 9 we have to take a break because of how cold the group is when we get off of chair 9. I really could see how some poeple say the break is a much needed one for the type of terrain off of lift 9, but for those of us in a little better shape would much appreciate a faster ride to the top.

Thanks...

Dave's reply: Thanks Anthony. Sounds like you've got a pretty cool girlfriend!

Coming from Atlanta, GA for just a few days of skiing each year, I am naturally drawn to the high-speed lifts. Contrary to the comments about "resting the legs", I find a long chair ride more painful than all but the most aggressive expert skiing.  

Replacing Chair 9 with a high-speed lift would undoubtedly increase the traffic there, but with so much great terrain at Telluride, I would be surprised if it significantly changed conditions any time but peak seasons (i.e. Christmas) when the snow gets worn-out anyway.

I've skied Telluride and Steamboat both many times, and while not directly comparable, Steamboat has a high-speed quad "Pony Express" that despite significant uphill capacity is scarcely skied (at least during non-peak).  They also have spaced the chairs out much farther than standard, which probably helps during peak seasons.

A long lift ride is punishment to the guests, and I appreciate you evaluating the much-needed upgrade of lift 9.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Kay-o-lay.

Hi Dave,

I heard that Vail replaced Lift 10, which services High Line and Blue Ox and used to be an old slow double chair, with a high speed quad this year.  It might be helpful to see how people in Vail feel about that change, from what I understand they had a similar debate.

Dave's reply: Good point, I've got a few friends in management over there - I'll give them a call.

I had my first visit to telluride during the first week of january.  this was just one stop of a vacation that included skiing at 2 other resorts.  At the end of the trip we talked about how we were turned away from riding 9 simply because of the speed of the lift.  From a tourist point of view, when you have limited skiing time at a resort you want to get the most runs in as possible.  although we rode 9 several times (and never waited in line once) we tended to stay away from it simply because it took too much time to ride.  The highlight of telluride in our opinion is the 9 pod, but because of the speed, we felt that spending too much time in that area would not have allowed us to "get our money's worth"

Dave's reply: Hi Eric, thank you for visiting Telluride and for posting your thoughts.

The only reason I would love to see an updated lift..is it gets soooo cold on that chair! Otherwise, it is wonderful and gives some of us who are over 30, time to relax and catch our breaths!

Dave's reply: Hi Suzanne, thank you for your comments.

Thanks for listening Dave. How about putting a hi-speed quad at 9 with fewer chairs, and moving 9 to san juaquin or palmyra bowl? leave 6 alone, but please replace and realign 7. A hi-speed quad re-aligned to take you to the very top of lookout would be an amazing project. Tons of potential glading on that aspect, ala the local's glade project. Might as well do a little more of that on 9 while you are at it. That project seemed to have great benefit with little cost. Thank's again--

Dave's reply: Thank you for the post and thoughts Steven.

Dave

Nice Work!  Seems a distant memory, but years back we couldn't hike up past Genevieve, now we get to play on all the wonderful terrain up to the Quail. and soon enough, all the way up Palmyra Peak!

Are you kidding me?

Riley's putting the Ski back in telSki.

Lift 9 replaced with a high speed quad? There is no debate.

The previous post recomending moving 9 to San Joaqin, or better yet, Palmyra Peak, seems logical.

Do It Sooon!!!!

Cheers to Ski Patrol, and to you, for helping them open up this mountains potential

Dave's reply: Our pleasure! Thanks for your input.

Dave,

As some one previously said, “This is one of the Mountains Precious Jewels” I would concur with previous comments and add that the snow stays so crisp and dry the longest of any other part of the mountain. That being said why wouldn’t the mountain want to improve the chair lift on this side of the mountain? I haven’t heard anyone address safety issues of this older chair which has no safety bar (a concern of mine when my 5 year old rides it). The almost 20 minute rides can be quite grinding when the temperature is below 10f. For that matter is the mountain considering replacing chairs 7 & 8?  Any chance getting some form of transportation up to Bald Mountain, or right of chair 14 and left of 12 where you can hike?  I have to think that some people stay away from the slower and older lifts (7, 8, 9 etc.) because they take so long therefore creating more demand on comparable lifts (6 and 14) not that they are all that busy. If all the lifts are created equal wouldn’t that help balance out the skiing on the entire mountain?

Keep in mind it isn’t as if I have to pay to have all these lifts installed so it doesn’t hurt to have a dream list….

Dave's reply: Hi Raving Fan. Thanks for your input. As you know, the basic question here is regarding Chair 9 but I appreciate your other thoughts.

Keeping the ride time long so that people can rest is not valid.  If someone needs to rest more than the ride time, then they can hang out and adjust their equipment for a while before heading down the slope.  

Dave's reply: Hi Chad, thanks for your input.

Can you please replace the lift so that my husband can get home and get the laundry done?  It's always the same excuse- "Chair 9 takes so long, I just need one more run!"  I'd be forever grateful.  Thanks!

Dave's reply: That's funny :)

Dave,

I am on a very tight budget and love the Plunge. I usually determine if I can afford to ski Telluride by the "Bumps for the Buck" formula. So yes please replace #9 with more horsepower so I can justify another T-Trip.

Keep the great blogs coming.

Rob

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Rob.

Safety bars/footrest and cookies , thats the ticket. And oh so affordable.

One more thing..please ask the groomers to just groom half the plunge like they use to .  That run was the best of both worlds then.

Thanks for the blog.  Abby

Dave's reply: Hi Abby, the groomers have started to leave skiers left of the upper Plunge ungroomed as you pointed out. Thank you.

Thanks Dave for the blog...It truly is the great communicator...

Regarding lift 9, I second the idea of IF Telski replaces the current lift with a high speed quad, it should put contingencies in place for the OLD 9 to be put in place somewhere else on the mountain (Revelation Bowl,Palmyra, etc.) This could also lower the overall costs of putting in the new lift 9...Bottomline...the further up into the basins/highcountry persons can ski the better the conditions will stay on the 9/6 POD. Prospect Ridge access gate/Bear Creek access gate are getting skied more frequently every day therefore becoming less prone to avalanch danger..

Dave's reply: Remember that avalanche danger in the backcountry changes throughout the season based on weather and other factors. Thanks for your input.

Replace lift 7 first. That lift needs the most attention. I love the idea of a San Joaquin Bowl lift. Lift 9 is fine for now.

Dave's reply: Thanks Patrick.

1st choice-Can we just get some seat heaters for chair 9? I think that would fix most of my problems with the chair.  

2nd choice-Since Telski is buying, I also like the idea of just pulling out chair 8 and sticking it in Revelation Bowl, and while we are at it, pulling out chair 9 and putting it up to Palmyra Peak.  Then we could put in a quad up to the top of Bushwacker ohh yeah with a bubble over the top or even a little mini gondola, if we want to splurge.

Lift 9 would stay great because of all the new terrain to ski.

Thank you for listening.

Dave's reply: thanks for the "Happy Thoughts" :)

Isn't the core of this issue allocation of resources??  In an ideal world lets replace lift 9 with a high speed quad that delivers the same number of skiers per hour and add a new lift to access more terrain: palymra, or san j etc.  However, given that we are unlikely to see both, I'd vote for a new lift for new terrain over replacing 9.  

Dave's reply: Thank you for your input Snowbunny.

ps: high roller's post just popped up for me.  now that's an ideal world I'd like to ski in.  wish telski would would splurge for high roller's plan.

Dave's reply: High roller has high hopes :)

I think High Roller's second choice is perfect. Everything this High Roller said is true. This would make Telluride so nice...and everyone would be smiles!

Dave's reply: Nice name!

My elementary age son actually wept last time he rode chair 9. He loves the terrain on 9 (log pile, locals, west drain, plunge bumps), but when I kept asking him to explain why he didn't like to ski on 9, he said it was the long chair ride with no bar.  (The Mardi Gras tree is a hit, though.) I'm sure others will react with "yay, let's keep the kids off our terrain," but I think he's given (an admittedly emotional) voice to what visitors and a lot of locals feel about the existing chair.  As for ruining the terrain, I would hate to see that happen, but I disagree with the nay-sayers.  For one, people would ski farther down the mountain - down to chair 7 or 8 - more often if we knew that getting back up didn't involve the long ride on 9; that would spread traffic to the lower runs, which now seem often to be practically unused. Two, there is plenty of terrain on 9; who's going to ski bushwacker or make'm all day if you can do laps quickly enough to get in 2 or 3 tree runs? Three, a high speed quad would seem to be a huge attraction for non-local skiers (they wouldn't want to cry and leave 9, like my son did), and we all know that without the non-locals, Telluride's businesses might as well close now.  So, I think that the locals complaining about ruined terrain might want to be more considerate of those who provide our bread and butter.  I'm glad they're here and, even if they don't have the time to be expert enough to carve perfect bumps, I'm glad they're willing to try our long bump runs.  Maybe they'll have fun and come back (to your store, or restaurant . . .)

Dave's reply: thanks for your thoughts.

Lift 9 needs to go. If you decide to keep it, at least get some leg rests - 20 years of skiing that lift is taking its toll! My kids, now teenagers, have always complained about 9. Other than lift 9 (and 7 & 8) Telluride rocks!  

Dave's reply: Thanks LH.

As a long time local I love chair 9 and do not feel that if it were to become a high speed quad tomorrow that it will change the skiing conditions in any way shape or form. The same people posting here will still be skiing the same terrain. The quad will just get you there faster and be way more reliable. How many times in years past has patrol had to do emergency rescues in exchenge for a hot chocolate at Gorrono?

As much as I am not a fan of Vail I do love that some  quads there have the pull down bubble which sheilds you from the shade and cold on those long rides as well as a foot rest. This is especially important to snowboarders, older customers and little grom's.

Finally, nice job with the ski maps on the safety bars this year. For once people can see where to go without having to dig into pockets for trail maps.

Dave's reply: thanks for the input Zorro - and for mentioning the new maps.

I think that we need to focus more on getting people up on the mountain from town.  We need to replace Chair 8 with a new Gondola (all seasons for biking too, but not free) up adjacent to the top of 9.  Lift 9 could then be left as it is with proper upgrades to motor etc.  Think about it, if we got on a gondola and up to the peak of 9 in mere minutes, then quickly down to prospect basin, or even quicker to the 9 pod.  Also this way we won't be frozen by the time we get up to the top of 9 after also riding 8 on those very cold days.

Then lift 8 can move up to the San Joaquin Bowl.

But lift 7 also needs to be replaced with a high-speed, again to get people up on the mountain quicker.  Then lift 7 can be moved up the Palmyra bowl similar as shown on the colorado ski history website.

Those are my thoughts!

Thanks for letting us be heard...

Dave's reply: thanks for your comments Nick.

Dave,

This is my 17th ski season here in Telluride. I love the lift 9 pod and ski it as often as I can. I've been on this lift way too long, it breaks, is too slow, I don't trust it. Most locals, visitors and second homeowners that I speak with don't like this lift either.It's time to replace this lift with a high speed lift. Ruthie's Run on Aspen Mtn. has a high speed double, maybe that is a solution to those who don't want to see more people on the slopes.

Thanks

Dave's reply: Thanks Rube.

I ski lift 9 80% of the time and ski 5 or six days a week. Dress properly and lift 9 is one of Telluride's classics.The lift is cold and long in December and January but a quick lift would still be cold and would put too many skiers on the runs. The rest on the way up probably keeps many out of shape skiers from hurting themselves by skiing too many runs without enough rest.

More important than the lift is the bumps.

The bumps on the upper plunge left and bushwacker right are two of the great features of the mountain and the overgrooming has changed the quality of two runs that have served as unique and terrific combination groomed/bump terrain for many years. They are both exceptional for groups that have mixed level skiers so bumpers and groomers can ski the same run. They are also the best teaching bumps on the mountain.

Is there any way to beef up the motor and put leg rests on Lift 9 without replacing it?

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input.

Hi Dave

An upgrade for chair lift nine is definitely a much needed upgrade for Telluride, I don't see much use for that silly nostalgia about keeping the old chair, and it’s even a safety issue. I really hope this can become a reality sooner than later.

Dave's reply: Thanks Manuel.

Chair 9 has got to go...

Chair 9 would have been a good addition to the Telluride Ski Resort during the Nixon years.  I wasn't born yet.  I have been living in Telluride for 7 years and like skiing advanced terrain on the mountain.  I love the woods and trails that Chair 9 accesses.  I feel that this is some of the best, most challenging skiing we have.  But I don't like the lift ride, Chair 9 takes too long, is cold and uncomfortable.  I much prefer Gold Hill because of the five minute lift ride  and the chairs are cushy.    

If Chair 9 is not going to be replaced, how about some foot rests for the fourteen minute ride?  Where are the safety bars?  People pay $90+ a day to ski Telluride and six year old kids ride Chair 9.    

I like the new trail maps on the safety bars on the Prospect Bowl Chair.  A helpful addition for people wondering "where is Galloping Goose?" or "how do I get to See Forever?" or "am I near Gorrono Ranch?".      

Dave's reply: Hi Steezyzak. Thanks.

Dave, thanks for the sound-off board.

Chair 9 has great terrain, and the slow nature of the runs may have a beneficial effect on the snowpack.

But fear of more traffic is insufficient reason to keep this tradition of suffering for way too long just to get to the top.

Sure the extra time offers perceived rest, but personally, getting off the chair my legs are cold and I must warm up all over again.  For serious laps, a high speed detachable lift is required for marketing Telluride as a "world class" resort.  Replacing 8 and 9 together with a midway station below awesome rock will elevate Telluride to truly "world class" status.  Otherwise, rinky dink will be an appropriate description to match the A$pen ticket/pass prices.

Dave's reply: I can't agree with "rinky dink" as a description for Telluride! Thanks for your input.

I ski lift 9 85% of the time and ski 6 or seven days a week.

Dress properly (I suggest jeans) and lift 9 is still a Telluride classic TURD. Replacing 8 and 9 with a tram or HSsix with the bubble would spread people out between the lowers and the uppers and the skiing would be even better.

Please make this happen.

Dave's reply: thanks for the input.

Dave,

Let's at least get a safety bar installed. I have several young students who have the skills, ability, and desire to ski the 9 pod but won't ride 9 without a safety bar!

Also,if you could somehow make the ride shorter I would be grateful.

Dave's reply: Thanks Richard.

We visited telluride in early January.  My 7 year old daughter was on 9 with my wife who is a relatively new skier.  Her legs were too short to reach the ground at the top so instead of unloading she just stayed on the lift.  My wife, being new, was so focused on getting off she didn't notice the problem our daughter was having.

The operator was asleep at the switch and her skis went right over the top of the safety gate.  Long and short, a 7 year old scared out of her mind rode down 9 alone with no safety bar.  I met her at the bottom and we rode up again.  After more than 45 minutes on the lift she was so cold she had to go home.

We have skied all of the big resorts and Telluride is by far our favorite.  We love staying downtown.  The experience would be that much better if lifts 8/9 were upgraded.

On a personal note, as a boarder I can't stand lifts that don't have footrests.  Hanging a board for 15 minutes torques the heck out of my knee and my foot always falls asleep.

Dave's reply: I'm so sorry about what happended with your daughter and will look into that immediately. I see two problems, the height of the unload point and the height of the stop switch. Thanks for your input also.

Take a look at total acreage, with the expansion Telluride topped 1000 acres.  What is the skiable acreage now?  A fraction of the ski areas known as "world Class", with ticket prices closer to a days wages.

Sorry Dave, even with the dbl blacks, rinky dink still applies.

Dave's reply: Thank you for sharing your opinion.

Dear Dave,

My family has been skiing at Telluride for 15 years. We own a condo in the MV. Our kids learned to ski there.  We come every summer to hike and fish and hang out.  Telluride is about as close to "heaven on earth" as anyone could hope for.

That said, if we could ask the Almighty (or, more realistically, you)to change just one thing about the mountain, and we were cautioned that this would be our one and only request, for ever and ever, and that to come back a decade from now and make another wish would bring down upon us and all of our friends and family and dogs and cats a biblical plague of locusts and rats and fleas and other vermin, we would not hesitate to ask that Chair 9 be replaced with a high speed quad.

Thanks for asking.  And thanks for your blog.  It's terrific.

Lewis Powell

Dave's reply: Wow, that's pretty serious!

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the opportunity to comment. I actually like lift 9 the way it is. I ski there a lot more than I do on 14 because of the terrain and the quality of the snow. I think putting a high speed lift in would put too many people on the runs and have negative effect on the snow. Lift 14 has a lot more terrain in which people are spread out. That being said, an upgrade to the motor might be a good idea if feasible. Not everything in life needs to be faster. Isn't Telluride a place for people to come and relax? Lift 9 is the perfect place to learn to relax.

The lift that I do think should be replaced by a high speed chair is 7, and that's mostly because of the need for slowing down when people are downloading. It has not been so bad this year, but in lower snow years it gets to be a constant thing, especially at the end of the day when it's nice to try to get in one or two more runs at the same time that lots of folks are riding down.

Bill

Dave's reply: Thanks for your input Bill.

if I were you, I would:

1-move 8 and 9 into revelation and palmyra [see old trail maps], replace them both with one hi-speed quad w/ a bubble, town to the top. midstation of some sort at your discretion.

2- replace chair 7 w/ a hi-speed quad and re-align it to go to the top of lookout.

3- do some more light glading in the 9 pod and north chute area, with local labor traded for ski passes.

simple ideas, very costly [except the glading]. This implementations would make telluride's ski mountain as good as any other. That's the whole idea and the basis for our tourist economy, right? here's to dreaming--steven

Dave's reply: Hi Steven, thank you.

Put safety bars and foot rests on the chairs; and maybe tweak it a bit to have it run a bit faster - a good refurbishment. That would be much appreciated. I too am afraid that a high speed lift would be messing with perfection.

While you are considering chair nine issues: please 'fix' the lift line on chair nine, where two (pair) against two face each other. Telluride is a universally happy place, but during busy times, it is confusing and people think others are cutting, etc. just filter it down to one (pair) face one please for the final face off.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Robert.

Hi Dave,

I am from Michigan and I was in Telluride for the first time over my college winter break with my school. Chair 9, in my opinion had the best lift access terrain on the mountain. After I found it, I skied there all day long and it was great. I also noticed while I was skiing there that it seemed to be a "local hangout". Although, it would make the ride more comfortable if it became a high-speed, I think it would definitely create a lot more traffic from skiers and boarders who could present "obstacles" and create unwanted terrain features. In addition, I think the ride up helps you appreciate the terrain below. Overall, I think you should add features to make it more comfortable such as a leg/safety bars and maybe even bubbles which you can pull over you to knock down the wind and capture heat. They have some lifts with bubbles up at Whistler and they are quite nice for sketchy weather. Any way, good luck with the decision no matter what you do people will still ski under lift 9 and compared to the lifts in Michigan, Chair 9 is very fast and quite comfortable.

Thanks, Alex

Dave's reply: Thanks for visiting Telluride Alex and thanks for your input.

Hey Dave,

So glad you're doing this thread. People are endlessly passionate about Lift 9. The chair and the passion people have for it are two things that I love about Tride.

Anyway, I'd vote for keeping the lift's structure as it is, but investing some cash to try to ensure that we don't see the same mechanical glitches that stilled 9 on its opening day, and Lift 8 the morning of our 18-inch day. I don't think any of us need to be coddled with footrests or heated seats or plastic bubbles or a high-speed quad up Nine.

Dave's reply: Hi Patrick, thanks for the input.

Keep Chair 9 as is. There are plenty other chairs for those who want a faster ride up the mountain. The more improvements the more the lift tickets, I want to be able afford to ski more than a few times a year.

Dave's reply: Thank you for your input Carolyn.

as a long time and frequent visitor to Telluride I say it has got to go!it is slow cold and dangerous to ride with no safety bar.many visitors refuse to use it.we have a better lift system in the southern hemisphere where our skiing does not compare with Telluride. the argument that it will overcrowd the area is rubbish.that did not happen when they lift serviced Gold Hill .get on with the job preferably before I arrive next week.

Dave's reply: Thanks for your input John. Travel safe and enjoy your vacation.

If 9 is replaced, it will not stay the peaceful place that it currently is.

Dave's reply: Thanks Brian.

Dave

Thanks again for the opportunity to communicate. It is great to have an advocate of our sport at the helm.  I previously posted that lift 9 runs fine 95% of the time, continued manitenanace is all it needs. I would like to see us spend the capital to continue the expansion of our terrain (San Jauquin or Palmyra). I have heard that high speed quads cost approimately one millon dollars per tower, it seems that funds would be better spent and offer more return if  invested in new terrain.

Dave's reply: Hi Rich, HS quads are expensive but don't cost $1,000,000 per tower. I estimate a HS Quad at Chair 9 would be around $4,000,000 installed. Thanks for your input.

I think either way would make me happy regarding chair 9. I think the lift itself is definitely a classic and it's long ride is definitely a deterrent for a lot of people from tearing up the snow sooner. Thus, the snow lasts longer and the conditions are better for those of us who have the will to ski the whole thing; however, a quad would make it easier to do laps and spread people out, much like people above me have said. Also, and I'm gonna guess I'm a minority here, but spending the other half of my year traveling up to Squaw Valley, Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows, and Timberline in the summer, I've come to really enjoy opening it up on a powder day and just going down the steepest stuff on the mountain as fast as my Mad'n AK's will allow. With the bumps that the slower chair (i.e. less traffic) allows to form, you can't really do this on a lot of the chair nine runs. I've always thought it would be bomb to straight up charge Spiral Stairs in a minimal amount of turns, but excessive moguls don't really allow that. Either way though I think would be a good choice.

The one thing I would really like on chair 9 regardless of it being converted to a quad or remaining as it is would be a footrest. Having 20 lbs of wood dangling off my feet for 12 minutes isn't exactly enjoyable and I have gotten some bad cramps while going up 9. I think a footrest would actually make the ride up enjoyable and make lapping that chair all day much more possible.

Thanks, Zach

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Zach.

i would love to see a faster way to get up lift nine however you choose to do it. i will not be in telluride for two years but when i come back i hope to see that improvement!

Dave's reply: Thanks Stephen.

I ski lift 9 a lot, but I also like to ski the whole mountain. I spend way more time at the lift 9 "pod" than I'd like to, just because the chair is so slow. A faster lift would let me get my licks in on 9, and then move on over to 6 and Gold Hill.

Dave's reply: Glad you're enjoying Telluride. Thanks Barney.

Kind of weird that I sent a blog post in earlier and it never showed up do you know what happened Dave?

Dave's reply: I'm a little backed up tonight with about 10 outstanding comments from today but I scanned over the posts and don't see an earlier one from you. I'm not sure what's up. Feel free to re-post. Thank you.

I don't believe all the hype about more skiers ruining the snow, & those that can't handle the terrain will come once & never come back.  We love these steep groomers, but only come over to 9 for a run or 2 because of the long ride w/ no footrest.  A hi-speed quad would open a tremendous Telluride asset to a greatly appreciative audience of both locals & visitors.

Dave's reply: thanks for the input Telluride Texan.

I ski yearly at Telluride and would also appreciate an updated lift 9. I like many have children (daughters 12&6) that I ski with and an updated lift would really improve the quality of the ski experience.  Too much good skiing that is a drag to get to. It feels like Boyne Mointain, MI circa 1978. Please move forward with an upgrade, looking forward to 2/13 arrival.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Luberto - travel safe and enjoy your vacation in February.

Skied Telluride for the first time 30 Dec thru 11 Jan (well timed for the snow if nothing else). It is a long way from the UK but proved to be well worth it. We stayed in town - had a ball.

I have skied for 35 years, mainly in Europe but recently started skiing in the US – chasing the snow. Jackson has been our preferred destination.

I rode chair 9 most days. Met quite a few locals on the lift (friendlier than any other “locals” we ever did meet BTW)....they all revelled in it’s antiquity.

My girlfriend on the other hand dreaded travelling on it, as it put too much strain on her already tender knees, she didn’t much like the lack of safety bar either.

And that really is your dichotomy, tourist who are paying a lot of money for lift passes* want "fast and efficient" to make full use of their meagre vacations - hardened locals don’t have those drivers.

I should have thought the terrain alone would keep most away?

To be clear, Telluride was a wonderful experience. We had a fabulous time.

However the lift system is not as slick as most of the many “world class” resorts I have visited.

Chair 9 is problematic for visitors – be in no doubt about that.

But personally I think the bigger question is “why can’t I get from town to the top in one lift?”

Rather than mess with chair 9 extend the gondola to the top of 9 or 6. Stage 2 would need to run at twice the capacity of the current lift so that skiers and riders could travel in one hit from Town or the Village.

It is a long time since I visited a resort that doesn’t have at least 1 bottom to top lift...it is sadly archaic.

If you want to preserve the quaint rustic ethos then leave well alone – not sure what your financiers would say about that, but the locals will be happy, until it hits Telluride Co's wallet and hence their skiing I suppose.

If you want to attract more/happier visitors (and I am not say that is necessarily a good thing) then moving forward is the only way...however fixing 9 up is no where near enough.

Looking forward to our return – when there are “less lifts to the top”

Julian

* I bought a ten day pass (11 being un available) when I bought the extra day I had to pay the full 80 bucks, no multi day discount – ridiculous, it really tainted the otherwise brilliant ethos of Telluride.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Julian and for visiting Telluride!

Love the runs - they are some of the best I have ever skiied in my 40 years, agree that a high-speed quad would have a negative impact on the mountain, but please modify the lift with a new attachment and safety bar.  My (old) knees are in pain by the time we reach the top - and my 9 year old son is scared to death of the lift (although he can ski all of the terrain).  We are not "local" strictly speaking, but have a home and ski 20 days per season - I would expect you need to accomodate both "local" and "paying visitors" and could do so with an improvement vs replacement.

Dave's reply: Thanks Scott, I appreciate your input.

As a newly arrived local, I appreciate the feel of the entire lift 9 area.  It truley feels like a small ski mountain, rather than a major Colorado resort.  My fear is that an upgraded high-speed lift would invite too much pressure on the lift 9 runs, and take away from the small, local feel of this area of the mountain.  I'll tolerate the cold, and give my legs a nice long rest in order to sustain this feeling.

Dave's reply: Thanks for your thoughts Robert and welcome to Telluride - we're both newbies to this wonderful alpine resort.

Replace it before you have another problem plagued year like we had several years ago when the gear went out. That year there were more rope evacuations on Lift 9 than all the rest of Colorado areas combined. I liked Chris's coment about lifts but don't know lift 9 should be used anywhere. Lifts 7 & 8 are also in dire need of replacement. They only add to the rustic apeal of the area. Put in the high speed lifts and let us figure a way to rest or board & ski ourselves to death trying.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Jim.

Unmatched in North America right? If you want Telluride to reach the upper echelon of ski resorts it is time to upgrade. I am in the tourist business and the better the experience, the more we can charge the tourists (hopefully lowering season passes for locals). Plus, I love to ski 9, but I only have an hour or two during the day and I don't have the time for laps on nine.

However, I think San Jauquin is a better investment right now.

Thanks!

Dave's reply: Unmatched in North America is in the eye of the beholder. I'm in Utah right now and have skied Snowbird, Deer Valley and Alta this week. For several reasons, I'd take Telluride over any of them even with a fixed grip lift in the Chair 9 pod. Thanks for the input Wak - appreciate it!

Dave,

One other thought: This has been an unusually cold winter here. I think 'bubbles' or whatever on lift 9 would be overkill. I've never liked those kind of lifts. They remove you from the hill.

Thanks,

bill

Dave's reply: 10-4.

Only read a few of the comments.

For me a new Chair 9 (HSQ) is a great idea.  I'd make it a high volume lift on powder days and if you are concerned about snow conditions between dumps, then load everyother chair or 2 out of three

I'd like to see a surface lift up to Black Iron Bowl

Chair 8 and 7 are fine by me see no reason to change with the Gondola available  -- and 7 has a safety bar

love the Blog  (and loved the snow two weeks ago and we will be back next Wednesday

Regards

Bill

Dave's reply: Hi Bill, thanks for your comments.

Lift 9 should be replaced!  The BEST terrain in North America is in that area.  It is a shame that so many dollars have been spent on other areas.  It is high time the "front side" gets its fair share.  There is a lot of terrain that has not been utilized.  The cutting of a few more runs would disperse skier load enough to justify a fast lift.  Lift 7 should be replaced also.

Prospect Bowl has some of the most spectacular views in Colorado.  Too Bad the skiing is like Purgatory.

Jimmy

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Jimmy.

I think that chair 9 should be replaced with a high speed quad. When I head up the mountain for my 2 or 3 hours of skiing I want some vertical. I don't need a restful ride up a vintage chair looking at all the beautiful terrain I could be skiing! As far as traffic increasing and ruining the snow, What? Chair 9 had a lot more traffic on it before chairs 12 and 14 were installed and the snow was just fine. Thats probably because it's north facing aspect is condusive to great snow. More traffic is not going to change that. It definetly will increase my traffic on 9 because it will be worthwhile to ski again. What's more likely to happen is Gold Hill will have less pressure and the skiing will improve on that pod. I think the idea to move #9 into San Juaquin bowl is a good one.