Colorado Mountain Living New York Pot Pourri Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel: Mountain Living New York Rockies Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on March Madness Runs Into April
March Madness Runs Into April
KOTO Street Dance in Telluride: One of Many Mountain Celebrations to Mark the End-of-the-Season
Wow, what a month it has been. It’s been at least that long since I posted a story on this blog. So what have I been doing? Skiing, of course. Mostly teaching skiing actually, nearly every day up until our closing here in Telluride which took place this past Easter Sunday, April 4th. I’m just now beginning to feel alive again. I say almost since I’m still consuming above-average amounts of caffeine but I know more energetic days lie ahead.
I’m much better than I was earlier in the week when I logged endless hours on my couch, too tired to read but content to watch copious amounts of T.V. in between long stretches of sleep. (I think my cats registered more awake time than I these past days.) And dare I take inventory of all my eating? I’ve been devouring the scalloped potatoes and chocolate left over from Easter, and by Tuesday afternoon I found myself whipping up a vanilla milkshake and sucking it down from the indented cushions of my couch faster than Oprah could say “We’ll be right back.” When I began to compulsively channel surf between Dancing with the Stars, CNN and Bravo, I worried that I might never feel normal again. But miraculously my cravings for sugar and fat diminished by Wednesday along with my desire to escape profoundly into the boob tube. Last night I even cracked a book, “Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette,” that I can’t wait to get back to tonight. (I find it impossible to read during ski season when evenings mean either falling asleep by 9 or partying until 11.)
I don’t know how so many people pack it up as soon as the mountain closes. They head to Moab, Mexico and the Islands or embark upon adventures such as a rafting trip on the Salt River. These people must be largely motivated by the thrill of switching out ski boots for flip flops. I guess I’m just a softy. I need to recharge.
Anyone that works in the hospitality industry can tell you that March can be insane in the mountains. As a ski instructor, you have to be ON all the time throughout the sunniest and stormiest days of spring break (which this year lasted most of March right up until Easter). It doesn’t matter if your knees are killing you, your quads burn beyond belief or if you don’t have an ounce of gas left in your tank, it’s our job to spread rainbows and sunshine and to make sure that everyone has the best experience ever.
And what a great end-of-season it was here in T-ride. The snow fell generously and often, right up until the end, interspersed with glorious days of warmth and sun. I taught mostly private ski lessons to a terrific array of clients, some of whom promise to be future guests on Travel Fun. I delighted in teaching Josie, a sweetheart of a thirteen-year old, a first-timer that I worked into almost a complete parallel by the end of two days. Her parents, Kevin and Corinna, own Antlers & Anglers, an exclusive service that arranges hunting and fishing trips to alluring destinations around the world. I’m looking forward to having her dad on the program to talk about big game hunting and more. Perhaps an unusual sort of topic for my show, but certainly very interesting nonetheless. I had a blast with twin six-year olds, Max and Carrie, for a week and through this family, I met novelist Martha McPhee. (I also skied with her son Jasper.) Martha has a new book, “Dear Money,” coming out in June. This work showcases the financial world of New York where Martha lives, so it might be a hoot to have her on Travel Fun to talk about the ins and outs of the Big Apple’s high rolling landscape. I’m sure she can provide a few good restaurant recommendations as well. Martha is the daughter of the prolific nonfiction writer John McPhee and the sister of novelist Jenny McPhee. She’s married to poet Mark Svenvold who, along with Martha and the rest of the crew, enjoyed doing a bunch of nice turns in Telluride during one of our best weeks of March. (In case you’re wondering, Martha and I talked more about skiing than writing.)
My friend Kate Betts, renowned fashion and style editor, was also vacationing in T-ride during this time. We managed to work in a Travel Fun interview together which I’ll soon post here as a podcast. Kate is still a contributing writer for TIME Magazine but we mostly chatted about her recent project, a book about Michelle Obama, entitled “Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and The Power of Style.” “It’s really about why style matters,” Kate says.
In the midst of all this activity, I was asked to participate in a photo shoot for SKI Magazine, an undertaking that occupied nearly two day’s of my time both on the snow and in Bootdoctors, the Telluride sport specialist that is the focal point of this piece. Bootdoctors has gained great recognition for fixing people’s alignments (and their skiing!) by adjusting their equipment—mainly ski boots—to compensate for their own physiological imperfections. I was selected certainly not for my skiing prowess or on-camera presence but as a prime example of a knock-kneed woman. I shared the shoot with Don Hannah, longtime Telluride resident, fellow KOTO DJ, all around nice guy and brother to Daryl. Don was chosen to represent your average bow-legged man. This was no glamour shoot, especially since I was so caught up with my work that I hadn’t even thought about having a pedicure for the shots (and Internet footage!), many of which focused on an extensive custom boot-fitting for my feet. To think that my gnarly ski instructor feet are to appear rough-hewn and unpolished in a national magazine by next ski season— quel horreur! Don and I were also documented skiing our worst knock-kneed/bow-legged form on Telluride’s fine slopes. Don nailed my sentiments exactly when he said, “I’ve been reading SKI Magazine since I was a kid and now that I finally get to appear in it, I come across looking like a dork.” Oh well, Lindsey Vonn I am not.
So now it’s time to organize my personal space and to pick up my writer’s life. I’m on my tenth load of laundry this week and am chipping away at my e-mails. Fortunately it will be a slow transition since I have a couple of trips planned to Vail and Aspen before the month is out. You can read about some of my post- season adventures from last year at Skiing and Spa-Going: Part One in Vail, Colorado and at Aspen Highlights. I’m looking forward to free skiing and not having to instruct or look out for anyone’s well-being but my own. I bet I’ll miss the silly chairlift games and heartwarming connections though.
This is indeed a funny life, trading off between ski instructing and writing. But as much as it’s a juggling act, I can’t imagine giving it up. There’s nothing like balancing out the mental with the physical, especially when you live inthe Rocky Mountains. I wonder what Marie Antoinette would think.
Note that April is full of end-of-the-season activities at Colorado’s top resorts. Aspen Mountain closes this Sunday, April 11 but will reopen the weekends of April 17-18 and 24-25. Beaver Creek closes this Sunday as well, however Vail’s spring fling kicks into high gear April 12 with their Spring Back to Vail. Search the Internet for lots more great skiing and fun in Colorado through early May. You’ll find some terrific bargains, too. Be sure to pack your costumes and most colorful spring attire!
Skiing Bunnies, Mary Dawn and Michael, Hop on the Quad in T-ride on Easter Sunday
The Crowd Gathers at Gorronno's in Telluride for a Closing Day Concert by Drew Emmitt
French Life Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride: French Life Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Restaurants Shopping Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Snowboardcross World Cup: Telluride Goes International
Snowboardcross World Cup: Telluride Goes International
Catching Air During the World Cup in Telluride
It was quite the scene here last weekend. Actually the excitement grew over a two-week period which culminated with the Snowboardcross World Cup Finals at the Telluride Ski Resort last Sunday. It was the first World Cup event to take place here and it certainly won’t be the last. Aside from sailing over the course on the chairlift one afternoon early on, I didn’t see any of the events. But I did breathe in the international flavor at a number of venues around town. There’s nothing like that foreign flair and best of all, I learned that our international visitors were totally enchanted by everything Telluride has to offer.
Our stunning mountain resort does welcome a certain amount of foreign visitors during the winter and summer seasons but for this World Cup snowboard event, they camein throngs in the form of athletes, coaches, press, fans and more. My first introduction to their descent onto to T-ride came early last week when my hunny, Steve, and I dined at The Peaks. Here their Great Room was loaded with young and fit athletes, clearly having a good time laughing, singing and drinking (although not too much beer swilling we remarked). It was a glorious fashion parade since most were still wearing their team jackets and hats—yes, indoors as is the case at most après ski gatherings. Brands such as Fila and Colmar reigned supreme, with “the wet look” in jackets turning heads the most. Steve and I agreed that the Italians won the prize for the best turned out team of them all.
The official kick off party of the World Cup came a couple of nights later at The Peaks, recently re-opened under new management as a Grand Heritage Resort & Spa. Half the town of Telluride showed up for that bash which turned out to be the “it” party of the season.
Still, I felt like I was missing out on something since I wasn’t able to attend any of the competitions. So when I heard that the French team was staying right across the ski run from me at Mountain Lodge (which Steve also happens to manage), I wrangled a chat with some of the leading snowboard dudes just before they headed out for their race on Sunday. My biggest dilemma was what to wear. Suddenly my ski clothing seemed old and tired compared to what these world-class competitors were donning on and off the slopes. Fortunately I had picked up a new Eisbaer ski hat at Alpen Schatz, a Telluride boutique and online emporium of alpine treasures. (Visit my Shopping Page to find out about the special discount you can receive from Alpen Schatz). Eisbaer is the official hat of the Austrian ski team from what I observed at this World Cup event, the must-have accessory off the slopes. (Everyone, of course, wears helmets while competing.) My friend Mary Dawn, owner of Alpen Schatz, reassured me that I would be tops in this, especially since it’s such a hard-to-find item outside of Europe.
Eisbaer Hats: All the Rage
The guys met me in jeans and T-shirts and seemed totally unimpressed with my hat. (Wouldn’t you know? Although I did run into some other athletes at the lodge that were also wearing Eisbaer and I could have sworn they gave me a nod.) I was disappointed to learn that the French team did not have a particular sponsor that outfitted them à la Yves Saint Laurent when he dressed the Air France flight attendants. “On est standard, rien d’éxtravagant,” they informed me practically in unison. Yet I did learn that their achievements—including numerous World Cup and Olympic victories—were nothing less than extraordinary.
We enjoyed chatting in French celebrating Franco-American relations for a brief moment within the cozy confines of Mountain Lodge. I learned that they all thought Telluride was magnificent, “une très belle station,” and that the course was superb. As for Mountain Village, they found it to have a very European feel with its big old stones, more modern renditions of traditional ski lodges and concentrated configuration of buildings in the village core. The town of Telluride was praised for its “esprit Far West” and they spoke just as glowingly about the American welcome they encountered here. Polo de Lerve, bronze medal winner in the last Olympics, beamed when I asked about their impressions of American food. He gave me a big thumbs up for La Coçina de Luz, a local’s favorite, and Rustico. His friends, Pierre Vaultier and Vincent Valery, joked that Polo is the Gault & Milau of the World Cup.
Zee Snowboarders and Me (in Eisbaer!) in Front of the Mountain Lodge Telluride
So I guess Telluride is making its mark on the world map. When asked if there was anything else that struck them about the area, they marveled about our natural beauty and most especially how trees grow at such a high elevation here—decidedly quite unlike the Alps. They’ll be back, they promised.
I couldn’t help but wonder if next time they might be outfitted in le dernier cri des pistes, or the latest fashion of the slopes. The French do have an image to uphold, don’t you think?
Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies: Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
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It’s Dumping in the Rockies
Let it Snow!
As though right on cue, the big snows are arriving in the Rockies like a gathering of elves furiously putting the finishing touches on holiday preparations at the North Pole. Like kids on Christmas Eve, people in ski towns all across Colorado are suffering from ski fever as the pow pow accumulates outside our doors. The only release is to ski (or board!) and those lucky enough to get out are enjoying some of the best first tracks of the season.
Less than two weeks ago the sun shone brightly throughout most of Colorado as the thermometer displayed nearly springlike temperatures. Opening day in Telluride was as much about hanging out at the Hop Garden, a popular slopeside restaurant and bar, as stretching your legs on the slopes. Yet from Aspen to Vail to Crested Butte, all were eager to see some real snow. Even Sylvester, the cat, the lucky resident of the Sundeck, Aspen’s mountaintop restaurant, longed to see snow blowing outside his window. (Heck, if it’s cold and nearly winter in the mountains, it might as well snow!)
Sylvester, Aspen's Premiere Mountain Cat
Our wish has been granted and clearly winter is rolling in with great force. Just in time, too. Here in Telluride we’re gearing up for the LG FIS Snowboardcross World Cup that kicks off shortly. World-class athletes have already begun to arrive, some earlier than originally planned since there’s apparently no snow in Europe. Wait ‘til they get a taste of the Champagne powder of the great American West.
Click here to see what winter is like in Telluride. You really must see this for its incredibly beautiful. Thank you to Ben Knight for capturing the magic of our awe-inspiring place.
Thank you also to Lisa Wilson for the top photo and Tom Watkinson for the one below. Check out more of Lisa’s photos at Telluride Daily Photo and be sure to consider her 2010 calendar for holiday gifts. I love her shots of life in Telluride.
End Note: As I write this, I’ve had to reassure my kitties, Leo and Clara, that all is well. They’re blasting outside, a good sign for everyone but cats. I wonder how little Sylvester is surviving the avalanche control work in Aspen. He’s surely hiding, especially since he’s known to only emerge before the rush, early in the morning and after lunch.
Also if you’re lucky enough to be in Telluride, stop by the Hop Garden today at 4 p.m. to meet the US Team athletes for poster signing and fun.
Steve and Me in Front of the Hop Garden on Opening Day
Mountain Living Pot Pourri Romance & Relationships Travel: Mountain Living Pot Pourri Romance & Relationships Travel
by maribeth
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What Kind of a Traveler Am I Anyhow? Part One: Packing
I can be a bit of a kook actually. Sometimes I’m frighteningly calm, other times I’m manic. Doesn’t traveling amplify all of our crazy, quirky, compulsive traits? Travel can be about totally letting go, but it’s also about zeroing in on the most minute details. For me, I love being in this mode of complete bipolarity when it comes to touring and discovery. But when it concerns the logistics of travel—planes and packing, for example—it can make me nuts. Or I just respond with a total laissez-faire attitude that can potentially make others around me go ballistic.
Let’s take packing. I’m from the bring-a-wide-selection-so-that-you-have-a-choice mindset. That’s totally Old School, especially with the baggage surcharges enforced by the airlines today. It’s tough though since I love to look my best when traveling and that often means switching out handbags and shoes along with a few different sweaters and a couple of coats. (We’re already approaching the limit here.) I had a near breakdown when I traveled to the east coast in September which prompted a major intervention I performed on myself (in the privacy of my bedroom, thank goodness) when I prepared for a second east coast trip in October. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I almost choked at the United counter in September when I had to pay $75. for two bags that I hadn’t even registered online. And that was just for the outbound segment. What made it worse was that I was to be spending most of my time in beach communities in Virginia Beach and The Outer Banks. How much room could a couple of bathing suits, sandals and assorted casual wear take up? This is pathetic, I thought to myself at check in. Granted I had a heavy silk dress and jacket packed in there for a wedding I was to attend (with, of course, the requisite matching sandals and bag). I was cursing my boyfriend, Steve, to myself for having urged me to take my sneakers. (Now that’s a space eater if there ever was one—who walks on the beach in sneaks anyway?) I had also thrown in my hairdryer since it appeared I might be without one for a bit. (Who travels with a hairdryer these days?) And my toiletry case ended up being the joke of our ten-day trip since it was stuffed with twenty some odd bottles (mini, but still), containing my prized potions and lotions that I presumably couldn’t live without. Now really? My God, an intervention was definitely in order. Clearly I hadn’t followed my own packing tips outlined here.
I know better. But an overflow of stress, combined with a what-the-hell kind of attitude provoked me to throw all my stuff into one suitcase, a duffle bag and two carry ons. I schlepped this proliferation of possessions from plane, to car, to another car, to taxi, to bus (yes, even on the Greyhound; read Riding the Bus), then to more car, plane and car, cursing myself the whole way. You get the idea.
I swore I’d never do that again. And so I haven’t, at least not on my October trip back east. I followed my own advice and cut my wardrobe selection in half and let it hang on door handles in my room for a few days before departure. Then I thought more about all—accessories and toiletries included—and neatly folded my trim little selection into my suitcase the morning of my departure. Phew! The intervention had worked. Plus I had registered my one bag online within the twenty-four-hour period allowed. Boy was I feeling mighty!
Suddenly I’m struck with that panicky feeling again, a strange sort of anxiety brought on by pre-departure packing plans. I’m leaving tomorrow with Steve on an almost week-long jaunt to Colorado Springs. He’s the General Manager at Mountain Lodge in Telluride and he’ll be attending the annual Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association conference at The Broadmoor. I’ll be joining him at a few events in search of story ideas and more. I already had my wardrobe planned in my head (and on my door knobs), thinking I’d draw from some combination of Rocky Mountain casual and Parisian chic. (It is The Broadmoor after all.) Then suddenly he tells me he’d like to add on a day of skiing on the return trip. “Oh, sure, sure, that’s great,” I said. But then I thought about having to pack my ski pants and ski jacket, mittens, hat, the whole shabang. I had already been wondering where my skis and ski boots were located since I didn’t see them in my storage area in Montrose, an hour and a half from where I live, when I went to pick up my winter things there ten days ago. I’ve been meaning to check my other storage area in Telluride as well as my ski locker at the mountain. My heart quickened. I’ve been on the verge of throwing Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part Two into motion, but now I need to get it into full activation mode. (Fortunately I’m already well into Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part One.)
Jeez, this is really confusing. And then I wonder how many other people go through these kinds of mind games regarding travel. Our supposedly more relaxed lifestyle of The West can be thrown a curve ball when you add on “just one day of skiing” to a business trip/elegant romantic getaway. One would think I’d be a professional traveler and could handle any scenario. When I’m in full ski instructor mode I sometimes sleep in my long underwear, get up, have breakfast, wash my face, brush my teeth and fly out the door to the mountain in near record time. But this travel combo so early in the season almost seems daunting. I take a deep breath and remember all the calming words I uttered to myself during my little intervention. Ssssh, ssssh, ssssh, stop, I say to myself. So what if I have to take two different pairs of mittens, socks and a variety of layers in order to be properly prepared for any type of weather for our one day of skiing, our maiden voyage of the ski season. I can handle it, I tell myself. And you won’t bring more than one file along with your laptop, I add on, almost as an afterthought. Can it be a fat one? I ask myself pleadingly. All right, all right.
Thankfully Steve, who travels considerably for his work, is no better than me. Actually worse, I think. On our east coast trip in September, he also checked two bags and a guitar! I’m not altogether sure what he had packed in his duffels but he mumbled something about his wetsuit and booties taking up a lot of room. Like my hairdryer, his wetsuit, booties and guitar were used only once during the entire trip. He employed his surfboard considerably more but that he leaves stashed back east. I wouldn’t think of doing a packing intervention on him. In any event, I love the fact that I travel with a guy that brings more stuff than me.
I wonder how it will be for us this trip. I’m already beginning to feel slightly superior after my October test, despite my sporadic mind chatter that has raised some new packing insecurities. We are driving and neither of us has to worry about baggage allotments. Hmmmmm. Oh dear, I sense a binge coming on.
Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies: Mountain Living Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies
by maribeth
Comments Off on Fall in Colorado: A Terrific In-Between Time of Year
Fall in Colorado: A Terrific In-Between Time of Year
Filling in Nicely in Aspen/Snowmass a Couple of Weeks Ago
I wrote glowingly about fall in the Rocky Mountains in Riding the Gondola, a story I posted this time of year last year. Now I’ll tell you about that funny in-between time just after most of the leaves have dropped and before most ski areas open, the period from mid October through Thanksgiving.
The bare aspens now blend into the mountainsides like bristly hairs on a crewcut. Golden cottonwoods along the rivers and russet red grasses and shrubs in the fields and on the slopes now punctuate this autumnal season. Dusted in white, the mountains stand steely grey awaiting the long, steady snowfalls that will soon accumulate. We already had a few, enough to know that winter is ready to barrel in. It’s usually snowy by Halloween in our mountain towns, Thanksgiving for sure.
Now officially off-season, lots of folks in the ski towns take off for a long break before the start of the season. The rest await anxiously the arrival of the big snows. Huge, barrel-shaped snow guns have already been placed strategically across slopes all over the Rockies. The blowing will soon begin and mother nature will be aided in the mission of creating the finest skiing in the West, indisputably the best in the world.
Loveland ski area officially opened a couple of weeks ago; they briefly closed since it had been unseasonably warm but are now open again. (Denver hit record-breaking highs in the eighties over the weekend after having had a snowed-out Rockies game a couple of weeks ago.) A-Basin is open, too, and others will soon follow. I learned today that die-hard skiers have been hiking up to Silverton for some early season back country skiing. Copper Mountain is slated for a November 6 opening. And even if only a few runs are skiable, it’s still a great way to get out and have fun and begin to get in shape for the season. I’ve skied Wolf Creek early November as well at times when the whole mountain has been open, blanketed in deep powder the sort you’d expect in the dead of winter. No wonder they’re known to be the snowiest ski mountain in all of Colorado.
Like Aspen and many other resorts, we’ll open in Telluride at Thanksgiving. Time is sure to fly between now and then and there will be many people caught without their skis waxed or their bodies properly prepared. I began ski conditioning class yesterday and even after just one session, I can tell I have a long way to go before adequately strengthening my core and legs for the slopes. (Boy, am I sore today!) Yet everyone’s talking snow and the countdown has begun to opening day. Ski movies are playing in our small-town cinemas and the excitement is mounting day by day.
Now is the time to score some great bargains on everything skiing. Many of the resorts are still promoting pre-season pass and lift ticket deals (some offers valid until October 30). Terrific lodging specials are also available, especially if you book before November 15. Flush with brand new merchandise, many of the ski and snowboard shops continue to offer discounted prices. In T-ride, the KOTO Ski Swap, a one-day event that’s held annually in mid-November (this year on the 14th), draws crowds from neighboring mountain towns that clamor for new and used ski clothing and gear at killer prices.
In Case You Missed It: Telluride Graces the Cover of October's Ski Magazine
There’s anticipation in the air over this year’s turnout as well. But no one’s holding their breath too long since we know how important ski vacations are to people. They’re a great way for families, friends, guys and girls to get together and although ski holidays might not be totally recession proof, we know that this is where some of the best memories are forged. So it’s unlikely there will be too many breaks with tradition.
As for me, I can hardly wait for the season to begin. I have one more trip to take back east, then I hope to hunker down here in my beloved Colorado. My kitties are already in quasi hibernation mode which tells me that it’s time for me to park it as well. I’m excited about resuming my job as ski instructor in Telluride, the perfect antidote for too many hours at my desk and on the road. It’s also a great way to have and share fun with others.
Now it just has to start snowing.
Telluride Ski Resort Deals, http://tellurideskiresort.com/TellSki/hot-deals.aspx
Aspen/Snowmass Deals, http://www.aspensnowmass.com/travelinfo/package.cfm
Beauty Colorado Mountain Living Spas Telluride: Beauty Colorado Mountain Living Spas Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Telluride’s Beauty Boutiques
Telluride’s Beauty Boutiques
Mountain Therapy at Mountain Lodge Telluride
I love the notion of a beauty boutique. I frequented Beauté Boutique in the seventeenth arrondissement of Paris for many years. It consisted of a sectioned off little space where (mostly) women had a variety of body parts attended to with the efficacy and regularity of a man’s visit to the barber shop. It was a totally no frills operation but women maintained their monthly appointments for a short menu of treatments that included waxings, pedicures and facials. “In France, all this is part of la hygiene personnelle,” la directrice once explained to me.
The approach in Telluride is not too unlike what I encountered in Paris. Here the salons and spas are considerably more inviting than my neighborhood beauty boutique in Paris but these purveyors of poufing and pampering are indeed accustomed to meeting the needs of an equally demanding clientele. In Telluride, many women remain just as committed to maintaining their beauté as the French. This sort of fervent dedication to spas and salons is somewhat unusual in America but in my Rocky Mountain town where the air is often single-digit-humidity dry and the sun beams hard and bright most days of the year, personal upkeep is more of a necessity than a luxury.
Colorado Crested Butte Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Restaurants The Rockies: Colorado Crested Butte Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Restaurants The Rockies
by maribeth
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Testing My Mettle in Crested Butte
Steve and Me Feeling on Top of the World at the Summit of Mount Crested Butte
Sometimes it’s hard being a girly-girl in the Rocky Mountains. No matter how thin, how blond, how tanned, it seems as though these Colorado women are made of tough stuff. Some have their nails done on a regular basis and their hair colored with even greater frequency, but beneath their fresh-as-an-alpine-morning allure, they’re able to keep up with the most competitive men, the super fit guys that think nothing of powering up a stretch of singletrack at nosebleed elevations and then charging down the slope at near breakneck speed. These dudes are typically the husbands, boyfriends and partners of the aforementioned Colorado mountain girls and I’ve come to observe that most everything that the men take on, the women do nearly as well (and in some cases, even better). Their approach might be a tad less aggro but none seem to hesitate much. It’s kind of what’s expected out here.
And then there’s me. My life’s now a far cry from the Parisian Princess posturing I maintained for more than a decade in the French capital. Yes, I even became a ski instructor in an attempt to break out of such a pampered modus operandi. But still, my softness prevails and sometimes it just gets in my way, preventing me from engaging full-on in real mountain activities with the rest of the men and women I encounter here in the West.
This monster of girliness reared its ugly head last weekend during a special gathering of friends in Crested Butte, a mecca of mountain bike riding in America. As much as I’ve had a big passion for road riding in recent years, I’ve done very little mountain bike riding, mostly because I haven’t had my own bike. (O.K., I admit I’ve had a few nervous moments on singletrack when I feared I’d topple off my bike and fall down a cliff.) But I knew one of the main events of the weekend was going to involve a group bike ride, so I packed my chamois-bottomed shorts and cycling jersey and began to psyche myself up for the expedition. When D-day arrived, however, I choked, especially when I heard the ride would traverse some of CB’s most pristine stretches of singletrack, one and a half-foot wide swathes of trails that would normally be the envy of any respectable rider. But I couldn’t help thinking about the wobbling and eventual toppling over that might likely occur out on some precipitous ledge.
Mountain Living Telluride: Mountain Living Telluride
by maribeth
Comments Off on Spring in Telluride: Mud and So Much More
Spring in Telluride: Mud and So Much More
I like showing a different view of Telluride each season by changing out my Bonjour Telluride banner. But I’m sorry I won’t be presenting you with any spring shots this year. The weather has been particularly gloomy and the reprieves have been as unpredictable and infrequent as wet days in the dessert (which is by the way only 2 1/2 hours away in Moab, Utah). We’ve had periods of rain, hail and even snow, magnificent displays of weather that have sometimes been thankfully interspersed with radiant rays of sunshine and the occasional rainbow. I haven’t been fast enough with the camera though to capture all this—or more precisely me in this environment—for the periods of luminosity have been quickly trailed by more inclement weather, steely grey skies and great gusts of wind.
Today has so far started out brilliantly sunny yet who knows how long that will last. The peaks have been dusted with freshly fallen snow the past few days, a coating of confectioner’s sugar on our monolithic mountains. All is green and lush and the mountain streams and rivers are running hard and fast. There’s no talk of drought or fires this year. These spring soakings have preceded our usual monsoons of July and August which many of us hope means an especially warm and sunny summer. I’m sure the wildflowers will be good this year, too.
I’m grateful I’ve adapted so well to this mountain climate. My closet is full year-round with a supply of fleeces, base layers, wool socks, hats, scarves and gloves. My winter ski jackets are easily donned in the summer, especially at night after a blazing hot day when temperatures typically plunge in our super dry climate. My bathing suit has so far only been pulled out for use in the neighboring hot springs. This being the mountains, I know, however, how quickly all that can change. We’re sure to have some blistering days yet.
Our seasons are marked by seemingly endless variations of weather created by our high elevation (8,500 to 9,500 feet for the most part) and strong southerly location (at least in comparison to my native New York). The lilacs and tulips are just blooming here now, most irises and roses won’t come out until July and many people haven’t dared to plant their summer flowers yet out of fear they’ll be nipped by a lingering frost.
Some say winter is long and summer is short in the Rockies. The brightness of our winters, however, easily carries me through our long snowy season that is perhaps more short-lived elsewhere. In truth, I get excited when I see the peaks emerge from the clouds, snow-capped in clean whiteness, even if it’s mid June. Telluride is among the finest of mountain towns in the world and here you have to marvel at the magic of the weather, even if it means not being always able to capture them in a Kodak moment or two.
To find out all that’s happening right now in Telluride and in the upcoming months, check out the Telluride Tourism Board. You may even see some nice images of our ever-changing sky.
