October 28, 2009
Hi Folks!
This morning it's 19 degrees, the snowmaking machines are running full blast, and it's snowing hard. The forecast is 1 to 2 feet of snow through Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are supposed to stay in the snowmaking range for several days. As a result, we are getting a great start and building a nice base of snow for the Thanksgiving opening.
In this blog, I'd like to share with you what is new, and what's "staying the same". New things are always fun and exciting, but equally important is to focus on retaining the things that are working really well - and keeping those elements of the resort healthy and vibrant.
For example, it is fair to say that we remain absolutely committed to providing unmatched vacation experiences and exceptional guest service, and that is the most important thing that we do. The owners of the resort company, the management group, and our employees have all agreed to take a long-term view in our daily actions. This means putting customer service at the top of our list of responsibilities this season and into the future. Restaurants, shops, and lodgers in both the Town of Telluride and Mountain Village are also very focused on this priority.
We've been very fortunate to have assembled a top-notch team at the ski and golf company - a mix of qualified and committed veterans as well as a number of highly talented new-hires. In keeping with our commitment, all employees are participating in extensive guest service training this fall.
Additionally, we've been busy developing new services and products which you are sure to notice and enjoy this ski season. In particular, we're focusing on the quality and experience at our restaurants. Improved recipes, ingredients, and consistency are the focus points in the kitchen, while attentive and engaging service is key in the front of the house.
Alpino Vino opened last ski season and was a tremendous success. Modeled after the quaint alpine restaurants of the Alps, this small high-end wine bar and restaurant offers authentic Northern Italian cuisine, an incredible wine list, and features a knowledgeable, engaging wait staff.
We are finalizing construction of a new three-tier outdoor deck which will include a heated outdoor wine bar. Below is a picture I took last weekend (before this week's snowstorm arrived) of the project underway. It will be completed for its mid-December opening:
The new deck and wine bar at Alpino Vino will have a great view of the beautiful San Miguel mountain range to the west. This is going to be a very nice addition to Telluride Ski Resort. This restaurant was inspired by a small alpine restaurant in Zermatt, Switzerland called Chez Vrony. Check it out at www.chezvrony.ch
One of the things the things Chez Vrony does from a design standpoint is that they use indoor furniture outdoors. You'll discover what I'm talking about this season... :)
Crazy Elk Pizza is getting a face lift with new flat screen TVs, new flooring, and the individual slices are back!
Hop Garden has a new octagonal, heated, outdoor bar under a giant German umbrella, and will still be serving the world famous "Skiers Union" burgers. The outdoor bar design was inspired from a tremendously popular one located in downtown Lech, Austria. Hop Garden is the place for apres ski. Ask about the "Mug Club" - it's a great deal.
Telluride's flagship restaurant, Allred's (at the top of the gondola), introduced a new and approachable dining experience this summer, mixing local and regional, organic and original. Steaks, seafood, chops, salads, soups and sides accompany ideal appetizers, signature cocktails and a fantastic wine list. Grab a 'Quickie' and a glass of wine during happy hour at the most spectacular bar in the Rockies, or sit and enjoy the new steakhouse atmosphere with the best restaurant views and service in Telluride.
High Camp is expanding it's Harry's soup selection, and is offering a wonderfully broad range of imported European chocolates.
Giuseppe's isn't changing a thing - why mess with a good thing? :)
During lunch, Gorrono Ranch is streamlining its menu to include the things that people want the most, and will speed up the pace as a result.
Dinner Sleigh Rides at Gorrono Ranch will be every Wednesday night from December 23rd through March 25th, plus New Year's Eve. If you haven't ever tried it, I'd highly recommend it. Reservations can be made through Allred's at 970-728-7474.
Big Billie's is offering the same great family dining and quality. This is one of the best kept secrets for a great lunch.
On the mountain, the summer trail crew constructed a new snowcat route from the top of the Revelation Lift to the top of Gold Hill #8 this summer. This improves patrol operations as well as makes the hike-to skiing much more approachable for the public. Prior to these improvements, a person had to scramble up a steep and difficult section, which has been eliminated:
We're also opening new terrain this winter - Gold Hill Chutes 2 through 5. This means for the first time in history all ten Gold Hill Chutes (1 through 10) will be available for the public to enjoy. This is in addition to opening Black Iron Bowl, Palmyra Peak, and Revelation Bowl (approximately 400 acres of new terrain) over the last few seasons. Below is a picture taken from the top of Gold Hill with Palmyra Peak in the background:
This season, you'll notice a much easier access route to get to Gold Hill #9, which is the easiest chute to ski into Palmyra basin (the huge powder bowl below Palmyra Peak). We removed the boulders in GH#9 with explosives and widened the top to make it more comfortable to ski. Although this picture makes everything look really steep, with the improvements made this summer GH9 is actually no more difficult to ski than a run like the Spiral Stairs. And, once you exit the chute, you've got a huge, gentle powder bowl to enjoy.
I'm predicting that this season will be the year that Palmyra Basin is "discovered," because of the access improvements we've made to Gold Hill 9:
Revelation Bowl, with the new Leitner-Poma quad lift, was also a great new addition last ski season. The "perfect powder bowl" received accolades from locals to international visitors as the most exciting new terrain expansion in the Rockies last season. If you haven't skied it yet, you should really put it on the list for this ski season. We did quite a bit of dirt work this summer at the top terminal of Revelation. You'll notice the top of the See Forever run is about twice as wide, and the unload grade has been adjusted and improved.
The "goat path" from Gold Hill 1 to 1.5 was lengthened and widened this summer.
"Locals" glade was renamed "Captain Jack's" and several acres were thinned out with a crew of 60 locals and staff members this fall. The run was re-named after Jack Carey, a local who passed in a tragic bicycle/vehicle accident this summer.
Even though Telluride has some of the best advanced ski terrain in the world, we've also got the best beginner and intermediate groomed runs, so don't ever think Telluride is too difficult. We've got miles and miles of really wide, easy runs, with huge areas which are secluded, quiet and beautiful:
The Telluride Ski and Snowboard School, Children's Center, and Nursery are all geared up for a great season. We have a very high return rate for our instructors from Telluride and around the world this season. These professionals define quality and service at the highest level. The Telluride Development Squad (TDS) is a new 8-session youth ski and snowboard program. Call 970-728-7354 for more information.
We've completed dozens of other back-of-the-house projects too. For example, the gearbox for the Plunge Lift (Chair 9) was rebuilt this summer, and the electronic drive for Village Express (Chair 4) was replaced. Both these projects will significantly extend the life of these lifts. Chair 9 received extensive work last year on the entire electrical system. Apex Lift (6), Ute Park Express (11), and Sunshine Express (10) all received new paint jobs this summer - and look great.
Slope grooming continues to be a top priority for Telluride Ski Resort. We've invested over a million dollars in new state-of-the-art groomers over the last few seasons. We've heard strong compliments for the winch grooming in Revelation Bowl last season and will continue that practice. The new grooming technology allows for more productivity and allows the cat driver to blend the passes together more evenly.
Down in Mountain Village, the ski company is opening three new stores.
Telluride Naturals is located right next to the new ice skating rink and the new Capella Hotel. Stocked with goods from around SW Colorado, the new boutique will be great for discovering unique gifts.
The Telluride Resort Store is located on the gondola plaza and offers logo items and souvenirs.
Telluride Eco Adventures is located in the Franz Klammer breezeway, right next to the conference center, and offers one-stop shopping for all activities in the region, like guided snowshoeing and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, heli-skiing, and more. Helpful staff members will customize outdoor adventures perfectly suited to each individual or family interest. Environmental displays and creative daily activities are offered for the kids. Come visit or call 970-728-7300 to book popular activities, adventures, and more.
Slopeside Lockers is offering a special for season lockers this year. Contact Kevin Maughan at 970-728-2719 for details. This is a really convenient place to store your equipment, right below the Hop Garden in Mountain Village.
Also in Mountain Village, two new high-end hotels have opened in the last 12 months. Capella is a beautiful hotel in the center of the village with a new outdoor ice skating rink, spa, and three restaurants. Lumiere is a boutique hotel slopeside and includes the "Little Bar". Both are very nice additions to the resort. Additionally, the Peaks Resort and Golden Door Spa recently completed a $5,000,000 renovation. The New Sheridan Hotel, in the Town of Telluride, recently completed a $7,000,000 renovation. Hotel Columbia in Telluride has also recently been completely renovated.
The ski company's Telluride Resort Lodging now has 46 condominiums and houses in it's portfolio of rental properties located in both Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride. Our Central Reservations vacation specialists can help you book everything from lodging, air, ground transportation, and even dinner reservations at Allred's or the Gorrono Sleigh Ride as well as assist with ski school bookings. Bill Noyes is the Manager of Central Reservations and is the best in the area for personal attention and service when it comes to planning your vacation in Telluride, year-round. Our Central Reservations office has access to thousands of units in the region and is the best source for one-stop shopping. Call 1-800-778-8581 and ask for Bill.
This season, Telluride will become the new home of World Cup competition in the U.S., as the 2010 Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup takes place December 17-20. Additionally, PGS (parallel giant slalom) and the newly added Team Snowboardcross competition will occur in what will be the second in a series of five qualifying events for the Winter Olympics this year.
The Subaru Telluride Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier returns this season from February 4-6. The competition continues for its 5th year with athletes from around the globe.
Everything is looking great for a wonderful ski season at Telluride Ski Resort.
As always, please feel free to post a comment or question. We love to hear from you. You can also reach me at driley@tellurideskiresort.com I'd be happy to help you with anything you need. - Dave