In Telluride .net

Suggested SKIING

Please always ski  or snowboard within your ability level.  Grooming, snow and weather conditions can change relative conditions.

Suggested Green & Double Green Runs

Double Cabin, double green, lift 10 – wide, varied green / double green pitches.

Bridges, double green, lift 10 – narrower, over and under 7 bridges. Kids love it.

Sneffels Sneak, green, lift 10 - groomer width trail through the woods. Kids love it.

Village Bypass, green, lift 4 – medium width, usually groomed, to either bottom of lifts 1 & 10 or to Mountain Village Plaza & Gondola station via lower Boomerang

Suggested Blue & Double Blue Runs

Misty Maiden, blue lift 4 – wide, groomed, short section of bumps off to one side, varied blue pitches.

 Butterfly, blue lift 4 – free video analysis.

 Peek-A-Boo or Boomerang, blue lift 4 – catch one of these early on a powder morning if not groomed.

 Hermit, double blue lift 4 – short but steep double blue that will give you a little thrill.

 Humboldt Draw, blue lift 4 – great blue bump run, little traffic, powder lasts awhile. NO GROOMED WAY OUT.

 Polar Queen, blue lift 5 – sweet wide cruiser.

 Palmyra (bump side), double blue lift 5 – double blue bumps, consistent pitch, consistent size and shape bumps.

 Silver Tip, double blue lift 5 – UNGROOMED, very small, scattered trees, lots of fun.

 Alta, double blue lift 5 – short and wide double blue pitch, another thrill run, super on a powder day.

 Ophir Loop, blue lift 5 – wide cruiser at top, drop onto lower Dew Drop or stay on Ophir loop for the narrower bottom section.

Woozley’s Way, double blue Lift 6 – , one of those darker double blue runs but an awesome rip on a powder day.  Conditions could be sketchy in the past but new snow making this year should improve that.

 See Forever, blue Lift 6 or 9 – the name says it all, mostly wide, incredible view from top of 9 but accessible from top of 6 via cat track traverse to a point a couple hundred feet below the top of 9.  Follows top of a ridge line with many accesses to other parts of the mountain.

Lookout, double blue (maybe navy blue) – drops off the side of See Forever from part way down, great adrenaline rush for the advanced intermediate.  Powder doesn’t last long as this run gets a lot of traffic on it’s lower half.

Suggested Black & Double Black runs

Coonskin, Bushwhacker and the infamous Plunge, black lifts 7 & 9 – wide, steep and grooming is usually rotated among these every three days so chances are you can find a rippin cruiser on one of them every day.  You better be waiting in line before lifts open to get fresh tracks on these on a powder day.  Bushy and Coony are my favorite black groomers.

 Mammoth, black lift 9 – a superb wide, steep bump run that seems to go on forever.  Steep, narrow chutes (Mammoth Fingers) to far skier’s left at the top.

Kant-Make-M, double Black lift 9 – steep bumps, frequently exposed stumps half way down.  Most of it is wood but there are some rock points.  Try the trees to the skier’s left of lift 9 for some great, long lasting snow.

the infamous Spiral Stairs, double Black lift 9 – steep, big bumps, great on a powder day.

 Logpile trees, double black/black lift 9 – two entrances off top of Plunge, top entrance at skier’s left of very top of Plunge – beware it’s steep, trees and bumps – you should be an advanced skier for this entrance.  Easier part is at bottom of 1^st pitch of Plunge.  Take cat track that goes into the trees.  Lower part of Logpile is fairly open trees with fairly wide lines and mellower pitch.  You’ll come to the next cat track.  Left is easy and takes you to middle Lookout.  Right takes you to the middle of the Plunge headwall, definitely black terrain.  The middle gully that drops into the trees from this cat track is West Drain, a narrow, moguled gully.  There is no way out till you reach the bottom.  Not recommended unless you are a strong skier.

 Apex Glade, black lifts 6 & 9 – wide with variety of tight trees to open spaces between trees.  Looks inviting but sun baked bumps are often hard.  Best skied after they soften or after deep snowfall.  Extreme skier’s right is Sully’s Gully which can be wind swept and rocky at the top.

 Zulu Trees, double black lift 6 – trees between Alais Alley and Silver Glade, my personal favorite trees on the mountain, stay a little high to the left, cross Zulu Queen to get maximum good lines.

 Silver Glade, black lift 6 – starts with Woozley’s Way then drops off to skier’s right and turns to bumps.  Take extreme right along trees for a real steep little shot (one of my favorites) or go further down toward left to get into open trees or go further yet and around to the left to ski the steep face of Chongos.

 Happy Thoughts, double black lift 6 –  neat, steep little avalanche chute, usually bumped up.  Access through traverse through trees from top of Woozley’s or drop down through the trees from the access road to Gold Hill.  For a few really steep turns traverse across the chute to the ridge line on the skier's left and drop down that flank into the chute.

Palmyra Ridge, double black, lift 12 - Genevieve, La Rosa and Crystal.  Short but steep and sweet.

 Gold Hill, double black, lift 14 –our ungroomed wild terrain, three major avalanche chutes (controlled) with lots of nooks and crannies in the trees.  Feel the sensation of weightlessness as you descend from the snow field at the top into the narrowing throat of Little Rose on a powder day.  How sweet it is!