Dave's Blog

Quote: To ski these chutes, you have to go through a back country gate at the top of Gold Hill proper (assume personal responsibility), then re-enter the permit area through gates into GH 6 - GH 10 (when opened by the patrol). The chutes will not be open continually so check for current information on the signs before you make the hike.

Dave - you need to get some more info out. Like a map. This entire area has been a no-no forever. You need people to semi-understand their choices before going up there.

Dave's reply: Hi Chris, the ski patrol is going to put a picture / map at the bottom of the saddle near the top of Chair 14 that will show people what's up. Also, Chutes 6 through 10 are labeled up above at the access points. As you know, the area is expert only terrain.

I am ready for the mission.  This must be a dream.  Do you have any idea how many times I have looked at those chutes and saying one day this mountain will open that up.  This is a lot for me to take in, especially in one season, Palmyra, upper and lower gold hill, Revelation Lift, tons of snow....  Telluride is off the chart. WOO HOO.

Dutch

Dave's reply: Yes, Telluride rocks.

Thanks Dave! As a part-time resident who has to travel to pay for my fun, I have something  to dream about from my dumpy hotel in Gainesville, FL.  I can't can't wait to get back for some turns.  Keep up the outstanding work.

Dave's reply: Thanks Bren, get back soon, the season is almost over!

This looks awesome and so does the new Palmyra Peak terrian. I spent last winter in Telluride and it looks like I was there one year too soon. I might have to head back and spend next winter there again. Are you planning on having all this new terrian open next season as well? Any more new terrian opening next season? See ya next season!

Dave's reply: Hi Eric, Yes - we're planning on doing the same next year. See you then!

Dave,

Truely amazing,  Ive always said that if telluride opened all of prospect basin(palmyra-Gold hill chutes) we would be the best ski area when we have snow in the US. Thanks for making this dream a reality.

Let it snow

Mike

Dave's reply: Hi Mike, Last fall we adopted a new tagline "Unmatched in North Amercia" and the TSG team is focused on living up to that statement. Telluride Ski Resort has a bright future :)

Th opening of this terrain is absolutely unreal, major props to you and the ski patrol for the work that has been done this year, can't wait to ski it, too bad i just spiral fractured my third metacarpal, but that wont stop me from skiing this unbelievable terrain. Thanks again for all your hard work.

Mr. Dalbey

Dave's reply: All credit goes to the TSG staff. They're the best. Thanks for your nice post. Hope you heal soon!

Hey Dave,

I was at the Thinking Outside the Box Canyon meeting and feel pretty strongly that even though the ski resort has a Palmyra Basin lift approved, we absolutely don't need it.

I understand that a new lift helps marketing and brings in tourists, but a new lift would tarnish the attraction of that hike-to terrain. With Gold Hill opening and Black Iron Bowl and Palmyra open already, we have plenty of access into that basin. Even if someone doesn't want to hike, they can duck through the trees off the Prospect lift and traverse into the basin.

A new lift there would make it less appealing for hikers because no one wants to head onto a groomer immediately after hitting beautiful snow, and no one wants to look down a hike and see a lift - a lift that would require electricity and energy and more money for lift operators. It seems like a waste of energy, money and an environmentally wasteful move on Telski's part. Please consider this terrain a marketable hike-to, exploratory jewel that would only decrease in value if a lift were placed at the bottom of the basin.

Thank you

Dave's reply: Thanks for your input Emily.

Dave, don't listen to Emily! For crying out loud, if she want's remote skiing, go into the miles and miles of backcountry terrain that surrounds Telluride. Heck, you even have an open gate policy for backcountry skiing! I think a lift into Palmyra Basin would be the best! Emily's opinion reminds me of the people who opposed the construction of Chair 12 and 14 back in 2001 - now all those naysayers are riding those lifts all the time. Also, thanks for your great persentation at the public meeting yesterday "Thinking outside the box canyon". We're very fortunate to have you as the CEO of Telski. You've made more positive things happen in one season than we've seen here in years and years. Emails are flying all around the world talking about the great changes at Telluride. This is going to help all of us who are trying to make a living in this town. You go boy! Keep up the great work.

Dave's reply: Thanks for your support Kris. We're having a great time making TSG the best that it can be.

There are so many innovative moves going on at Telluride we've decided to come to visit next winter. This winter it was Whistler. Last winter it was Sun Valley. We've got a small club of girls who seek the best ski resorts every winter for our ski trip. It's time to see all this first hand. Count on 6 blond hard-bodies in Telluride in January '09. We're all over Palmyra Peak!

Dave's reply: Hi Florida Girl. Thanks for choosing Telluride. It's the most incredible ski resort you'll find! Let us know if you need anything to make your trip planning easy.

Four of us are flying from Denver this weekend for a week in Telluride and can't wait to see the new terrain. I'm so sick of driving on I-70 in the traffic to Keystone, Breck, Vail. Your new terrain was all we needed to take the "Plunge" and take a vacation to your great resort. Telluride is putting all the other resorts in Colorado in the dust......

Dave's reply: Hi Time, We're having a great season and I'm so glad you're going to make it out to see the new terrain.

I have been trying to get my cousins up to Telluride for years. Well, one of them is in town this week. Thanks for getting Telluride in such great shape this winter. Im sure the ski resort is making a great impression.

Dave's reply: Over the top stuff. Enjoy!

OMG, look at that terrain. What are you thinking? I'm shaking and breathing too hard to type. This is the biggest and most outrageous new terrain in years at any ski resort. We just booked the next flight to Telluride. No need to drive this time. We're there next week.  Save some BBQ and brews at Gorrono's for the AZ party in the afternoon. Tee shirts, music, and Wilson Peak views. Thanks for opening the new terrain this year Mr. Riley.

Dave's reply: Those flights from Pheonix are great. Enjoy you're vacation!

After reading your blogs all season it's time to see first hand the new Telluride. Black Iron Bowl, Palmyra Peak, and Gold Hill is enough to convince us.

Dave's reply: We'll see you soon! Enjoy the new hike-to terrain!

This is awesome!!  I do have one question about spending so much money opening this and adding another lift.  Do you think that the people that Telluride is gearing their marketing plan (uber rich, world traveler, families) are going to ski this type of terrian?  Seems to me that this is for the locals and die hard skiiers.  All the die hards that I know are not going to spend money on lodging and such.  So where's the trade off?  

Dave's reply: Hi Joe, That is an easy one to answer.

I think offering big mountain expert terrain, along with fantastic groomed intermediate and beginner runs is a formula for success locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. I'm very familiar with other resorts success in offering diverse terrain, including mind numbing chutes - you know which ones I'm talking about :) It adds to the resorts overall image on an international level to have some real challenging terrain.

Well-to-do folks, as well as locals, like to have it all in terms of ski terrain. For example, not all locals are experts and not all destination visitors are beginner/intermediate. The key is to offer lots of all types of super high-quality terrain and we're clearly succeeding in that area. This is why we are  investing in the best grooming equipment available on the planet at the same time we're opening hike-to extreme terrain.

The San Joaquin lift will have a winch cat groomed route top-to-bottom also which is no more difficult than Bushwacker or the Plunge. The lift will increase the overall vertical for the ski area and offer a really nice above-treeline powder bowl with incredible San Juan vistas.

We have the opportunity to create an experience right here in Telluride that is truly "unmatched in North America" - which is our strategy. Most ski area operators would die to have the terrain we have - and I think it's in the community's best interest as well as the ski area's best interest to make the most of what we have here.

The skiing this week has been pretty good. But now that I am here I have some suggestions and complements.

1. The ski school kids are an obsticle. Maybe everyday you designate some runs for them. I have to go slow because they take up the whole ski run and it is challenging to pass them on narrow runs and medium sized runs.

2. On lift 4 and 5 I like the new trail maps you have on, it saves me losing my gloves or poles to find it in my pocket.

3. The new terrain park on Meadows is not as fun as it used to be, because you excluded the rails and fun boxes and all of that.

4. The lifts close too early, in my opinion, there is still a lot of light after the lifts close.

5. There is limited beginner runs. My cousins who just started on Monday have a limited choice on where to go. There is only lift 1,10,12

6. The last part of Misty Maiden got smaller with all the jumps next to it.

7. See Forever is a zoo. There is 35 people on one only one face of the hill.

8. Giuseppes needs to be upgraded to a bigger place. Its so small and there is limited menu and there can only be a certain amount of people eating and working there.

9. Lift operations team never stopped the lift even after a woman on lift 10 feel getting out of the station and the lift never stopped for her, or at least not for 10.5 minutes.

10. Lift 9 needs an upgrade ASAP my legs were in so much pain going up it.

11. Your lift instructor Howard is the BEST, I came in as an intermediate and come out advanced.

12. On lift 10 today at the top one of your ski instructors was so tired that she was sitting down while she had a lesson, her lesson was waiting for her but the instructor was just laying down.

I hope you take my comments into consideration and I hope to see on the slopes. I will be here tell Saturday so I will keep remebering all that happens.

It has been great conditions until the sun melted all the snow today. Maybe you should consider snowmaking. Thanks.

Dave's reply: Thanks for all the input Fritz. I'll discuss it with the other managers too. Sorry for the late reply :)

Is TSG planning on putting additional signage (EXTREME TERRAIN ONLY, Self-Rescue beyond this point, a Backcountry Avalanche Danger Meter, etc.) at the top of the Hilary Step?  I feel that with the opening of the Gold Hill chutes there is going to be increased traffic over the Hilary Step and more "lemmings" following tracks into Bear Creek.  This could ultimately require more Search and Rescue missions, and more importantly, increase the potential of someone "skiing down on top of you".  From the end of the Upper Gold Hill Ridge, Bear Creek looks pretty tame, but as many people can attest, it can be a route finding nightmare.  Especially if you have never seen it before!  Currently the "short hike" up to the Hilary Step acts as a pretty good deterent for those that don't truely know what they are doing or where they are going.  Signage is necesary.  (Give the Ski Patrol some good summer-time work!)  

Also, are next year's trail maps going to include routes on Palmayra and Upper Gold Hill?

Dave's reply: We've got clear signage at the top of Gold Hill but I'll talk with the patrol about whether they think we should add more.

Yes, we'll beef up the trail map next year. Thanks C.

I skied chute 10 yesterday and got to hand it to you not many ski destinations would have the balls to open up lines like that!

Keep it up!

Dave's reply: Hi Jamie, Glad you're enjoying the new terrain!

What happened to chutes 1-5?

Dave's reply: They are not open at this time. There are some terrain traps and cliffs in that area.

What happened to chutes 1-5?

Dave's reply: Hi Michael, Thank you for your question. At this time, 1-5 are not open due to accessability issues through a mid-way cliff area. We're looking it over for the future but it might take some minor excavation to provide access in certain areas. In the meantime, enjoy all the other totally unique hike-to areas within Telluride Ski Area!

dave, as usual i belive u are doing the best for everybody, who rides and pays for time on the hill. I have been truly impressed with your leadership at t-ride resort and your heart is in the right place.With all of that said, why would you put a lift in a flat basin, we had a great year, how about the years when we have very little snow? will it just sit there? or will the resort blow snow in the basin? and yes lifts rock!!

Dave some thing has to be said about the mountain experince, yes even for you/me who ride lifts or earn our turns. Keep it real!!we need wild places and yes even in side the resort!! see you next year its time to head of to those places where this discussion is mute1 alaska thank you for being real:)

Dave's reply: Hi Loco, I'm not sure what you're talking about a flat basin?

Dave do you still not believe me that all the experts/advanced are getting it all. I was there recently and could find limited beginner terrain. What the heck are you talking about "hundreds and hundreds of acres" there is like maybe 100 acres. I brought some peeps up here and they were in ski school and they were skiing greens but really when you think about it the only beginner runs are off of 10 and 12. Don't consider 11 runs there is only 1 run anyways and same goes for 1 and 4.

Anyways moving on.... I noticed Bushwacker was no longer a double blue and T-ride trail was no longer double green?? What happened it was so easy for me. I have not been here for years but I came here because they have short lift lines. I was correct that meadows was too hard for my kids so I put them through ski school (which was like $500 for several days). I can't believe all the expert terrain which I can't ski. I wish you would expand beginner runs, so many places are realizing that they need more places for there mediocre skiiers.

I liked that guys idea for cutting some trees in an area and making more runs, RIGHT ON. Will you PLEASE do me a favor and on the list of things for the summer cut some more trees and make some great runs (intermediate/beginner). I know so many more people will come and I already know some will come if you expand. Come on Dave its the right thing for the resort. Talk with the forest!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave's reply: I hear you point Guy. More beginner runs. Thanks for the input.

Hi Guy, why don't you set yourself some goals for you and your peeps to improve your skiing so you no longer need the beginner runs.  Young kids learn so fast that before you know it they will no longer want to ski beginner runs.  You must be the only skier that would rather have the ski area made easier rather than practicing to improve your ability and to move on to more challenging terrain. Anyway, where do you propose to put the new beginner runs?  I can't think of anywhere the terrain is flat enough within the ski area, and there are no more approved expansion areas with the terrain you are looking for.  Making the skier better, not the mountain easier should be your goal.

Dave's reply: I still think we've got a lot of beginner terrain. Most ski areas would die to have those long beginner runs off of Chair 10!

I wonder how "guy" can continually  justify reducing more of the mountain down to his level in order to increase our already ample beginner terrain? Who skis beginner terrain for more than a few days anyway? Who are these people that ski beginner trails year after year? When I was teaching beginners to ski, we spent one day (max) on "beginner" terrain.  After you have skied a few times, you are not technically  a beginner anymore anyway! Have you ever seen our beginner trails truly crowded? I haven't! It gets downright lonely out on the green runs here... even during peak season!

I just want you to know Dave that opening new hike-to expert terrain is a far more important effort in the big picture than cutting more trees down, building more lifts, and gouging the mountainsides with lame beginner cat-roads cutting back and fourth across steeper slopes! I have no tolerance for any skier that refuses to increase his skills and wants to level forests and flatten mountains so he and his family can feel comfortable skiing at a terminal beginners level!

Keep up the good work!!!

Dave's reply: Thanks for your post Will. Enjoy the spring conditions!

Dear Dave,

First and foremost,we would like to start off this addition to your blog by saying how incredibly fortunate we feel to call a place, as beautiful as Telluride, home. It is truly magical and that is due, in no small part, to the grandeur of the ski area and all that it offers.

This brings us to our point .... as long time, substantial economic supporters of the Telluride Ski School, we have born witness to some of the changes that have occurred during this past season that, in our opinion, we feel have had, and will continue to have, a negative impact on the instructional experience here.

By this we mean that, as people who place great value on the true life-long friendships that we have established here with a handful of tenured ski instructors, we believe those relationships to now be in potential jeopardy due to some of the "compensatory"changes that have been implemented this   year. We have been made aware of the fact, as David Glynn so elequently stated in his recent Letter to the  Editor, that the annual bonus procedure has been done away with this year, for the ski instructors. Instead, we understand that a periodic "reward system" has been initiated, giving things such as Gorrono's meal vouchures, massage certificates, and the like, en lieu of a tangible cash bonus at the end of the year.

In our opinion this is a huge mistake. And, potentially, a mistake that could cost the ski school dearly ... from the perspective of, not only losing out on the return of many of the school's tenured and valuable employees, but also, as a result, losing out on the patronage, of people such as ourselves, who have come to rely upon certain individuals, year after year, for instruction and, of equal importance, friendship.

Let's face it, Telluride is an expensive place to live, even for just part of the year. Many of these people travel half way around the world, just to get here, and are then faced with ever-increasing rents, gas, groceries, etc.... For them to come all of this way, anticipating what they have normally received in terms of a year end cash bonus, only to be told that "they are making too much money" and that "their bonuses are being taken away", in our opinion, is not fair. Yes, there should be a system of recognition that rewards those who truly perform throughout the season. We are not saying that "blanket" bonuses should be given indescriminently to everyone. However, for those people who truly give it there all throughout the season, they deserve to be rewarded monetarily as they have been in years past.

No one becomes a ski instructor to because it pays well. People do it because they have a passion for the sport, for Telluride, for the people that they interact with and for the challenge and reward of sharing their personal knowledge and expertise with others. These attributes that keep people returning to Telluride Ski School, year after year, to instruct, need to be recognized and rewarded. Yes, undoubtedly, you could replace some of these people with "bodies" next year, but the reality is that there are many key personalities employed by this ski school, such as, Dean Sheppard, Linda Ball and Julian Hardman (just to name a few) that are, in our opinion, irreplaceable. If these individuals choose not to return because it no longer makes fiscal sense for them, than those who suffer are not only the instructors, but also the patrons, such as ourselves, as well as, the administration.

We also realize that there are additional challenges to be faced, this next year, with the significant reduction of the number of H-2 visas being issued to foreigners. Undoubtedly, this will have a significant impact on the retention of foreign instructors by the ski school. We hope that you will do your best to secure the necessary visas for those instructors who have dedicated a portion of the past several years, of their lives, to returning to Telluride to be employed by the ski school.

We applaud your vision of improving the mountain experience for everyone, via such things as, opening new terrain, improving lifts, etc....but, not at the expense of sacrificing the retention of valued employees. There needs to be a balance. After all, people are what make this mountain run.

Remeber Dave, it is never too late to go back and admit that an error was made .... as a matter of fact .... you would, undoubtedly, gain great respect from those around you by re-evaluating these issues.

Ashley & Michael Bradley

Dave's reply: Hi Ashley and Michael. Our intent is to reward exceptional performance throughout the season as opposed to  "peanut butter" deferred compensation plan. While change is often opposed by some people, it is supported by others. We have many people who are very much in favor of our new program.

Hi Dave,

I heard talk about ski patrol, lift operators, instructors, and other employees of Telski not getting their yearly bonuses. That's horrible! Those people work so hard to run the mountain, and they deserve to be rewarded for that. I know that you have some sort or rewards policy, but seriously, a gift certificate to food on the mountain is really not the same thing as rent for a month.

Also, with regards to the terrain, there was way too much grooming! With all of Telluride's reputation, the grooming makes it feel like a freeway everywhere. Aren't we trying to get away from that in Telluride?

Dave's reply: Sorry but I'm thinking you may not be fully informed regarding our reward and recognition program. It's quite successful and is designed to compensate individuals throughout the entire season. Regarding grooming, we've got more bump that the normal person can ski, as well as great groomed runs. Best of both worlds!

Guy, all I have to say is, REALLY? I mean REALLY? Cut more trees down? Even if we wanted to I doubt the town would allow it. Opening more of expert terrain that is already available is far easier than creating more intermediate terrain that doesn't exist.

Good work on opening all this terrain dave, I was happy to make it to the peak on Saturday!

Dave's reply: I think beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert terrain is all important. We've just been fortunate to be able to open some expert terrain that was there and just needed some additional resources as opposed to extensive environmental work associated with tree removal.

When I was riding up lift 4 today I noticed some people walking up out of Humboldt Draw towards the catwalk to Misty Maiden. It occurred to me that I've seen this a couple times this year (although not a ton) and that in years past there has been a sign that says "Bump Run" at the top of Humboldt so that people don't make the mistake of going there when they're not ready for bumps. I'm not sure how that happens since you can see Humboldt from the lift but it seems to happen quite a bit. I don't think it's necessary to put a sign up at this point, but it might help some people out next year.

Dave's reply: Hi Sara, I've not observed that before but I could see how someone might think that run is easier than it is because it's so flat at the top.

Why are there so many kids in one ski school class?  I had friends visiting that planned to put their kids in ski school for a few days until they saw every instructor with 10+ kids.  The kids in these classes are scattered all over the mountain.  Some lying down, some crying and the instructor 200 yards down the hill.  One instructor had 13 small kids to try and keep up with. Not only does this seem completely unsafe, but i don't think the kids were having a very good time-- not to mention not getting their moneys worth.

Dave's reply: Hi Jim, I'll talk with the Ski School management about this. I believe it is because the Spring Breaks are compressed this year instead of spread out. We can either get more instructors (which is difficult in March) or limit sales, which other resorts have done. Thank you.

Dave,

We appreciate your taking the time to respond to our recent submission to "Dave's Blog", however, your response really does not seem to address the issues and concerns that we expressed. For example, what does a "peanut butter deferred compensation plan" mean?

We were in no way suggesting that "blanket" bonuses be given out a the end of the season. We are merely suggesting that for those who truly have earned it based upon merit, tenure, work ethic, and perhaps most importantly to Telski - revenue earned for the ski school... that they are rewarded monetarily, as in years past, at the end of the season, as opposed to random "perks" throughout the ski season, that really (in the big picture) don't actually mean all that much.

You also failed to address the issue of the reduction of H-2 visas for next year. How do you intend to handle that issue?

Sorry to appear argumentative, but in speaking with numerous mountain employees, in various capacities, we have yet to here ANYONE speak favorably about this new compensation approach.

We look forward to hearing your feedback,

Ashley & Michael Bradley

Dave's reply: We are kicking out some additional rewards over the last few weeks for those employees who have performed well. There are a variety of things from pre-loaded gas cards to grocery gift cards, etc. H2B recruiting is being pursued but we also are ramping up our J1 foreign recruiting efforts. Thank you for your interest!

Hi Dave,

I’ve been watching Guy’s comments, and the responses, about beginner/intermediate terrain and thinking about it a lot.  My ultimate conclusion is that I need to get a life, but that aside…

Guy, I think to some extent it’s a case of the grass is always greener on the other side. Midway through the season two years ago I switched from skiing to snowboarding, which afforded me the opportunity to experience Telluride from the perspective of a person at each level. It seemed that no matter where my ability, almost all of the trail map was geared towards the other abilities.  When I was a beginner, the map looked entirely blue and black, when I was an intermediate, it looked entirely green and black.  When I started riding blacks, it looked all blue and green. Sigh….

But as I progressed past groomed blacks and on to bumps and more expert terrain, I started to realize the true potential of Telluride. You’re right Guy, I think it’s only fair to acknowledge that Telluride is one of the most difficult mountains around (regardless of what that Crested Butte guy thinks). And actually, I’m now realizing that Telluride has way way more expert terrain than the trail map even indicates!  There are tree lines everywhere!  All sorts of places to explore! But no, these areas are not for intermediates.

I don’t mean to say this in a snotty way, like hey, if you’re not good enough go somewhere else, but let’s face it, different ski areas are known for different things. Breckenridge has wide open groomed boulevards that are groomed throughout the day, but they don’t have a lot of steeps. Vail is enormous, but you’re gonna wait in lines. In a lot of resorts, you can come across a sign that says “Danger Cliffs” and what they mean is if you really want to and try hard enough, you can jump off a three foot rock. If you see a sign in Telluride that says “Danger Cliffs” that means you darn well better be prepared to drop a 10 ft. cliff.  But that’s a badge of honor, that’s what Telluride IS.  No, we don’t have the wide open expanses of groomers that Breck has. Yes, the runs off of lifts 4, 5, 10 and 12 serve that niche, but it’d be disingenuous to say that our wide open groomed boulevards are unmatched in North America. And we’re not saying that!  They’re easily matched and outdone in Summit County alone. But Palmyra Peak, Gold Hill Chutes… truly unmatched, and that’s what Telluride IS.  

I hate to say go somewhere else, but honestly, if a mountain full of wide open groomed runs is what you’re looking for, you’re simply not going to find it at Telluride. On the other hand, please realize that Telluride does have everything you’re asking for.  It’s just that there will always seem to be more of other types of terrain because, well, mathematically, there always WILL be more of other types of terrain if you stick to a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 formula, and of course, the grass is always greener on the other side. Even now, sometimes I swear that trail map is entirely green and blue!

Dave's reply: Actually, I think Telluride has a great diversity of terrain. I like to carve on the groom as much as tearing up the Wedding Chutes. We seem to have it all :)

hey Dave,

I am writing you because i am still concerned with instructors taking people into bear creek.  When I wrote you previously I didn't get a response.  Are you not concerned with instructors or uneducated skiers/riders entering bear creek? When the hillary step gate was moved I thought that it had something to do with exiting and re-entering telski property.  Have the rules changed? or am I confused.  The new terrain is exceptional, but I think that these concerns of people skiing above prepared safe educated backcountry travelers should be addressed. I also think that there should be more signage at the hillary step, and possibly a beacon check.  Please reply with thoughts or concerns.  

THank you for all of the hard work :)

Dave's reply: Hi Anthoney, Sorry - I looked back and can't find a post from b-4.

Backcountry gates is the place where our management ends, period. If the public wants us to take on management of Bear Creek, we need to have a conversation about extending our permit boundary to allow us to operate in that area like we do in the existing permit area - which means we would use avalanche control (to protect the pubic and our staff) and staff it with professional patrollers. Personally, I might be willing to go there someday but we have not proposed anything like that so there is nothing for the public or the Forest Service to respond to. Maybe I'll post a blog on that question someday. Thanks for your question - it's interesting to think about.

Dave,

We appreciate your response to our latest submission to "Dave's Blog", however, your response does not represent a "world class operation". A "world class operation" implies a staff of experienced & tenured professionals that offer your "world class" clientele base a wealth of experience and professionalism that a J1 / Junior instructor is not able to provide.

Seemingly this defeats the very purpose that you seek to establish by creating a "world class" ski resort here in  Telluride. We feel that your approach is not consistent. A decrease in knowledge and skill level is not commensurate with increasing revenues of the ski school.

Ashley & Michael Bradley

Dave's reply: Hi Ashley, A J1 is not a "junior instructor". It is a way to legally recruit professional ski instructors internationally, just like H2Bs. We have one of the finest ski schools in North America and intend to continue that tradition. Thank you for your post!

I got so obsesed with Telluride during my trip I made lift 10 open for 1 more minute. I had the best time!! I think everyday I should be back. Keep up the good work and thanks for looking into my requests have you gone over them with management yet?? Thanks for making my vacation the best.

From Fritz :^) :+> :> :)(: :*]

p.s. my smilies loved it too. Jk.

Dave's reply: Glad you enjoyed Telluride Fritz. Hope you have the opportunity to visit again soon. Yes, management reads the blog regularly and we meet weekly to discuss things.

I just returned from a Telluride vacation, and i have to say that our kids had a terrible time in ski school.  They were supposed to go for 2 days and we only put them in for one.  There were 12 kids in their class the first day and they just waited all day for the other children and learned nothing.  The instructor seemed very nice and competent, but i don't know how they are expected to handle that many children.  In the future, i would recommend setting limits on class sizes.

Dave's reply: Hi Ben, This year spring breaks across the country seemed to overlap more than usual which caused lesson crowding at all the resorts in the rockies. Our staff was supposed to notify parents at the sign-in desk that the lessons would be large (I believe they were doing so). We could institute a class size limit (I would not be opposed to that) on holidays but then some people would be unhappy with that also. So, our plan was to inform the parents. I believe next year the spring breaks spread out again a little better. Hopefully the balance of your vacation to Telluride was wonderful! Thank you for your input, I appreciate hearing from you on this.

All I can say is... THANK GOD THE SEASON IS OVER SO I CAN STOP CHECKING YOUR BLOG. After two consecutive spring break trips, this was my first year without being fortunate enough to make it to T-ride, and it was painful to watch you make so much progress to the resort without being able to enjoy it. Thanks for keeping me well informed and uber jealous throughout the season! I literally almost cried at times thinking about what I was missing... and all of the new terrain opening didn't help my mental stability. Nothing can keep me away next year...

Have a great summer!

Ian

Dave's reply: Hi Ian, thanks for staying connected through the blog! See you during the 08/09 winter!

Great Going Dave!

There has been more done in the past season to expand the available terrain than any year since lifts 7-8-9 were installed on the Telluride face.

I have been skiing Telluride since it opened (that's 1972, not last November), so I do have some perspective here.

Q:

Any further expansion of hike-to terrain planned for next year?

Will Gold Hill 6-10 be open again next season, and when?  I have always been interested in those chutes, but never (honest) busted a rope and poached even one of em.

Tom

Dave's reply: Hi Tom, Since we've opened Gold Hill 6-10, Palmyra Peak, and Black Iron Bowl, that's the remaining territory within our permit area for hike-to terrain (we've gone to the highest peak). We are planning on opening it all again next season. It's very unique and part of why Telluride is "Unmatched in North America".

Is the San Joachim bowl going to be completed this summer????

Dave's reply: Not sure yet Michael. We're still working on it. We're not ready to announce anything yet. Thanks for your interest!