Dave's Blog

Dave,

Nice pics, but....

I would like to keep the Chair 9 debate going.

It was down all Sunday afternoon for many hours.

Chair 9 is a broken lift - unless you replace it, it's unreliable.

However, I doubt owner Chuck Hornig will spend money to replace chair 9.

Anyways, Telluride is a great place to ski, but chair 9 sometimes.

Is that the mountain you want to run?

Chair 9 broken for days and days in December, but only down for some days in a record season.

$85++ lift tickets and an unreliable Chair 9.  Not the best way to run Telluride!

Dave's reply: Hi Chris, I think you're overstating. The Chair 9 was down for 51 minutes on Sunday due to a sheave that needed to be replaced. That happens on lifts. The lift was not down for "days and days" in December.

Having said that, I'm working on a capital maintenance list for this summer for the lift to enhance and update the electrical and mechanical components.

Thank you.

Dave, Congrats on the blog. 6 of us will be coming to Telluride for the first time for 3 weeks from 22'nd of Feb. Sydney (OZ) is a long way to travel so we hope the snow continues to pile down.

The blog certainly gave an insight as to the pluses (and minuses) of Skiing T.

Any idea of the forecast for early March?  

Dave's reply: Hi Ashley, Thank you to you and your group for choosing Telluride for your vacation. If you've travelled around to other world-class resorts, you'll definitely love this place!

The blog is very unique and allows all sorts of suggestions, opinions, and thoughts to flow. Thanks for being a part of it.

If you need anything please feel free to contact me through the blog or my direct email is driley@tellurideskiresort.com We want to make sure your vacation is wonderful!

Howdy Dave,

       Wanted to tell your grooming dept. that they are doing a great job out there! Will plunge and bushwacker ever be groomed edge to edge agian? They are the best groomed runs on the mountain,but not so sweet half groomed.

Dave's reply: Bushwacker will be groomed wall to wall. Plunge is split groomed to allow for some bumps to form on skiers left (due to customer feedback). We're trying to have at least one winch cat groomed run off Chair 9 each morning. The heavy snow and some special projects pull us off that schedule peroidically but the crew has stepped it up and the new Sherpa winch cat has helped the productivity also. Thanks for your comments - the groomers will appreciate the positive feedback!

    Hi Dave,  Thanks for changing the blog topic.  I'm predicting this one to be fairly controversial too.  The difference is that I doubt you can change the outcome.

    Here is a very basic description of the La Nina/El Nino event for those who don't know;  These two events or anomalies refer to either the warming or cooling of sea surface temperatures of the eastern pacific near Peru.  This change in sea temps affect wind currents, jet stream and moisture in North America as well as the whole planet.  It is NOT a man made event.  These events have been documented since the 1880's but have been known about for much longer.  Tree rings and coral fossil records confirm this. These temperature changes affect the productivity of the fisheries in Peru/South America and could mean feast or famine for costal communities.  El Nino/La Nina is roughly a 2-7 year cyclical event however it is not uncommon to have back to back events or to have the events flip flop in a years time.  This cycle and the yearly occurrence seems to be very much in question.

    The term La Nina comes from from the spanish term "little girl" but can also mean cold water or cold event.  According to NOAA we are currently under a moderate strength La Nina that is forecast to last into spring and then diminish.  Historically La Nina graces the pacific northwest and northern rockies with abundant moisture and leaves the San Juans and the southwest high and dry.  Obviously this is not always the case and there are MANY variables that affect who gets snow and who doesn't.  Record keeping has also been going on for a very short time meteorologically speaking and humans really are possibly hundreds of years away from beginning to understand weather trends and phenomenon.  Data indicates we probably shouldn't be getting hammered, but why look a gift horse (or face shot) in the mouth.

    El Nino refers to the term "little boy" or "Christ child" due to the event's arrival near or after Christmas.  (the Peruvians where converted to christianity after the spanish conquest)  It is a warm water event and typically favors the southwest US and the San Juans with abundant moisture while leaving the northwest/northern rockies drier.  Taos has a chute named Nino's Heros.  Again

this is a generalization based on short term historical data.  Many variables apply.

    Hope this synopsis helps out.  All of this info is readily available online. You can start at NOAA's website.   Read up and enjoy the snow because it may or may not be around next season.  Thanks for the blog, ML.

Dave's reply: Hi Michael, Yes - so the theory goes. I've just seen many years where it doesn't play out - like this year. The weather forecasters pound the table with their predictions based on El Nino/La Nina early on then proclaim victory when it lines up but when they are wrong we never hear from them.

I don't know of any job that you can be wrong most of the time and still keep your job - other than weather forecasting ;)

Hey Dave,

As a former ski bum in Telluride and Jackson Hole, I am really impressed with all the hard work you have been putting into the mountain.  I always told people in Jackson that Telluride was better.  Now, with the new terrain opened up, there is no comparison.  I haven't been able to ski there yet this season, since I am back in school again in NC, but I am coming out for my spring break and I can't wait to ski black iron and palmyra.  Any chance you will need a nuclear engineer in two years?  See you in March!

Dave's reply: I can't imagine how much snow we'll have by then!  :)

Dave you rock!!  Thank you for letting us ski up to Mountail Quail before the extreme comp.  I have to say I had my doubts.  I hope everyone got a chance to hike up there today, it was absoultely amazing!!!! Who cares about the little boy and little girl, go ski some pow.  The weather people never have any idea when Telluride is going to get hammered and in fact we call the weather channel the fantasy channel. I do think we are having the 100 year winter that I have been waiting for the whole time I have been here.  Today was like having my own Ski resort, no lift lines and fresh tracks every run and the lifts ran just fine.  I really hope you got out today and great job on the blog.

WRB

Dave's reply: All credit for BIB goes to our talented and dedicated Ski Patrol staff! Glad you had the opportunity to get the goods. I was able to ski the last two mornings in a row spending all the time on Chair 9 (which ran perfectly) but was holed up in meetings all day today :( I can only imagine how good it must have been!

Bonjour Dave, love your blog and great pics...gives us a good idea of what to expect when we come in tomorrow for a week's ski holiday in Telluride!

Is there any chance you have a moutain ambassador program in Telluride?  It would be nice if someone was available to show us around the mountain in order to accentuate our "mountain experience" for a few runs on Friday morning?

We are advanced skiers and can handled any type of terrain...looking forward to seeing you on the slopes! Cheers,

Crazy Canuck

Dave's reply: Thank you for choosing Telluride for your well deserved vacation! Yes, we have a Mountain Ambassador program. Click on http://tellurideskiresort.com/Tellski/info/guest-services.aspx and scrol down to "Meet the Mountain". You're going to love Telluride!

Dave, I'm a weather junkie for years, but I've come to realize that more often than not, meteorologists don't forecast the weather - they report it!

Dave's reply: Hi Paul. 10-4 on that. They've had lots to report at Telluride this year!

Just want to include another thank you to everyone for such a great mountain experience . . . most especially for the relentless work up Prospect to keep it open so very often with all this snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave's reply: Thanks for the nice comments. The terrain at Telluride clearly is Unmatched in North America and our ski patrol staff and management is dedicated at doing the necessary work to make it safe and available for our guests.

Just wondering if Black Iron bowl will be open for skiing during the Freeskiing comp?

Dave's reply: The upper portion will be closed to the public due to the event but the lower part will be open. Baldy will also be open as an exciting alternative! Thanks for the question Erik, enjoy the upcoming weekend. The weather and conditions look like they will be great.

do you think you can post pictures of ur terrain parks so that the people that live far away con see how sick they are

Dave's reply: Yes, we're doing some rebuilding of them right now and will grab some images and get them on the website. Thank you.

Dave,

I don't know about you, but I think that La Nina is kinda hot!

I mean, today was just another random 30% chancer, and it's been snowing all day!

Hey, a few bloggers back there was some mention of glading in the not-too distant future for our mountain, and as a tree-skier-for-life, I'd love to hear more about that plan.

I think that our forests in area are really, really thick - not just as far as tree skiing goes, but just even for forest health - there is soooooo much downfall (the dead and broken trees on the forest floor that feed pests and fires) in the ski area that the deep woods of chair 6, 7, 8, 9 (and Prospect, and 10) are really sketchy to ski unless A) you have double-jointed knees or B) that cute La Nina comes to town for the winter and we get a 80+" base...  And the deep woods are the ticket some days - okay, maybe not this year, yet!

Where and when are you thinking of doing some glading and how does the USFS feel about it?  

The Telluride side of the area would be amazing if some "new" lines were opened up...  Have you found Mitch's Maze yet?  It's getting a little tight in there!  

Thanks,

NCSF

Dave's reply: I'm in favor of glading. It's a great way to improve forest health and skier habitat! We've been talking with the Forest Service folks (who by the way are great to work with) and doing some planning internally as to the priorities.

We're going through a process of collecting capital projects from each department and setting priorities right now for next summer and fall. It's too soon to say right now what will happen but I'll be sure to communicate once it's all nailed down.

Since my daughter is one of those guest services workers in the big red jackets I'm always looking at your photos hoping to recognize her. She said we MUST come from California in time to ride the gondola so we'll come in late March. I feel I have a better understanding of ski resorts/ snow/ lift 6/ and Ninos/Ninas from following this blog. Thanks again for the good job.

Dave's reply: Hi Katy, Glad to help. Enjoy your visit to Telluride!

Wow Dave, I visited Telluride for the first time last year and fell in love. I enjoy your Blog and hope that you'll keep it going as I never get tired of those beautiful slopes and mountains. Hopefully I'll be there soon!

Dave's reply: I agree, it's impossible to ever get tired of the San Juans and Telluride Ski Resort!

Pingback from  El Nino Articles  » Blog Archive   » re: Deep snow records for December and January - So much for La Nina!

don't put bars and footrests on lift nine. If anything it will make the ride more uncomfortable.  Thanks.

Dave's reply: Hi Chris, sorry - don't agree with that theory :)

a big thumbs up for glading. the woods are in bad shape.  i agree with the post above: it's not just about skier fun, it's also about the health of our woods.  we have conditions that especially promote  pest infestations. let's go back to earlier times in telluride and get some volunteer crews with paid crew captains to do clearing in the summer. throw some ski passes locals' way, and you could get some great motivated work accomplished.  the same goes for early foot packing our chutes and steeps: saves money and is environmentally sound.  

Dave's reply: We're looking into that. Thanks.

Have you fixed the snowfall amounts yet? They still show 81" base after feet and feet of snow. You really need to get that fixed before someone turns to Crested Butte because of a bigger base. Thanks.

Dave's reply: We looked into it. Because we have such light snow, the air settles out. That's the correct settled base amount. Under "conditions" it shows we have received 264" so far this season.

hi dave,

nice blog as usual. howver, some math for your dept.

you cant have 9 inches in 24 hrs. and 8 inches in 48 hrs.... of snow!

Dave's reply: 10-4. When did you see that?

Dave:

It may be "No Nina" back in Colorado, but here in Oregon its La Nina on steroids.  Not even 1998-99 can compare and in that year, if you remember, Mt. Baker Ski Area had to close for four days just to catch up with the snowfall.  So if it does come to pass that you have jinxed the year, we would be happy to share. You can start with the back stairway to the Meadows Rental Shop.  However,  you're to have to dig it out youself-I'm done shoveling for the year!

Dave's reply: Hi Greg, Great to hear from you! Glad you're having a great season.

Regarding the base measurement and our light snow...  where do you measure the snow base depth?  

Dave's reply: Near the top of Chair 6.

i saw that snow measurement the minute i typed that message. 2/9 2:35pm

the next day the "math" was changed.

note:

as an instructor/broker/advocate of the town/ski area, it's incredibly easy to pump that possibility of the new chair down the back side. it would give intermediate skiers and above some great new terrain. from being in vail for 8 years i know the skiing public looked forward to those great spring days that they would groom giant paths down the SLOT and FOREVER and YONDER, all back bowl trails. that's what the intermediate+ skier would get back there, when groomed. thanks dave,

Dave's reply: thanks for the detal Kevin. Have a great week!

Dave:

Just a simple thanks. I've been here since 1991 first as second homeowner then as a full-timer. The changes you've brought to the the area and what your staff has done is nothing short of incredible. I know a lot of it has been in the works for years but just wanted to thank you for bringing Telluride into its own this year and creating so much excitement for the future.

Thanks also for being out there, today's letter to editor and this blog being good examples.

Sincrely,

A Local

PS: now if I could just sneak into Allreds for a decent bottle of wine for lunch........

Dave's reply: Thanks for recognizing the staff. It's very much appreciated. Telluride has a bright future.

Dave, my family has been coming to Telluride for the past 12 years.  We've been homeowners for the past 5.  Needles to say, I've seen a lot of change (good and bad) in Telluride over this timeframe.    

I've been reading your blog fairly regularly this season.  I wish more CEOs would have the courage to address their clients/customers in such an open manner.  I think most in T-Ride would agree that the resort is in great hands.  

I'm curious as you look back over your first season what you view as your greatest accomplishment thus far, and your greatest failure.  Thnx

Dave's reply: Hi Ross, Thank you for your nice comments.

Thanks also for the question. This might come as a surprise but I think my greatest accomplishment is also my greatest failure - and it has to do with communication. I'll try to explain.

In the short time I've been here communication has been enhanced both within the company and in the community. Many people know more today about the ski company, the direction we are going, and the opportunities/challenges we face. At the same time, I think I have a great deal of additional work to do in this same area. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "failure" but I feel a strong responsibility to help create a unified long-term vision for our communities future.

The community is dependent on a strong ski company and the ski company is dependent on a strong community. There is still a lot of misunderstanding about how this works (or doesn't work) and we've all got to work hard to close the gap. I don't necessarily use the blog in this regard but it is something that I work on in other forums daily.

Dave I have been to Telluride two times and never tested the San Juans pictured here. I have admired them from a distance well below the tree line. These are incredible views and I am forwarding them to friends for them to be amazed also. It brings to mind 1. It does not get any better (more beautiful) than this 2. Have I died and gone to Ski Heaven?

Great pictures   Jim

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, Yes - Telluride is the most beautiful place you'll ever ski!