Dave's Blog

Thank you so much for doing this! You have made so many great decisions since arriving in Telluride a few years ago. It's amazing to see how quick and responsive Telski has become in the name of skiing under your leadership. Telski rocks!

Dave's reply: Thanks for your support DT. Telski is only as good as its staff members. The change will inconvenience a few of them and make others happy - but overall it is widely supported.

Thanks for the update, Dave.  I'll be in t-ride in 1.5 weeks.  Let's pray for some late season snow!   I've heard it's been getting thin with the warm weather and lack of snow.

Dave's reply: The 10 feet we received in December really set us up with a great base and snow is in the forecast for this weekend. Thanks for choosing Telluride!

Dave,  maybe I'm jumping the gun, but I suggest you put an announcement on the main web page and on the snow report page.

I'm looking forward to being at the lift at 10 am Monday with my wife a two sons for our first day of skiing!

Dave's reply: Thanks for choosing Telluride for your family vacation Steve. It will be posted on the website today.

Hi Dave,

Moving the hours makes sense but what if we start getting big pow days again, is there a possibility of opening early depending on the dump?

Also, getting out the gate an hour later ups the potential of danger to those trying to get out while the snowpack is still locked up. I understand the ski area is not responsible but.....it just seems like it encourages sidecountry travelers to make risky decisions. Whatever, it will be nice to sleep in more often.

Thanks, Steve

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, TSG is absolutely not responsible for people's actions in the backcountry or decisions to exit the ski area boundary through a USFS backcountry access gate, period.

We do not intend to change our schedule based on a weather forecast. Everyone will get to the runs equally. Remember, this is in response to daylight savings time so in essense, we are not recognizing that artifical change.

How will this affect, if at all, ski school for the kids?  Thanks

Dave's reply: Hi Todd. Details will follow on the website but we decided they will still start at 10:00 a.m. and will last an additional hour so that adults can still do their afternoon lessons. Thank you.

I don't know how you do it Dave. You'll never satisfy everyone in you're line of work. This was a great decision. Thank you.

Dave's reply: Thanks for your support JD. I'm very excited about this initiative and feel strongly it was the right thing to do.

Wow! That was fast!!! See you Sunday! Thank you!

Dave's reply: Have a great ski day Tim.

Thank you for changing the operating hours!  I posted about this on your Jan thread before we had a separate topic going.  I'm glad to see Telluride stepping out and leading Colorado in this direction.  I think the operating hours adjustment is especially important for an even better skiing experience this year, with our good but very firm snow pack.  Those Europeans are onto something when they do this too.

Dave's reply: I'm glad you're pleased Snow Bunny, enjoy!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Dave's reply: You're welcome AB!

Bad idea. Our ski club is coming to ski during the day, on nice groomed slopes before the "crowds". Then apres-ski after, then shopping and dinner. Is everything else open an hour later? If not, that means we'll have less time for those activities, which hurts your bottom line, i.e. $$ dinero. Bad idea, you'll find out when your revenues are down. You'll blame the economy, but this will contribute.

PJ

Dave's reply: Thanks for sharing your perspective PJ. Unless you plan on closing down the bars and restaurants, it seems there will time for skiing, shopping, and dining. I'm sorry if you are unhappy. I hope you enjoy your time at Telluride!

Bravo, great decision. I skiied at alyeska in the spring and they had the 10-5 hours. worked great and allowed the snow to soften up.

Dave's reply: Enjoy JO!

Nice cost cutting idea. What customers want are MORE hours not later. And you obviously haven't skied at A-Basin where it is SOP to open at 8:30 and stay open until 4:30 (or later) during the spring.

Dave's reply: This is not a cost cutting idea. We just shifted everything to adjust for daylight savings which occurs this Sunday.

Thanks Dave; Great call

Dave's reply: Thanks Rg. Glad it works well for you!

dave, this seems like a nice idea for daylight savings, but what about all the people who work on the mountain?  many of us have second jobs, and some have to pick kids up from daycare.  we have made commitements, and now you've changed our working hours  without any warning.  the new hours are a good idea, but maybe you should have waited until next year so employees could be ready for the change.  it's just plain thoughtless.

Dave's reply: This issue was discussed above, but we can cover it again. We discussed this at the executive level and made a thoughtful decision knowing that it was impossible to avoid all conflict and disruption. We have been getting a lot of input from our guests regarding daylight saving time and the need to extend our closing times. As mentioned above, we're sensitive to the fact that it is not perfect for everyone. Feel free to discuss the issue with your manager or director. In some cases, accomodations can be made. For some employees this has caused a problem, for others it is a welcome change. Overall, this is clearly appreciated strongly by a majority of our guests. Thank you for your input.

Dave, you are leading Telluride in the right direction again!  With Telluride's magnificent warm Spring weather and longer March daylight, late afternoon skiing is fantastic.  I'll be in Telluride 3/18-22 with my two boys.  We'll ski together in the morning, and my little guy can now take an afternoon lesson from 2-5pm.  My older son and I will have a full afternoon to ski the tougher runs.  

What a bonus, many thanks Dave.

Ike

Dave's reply: Our pleasure Ike. Thank you for choosing Telluride for your Spring Break ski vacation! Let me now if I can help you in any way. Feel free to contact me at driley@tellurideskiresort.com

Hi Dave,

It's Tito, again.  I've posted several times, and haven't seen them, but here goes -- maybe this one will make it on your blog.  Thank you very, very much for adjusting to DST.  I also posted on your blog last year re: the same subject, along with many other locals, in favor of the change. Nice to see it happen now.  As, I'd mentioned in my previous posts, this is not a new happening at our resort.  Your "initative" was implemented here several years ago, but was not put into effect last year.  (sorry to say). And regarding other resorts following "Telluride's lead", Aspen and Crested Butte have also done it in the past.  But aside from that, kudos to you.  Now, if you could only retro back again, and build a half pipe next year, you'd be a hero.  Smile.

Dave's reply: Hey Tito, If I post a new blog after you post a comment you have to go back to that blog to see my reply to your comment, if that makes sense.. :) Otherwise, if a comment is largely off-topic, it may not be posted. I'm pretty liberal though.

My understanding regarding other resorts is that 4:30 p.m. happens at very few but I know of none that go to 5:00 p.m. in the state (at least today..). Nonetheless, it's not about them anyway, it's about the experience we create.

Dave, thanks for getting this done. It's nice to have a skier at the helm! We're going to enjoy the spring snow, the chutes and the bowls, then head to Gorrono and then to the Hop Garden!

Dave's reply: Hi Slider, enjoy the best spring skiing, and the apres! Thank you.

Hey Dave, I want to thank you and all of your employees for making adjustments to their lives outsiide of Telski to accomodate this time change. It's been a long time since the ski area has done this. I am looking forward to skiing an hour or two with my kids after they get out of school! Thanks again.

Steve

Dave's reply: Hi Steve, Thank you for recognizing the staff's efforts.

Hi Dave -

Thanks very much to you and your staff for this bold move.  I really appreciate it.  I hope some of the ski magazines pick up on it, and again recognize Telluride for its great attention to the skiing experience.

Dave's reply: We're just trying to deliver a great experience for our guests. Thank you.

hey will that mean that hoot park is going to open at 11 am or will it still be opening at 10 am?

Dave's reply: I understand they are planning to open Hoot's Park at 11 a.m. and keep it open an additional hour.

Looking forward to enjoying those long sunfilled afternoons!  Is there anything better (well perhaps a big powder dump)?

Dave's reply: Hi Brad, thanks for your support. Enjoy the spring skiing season!

Dave,

Really great move adjusting the hours!  It will mean great skiing for everyone that enjoys spring conditions.  I'm impressed with your decision and hope that it gets a lot of good publicity for the ski company!

Gary

Dave's reply: Hi Gary, As you might expect some people are happy, some would like it left alone. Our research indicated that a large majority are very happy with the change though. Thank you and enjoy!

What percentage of negativity would have put this plan on hold?

Not responsible, Period? That is a great way to look at it. San Juan snowpack must have gotten a lot better since I left.

I do not see many resorts following this great plan. Good luck

Dave's reply: I'd estimate that 90% of the feedback I've received on this change has been in favor. That's pretty clear.

I think it's great! My kids will probably catch lift 7 after school and enjoy a few runs.

Dave's reply: Yes, that's a big bonus for the local kids. Keep an eye on the homework status though :)

Hey Dave,

    This comment is not really on topic (spring hours) but I just thought that I would post a quick comment upon my return from a week at Telluride with my wife.  As you may recall from my prior posts, this was our first trip to Telluride and our very first trip skiing out West.

Main postives:

1)  The ski conditions on the groomed trails (not necessarily the other trails) really held up given the warm weather early in the week.

2) Our meal at Allred's was fantasic.  The food was great, and I would recommend it to anyone.  Yeah, you may pay a little more, but just make an early reservation, get a window seat, and it is well worth it.  (FYI - my wife's burger at the Ranch was really under done. If you have heard similar complaints, you may want to look into it).

3) On a couple of occassions, we had questions and spoke to the ski patrol. They were very friendly and extremely helpful.  You should be very proud of them.

4) We never had any problems with any of the lifts, the safety bars, etc. I know a lot of people have raised concerns about them, but no problem for us.

Main negatives:

1)   The mountain needed more snow.

2)   The mountain needed more snow.

3)   The mountain needed more snow.

    Overall, it was a great time but we were very disappointed that, for our very first trip out West, we did not get to ski on any powder whatsoever.  Of course, we do not hold this against Telluride. In fact, like I said above, the groomed trails were quite nice.  You can't control the weather.  And, from conversations we had with others on the way home, other ski resorts (Vail, Breck, etc.) were the same way.  But, we were very disappointed that a lot of the steeps were icy, Revelation Bowl and Chair 14 were closed due to the wind, etc. So we did not really get to experience what we have heard it is like to ski out West this time around.  It was just like skiing out here in the East.  :-(

   Overall, it was great to hang out in Telluride for the week, the town is gorgeous, and I am sure the mountain is great when it has snow/powder on it. I guess our timing was just bad.

   Thanks for your blog and previous responses to my Comments. Great job and have a great Spring.

Roger

Dave's reply: Hi Roger, I'm sorry but it seems you just missed the powder, which came after you left. Please send me your email address, I have an idea. You can reach me at driley@tellurideskiresort.com Thank you.

Dave,

  Today was the first day with the new hours and it was terrific. This will greatly add to everyone's spring skiing enjoyment.

  On another note, could you do something about the chair exit on the top of Revelation Bowl? The snow in the bowl was great today but exiting the chair without damage to your skiis was almost impossible. The exit ramp was just exposed rock and the lift crew was making no attempt to cover it with snow. Is it possible to put some type of carpet in that area to hold the snow and lessen the damage from the rocks?

Dave's reply: We're planning on excavating about 3 feet of dirt out of that area this summer that will allow us to blade out with a cat and remove the small pebbles that are deposited when we get high winds up at the top terminal, then bring  in fresh snow from the east side of the peak. It will also allow for more grade. Sorry, but it's something that we have to do in the summer. We've had the same problem at the top of Gold Hill Express at times. It's kind on an unusual situation at these two locations.

First day of the extended hours. It was great! Thanks so much Dave. This is a huge improvement for the spring. Can't thank you enough!

Dave's reply: Thank you for your support. It's clearly a change that has been well received by most everyone.

Hey Dave,  Changing the hours has been a great Idea !  When do you plan on some spring snow and sunny, warm days?  Seems like that should be a part of the plan !  

Smiling of course, Bill

Dave's reply: Might get some snow tonight!

For 90 + dollars a ticket it would have been nice to see the hours extended keeping the opening time the same. Bad communications and poor local support of your initiative to change the mountains opening time cost me an hour and a half of skiing this weekend. Park City is a nice alternative to Telluride, we wont be back, due to ticket cost and your latest, poor decision.  

Dave's reply: Hi Ben, Please send me your email address, I'd like to communicate with you further regarding this. You can reach me at driley@tellurideskiresort.com Thank you.

hi

What are your kids ski school class sizes going to be like over spring break??

We are deciding what to do with our 3 kids, we were  visiting at christmas time and the classes were huge, there were 12 kids in my 8 year olds class.  We pay alot of money to the ski school twice a year and yes we are there in the busy periods but  figured there would be alot more staff there aswell.....

Please let me know, im sure you have some idea of staff to bookings : approximates?

I will not put them in ski school if there is going to be alot of kids per instructor, and i cannot afford your private lesson rate.

Dave's reply: Hi Melanie. The ratios are far smaller in March compared with X-Mas at all major Colorado resorts. Please contact our ski school director, Fred Rumford, at frumford@tellurideskiresort.com  for more details and assurances. Thank you for your email. We'll make sure you and your 3 children are satisfied!

Two issues I have heard a lot of in the past year is, #1 the concern over safety for skiers who use the access gates to the backcountry, and #2 I have heard many comparisons to european ski areas. I am all for keeping the mountain open longer in the day, but only if that means opening at the same time. For a so called "world class" resort it seems to me much more important to open earlier, than to stay open later. This would not only follow the model of the great ski resorts in the Alps who open early, and stay open late, but create a more friendly, and safer enviornment for those who enjoy using the access gates. By the way, ski days are a half hour shorter than they have been in past years, when the ski area stayed open a half hour later, after daylight savings. There is a reason that most ski areas that offer backcountry access, understand the importance of getting lifts open as early as is reasonable, and that's one of the many reasons this policy wont catch on amongst other good ski areas. Even if nobody gets hurt as a result of this policy, it is simply poor protocol. Enjoy your sleep.

Dave's reply: Hi Joe, sorry for the late reply.

TSG is not responsible for "managing" use of the USFS backcountry, period. It is clear to me that the vast majority of our guests, and employees, appreciate the 10-5 schedule. Sure, some people would like more, who wouldn't? Some would like us to open at sunrise and close at sunset. I think we came up with a good plan though.

In the past, we have extended the closing to 4:30 p.m. and left the opening at 9:00 a.m. It was not done this early in the season though. The fact is that going from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. is new and has been very much appreciated. Thank you for your input.

Hi

Visiting from connecticut, Had 1 of our kids in Ski school, our daughter Skiied With Madison from australia for the week

She had an absolute blast, the class was small and she improved her skiing so, so, so much in 5 days!

We are so happy with her progress and hope Madison will be back next year, we know there have been visa issues with getting the foreign ski instructors here this year, i hope you do everything you can to get them back we just love the internationals!!

Dave's reply: Hi CT, Thank you for choosing Telluride for your vacation and for experiencing our wonderful ski school. Madison will appreciate seeing your kind comments!

We are working right now on every strategy to make it possible for our foreign instructors to return next year. It's something we just met on last week and we are committed to following through. 

dave,

with the new hours shifting more towards a long afternoon in the sun at the saloon. one has to wonder if the beloved ski resort will take the time out to purchase more chairs for the beach. now that the sun will be gracing us ski bums longer and longer it would be nice to enjoy spring skiing with a beer in hand sitting at the beach enjoying the ambiance created at gorrano's. but no, that seems like a crap shoot i am never going to win. its seems every time i arrive at the saloon all the seating at the beach is taken, and there are more folks standing, wishing they could full fill their day with a chair in the sun. I have grumbled and argued over many weekends and many beers why teleski doesn't provide more chairs. after long discussions and numerous opinions it has been decided that this is simply unacceptable. especially when they are so cheap. why is there not a stack of chairs just waiting on the patrons of the saloon. is that not hte core idea of the beach and the saloon area. the more the merry? i was just at home depot and these chairs are $16 a piece. i feel that this is a small request to make and be the messenger of. I know this month alone me and my friends have spent more money on the over priced beer that would have purchased us seats and still left you with a higher profit margin.

please dave, hooks us up with chairs. as the saying goes...."if you build it the will come...."

now on another side note. what in the world happened to the budweisers? seriously dave. i cannot believe i cant get a budweiser at the saloon anymore. i get ridiculous stories from your employees as to the disappearance of the "king" of beers. how can it be in america i can not get a Budweiser, isnt that illegal and just so you know there are some of us out there who believe this is a crime worth of impeachment.

i just want a worthy explanation that is justifiable for this to take place. Its hard to believe that some sort of politics is taken place controlling the beer selection at the saloon. cant we leave the politics to the politicians and the beer selection to to the profit margins and number os sales and us die-hard customers.

thanks, dave for letting me voice my opinion.....let it snow !!!!!!!!

Dave's reply: HI MIchael. Funny you brought up the beach chair issue. About a week ago, we ordered 50 new chairs. They are far more expensive than then ones you see at Home Depot because that type is made of thin plastic and they break when it gets cold. The ones we bought come from Europe and are far more durable. They should be here hopefully by the weekend. 

I'm not real involved with the beer selection, but I do know that we entered into a partnership with New Belgium this year which likely means they've got the taps. I think we have different brands in the can though.  

Hi - what time will group lessons start now with the new hours? Thanks!

Dave's reply: They start at the same times. Thanks!

We've been regularly coming to T-ride from Chicago for over 15 yrs, now it's a 3-generation family trip (coming up in 2 weeks).  New hours are great for vacationing families who may not hussle to be first in line at 9AM, but who appreciate softer snow and a relaxing lunch along with a full day of great skiing. Although time change triggered the decision, I'll probably spend more so top line may improve.  Great call.

Dave's reply: Thanks for the feedback Alan. Enjoy your family time in Telluride!

I noticed the terrain parks have been on hold alot lately. Do you know why?

Dave's reply: Hi Ari, with the schedule change, the parks are scheduled to open at 11:00 a.m. or earlier.

Dave,

I would love to see some spring pictures of the mountain!

I am sure I am not the only one who eagerly awaits the posting of your great pictures!

Seems like you are doing a fabulous job out there, and I cannot wait to get back out to ski Telluride!

Enjoy the rest of the season!

Dave's reply: Hi Kaitlyn, Thanks for your post. I'll get a new post up soon, with picutures!

Hey Dave, i would like to say that myself and others in the High school appreciate the new hours because it allows for some of us to get up on the mountain after school with time still make it to some good terrain. The only concerns i have regarding the new spring hours are the Hike-to hours. Will Palmyra still close at 1? and Black Iron at 2? If so, i feel that this could possibly put an unnecessary amount of stress on Patrol to get A/C work done in the morning with a later start. I would imagine you've addressed this issue, but i' thought i'd express my concern anyways. All in all, while some might not support the new operating hours, you have mine. I think that it's a great idea for improving spring skiing.

Thanks

Shawn

Dave's reply: HI Shawn, The hike-to terrain closing was moved back 60 minutes too. Enjoy!

Dave, this is a great change in a long list of changes at Telluride under your managment. I have been skiing in Telluride for 15 years and finally a manger who "gets it". People its bullet proof at 9am and sweet butter at 4:45. I know you have friction with the employees but your skiiers really appreciate the new terrain, gates, lifts and now hours. Cool!

Dave's reply: Hi Matthew, Thanks for your input. Actually, I can comfortably say that the majority of our employees are in favor of moving our operating hours back. There are some that are not pleased. I understand it has been a problem for a few individuals and I truly appreciate their efforts to adapt to the change. The initiative clearly is in the best interest of our 99% of our guests.

I only got a 10-day pass this year because it would be impossible with my work schedule to ski during the week, but with later hours in March I could do it! Right now, I wish I had that season pass--oh well...next year.

Dave's reply: Hi James. Send me your email address at driley@tellurideskiresort.com I'll work something out to right this lapse of judgement :)

Hello Dave, Our family flew in from the Los Angeles area, we enjoy the extended hours, and the extra sleep.  We had a great experience at ski school today, the staff was very helpful and friendly.  Our two sons are avid skateboarders and snowboarders, they were dissappointed that there was no halfpipe.  My wife and I love to watch the halfpipe as we ride the chair nearby, as in Mammoth.  Please consider the addition next year.  Your resort is outstanding, but for the cost to fly here is high and we would like to see the kids in the halfpipe.  Thank you for your time, Charles, Burbank, Ca.

Dave's reply: Hi L. Thanks for your input.

Dave,  I don't know what kind of guest polling you have conducted regarding the change in hours, but I can see how it would be easy for your perspective to be skewed in the direction of "local" sentiment.  From the comments I have read it appears as though your blog is followed overwhelmingly by locals.  Whether you are a ski bump living in Telluride or a high school student wanting to get in an extra hour of skiing after school, this change is definitely a positive.  However, it is extremely inconvenient for the tourists.  What are we supposed to do for the extra hour during the morning?  We can's go shopping because the stores aren't open yet, and it's too early to knock back a few chilled units.  Can you please offer some recommendations for morning activities.  (another poster made an excellent point about lost revenue.)

Also, you need to consider Colorado's position in the spectrum of time zones spanning the US.  For the majority of the country Colorado time is later than their local time.  Therefore the majority of your guest are already sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the morning waiting for the lifts to open.  Now you are asking them to do that for an additional hour.

I am an extremely experienced skier and I appreciate the mountain of Telluride.  It is the best mountain in the country.  Period.  However, this change in hours is going to make it very difficult for me to continue coming here as my family grows and I have to worry about entertaining children for hours during the morning when they are going stir-crazy waiting for the lifts to open.  This change makes some of the other mountains look more attractive.

I really think it would be wise to do some polling of the guest on their reaction to this change.  At the end of the day the only opinion that matters is that of the customer, i.e. tourists.  The success of the resort of Telluride is directly tied to the million of dollars the tourists pour into the economy through their lodging, dining, shopping, and lift tickets.  Cutting out an hour of shopping/apres-ski/dining time is probably a bad move from an economic standpoint, and making a tourist's vacation less convenient is a bad move no matter how you look at it.  During these difficult economic times, I sincerely feel a drastic change such as this is irresponsible.

Here's to the perspective of a businessman.  Cheers!

Dave's reply: He George. Thanks for the input. I've had feedback from all segments of our market. But, I will take your advice and conduct a professional pole and sort it by where the customer lives.

As for things to do in the morning, swimming, snowshoeing, shopping, spa, exploring, running, X-C skiing, skating, or just plain relaxing are a few ideas :)

My executive team was in a meeting recently and they do talk with a large number of destination guests as well as locals. Their feedback was very positive on the time change. The interesting part about Telluride is that there are few mountains to the west that are close and tall that block the late afternoon sun. That's why it's SO good until 5:00 p.m.

We'll do the pole though. If I'm wrong, we can always change it back. Thanks again for your input.

I started coming to Telluride last year and fell in love with the mountain.  I do think that not opening until 10:00 is a pretty odd idea.  Although Telluride is not crowded,  I can imagine the lines at the bottom lifts right at 10:00. At close to $100 lift ticket I expect more, like 9:00 to 5:00 or 4:30. I believe Vail does that at DST. We are coming next week with 3 kids and I agree with the other blogger, we are early risers and will be waiting around for a couple of hours until the lifts open.  Also, on my last day at Telluride, I like to ski until about 2:00 then drive to Albuquerque, this makes it probably not worth it by cutting it out by ann hour.

Dave's reply: Hi John, Thank you for your blog comment/questions, and thank you for skiing Telluride.

Below are the hours of operations at Vail for the spring, copied from their website. I don't see any lifts open past 4:00 p.m. Several lifts close quite a bit earlier too. The fact is that the surface conditions in March and April are far better in the afternoon than early in the morning:

March 6 - April 19, all lift operating times will be extended to the following:

• All front side lifts on Vail Mtn will run 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Game Creek (Ch. 7), Sun Up (Ch. 17), Sun Down (Ch.5), Tea Cup (Ch. 36) and China Bowl (Ch. 21) will close at 3:30 p.m. 
• Blue Sky Basin - Pete's Lift (Chair 39) will close at 2:45 p.m.
• Blue Sky Basin - Skyline Express (Chair 37) and Earl's Lift (Chair 38) will close at 3:00 p.m.

Below is a section copied from the Aspen Mountain website regarding their hours:

This just in! Extended lift hours at Snowmass & Aspen Mountain to begin February 14. Hours extended until 4 p.m. on Elk Camp Gondola, Village Express and Sheer Bliss chairs at Snowmass and Silver Queen Gondola and Ajax Express on Aspen Mountain.
 Lift hours: All lifts open at 9 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m. (now extended to 4:00 p.m.)

___________

I don't know of any ski area in Colorado that is currently staying open until 5:00 p.m. It is a very unique idea.

The skiing is fantastic at that time of day and literally everyone I talked to out on the mountain today was very positive about the change (destination skiers as well as regional drive and locals).

I understand your position and appreciate your input. I'll give it some thought again.

We just arrived on our Spring Break. HURRY UP AND OPEN ALREADY! Coming from the east coast and having to wait until 10:00 is miserable.

How 'bout splitting the difference and opening from 8:30 to 4:30?

Dave's reply: Hi Kaitlin. Give it a day or two and let me know if you still feel that way. I think you may realize how wonderful that last hour is compared to the hard conditions in the morning.

Dave,

I think the new hours are a great idea.  Contrary to what some others have posted, I think skiing on bulletproof hardpack is miserable.  Waiting (ie. sleeping in) for the later hours was awesome!

I also wanted to comment on Revelation Bowl.  I was critical of it initially and commented negatively on the increased number of people in Bear Creek destroying the backcountry.  But after making the trip from the other side of the San Juan's this weekend to ski your new stuff, I was very impressed.  I had a great time skiing in revelation bowl and hiking Palmyra.  It's true, I've never seen Bear Creek and vicinity more tracked up.  But it made me appreciate it for what it is, resort-accessed sidecountry.  There are plenty of pristine areas to ski in the SJ's that are completely void of gaping tourists that whine about late opening hours instead of just relaxing and having an extra cup of coffee in the morning.

My only wish now is that you had some better deals for people who live nearby (within 2 hours) who will ski 5-10 days a year if the price is right.  I used to always have your 6 or 10 day pass until they started approaching $55 a day.  The last 3 years, I have only been able to afford to ski your resort once per season using the "free day card".  I still ski about 10 resort days a year, but they are mixed up between Silverton Mountain's unguided days and Wolf Creek's local days.  I would much rather ski T-ride all 10 of these days if it were more affordable.  I think there are quite a few others who feel this way, help us out!!

Thanks,

Jarrod

Dave's reply: Hi Jarrod, Thank you for your honest and detailed blog comments. You've given me some things to think about for sure.

Dave,  

Telluride is awesome.  I was one of 32 people from my ski club in minnesota that was in telluride last week.  we all Loved the spring hours. It allowed us to have a relaxed breakfast before hitting the slopes, for some of the others they really enjoyed sleeping in.  The first two days we were there it was still bulletproof in the morning and was miserable on the ungroomed slopes. It was really nice to be skiing later in the afternoon, and the sun was still high in the sky at 5pm. we had plenty of time for apres-ski and to go out for dinner afterward. It was nice to be able to still hike at 4pm to the lower bowls.

Dave's reply: Hi John, Glad you enjoyed your ski vacation to Telluride - and the late afternoon spring corn conditions!

Hello!

Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!

PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;)

See you!

Your, Raiul Baztepo

Dave's reply: Thanks for staying connected to the blog Raiul!

Dave - my husband grew up skiing telluride, and our family enjoys coming back every year, usually spring break.  We LOVE the later hours on the lifts this year.  I hope that you continue this practice next spring as well.  One other request - any chance the mountain can stay open next year for one extra week in April?!!!  Our spring break next year is a week later, and we hate to miss the opportunity to ski in paradise!

Keep up the good work.

BTW - the powder today was a blast, and we are looking forward to another couple of great days up here.

Dave's reply: Hi Deb, Thanks for the input. We'll see how things go this year with the extra week. I'm hopeful people will show up in force. The conditions are going to be great with all this new snow we've been getting! Thank for your loyalty to Telluride! We'll talk more about all this on the blog through the summer, so stay in touch.

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Dave's reply: Hope to see you in Telluride soon!