Dave's Blog

Perfection!

Dave's reply: Perfection = Telluride!

Hey Dave, love the news on the expansion.  Do you know if Delta/SkyWest will be offering daily air service into Montrose thru Salt Lake City again this year (I know they have a new nonstop on the weekends direct to MTJ), but when I go on their website currently they don't show any available flights during the week (maybe its just to early for them to have those schedules in there)?  Figured you would know the answer given you have the inside scoop on the air program.

Thanks,

Lofton

Dave's reply: Hi Lofton, I asked Scott Stewart to reply to your question which follows:

Very sweet!! Cool news but are we now going to see a $90++ dollar lift ticket to foot the bill?

Dave's reply: We have not set final prices for next season yet but I'm sure they are going up to some degree. Ski areas always provide ways to save $ though through packages or passes.

Why isn't it a Doppelmayr lift like the rest of your lifts?  Seems odd that you would switch with so many of the other kind aready.  Anyways, I am very excited!

Dave's reply: Hi Sean, Very good question. Several things go into a decision like this in addition to the contract price. We received bids from both Leitner-POMA and Doppelmayr-CTEC. Both companies have evolved their product over the years and build exceptional lifts. POMA is a "local" company as their plant is in Grand Junction, just a few hours away. Service after the installation is a strong consideration. One of the things I really like about POMA is the chair design. You'll realize what I mean when you sit on it. I'm not saying anything bad about Doppelmayr but I felt it was an opportunity to give POMA a shot at Telluride and let our staff and customers experience the product as services. This will certainly not be the last chairlift built at Telluride.

Hi Dave,

Great news!  Three questions, if you don't mind:

1)  Are you still going to groom a path down the middle of the bowl?  Seems like that is defeating the purpose of a deep powder bowl.  As skier's right gets tracked up and possibly bumped up, skiers will move gradually to skier's left and having a wide groomed path down the middle will destroy some of the deepest powder.

2)  How do skiers exit to See Forever from the top of the new lift?  Tuck to the top of 14 (where there is frequent congestion from people off-loading 14) or does everyone have to ski Little Rose and come back up on 14?

3)  I'm really curious as to how skiers would be taken out of the bottom of the bowl in the unlikely event that the new lift should break down.

Bottom line is that I can't wait to ski the new terrain.  Can you guarantee another heavy snow year? :-)

Gary

Dave's reply: Hi Gary, Nice to hear from you again.

We want to groom a swath consistently from the saddle at Little Rose down to the bottom of Revelation. That will be the easiest route into the bowl. Also, this route is the hike-out route in the unlikely event the electric motor fails plus the diesel auxiliary fails.  If it's groomed,  people wouldn't have to post-hole out which would be a bummer. A group of us hiked that path over winch groomed snow about a month ago to test the theory - it's not that bad. It takes about 25 minutes to hike out on this route. If someone was hurt or out-of-shape to the point they couldn't walk out (!), we'd drive a winch cat down for a rescue. I think the odds of this are very small because with the auxiliary standby engine it would take a gearbox failure or something drastic like that to stop the lift.

Regarding the question about grooming from the top, we're going to put a pick- point up on skiers right of the upper terminal for a winch cat to tie up. I'm pretty flexible on it but I think at times if it bumps up we might want to put the corduroy down the center. We'll learn as we go. Fresh pow should be left for the people in Revelation Bowl.

Regarding the exit down See Forever, we're going to cut a path from Little Rose around the knoll which Chair 14 sits on to the east which will allow people to slide around the knoll and back to See Forever at a lower point. We looked at that issue pretty carefully and feel this is best to avoid conflicts with people carrying too much speed against traffic coming down from the top of Chair 14 to Little Rose - if that makes sense.

Regarding 08/09 snow, my prediction is that periodically during winter in the mountain areas it will snow :) Seriously, what cracks me up is all the mumbo jumbo over La Nina last fall... I've never been a believer because I've seen it cut both ways so many times. It's nothing but a fisherman's tale IMHO. The weather forecasters and the media always get all wrapped up in it though and then never admit they blew it - just like last winter..
 

What an incredible move!!! Seems most resorts are dumbing down and you're soaring to new heights. You get the fact that the baby boomers are good skiers, take ski vacations, are sick of Vail/Breck/Keystone/Aspen, and want what you're creating. My guess is that Telluride is the next great ski resort. The place to be. A dream come true. I have not been to Telluride in years but I'm coming for sure next winter! Great job.

Dave's reply: Hi Chris. We do appreciate your interest in Telluride. I suspect you may be right regarding what many people want: a first class experience in an incredible setting with unmatched terrain and service. That's what we're focused on. See you this winter!

It's nice to have a real skier running our ski resort. Killer changes. Some will cry and complain but stick to your guns Dave. You're just moving a little faster than some of us are used too here in Telluride. I think Telski needs to start doing avalanche control work in Bear Creek. It's necessary in the future and I think the majority would support it. Just think about it. We're all heading to Moab for the weekend tomorrow! Life is good and we're glad you are making it happen. It's a thankless job but I'd like to say thank you.

Dave's reply: Thanks for your support. I'll give your input some thought.

Last year looking into Revelation Bowl I saw quite a few avalanches.  One fracture looked at least 4 feet deep in some places.  Is it a worry building the bottom lift terminal in the run-out zone?  Are the snowcat drivers worried about driving in there?  A snowcat puts alot of stress on the snowpack.

Dave's reply: Hi Paul, We have a plan for AC. Just as many areas around our ski area. The frequency of AC work last year in Revelation does not compare to the practices we will follow with it being an open lift pod and regular skier compaction will make a big difference too. Thank you.

This is completely awesome...great job!

Question... I'm curious as to what will be the revised vertical drop w/ this new terrain?

Dave's reply: Hi Marc, Total lift serviced vertical will be 3,845' from the bottom of Coonskin to the top of Revelation. It was 3,530' before from the bottom of Coonskin to the top of the Gold Hill lift.

Dave,

I have been a frequent reader of your blog through the winter. I just wanted to drop a note to say thank you for opening this awesome new terrain! These are definitely exciting times at Telluride.

Also, please continue to update your blog through the summer. We want to know about all the changes and additions that are coming. Keep up the great work.

Dave's reply: Hi Sean, Thank you for your interest and support!

Wow a lift in Revelation by next winter, never thought I'd see that!  With the top terminal being so high up on Gold Hill making easy access to 1-5 any word on if those will open up this next winter, snowpack depending??!!  Any plans to include all of the east side of gold hill in the area? trams in upper bear creek? a real euro style resort

Dave's reply: Hi Erik, We've been so consumed just focusing on the projects for this summer that we have not imagineered anything like that :)

Hey Dave:

Terrific move on no-brainer terrain. A new type of ski experience above treeline for even the intermediate skier, something always in need of at Telluride. Way to push for it!

A quick question:

Any way I could get the slope or linear length of the existing lifts on the mountain? Telski used to make this available, and I lost my info awhile ago. Thanks!

Dave's reply: Hi Toby, I happen to have that right on my desk. Below is the slope length you asked for:

Lift 1 - 2,916'

Lift 2 - 1,425'

Lift 4 - 6,227'

Lift 5 - 4,899'

Lift 6 - 2,957'

Lift 7 - 4,725'

Lift 8 - 2,686'

Lift 9 - 6,233'

Lift 10 - 10,544'

Lift 11 - 2,493'

Lift 12 - 5,097'

Lift 13 - 701'

Lift 14 - 3,645'

Lift 15 (Revelation) - 1,876'

I was reading Paul's post.  Are the Cat drivers worried about going in there?  I understand that there will be more AC control next year, but it's still a big issue.  I don't know of any other place on the mountain like that where a Cat goes in.

Dave's reply: Hi Anna, In fact - there are many places where AC work is carried out for snowcat safety, patrol safety, public safety, even snowmobile transport for lift operations, lift maintenance, snowmaking, and F&B, within the ski area.

Hi Dave,

I just did a lap on makm today and it's still really covered, I think our base hasn't gone down at all yet. You had mentioned that if it weren't for the problem of getting people back down off the mountain an easy way you'd open 9; why not let people get down anyway they can? I think the average person that would come skiing for the weekend would not mind walking back to town if they weren't comfortable skiing all the way back into town. Just open 8 for upload only and make sure everyone that goes up understands going back down is either pick your way down something steep or walk back down Telluride trail. The skiing on 9 is fantastic May 2. If you opened 9 for the weekend next week, think of the press you'd get the ski area for that one! I'd pay money to go ski 9 all weekend in the month of May. Would there be enough staff on hand willing to make it happen? This opportunity to do something really special and memorable might not happen again for a long time since it's been such a long time since we had a year like this. I say smokem if you got em. And right now, we got loads of em.  Anyway, maybe someday.

Thanks for getting the revelation lift going as well as the rest of the newly opened stuff!

Steve

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, I'd really like to but for a variety of reasons it's not possible at this point. Sorry.

Dave,

If the 07-08 season wasn't incredible enough (3 visits from Chicago with incredible snow conditions), your news has already got me stoked for next season!!

Congrats on moving Lift 15 through so quickly.  The time from concept to first runs is just outstanding.  I think we will find that Lift 15 will be special not only because of its terrain, but also because of its connectivity to other points within the ski area.  In many ways, it brings the mountain "full circle".

Last, and absolutely mind-blowing to me, is the news of United's O'Hare-Montrose service 7 days a week (in-season).  This makes all the difference for those of us that want to visit often, and eliminates the all-too-often missed connections in Denver.  Thank you, thank you!!

Ike

Dave's reply: Hi Ike, Thanks for staying connected with the blog!

Three times in one season from Chicago - that's pretty impressive. Sounds like you'll take full advantage of the new service next season! Enjoy your summer and we'll see you next winter.

Dave,

Wow, what a change!  I missed 08 and am still kicking myself, but will be back for 09 and Telluride will probably be unrecognisable.  Awesome job in two years! As I havnt been around im not fully up on all the changes.  What are your thoughts on the illegal terrain in lower bear creek off see forever?  Can you see this becoming gate accessed at some stage?

Awesome job!!  Cant wait for December!

Dave's reply: Sorry you missed last year, it was fantastic. We really have not spent much time internally discussing the lower terrain. As it stands now, we don't have a gate down there. See you next season!

Well Done! I am always looking forward to winters in Telluride.  With the introduction of Revelation Bowl I am now going to have to see a psychiatrist to deal with acute skier anxiety.  You think Telski can float the bill?

Dave's reply: That's funny

Where exactly is the Revolation Bowl?

Dave's reply: Hi Fritz. Revelation Bowl is on the northeast side off the top part of Gold Hill Summit. When you ride to the top of Chair 14, it's the cool powder bowl you look at directly to the east.

So, now that we have yet another reason to stay up around Gold Hill all day, how are you getting on with that liquor license for the Vino Alpino bar on the mountain that you blogged about back in September?

Dave's reply: I'll have to refocus on that again. It was a great plan. It's in need of some regulatory process..

Please? With the new lift it is reasonable to think people will stay on 14 and 15 all day - will there be any new facilities?  Hey - aren't there some leftover porta-potties from the ones taken away at 9 & 5?  It is easy for the guys to "step into the woods" but not so much for us ladies. More bathrooms should be in line with your world class resort vision so thanks for at least thinking about it!

Skied 9 today - still SWEET up there!!! :)

Dave's reply: I have to confess, I hate porta potties. Anyway, I think we need to try and follow through with the Alpino Vino concept. That would be a nice "comfort station". Nicest corn on earth around the San Juan mountains these days :)

Hi Dave-

Great job on all the changes at Telluride.

As I scrolled down your blog, I could not help making a link between the revelation lift and the opportunity to loop back into town through the Bear Creek route.

Do you have plans to make Bear Creek "in bounds" any time in the future?...ever.?

Dave's reply: Hi Craig, In order to do something like that we'd need to formally apply for an expansion to our permit area. I've had some people come to me to encourage us to do that and others who have expressed concern. What's your opinion?

Hey Dave:  After reading you for a season I can certainly see your enthusiasm for improvement.  Now my request for the third time....how bout throwing us intermediates a bone.  I'm talking about the 50+ skier and families who shows up several times a year and in my informal survey fills up a large percentage of condo space and dinner reservations.  I know you want to make Telluride the destination for advanced skiing but some more groomed blue would really be nice.  In the past you have commented that there was plenty available.  All you would have to do is commit to grooming more on a daily basis.  It's getting crowded on Misty Maiden especially with loosing part of the bottom to the terrain park.  Lift 5 could accomodate alot more of us if more than one or two runs a day were groomed.  Hopefully in the next few years once the current expansion is complete a look at opening new intermediate slopes can be made. Until then I hope you will take your own survey and see that the current exansion is serving a small number of skiers in relation to who supports the local economy.  I wish you well and look forward to our summer in our home away from home.

Dave's reply: Hi Al. We're absolutely committed to all levels of skiing at Telluride Ski Resort. I'm a bit confused about the suggestion to groom a couple of runs daily at Chair 5. That is occuring now. I get complaints from others who say we groom too much sometimes! Thank you.

Dave, it is really great with the new terrain and quad lift, as well as the new flights.  However, many of us don't fly in and the parking was really a disaster this year during the busy periods. If the base development at chair 7 goes forward, the parking in town will be terrible also.

Mountain Village starts off the day telling people they can't park on the streets, then an hour later there are cars parked on the streets for blocks.

Keep up the good work on the ski area.  Jerry

Dave's reply: Hi Jerry, I think the town parking folks tell people to park in the complex so they can maximize that parking before moving out to the road. The parking structure has been designed to add a few decks and it is my hope that it will be constructed in the near future for the overall guest experience. Thank you.

I strongly vote against ever attempting to make upper Bear Creek "in bounds."  It is a special place in both the winter and summer, and there should not be lifts there.  It is the best lift-accessed backcountry skiing in Colorado during the winter, and one of my favorite places to hike during the summer.  The entire character of the area (not to mention possible environmental impacts) would be changed dramatically by any expansion into it.

I feel similarly about Revelation Bowl, but since it cannot be skiied into Bear Creek, it doesn't have quite the same impact that lifts serving upper Bear Creek (areas that are currently "out the gate") would have in that area.

Thanks,

Adam

Dave's reply: Thanks for your input Adam. I find people are pretty passionate on both sides of that one.

Dave

I vote you apply to expand your permit area to include the Bear Creek terrain ASAP!!  You have skied it and know what a fantastic addition it would make to T-ride--why wait--it's a natural expansion progression.

Dave's reply: Hi SDS, we have not proposed anything but people like to discuss it, which is fine. As I replied to Adam above, the people I talk to are pretty passionate on both sides of this one.

I'm a bit confused about the suggestion to groom a couple of runs daily at Chair 5. That is occuring now. I get complaints from others who say we groom too much sometimes! .........my request was a couple "more" runs.  Polar Queen, Sundance on Chair 10 are two examples of slopes that should be groomed daily ala See Forever.  Just an opinion to keep the traffic moving.

Dave's reply: I understand. Thanks for the input Al!

Hi Dave,

I find it odd that some people talk about how much they love hiking in Bear Creek in the summer and that it would be spoiled with lifts but I have to ask: where are these people? I really do hang out a lot in Bear Creek (in the upper basins) in the summers and usually I am alone or only see the people I went in with. Why would lifts spoil that experience? It seems to me that the people that complain loudest about not disturbing certain areas are usually the people that never go into these places or if they do, it's twice a summer. It's disheartening when people go out of their way to keep places "sacred" and others out when they themselves don't get out there to appreciate it. The backcountry isn't getting overrun. The fact of the matter is, the average person finds it too difficult to really explore and spend time back there but it's these same people that seem to want to "protect" the place from what, the few hearty individuals who actually do spend time there?

I grew up in the Alps and yes, some places are overdeveloped but I'm all for responsible expansion of lifts....all the way to Silverton. It wouldn't ruin anything because if the naysayers got off their benches at the coffee cowboy and explored past the Weibe or Bear Creek Falls, they'd notice that there's a ton of space out there. Some people are just selfish. That's my 2 cents.

Dave's reply: Hi Steve. I was up in the Revelation Bowl / Gold Hill / Upper Bear Creek area several days last fall and only saw one person up there hiking on one day. Admittedly, I've always felt that chairlifts don't ruin the mountain landscape. That's probably pretty predictable coming from a ski guy.

Hi Dave-

Regarding my comment above re: Bear Creek.. I understand that some look at this are as a 'sactuary' of sorts, but you must recognize the amazing opportunity for the ski area to expand into this area. By that I mean the opportunity to make it 'in bounds' and controled (AC) by TSG which would make it safer and more accessible to expert skiers and boarders.

Dave's reply: Hi Craig. I guess there are at least 3 alternatives for Bear Creek in terms of skiing and management:

A) Leave it as is - backcountry area accessed through a gate with no obligations or responsibilities for TSG as our USFS permit area does not extend to that area

B) Propose to expand the ski area boundary so that we can at least perform AC work

C) Propose to expand the ski area boundary so that chairlift(s) could be installed as well as AC work

We have not proposed (B) or (C) and are operating under (A). At this time I really don't have a clear feel for the public's desire on this.

This talk of expansion into Bear Creek is very sad news.  Once again more virgin landscape could be destroyed in the name of progress.  Can't people find some other way to make a buck in the San Juans that doesn't involve "corporatizing" public lands? I can only hope that these talks of making Bear Creek part of Telluride Ski Resort fade away quickly or cause enough of an uproar that the Resort decides to drop it. The backcountry is already getting crowded enough without further expansion of ski areas (and Heli-skiing operations for that matter)

Dave's reply: I've always thought of ski areas differently than you have described. But, you are entitled to your opinion also.

Great news on Revelation!  You and management have made the right choice in expanding Tride's  Euro style, open space skiing.  Its the best way to differentiate the Mountain vs others.  And we have young kids but still believe this advanced terrain is the way to go.

Dave's reply: Hi Marc, I believe Telluride has a certain blend of elements that most ski areas in North America can only dream of offering..

Hey Dave,

That new expansion area looks awesome but i was wondering if you guys were gonna put an inground superpipe for next year?

Dave's reply: Hi Alexander, Not planning on it.

At this time I really don't have a clear feel for the public's desire on this.

A

:)

I think you should at least explore the possibilities of placing a lift into upper Bear Creek. The amount of terrain it would add would allow locals and visitors a truly unmatched skiing/riding experience.  And it would open opportunities for backcountry access from the top of the new lift(s).  I personally look at it as a win/win as long as the costs are feasible to the resort and client in the end.

Thanks for your vision within the ski area this past year.  It was an awesome year.

Dave's reply: Hi Matt, Thank you for your input. At this point, I'm really focused on getting the Revelation Chairlift constructed over the next few months. I've had a small amount of input from people who would like to see a lift in upper Bear Creek, some who want AC work in that area (which would require a permit area expansion), and some who would like us to leave things as is (back country, non-managed). We may need to do some more outreach down the road to get a better picture of what people are thinking. I spent a fair amount of time in that area late last summer, fall and winter and fully understand the terrain. It's pretty amazing.

Mr. Riley,

We cannot believe the progress you have made in the short time you have been CEO for Telluride. Revelation Bowl is a turning point for your resort. The Mountain Village area is gaining momentum with the new Capela five-star hotel and the Mondrian hotel proposal.

You need to follow through on the Alpino Vino concept you launched last fall for the Trommer house. That was a brilliant European concept.

Many of us who live in Telluride and Mountain Village are very proud of our resort but have been waiting years for someone like you to launch visionary changes like you have done.

You're in a very politically charged position and many of us are confident that Telluride/MV is finally going to make the changes necessary for long-term success.

You probably don't get many thanks but I want to sincerely let you know that you have the backing of a great number of locals and second homeowners.

Keep up the excellent work. And, we'll see you on the slopes next winter.

Dave's reply: Hi Jackie, Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts. I'm very excited about the future of Telluride and Mountain Village. It really is an incredible community.

Mr. Riley,

Our family has enjoyed the Telluride Ski Area for many years. Thank you for moving forward so deliberatively on the new Revelation lift and all the new hike-to terrain.

Some friends were over last night and we were talking about your frequent suggestion to the community to support the zoning and construction of additional hot beds. We all agreed that the restaurants in Mountain Village need more hot beds. We'd also like to see more restaurant options in Mountain Village.

For the past several years there has been the concern that Telski was not willing to invest and just wanted more hot beds. It was a very positive statement to the community for Telski to invest in the mountain like you are now doing.

We think Mountain Village is the best place for more hot beds. The Town of Telluride is already pretty much built out unless some buildings are torn down and re-developed.

Thanks again for all you've done. Hopefully the MV town council will step up also.

Dave's reply: Thanks for you comments. From my point-of-view, the future success of MV really comes down to the fact that there is very little land left and what gets built from here on out has to contribute to the vitality of the village. We have an imbalance within our bed base. Village core businesses are having a hard time right now because of all the cold units that are only occupied during peak periods. It's hard for a small restaurant or retail store to live on holidays alone. Location matters too. Hot bed development needs to tie into aerial links and/or be in reasonable walking distance to the core to follow the principals of "smart growth". I think the MV town council understands these issues and believe they will do what needs to be done to promote the long-term vitality of our community. Regarding mountain improvements like the Revelation lift, or other projects like replacing older lifts, to the extent more hot beds are developed it makes my job much easier to free up the capital to make these kinds of improvements. When we made the decision to build Revelation, we fully intended to send the message that we are willing to invest in making Telluride the greatest alpine resort community possible. We hope that our elected officials see that we are a good partner and that we need their help also to realize the best from our collective efforts.

Thanks for following through with the Revelation lift. Telluride has always been our favorite ski resort in the Rockies, although we haven't been there in a few seasons. We went to Sun Valley last season. It was nice but Telluride has better terrain and the free gondola between Mountain Village and Telluride, which is great. We're booking a trip this coming winter to see the new bowl as well as the hike-to terrain you opened last season. The pictures look very dramatic. We'll again stay at the Peaks. It's giant spa and ski-in, ski-out location can't be beat. See you in January!

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, Thank you for choosing Telluride for your ski vacation this coming season. We're all very much looking forward to the new lift and powder bowl too :)

Hi Dave

Great to hear the good news. I was lucky enough to hike up and ski chute 10 when  it was open. I later found out that it had been closed just after I started to hike. I did experience some strong winds as you are just that bit more exposed than the top of 14. Do you expect the new lift to be more effected by the prevailing wind than 14 as it looks like the off-load point will be exposed?

Jamie

Dave's reply: Hi Jamie, thanks for the question. It will be interesting to see how it will perform in the wind. The line is well protected all the way up the "back side" of the ridge until the chairs pop up to the unload point. One of the reasons we went with a fixed grip quad instead of a fixed grip double was the increased weight of the quad chair which experiences less swing from wind. I'm sure there will be days when the lift shuts down due to high winds and low visibility. It's way up there in the alpine. It's a give and take, while in an exposed environment, it's also going to load up with snow very nicely.

dave,

im really stoked on the progress telluride is making in terms of the backcountry style terrain. it makes the mountain so much more fun and we are actually showing up in the big magazines this year. that being said i hope telluride puts the same effort into their park and pipe. this last seasons terrain park(s) were phenomenol for telluride (and tons of fun), but only "pretty good" in terms of other resorts. can we count on some "revationary" features on the corduroy this year?

thanks

-theodore

Dave's reply: Hi Theodore, Thanks for your comments. Freestyle terrain is an important part of what we offer and we'll continue to put resources into it. Regarding the pipe, I'm not happy with the location. The slope is not steep enough. The rails and jump lines are much better and I feel good about the direction that is going.  

Dave - thanks for doing these expansions. My home area is Taos and we are able to ski at Telluride due to the exchange days. The terrain you're opening is incredible, *almost* rivaling Taos :).

Dave's reply: Hi Bob, Taos is my favorite ski resort in NM :)

Revelation Bowl is a great move for Telluride.  Congratulations.  Can't wait.  I'm assuming that its lift is higher and to the right of the top of Lift 14 (as you ride up the lift).  At what elevation will the top of this new lift be?  How much higher is this than the top of Lift 14?  

Dave's reply: Hi David, You are correct on the location of the top terminal for the new lift. The top terminal elevation of Chair 14 is 12,255 and the top of Chair 15 (Revelation) will be 12,570.

Hi Dave!  

Regarding the pipe in a previous comment a guy left up above.  You said you wanted to move the pipe to a steeper location.  I do believe the pipe needs to be moved, so that both walls get an equal amount of sun.  But the pipe should defentially NOT be moved to a steeper location.  A Steep pipe is terrible.  It throws your whole run off becuase you have to speed check too much.  I compete in pro half pipe comps all across the world.  The pipes they have built are no steeper than what our pipe was this year.  You can get way more amplitude out of a non-steep pipe compared to a steep pipe due to having to speed check too much.  I rode the pipe at Mt. Hood Meadows      this past winter for a comp, and they had one of the best pipes I have ever ridden.  I know that you come from there, what is the chance of you making a sweet pipe like that?  I do believe that our pipe should be dug into the ground as well.  It would save a ton of water for the snow making.  Also the pipe would be done much sooner!!  Next winter will you please find a cat driver to cut our pipe well; it didn't have a proper cut all winter.  I wouldn't advertise our pipe as being 18 feet tall either, because with how it was built last winter it was only about 15 feet tall.  It would be great if you could find a legit location thats not too steep, and both walls could have an equal amount of sun!

Also is there any chance our jumps can be bigger for next year??  They were quite small this past winter!!!

Props to the expansion of the mountain...one suggestion don't go crazy on making our mountain huge.  Keep Bear Creek the way it is, don't upgrade chair nine and seven, and don't make any more begginer runs.  I like Telluride the way it is, except our park (It Need A Lot Of Improvements)!!  

Dave's reply: Thanks for the input Z. Always appreciated.

Dave,

Great to hear the good news, and amazed at how quickly it has come to fruition. Having stared into Bear Creek,(now revelation) for so many years I can't wait to ski it next year. This past years trip was fantastic, even after tearing the MCL at the end of day two of a three day trip. If there wasn't so much damn snow I never would have ripped the knee...ha ha....the knee feels great and will be ripping around Telluride again next season. BTW, and big thank you to the two locals that helped me back down to chair 14. They stayed with me for about 30 minutes before I was able to get up and go retrieve my ski 300 yards away at the bottom of Millions on one knee and one ski. Patrol finally caught up to me on the way back up 14, where I one legged it to the gondola and downloaded from there. I only point out this last part because patrol was very slow to react, I was on the ground for a good 20 minutes and another 10 sliding on one ski to the run out. If a sled had shown up I probably, well maybe would have taken it. (the maybe is a guy thing) 37 years of skiing and counting and always got myself off the mountain. I'm rambling, all I meant to say was I can't wait for next year.

Boomer

Dave's reply: Hi Boomer. Sorry to hear about the knee, glad it is all fixed up now.  I appologize for the slower than desired response time by patrol. 30 minutes is not the norm. Something must have been going on. Enjoy Revelation Bowl this coming season!

Hi Dave!

This year was my first visit to Telluride during the winter though I have been there many time during the summers for hiking and biking. I absolutely loved it, from the scenery to the staff, and am already excited about planning a trip this coming winter. I have skied all of Summit County and found a couple of the resorts "pretty" but after skiing Telluride I can say that I literally see what I have been missing. It is truly spectacular. The new lift and bowl looks amazing! And this blog is absolutely wonderful. A great way for a flat lander like me who is stuck in the city to escape a few minutes a day. On that note, the more you update the better:). I am sure y'all are busy with summer projects, meetings and vacations and such (although who would really need a vacation from Telluride ;)), but more regular updates would be pretty cool. Either way, thanks for the great blog and for the great improvements. Can't wait to make it back!

Dave's reply: Hi Flatlander. Yes, Telluride is an amazing resort in the most beautiful mountains around (IMHO). Hope you can make it back this winter. I'll be posting another blog real soon. Stay tuned!

Hi Dave,

I've been actively reading this blog since its inception.  It's the first thing I do each morning before work and again after work.  I share the sentiment of most of your other readers in saying that I am so impressed with the mountain improvements and expansion.  We live in Florida and manage (albeit with great difficulty) to spend 6 winter weeks in Telluride each season.  We love the mountain and the whole Telluride experience.

I see that tickets/passes are now on sale and we will, as usual, purchase season passes and limitless lesson passes.  This is a great savings and makes it a little easier to spend as much time as we do in Telluride.  We spoke last year, via this blog, about the prohibitive cost for families with young children who spend a lot of time in Telluride due to the expense of ski school for children.  I understand that there is significant investment in the instructors and infrastructure that must be covered as a business.  It seems that it would be a win-win situation to consider a limitless lesson pass for children, just as you do for adults. This would ensure a certain income stream via pre-season sales, and allow families to affordably spend more time and allow the whole family to enjoy the mountain experience.  Otherwise, too often, many are forced to take shorter vacations, or leave the kids at home.  FYI, we are currently trying to convince a few other families to join us this year for a few weeks, but the issue of the kids is the stumbling point.  It's just too expensive to put two or three kids in ski school every day for more than a week.  Well, enough rambling, I'm sure you get it.  Please give serious consideration to a children's limitless lesson pass.

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

Brad Taylor

PS. I would love to see AC work done in Bear Creek!

Dave's reply: Hi btaylor. Thanks for your comments and thoughts. I do remember your earlier comments on this same subject. We'll give it some thought. The children's ski school requires extensive facilities and staffing ala the higher prices. Our focus is on the overall value and making sure we offer a product that meets / exceeds expectations.

btaylor should consider skiing with his kids now and then. Constant lessons is not how you cultivate a life-long skier. Save some money AND spend time with your kids! I also do not think it would be wise to control any part of Bear Creek. If you put it the map, people will die and then it will all close again like in '86.  

Dave's reply: Thanks for sharing your thoughts Will.

Any chance of re-opening thrill hill this year. my children missed it this year??

Dave's reply: We're not planning on it Tony. It's really not well located and requires a crazy amount of snowmaking as a result. I'd rather put that snow out on the runs. It really didn't get much use. Thanks for the question though :)

Dave sorry if I missed it... how many in-bound acres will the new lift serve?

Dave's reply: Hi HTH. Revelation Bowl is 50 acres. With a very short hike above the new lift to Gold Hill Chutes 6 through 10 which open up to Palmyra Basin you get to add another +/- 100 acres. Enjoy!

Thanks for getting rid of the "thrill hill." Next... snowbikes! Ha, ha, ha....

Hi Dave,

Fantastic news on the Revelation Lift!  Some of my friends in Denver were on the fence about making the trip over last winter...they'll be with me this winter.  I'd also like to cast a vote in favor of bringing avalanche control into Bear Creek.  Thanks for everything you've done and are doing and have a great summer!

Doug

Dave's reply: Hi Doug, Thank you for choosing Telluride for your ski vacation this coming winter. The new lift and terrain is really going to be neat to see and ski. Have a great summer!

Hi Dave,

 Wow season passes are up 20% this year.  That really hurts.  Have you thought about a full-time resident pass sale?  One week only, must go to sales office, show your drivers license type of sale to give the real locals, not second home owners, a larger discount on their ski passes.  Some of us do not have jobs that provide free or merchant rate passes.  

Robert  

Dave's reply: Hi Robert. Thanks for your question regarding our season pass prices. The way we looked at it was in terms of the overall value. Additionally, it's important to know the following:

A) We have given our customers 3 more months to get the early season season pass prices (end of October), compared to last season

B) Since 2000, the adult season pass price has increased only $50 and the price did not change from 2001-2006

C) In the last year, the resort has expanded terrain in Black Iron Bowl, Palmyra Peak and Basin, Gold Hill Chutes 6-10, the Aprons, and for the 2008/2009 season - Revelation Bowl (with a new fixed grip quad chairlift).

D) The resort has also invested significantly in grooming, snowmaking, food & beverage equipment over the past year.

Hi Dave, At the end of the season I heard that they are going to put a bar and footrest on chair 9.  Is that true?

Thanks,

Susan

Dave's reply: Hi Susan, Yes - that is true. It is a project we're working on this summer.

Hi Dave, the new season pass prices sure do hurt. Are merchant passes going up alot as well? My question is, can you bring back the program that allowed us to do trail work in exchange for a pass or at least some credit? I understand prices have to go up and with all the new terrain it'll be worth it but with the current economic climate, it sure is a tough pill to swallow because I have to buy a pass for my wife and child as well.

Thanks, Steve

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, Merchant passes will be $795, up from $745 last year. A great way to save money on passes is to simply become an employee. We have many fun full time or part time positions available each winter. Feel free to contact the human resources department for more details! Have a great summer.

Hi Dave-

We had a great time in Telluride this winter. Our kids (3 and 4) both learned to ski thanks to one of your wonderful ski instructors (Linda H.). She was awesome!! Once the kids got the hang of it we ended up going up to Ute which was such a great and relaxing area for them to build their confidence. Thanks for having the picnic table. A small detail that made the experience more enjoyable with the kids. In addition to all the great terrain, Telluride really is a family friendly resort.

Also, does thrill hill have any possible use as a learning area? Have you looked into that? Just a thought.

Thanks for the blog and the great job you and your team are doing.

Dave's reply: Hi Craig. Thank you for your kind comments. I agree that although Telluride has a strong reputation for it's advanced terrain, our beginner, novice, and intermediate terrain is also excellent. The Telluride Ski and Snowboard School is one of the best to be found! Regarding the Thrill Hill area, we've essentially used it for Nastar and ski races. It seems to be a little far away for a child to walk from the sign up desk.

Hi Dave,  Very psyched about r-bowl, but on to a serious matter.  TS&G graciously provides employee shuttles from Montrose, Ridgway and Norwood to Mountain Village.  Is there any way to get a few shuttles to town for ski school, patrol, lifts etc. We are out of the transport loop.  The way fuel costs keep rising vs ski area wages will make it impossible for TS&G employees to continue to commute.  I believe this is a serious sustainability issue.  I hope you agree.  I have also heard employees were turned away from the shuttles in Ridgway due to no seating.  Some suspected that there were non-TS&G employees on these shuttles.  Perhaps a 20 passenger bio-diesel shuttle would set TS&G up as a industry leader. T

Dave's reply: Hi T. I'm a little confused about what you're asking. Shuttles in the Town of Telluride? Why would that be necessary? Regarding Ridgeway and Montrose, we are planning on increasing that capacity for the coming season for sure. We are seeing an ever increasing demand from those areas by employees.

Thanks Dave,  The shuttle only goes to MV.  There is no way to get to the lift 7 locker room for employees via shuttle.  One could take the gondola back to town then walk/bus over to lift 7, but the logistics are impractical and very time consuming.  If there isn't a way to get a shuttle into town could you please ask Telluride express(if you still use them) to have a pick up at society turn or Placerville.  We could at least hitch a ride down to get the shuttle.  Right now all employees who us lift 7 are out of the loop so to speak.T

Dave's reply: I talked with HR about this. It seems there are only a few people in this situation. Would you be interested in lockering at the village instead of Coonskin? Just wondering if there is demand.

Dave,

I know I'm slightly late on this point, but I saw someone mention in a previous blog an access point that you must have a beacon to proceed.  Dave, you said you had no idea what he was talking about.  This kind of gait is fairly common. I have seen them at resorts in Canada.  It is an automated gait that opens when you pass a beacon switched to send in front of a sensor.  If  you don't have a beacon that is transmitting, the gait doesn't open, period.  I think this would be a great idea to mitigate avalanche danger in these new areas.  This way, people would be forced to be at least somewhat educated in avalanche safety to enter. I know for sure that Ski Sunshine (in Banff) has one of these gaits to enter certain areas of their inbounds terrain. You should look into it.  Thanks for having this public forum for discussion. I think it is great.

Dave's reply: Hi Jarrod, in the states the Forest Service views the backcountry as open and accessible to those who wish to exit the Special Use Permit Area through a backcountry gate. Managing access within the SUP is different - we choose to keep the steep terrain closed until the ski patrol finishes their AC work. Although, carrying a beacon certainly is a wise thing to do wherever one is skiing.

I am excited to come to Telluride to see some of the new terrain. One question I see that you no longer have the thrill hill.  We will be vacationing with 5 kids between age of 7 and 11 and Telluride does not appear to have nearly the number of off hill fun kid activities of other ski resorts such as tubing, bungee trampolines, zip lines etc.  Is there any thought to offering such activites next winter?  Thanks

Dave's reply: Hi Tom, As a father, I know the importance of what you're discussing. Try ice skating and Hanley ice rink or at the outdoor skating pond at Mountain Village. Top-of-ten snowshoe nature trail. The Peaks (if you're staying there has a huge outdoor/indoor pool with a really cool slide. Horseback or sleigh rides with Rowdy. We did have a bungy tampoline at Mountain Village last March (I'm not sure when you're coming) and it was a real hit. That should be expanded in terms of dates. There is a ice climing wall that Mtn. Village Parks and Rec department mans with safety ropes. Snowmobile tours in Alta Lakes, etc. Most importantly, skiing all day as a family and a casual dinner will wear those little people out very successfully!

As a frequent telluride snowboarder I really must say that I'm disappointed with the new lift being put up. I'm not extremely athletic but I love the hike to the top and it makes the experience of being able to ride the chutes SO much more exhilerating than it would be if I just got to ride a lift to the top. Half the amazement is the fact that it's WORTH THE HIKE.

I really hope the lift doesn't go up because it will bring a lot of people that are too lazy to hike to the best parts of the mountain. And only the people that are willing to take on the challenge of the hike to get to the chutes will ever appreciate such a wonder.

Dave's reply: Hi Mary, The lift has been purchased and is going in this summer. There is no shortage of hike-to-ski terrain at Telluride besides the Gold Hill chutes 6-10. Have you been up Black Iron Bowl and Palmyra Peak and Bald Mountain? Thanks for sharing your opinion though!

Hi Dave,

How about a series of pictures showing the progress of the construction of the Revelation Bowl lift?  With updates.  Jackson is doing that along with videos of the construction of their new tram.  I'm wondering how the excavation will take place for the lift towers?  Can you get machinery into Revelation for excavation?

Gary  

Dave's reply: Hi Gary, I am planning on doing what your asking. At this point, all we have done on site is plow snow back to melt out the lift line and terminal locations. The long lead time items have been ordered from over seas and the steel is being fabricated in Grand Junction. The tower footings and terminal foundations will be excavated with what is called a "Spyder" excavator. Some people call it a "walking excavator". It doesn't have tracks and is a small machine which has arms and it litteraly walks itself on really steep slopes. It's designed for situations like this and limits disturbance much more than a tracked excavator would. Stay tuned for more blogs on the lift this summer!

I think that Mary is worrying for nothing. The early bird gets the worm so I suggest to her to get up early, eat a good breakfast and get your gear together the night before and you'll be amongst the first to track whatever you want. Trust me, as soon as you start lapping chair 15, you'll forget about the hike.

Dave's reply: Not impressed with the handle..

You like Mary's handle better? I agree, I'd rather go out with Mary J. Whuana anytime. I've never actually dated myself, but I've been with Mary J. Whuana off and on for many years.

Dave's reply: I guess I'm a little slow on the uptick!

I'm only trying to influence you to not take away too many of the hike-to runs by enforcing lifts. they're evil to my weight-losing plan.

I'm curious as to how many more lifts exactly you're planning to put on the mountain.

sincerely,

Mary J.

Dave's reply: With all the backcountry skiing in the San Juan mountain range, I doubt you have anything to worry about :) I can't say for sure what the ultimate build out for the ski area is. Typically ski areas update their master plans periodically.

This SUCKS!!!! i can not believe that we are gonna have another lift in T-ride

1.- now it´s gonna be full of gapers with a lot of tracks!!!!

2.- there´s not gonna be a lot of pow now, just like Dinamo!!!!

3.- it´s gonna end full of bumps and *** like that!!!

4.-If you wanna find good pow you need to hike, that´s all about ski, you don´t need a lift for that.

It´s the worse idea ever!!!!!!

Shame

Dave's reply: I certainly don't agree with that thinking. I'm wondering if you've ever even skied Revelation Bowl in the past. Since there is a cliff at the bottom, anyone who skied it had to hike out - read: posthole up an advanced run in waist deep snow. Therefore, it didn't get skied in the past. There will always be hundreds of square miles of backcountry skiing surrounding Telluride Ski Resort that you are welcome to enjoy. Thank you.

hey just wondering when a trail map might be available for the new terrain.

thanks

jarrett

Dave's reply: Hi Jerrett, I'm not sure if your wondering about on-line or hard copy but as you ask this you've prompted us to get the on-line map done soon so people can get a better feel for the new Revelation lift location. Thank you.

Dave, thank you for continually working to make Telluride an even greater mountain.  Cannot wait to come back for my 7th year in a row to ski the new terrian.  Keep up the good work!

Dave's reply: Hi Kent. Thank you for your nice comments. I have to give all the credit to the staff and management team at Telluride Ski and Golf. They're making great things happen! Thanks for your support!

Are you guys hosting the Lifestylez Winter Break '09 trip this year. If so, I cant wait!

Dave's reply: Hi Oly,

I thought that Telluride was the most fun, beautiful place that I have ever skied.  Now It will be the most spectactularly challenging place that I have ever skied.

Dave's reply: Hi Craig. Yes, in many ways Telluride is clearly "unmatched in North America"!