Colorado Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride Travel Fun: Aspen Divas Palmyra Prowlers San Juan Sundancers Synchronized Riding Synchronized Skiing Telluride Benders Telluride Ghostriders Telluride Ski & Snowboard School Telluride Ski Resort Telluride Synchronized Ski Team Telluride Tempters Telluride World Synchro Championship Travel Fun
by maribeth
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Telluride Takes Synchronized Skiing and Riding to a New Level
Did you know that skiing and snowboarding can be team sports? And what a beautiful site it is to see skiers and snowboarders coming down the hill in synchronized formation.
That’s what happened last week at the Telluride World Synchro Championship, an event that has taken place at various ski resorts in North America for decades. Aspen hosted this event for nearly twenty years. And for the first time this synchronized championship found its home in Telluride. Thanks to the support and hard work from Telluride Ski Resort, Tim Williams, the director of Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, the participants of the synchronized ski and snowboard teams and many many more. The coaches, including Sarah (Sem) Walls, Rogan O’Herily, Neville Leel and Frankie Zampini also deserve major kudos. All spent long hours practicing on the slopes before the lifts started turning for the public throughout the season. The result was that his event was a big success and a fun addition to the animation found on the mountain.
It was a first to be hosted by Telluride, however, the Telluride Synchronized Ski Team has been around since the eighties. Telluride ski legends such as Annie Vareille Savath, Doug Morrison and Marty Wilcox helped to launch this nonprofit back in the day in an effort to make sure that Telluride’s finest ski instructors could compete in various elite events alongside talented ski professionals from Vail, Whistler and other resorts. The origins of it lie in the desire to demonstrate what ski instructors are capable of doing on the mountain. And that’s still the case today.
Sure, you can see lots of ski performance from instructors just by observing them on the mountain. But synchronized ski competitions take that skill to a different level. In addition to the choreographed presentations that dazzle onlookers lucky enough to take in these events, there’s also individual competitions in the moguls and on the racecourse.
I had the opportunity to do two different interviews on this subject on my Travel Fun radio show on KOTO. The first took place a few days before the competition and featured team captains and participants John Balmain (Ghostriders), Mike Griswold and Reid Schlack (Benders), Emma Johnson (Tempters), Rose Nadelhoffer (San Juan Sundancers), and Anna Sebree (Palmyra Prowlers).
You can listen to this interview through Thursday, April 11 on Spinitron.
The Telluride Ghostriders, an all-male team that has existed for quite some time, snagged first place in this year’s Telluride World Synchronized Ski Championships.
The Telluride Tempters, an all-female team in their second year, placed second.
And the Aspen Divas, an all-female team from Aspen, that has always garnered much attention, came in third.
The Telluride Benders, an all-male team dressed in black (with uniforms borrowed from the lifties) created quite the stir. So did the Palmyra Prowlers, the male and female riders that showed that snowboards can do fancy turns in sync as well. Special mention goest to the San Juan Sundancers, an all-female team of first-year Telluride ski instructors that gave a very strong showing.
Woo-hoo! Those fortunate to have viewed the presentations that took place on Comp Hill (and also Hermit for the bumps and the Nastar course for the racing) were indeed entertained and impressed.
I did a wrap up Travel Fun interview with Frankie Zampini and Logan Lanier, members of the Telluride Ghostriders and two of the driving forces behind the Telluride Synchronized Ski Team organization. That interview will air Thursday, April 11 at 6:30pm MST at KOTO.org. I will also be putting up that link within a few days after airing.
In this chat, Frankie and Logan further talked about the event, the organization and what’s in the works for next year. Whether you’re a skier, a rider or just a lover of athletic prowess and competition, these interviews will have you looking at snowsports differently.
So what’s next? I say synchronized skiing and riding should become an olympic sport. What do you think?
In the meantime, mark your calendars for the end of the season next year to take in this exciting two-day event to be held once again in Telluride. (The actual days will be announced at a later date.)
For a glimpse at synchronized skiing, check out the video posted by the Telluride Ski Resort on Instagram. I promise you’ll be hooked.
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by maribeth
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Wow What a Ski Season in the West
Wow, what a winter it was!
Wow, what a ski season!
First of all, I have to say I’m sorry I dropped out of posting at my blog all these months. I was busy with lots of projects in the fall, then boom, winter hit. And what a winter it was! What a spring it has been! With skiing still going on (yes, even in May) here in the West, this one ranks as an epic season. (Today, in fact, Telluriders woke up to about a foot of fresh powder.)
The start of the ski season is always filled with a flurry of activity, dialing in equipment, sorting out big stacks of ski clothing and accessories, skiing into shape and training for what we always hope will be a promising season at the Telluride Ski Resort.
This year, expectations were low among my fellow instructors at the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School. All the forecasts predicted a not-so snowy winter. And indeed the start of the season was scant. But partway through the week between Christmas and New Year’s (our busiest week of the year), snow began to fall.
We ended up being blessed with huge quantities of the fluffy white stuff. I’m not one to count snow totals but I can say that in the almost twenty years I’ve been in Telluride, I don’t remember quite so much snow. And the bluster! This part of southwestern Colorado is known for its sunshine and glorious weather. (The temps here typically range about 10 degrees higher than at resorts in Summit County.) But this year, we had a ton of grey days. Yet in addition to keeping the snow nice and creamy, all those cold and cloudy days preserved the snowpack like never before.
I was sick a lot–in typical ski instructor fashion–unfortunately. That was not surprising in view of the harsh weather but thankfully my health was restored with the arrival of the warmer, sunnier days. With so much outdoor activity in the relentless cold, many of us that worked on the mountain (at about 10,000 feet in elevation) were perpetually sick.
I did, however, have many terrific ski lessons that buoyed me up. It’s all about the people, or clients, when you’re a ski instructor in Telluride. We are the consummate cheerleaders, the lauded ambassadors of the mountain, the people that have the most contact with the guests. And we aim to please. Whether the client wants to work on the shaping phase of their turn or just wants a fabulous tour of the mountain (without having to wait in line, which people sometimes now have to do in T-ride except if you’re with an instructor), we know how to accommodate. From children to adults, first timers to advanced intermediates, I love teaching people with personalities and learning styles as diverse as the color of their ski outfits.
Each experience enriches me in a variety of ways. Plus, I’m out and about in beautiful Telluride, Colorado, skiing and enjoying the view. What could be better!?!
Here’s something that was new this year: We were constantly sold out at the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School. Our demand has been building these past years but now it’s ridiculous. People have to book months and months in advance if they want private or group lessons for kids or adults. Yep, no more downtime. So, if you’re considering a ski vacation in Telluride for next season, start making your plans this summer and reach out to your instructor to check on availability.
We must be worth it because people keep coming back. Most of us have repeat clients for years and years. It’s about creating relationships. The beauty of Telluride is awe-inspiring, the terrain is extraordinary and it’s the instructor’s job to showcase that for a client whether they are a first-time skier or a seasoned expert. We also add that certain je ne sais quoi that makes the lesson all the more memorable.
So have I hung up my skis for the season? Most likely, but you never know, especially with this week’s fresh snowfall. There’s still so much snow to ski on and the spring skiing has been primo. Kudos to Purgatory in Durango for remaining open through this Sunday, May 14. My guy and I have been having lots of fun there, since it’s a great little mountain with a fun vibe. Staying Saturday nights in the charming western town of Durango has been super special, too.
Arapahoe Basin is slated to close early June, and at Mammoth Mountain in California they have already announced that they will remain open at least until July. I actually heard a rumor that they were going to try to do a big first and remain open year-round until next ski season. Hey, with their record-breaking snow totals of close to 700 inches, anything is possible.
As our robust snowpack melts, let’s give thanks to the snow gods that blessed us with this tremendous ski season and an abundance of much-needed moisture. Our rushing rivers are filling lakes and reservoirs within and beyond Colorado, providing water that will sustain us more than anyone had hoped going into this past season. Water is a precious commodity in the American West and thanks to our winter and spring snows, we have been graced with enough that will make a difference throughout, particularly in areas that have been in drought.
Plus, recreating on all this water is fun.
Happy spring, happy snowmelt!
To see more photos and videos from this past winter and spring, including restaurant and lodging recommendations in Durango, go to my Facebook and Instagram @maribeth-clemente pages.
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by maribeth
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Hilaree Nelson: Mountaineer, Adventurer, Skier and Tellurider
“We all need a little fear in our lives. If you don’t have it, you’re not overcoming anything.”
I heard those words on CPR (Colorado Public Radio) as a segment of an interview with Hilaree Nelson played the day after her body was found in the Himalayas. She perished on September 26, 2022 as she started to ski down Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world. After having summited this monolithic peak with her partner, Jim Morrison, she sadly triggered an avalanche that swept her away.
Her thoughts on fear have resonated in my head ever since. So this is how Hilaree Nelson became so fearless.
I first heard about her disappearance on NPR (National Public Radio) earlier in the week. Somehow I had missed the update on KOTO, our local NPR-affiliate here in Telluride. It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that our small mountain community was steeped in grief.
“She was a regular Telluride local,” said Ben Kerr, Station Manager and Program Director at KOTO. “Anybody who can accomplish what she did and maintain that sense of humility is amazing.”
Ben and I talked about Hilaree as I sat down in the studio to listen to a Travel Fun interview she did with me on March 12, 2015. In the podcast we sound like two Telluride gals chatting about travel and adventure almost as though we had met up for an après ski. It was an après ski of sorts because we taped the interview fresh off the slopes during an extraordinary snow week.
We were especially happy to talk about women and skiing, since Hilaree (then O’Neill) had just participated in Telluride Women’s Week, a long-running ski camp for women (actually the first in the country) at Telluride Ski Resort.
For a big dose of inspiration on how to live your best life, listen to the half-hour podcast below.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY INTERVIEW WITH HILAREE NELSON
On Everest and Lhotse
Hilaree talks about her epic 2012 adventure when she linked two peaks: Everest and Lhotse. “It was sort of a never-ending day,” she says. Pringles washed down with instant coffee mixed with protein shakes fueled Hilaree as she went almost fifty hours without sleep. But it was mostly the exhilaration she felt around that expedition that enabled her to accomplish this remarkable feat.
The Zone You Get In Before a Big Adventure
“I can do it,” Hilaree says. She also emphasizes research and gaining as much confidence and knowledge about something before diving in.
About Butterflies
“I like being uncomfortable,” she says. “I like having a big dose of fear.”
Why Telluride
“I couldn’t get enough of the peaks around here,” Hilaree says as she refers to the Fourteeners in the area.
The Motivation
Hilaree and I talk about self empowerment through sport, a theme that has been a big part of my life the past two and a half decades. (It’s also underscored in my travel memoir, A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France.) “It’s really empowering to push beyond our own walls,” she says. “I get that through being uncomfortable.” You’ll also hear that Hilaree’s adventures offered her a certain level of silence…both externally and internally.
Regarding Chamonix, France
“It’s French but very international…it was very eye-opening for me.” In our interview, Hilaree talks about this whole new world where the commonality was the mountains. Chamonix is also where Hilaree honed many of her roping skills.
On the French
Hilaree came to appreciate their frankness but was also happy that although she learned French, her language skills were not quite strong enough to engage in conversations about la politique. This extraordinary athlete also loved indulging in many luscious aspects of French life, including les pâtisseries, other French foods and wine. She also very much enjoyed the French people’s appreciation for leisure time.
Advice for Someone that Wants to Have More Adventure in Life
“Figure our what your passion is,” says Hilaree. If you’re really into wine, for example, she recommends going to France in the fall–during les vendanges–to pick grapes.
Cheers to you Hilaree Nelson! Thank you for being such a force and for seizing the day.
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by maribeth
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KOTO, Kittens and Kookiness
My Friends and Me at KOTO’s Purple House on Pine
Leave it to KOTO, our beloved community radio station here in Telluride, Colorado, to bring me back into the fold. I’ve been wanting to get back on the air with Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, and start blogging again for quite some time. But life has kept me occupied with other doings and it has been hard finding the time for these two favorite ways of being in touch with you.
My last post, which highlighted a photo of my mother and me fresh from the hairdresser, was in March 2021. Sadly, my sweet mama passed away that following July and exactly three months prior to that–in April–my dear brother, David, succumbed to his three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Needless-to-say both left a gaping hole in my heart as well as much to do, including clearing out a large family home stuffed to the heavens with belongings and an abundance of memorabilia. The fact that all of that occurred back east–a great distance from Colorado–in the height of a pandemic and after much caretaking made it all the more complicated. But I’m back in Colorado now full-time slowly picking up the pieces of my life after having been intimately involved in theirs for many years.
KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride. Most of the community, its visitors and folks tuning in from afar turn to our little radio station, an NPR affiliate, for all kinds of musical entertainment, talk, news, the avalanche report and other important announcements such as a lost dog report or road closures and traffic slowdowns due to a mudslide or elk crossings. Plus, they regularly broadcast most of Telluride’s big music festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival and Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Its audience is truly worldwide. So when the bright and shining Cara (Pallone), Executive Director of KOTO, asked me to be a guest DJ for KOTO’s 2022 Summer Fundraising drive, a live one-hour segment Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm, I was deeply honored and also somewhat daunted; I knew that this marked a time when I was to put it in gear.
And maybe you thought I was just horsing around in my little town of Norwood, Colorado?
Me Down on the Farm in Norwood
Admittedly I love the peace and tranquility of this old ranching town less than an hour from Telluride and I have been hooked to the Netflix series “Heartland.” But you can take the girl out of Paris but never Paris out of the girl. As much as I’ve embraced a more down-to-earth lifestyle in Colorado, there’s still a big part of me that’s every bit of a Parisian sophisticate.
With KOTO’s Summer Fundraising theme of Across the Universe, I thought I’d dust off my cowboy boots (gardening clogs, actually) and tell you my story.
I’ve been a travel writer since the late eighties. I lived in France eleven years and have traveled back to Paris and the French provinces considerably since I moved back to the States in 1994. France has always been my specialty but since I moved to Colorado over twenty years ago, I have also become passionate about and well versed in the American West. I authored five books on France, three shopping and touring guides to Paris, one shopping and touring guide on the French provinces and one travel memoir entitled A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France. I segued into travel writing after I had created a shopping service in Paris, called Chic Promenade. During those years, I lead people on the discovery of off-the-beaten-path boutiques and also arranged behind-the-scenes visits of the big names such as Hermès, Dior and Nina Ricci.
My Travel Memoir: Tour of the Heart
I’ve traveled extensively throughout the world to places as far-flung as Guilin, China, and big parts of Morocco and Nova Scotia. I’ve written about many of these places at my blog, www.BonjourColorado.com. I’ve fallen way behind on posting there because I have been involved in lots of family doings since 2016. But I’m back at it now!
In past years, I’ve freelanced for Forbes, The New York Times Syndicate and a number of other outlets. I currently write online content for Discovery Map, a company that publishes those colorful, hand drawn maps that you find in about 150 destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. For them, I’ve written about great places to visit such as the Outer Banks, of North Carolina, Cape May in New Jersey and Bozeman, Big Sky and Livingston, Montana, to name a few. And yes, I even wrote about Telluride because there’s a Discovery Map here as well. I have to admit it’s the longest and most inspired writeup of all that I’ve done. I also recently wrote a blog for them entitled “Summer Travel Woes: How to Make the Best of Your Airline Experience,” which anyone planning to hop on a plane anytime soon should read.
Steve and Me at Telluride Jazz Festival
I am happy that a few special guests will be chiming in during my big Guest DJ appearance on Friday. Steve Togni, General Manager of Mountain Lodge Telluride and also my partner of almost fourteen years, will be there to talk about the hospitality industry in Telluride and also to tout a very special Mountain Lodge premium that he has graciously donated.
John Gerona, Owner of The Village Table in Telluride Mountain Village and another of my favorite persons, said he’ll stop by. That will give us the opportunity to thank him for providing a super convivial and delicious dining experience to the community for the past ten years.
On Duty as a Telluride Ski Instructor
Noah Sheedy, Director of the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, will be popping in as well. I’ve been a ski instructor in Telluride for almost nineteen years, a profession that has helped to balance out my writing career–and me–in many ways. If KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride, then Telluride Ski Resort encompasses a good part of the rest in our majestic mountain town.
Peter Hans, the driving force behind Discovery Map, will be calling in either from their headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont or from his sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island. We’re similar in that we summered together up in the Adirondacks, both lived for a long time in Europe and then settled in quaint mountain towns in America where we continue to live out our passion for sharing travel and ski experiences with others.
Victoria at Her Paris Boutique
If the lines aren’t too busy, I hope to have a special phone call from Paris from my friend, Victoria Wolff. I met her during my Paris days and her boutique, Wolff et Descourtis, is still my all-time favorite address in the City of Light. Her family has been in the textile business since 1875 and at her Galerie Vivienne showcase (and online) you can buy the most magical shawls you’ve ever seen. La beauté française est extraordinaire!
Mountain Lodge Telluride
And yes, I have rounded up quite a few premiums–or gift certificates–from some of my favorite places within the region. The grand prize is a Mountain Lodge premium for a two-night stay in a one-bedroom residence, valued at approximately $1500, at this beautiful slopeside property.
Mountain Lodge: A Great Place to Party
And here’s the fabulous news:
ANYONE DONATING A MINIMUM OF $25. TO KOTO WITH THE TRAVEL FUN DESIGNATION WILL BE ENTERED INTO DRAWINGS to win my premiums. That means that if you make your donation at KOTO.org or call the station at 970-728-4334, you have a chance of winning either the grand prize of two nights at Mountain Lodge or one of the other great premiums I’ve also rounded up. The drawings will take place at the end of my Guest DJ segment, which is Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm MST. Remember that you can tune in online at KOTO.org if you’re not local. Note that your chances of winning are quite strong, since I likely will not have a gazillion donors. You can enter as many times as you want as long as you make a $25. donation each time. Tell your friends and family! I will start out with the Mountain Lodge drawing at about 12:50pm MST and make my way down the gift certificates listed below with their corresponding values:
Aveda Telluride Spa, one of my favorite spas in T-ride has generously offered one custom facial valued at $170. and one custom massage valued at $150. Merci mes amies!
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery in Norwood, the best address in Norwood for fresh foods and a real community vibe: two gift certificates, each worth $50.
Coffee from Telluride Coffee Roasters
Telluride Coffee Roasters, the premiere coffee purveyor in Telluride that also has an online boutique: $70.
Arena Hair Studio
Arena Hair Studio: Sandra Arena, my gal in town (Norwood,) who knows how to make me beuuuuuutiful: $60. gift certificate for any service.
Beaucoup de Breakfast at The View
The View restaurant at Mountain Lodge Telluride, excellent food and drink with spectacular views: $50.
Loving La Coçina
La Coçina de Luz, super fresh Mexican food restaurant: $50.
Cindybread: Pains aux Chocolat Just Like in Paree
Cindybread Artisan Bakery, an all-time délicieux bakery in Lawson Hill: $50.
Sawpit Mercantile
Sawpit Mercantile, a fabulous pitstop for barbecue, gas, liquor and other much-needed goods: $50.
Nails with Mandie
Nails with Mandie in Naturita: one of my new West End discoveries for having my nails done: $40. gift certificate for a pedicure.
The Friendly Folk at Counter Culture; photo credit: Michael Mowery Media
Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering, for great takeout sandwiches also in Lawson Hill: $25.
Thank you to all that have generously donated gift certificates that will be used for my KOTO fundraising campaign!!!
Remember that if you donate $100. you will also be entered into two separate KOTO drawings: one to win a brand-new SOL GalaXy paddle board and the other to land yourself a two-night stay at The Peaks Resort & Spa package.
Our Happy Place with Our SOL Paddle Boards
Steve Paddling at Sunset in Norwood
And if you donate $50., you will receive a KOTO sun shirt (in addition to being entered into my drawings). Super cool. The supply is limited, however, so act fast.
Note that all proceeds are tax deductible and all go to KOTO.
Once again, in order to be added to all of my drawings, donations must be paid in full by the end of my show by let’s say 12:50pm on Friday. So break out the plastic!
With added luck, I might even have some additional premiums come Friday.
The Superlative Setting at The Peaks Resort & Spa
In terms of music, I, of course, I will be playing some French and maybe some Chinese and Moroccan tunes as well. I’ll also have bluegrass, which I’ve come to love since I’ve been in Colorado. And since I’m originally from New York (upstate) and love Frank Sinatra, I’ll definitely be playing “New York, New York.” I’d also like to work in some Dooby Brothers and/or Eagles because they remind me of summers spent at Lake George, New York.
Had I not taken a hiatus from Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, I’d be up to almost nineteen years of doing radio at KOTO. Yet between the pandemic (when I only did a handful of shows remotely) and spending lots of time back east for family matters, I’ve had to take a break from doing my show. I look forward to being back on the air on a regular basis very soon. For Travel Fun, I’ve enjoyed interviewing all kinds of people about travel, beauty, fashion, food and wine and a variety of other subjects including one program entitled Sex, Travel and Fun. Travel, of course, can be very exciting. Guests on my show have included lots of locals, many second-home owners and a good amount of “outsiders” I contacted because I thought KOTO listeners would enjoy hearing what they had to say. One such example is Graham Watson, renowned photographer of the Tour de France bike race.
I’m most definitely an avid listener of KOTO. I love radio in general, so much so, in fact, that I don’t even own a TV.
In past years, I was very involved with volunteering at KOTO events, which was always fun and super interesting. I hope to get back to that soon as well. Some of my most memorable gigs included being in charge of the green rooms for KOTO Doo Dahs and other happenings. I did this for Jackson Browne, the Subdudes, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Michael Franti and some LIp Syncs. I was also in charge of KOTO merchandise for Bluegrass a number of years and yes, I had my stints working the KOTO beer booth at Bluegrass and doing endless hours of decorating for the fabulous KOTO Halloween parties. A lot of this I did with Jumpin’ Jan, which made it all the more meaningful.
KOTO is my family. I love being a part of the ski school family and my KOTO family. I started both in December 2003. That was when it was not very popular to be writing about France. (Remember Freedom Fries?) So I switched up my life and the rewards have been far better than I ever could have imagined. A very well known travel writer once told me that having a radio show is a great way to build your audience. Far more than that, however, it has made me feel very loved. I have truly enjoyed working with KOTO staff and DJs and it has been fun, too, when people recognize my voice and say things like “oh, you’re the travel lady.”
If you’ve made it to the end of this story, you deserve a glimpse at my kittens. They are the ultimate kure-all for all kinds of kookiness.
It’s a Star-Spangled Blue-Eyed Holiday Everyday with Our Kittens
Thank you to Amy Peters for her great coverage of this summer’s Guest DJ Day in the Telluride Daily Planet and the Norwood Post. Her piece, KOTO Radio Takes Over the Universe, will tell you even more about what’s happening at KOTO and what’s in store for all on Friday, August 19.
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by maribeth
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A Different Winter: Trekking and Snowshoeing Through Caretaking
Mom and I on One of our Better Days After I Finally Let Her Out of the House to Have Her Hair Done
As the freshness of spring shines upon us, I am hopeful for brighter days. I think we all are!
Life has been quite interrupted for me and I’m writing this from upstate New York where I have been taking care of my my 87-year-old mother. I arrived here the first part of January, quarantined for a good week in the Adirondacks and then settled in with my mom at her house in Troy, New York.
ADK Frozen Lake Fun
I wrote the below story quite a while ago but wasn’t able to post it to my blog due to mysterious technical happenings. Those problems still have not been resolved but I found a backdoor way of finally posting this story. It’s a little out of date at this point, however, I hope you’ll still find it of interest.
This blog SNAFU is illustrative of the issues I have been dealing with and how I find my way around them as I figure out how to best help my mom and take care of the family home. (Built by my grandfather, Mom’s father, it is sixty-plus years old and in need of attention as well. But my mom wants to live out her days here, which I totally understand and I will do everything I can to make that possible.)
Yet I’ve been so overwhelmed! I call it living in the blender. Holy smokes!
Out of respect to my mom, I will not reveal all that I have had to deal with but I can tell you it has been a full-time job. Anyone that has found themselves in this role knows what I mean by that. I’ve looked back at the freedom of my life in Colorado–the joy of waking up at 5:30am in order to head off to the mountain long before the lifts start to turn–with a combination of longing, awe and gratitude. I’ve never taken my job as a Telluride ski instructor for granted and I certainly never will in the future. It is a true pleasure even though that, too, can be exhausting.
Troy Country Club Road: A Great Place to Trek Next to Our House in Upstate New York
Not being in Colorado has been rough at times; just different at others. I have been very much needed here. And as hard as it is, I am grateful that I am able to be here to help my mom. As the old adage goes, “getting old is not for the feint of heart.” I just wish we would have had more snow–boy, have I been envious of the March storms out West.
Troy Country Club Golf Course/Snowfield
ADK Trek
Interspersed with all of the doings for Mom and her house, I still was able to recreate some in the snow. By the third week of February, I was even able to go skiing. (I hope to post a story on that at a later date–maybe for spring skiing?) I feel so fortunate about those few forays!
Since I moved to Colorado twenty years ago (from upstate New York), I have morphed into someone who embraces snowsports more than I ever would have imagined. Skiing has become my life in winter. So since I didn’t have much time for skiing, I found other ways to feel the calm of surrounding myself with snow, beautiful snow. I found other ways to work my body in the cold, crisp air. I delighted in the sweet and toasty sensation of coming inside and sipping a hot drink after playing outside in a winter wonderland, even if I was only able to escape for an hour or so.
Yes, I found ways to enjoy the beauty of winter. And most of all, I have found better ways to cope with all that I have to manage here. Spring has sprung and with it comes the prospect of dealing with all with more serenity and calm and also hopefully, the possibility of doing some nice hikes and walkabouts in the fresh air as the flowers begin to bloom. The upsets and breakdowns over all that I need to respond to here have lessened. I am fully assuming this role and I will see it through.
Wheelchair and Snowshoes: This Winter’s Equipment
I hope you like the below story!
Snowshoeing and Snowtrekking: A Different Kind of Winter Fun
Me Near Telluride After My First Big Snowshoe Outing
Have you ever heard of Snowshoe Magazine? I just checked it out online. It’s pretty cool in a laidback, crunchy granola sort of way. Kind of like snowshoeing itself.
Coming from a very ski-oriented family, I grew up with Ski Magazine. As a twenty-year resident of Colorado, skiing became my way of life. And since I’m a ski instructor, it’s included in my annual membership to PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). But Snowshoe Magazine, well, such a publication never crossed my mind.
I’ve thought very little about snowshoeing–or anything other than skiing–all these winters. And yet to my delight, I’m finally giving it a go and enjoying it.
I knew this winter was going to be different from the ones I had experienced in Colorado. COVID has made everything different for everyone. But little did I know that it would shake up my ski world. Yet when I was given the option by the director at the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School early fall to sit out the season without it effecting my priority, I eventually realized that that was the sensible thing to do. This was to be my eighteenth season and skiing has become an essential part of who I am in winter; it was hard to imagine not being out on the mountain with the rest of my “ski family.”
View from a Bridge: Frozen Creek
But family matters back east and an inherent fear of catching the virus made me think twice about it all. I felt grateful–I still in fact feel very grateful–to the resort for granting this opportunity. Normally, if you sit out a season the counter is reset at zero and that would have been a real bummer for me, since at year twenty I will receive my lifetime pass, a brass ring of sorts for Telluride Ski Resort employees.
So I pulled out a pair of Tubbs snowshoes that I had purchased long before I moved to Colorado to see what fun I could have with them. I had only used them once during my time in Telluride and that was to do a full-moon jaunt to an igloo that’s built annually up at Lizard Head Pass. (I remember the hike downhill left me with agonizing hip pain the next day and lo and behold didn’t I have to have a hip replacement a handful of years later.)
This year I was in T-ride just past the new year and then flew back east to help out at home. Early season was not blessed with an abundance of snow and I was recovering from surgery (this time for a hysterectomy!), so I was in no rush to head out to the slopes. By the time I started to ponder how I’d feel going out for some turns without wearing my big red uniform, the holiday season was upon us and I knew I didn’t want to have to deal with any lines. (When teaching, we have our own line, which is rarely long at all.) Plus, the thought of not hanging in the lodge for a hot chocolate, a bowl of chili or a cold and frosty (out of uniform of course) made the idea of a ski outing seem rather daunting no matter how sweet the turns. This is especially the case in December and January.
Priest Lake View
So I decided to strap on my snowshoes and head out the door and venture into the San Juans on my own steam. My guy lives in San Bernardo, a little residential neighborhood about twenty minutes from Telluride. You can find The Priest Lake Trails, a wonderful nordic skiing trail system, right across the road. It’s one of the best outdoor circuits in the region all year long and much appreciated for its natural beauty and the fact that it has so far remained sparsely used.
As I clunked onto the trail, I was first shocked about how different snowshoeing is from skiing. As I say when I’m teaching, skiing–as well as snowboarding–is all about the glide. We encourage people to embrace the slide, something that is often a foreign concept for folks that haven’t been into snowsports much and work hard not to slip on ice or snow when padding about in winter. Indeed, I felt like a robot as I mechanically stepped forward in my snowshoes. So much for the delicious feeling of cruising down the slopes and setting your skis on edge, tipping and turning as you create your own perfect buttercream swirls as you head down the slopes. No, this stilted method of moving left me feeling like a multijointed superhero setting out to survey the land.
Rocky Mountain Outing
Yet as I dipped into the woods, something magical began to happen. My stiff robotic movements eased into a rhythmic walkabout and suddenly I discovered the bliss of being out in nature amid the quiet of the trees and the thick blanket of snow without having a soul around, let alone a skier or boarder zooming by me. (Or me blowing by someone else for that matter.) I discovered the supreme solitude of the forest and it was at that moment that I realized that that was exactly what I needed at that moment, it is exactly what I need this winter.
Life has been extremely chaotic. Between COVID and other crises, I have retreated into a more insular life. Yet I love the outdoors and desperately need it in the winter. (Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is what drove me to Colorado.) I love bundling up and braving the cold–even on a grey day. And then to head back inside and settle in to a nice hot cinnamon-laced mocha is one of the greatest joys of the season for me.
My Yaktraks
Since I’ve been back east in upstate New York, I’ve done that many times. I’ve snowshoed some and trekked even more. To me, trekking is going for an energetic walk on snow-covered trails or roads (or even lakes!) with my Yaktraks. For others, trekking is about venturing into the Himalayas. Either way, the joy of being outside surrounded by the illuminating effects of snow is a universal theme, even if it means just bopping out for a tour in your neighborhood.
One of the benefits of COVID is that more people have discovered the amazing benefits of recreating out of doors. I read a while back that many snowshoe suppliers sold out for the season–go figure! It is a great way to enjoy a blast of nature and have an aerobic workout in a short amount of time. I’ve become better at it and although it will never (EVER!) replace my love for skiing, it does provide a nice hit of winter fun.
Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve
Stockpiling in the Adirondacks Where Winter is Most Grey
So far I’ve mostly snowshoed on rather groomed trails and plodded along on some crusty snow in the northeast where normally I would have punched threw. They say that snowshoeing is primo on a powder day. Wow, coming from Telluride, I can tell you that people there live for powder days; people will ditch their nearest and dearest to find some freshies. (Ever hear of the expression “There are no friends on powder days?”) Somehow, I can’t imagine the same frenzy about heading out to find fresh tracks on snowshoes. But that, too, is likely part of the beauty of it all. Snowshoeing and trekking are so much about quietly communing with nature. Yes, now I can feel and hear it–fluff, fluff, fluff, ploufff.
I hope you will enjoy these pictures from my snowshoe and trekking jaunts in the Rockies, the Adirondacks and in Troy, New York. I quarantined for a week at Lake Luzerne (in the Adirondacks) and was once again able to experience the thrill of walking on frozen water. (The last time was decades ago.) Here in Troy, I’m delighted to have the Troy Country Club right outside my door, which provides a variety of terrain for treks and snowshoeing.
All this helps to make the challenges of COVID and caring for an elderly parent (my mom) much more manageable. I hope you find your fix this winter, too. It also makes the chocolate, cheese, wine and hearty meals such as stew with dumplings feel less self indulgent. If I keep this up, I just might become a regular subscriber to Snowshoe Magazine. And hopefully burn off a bunch more calories while breathing in the great outdoors.
Vintage ADK
Note that with all the snow in Colorado this year, there will likely be snowsport fun up through May.
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by maribeth
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Ski Map Fun and Telluride Ski Legends on KOTO
James Nieheus in Front of His Painting of Alta
Map Painting
Even in today’s high-tech world, ski maps remain prized souvenirs from any ski vacation and many die-hard snowsports aficionados boast collections of them that they keep at home amid other treasured momentos. Whether drawn and painted by hand or computer generated, virtually all ski resorts also reproduce the paper maps digitally, making it possible to check out your favorite mountain or dream getaway with the click of a mouse. But have you ever thought about what goes into the map-making process? Some really cool information gathering and artistic interpretation, that’s what.
Telluride Map Painting
Learn all about it on my next Travel Fun, my half hour radio show on travel at KOTO, Telluride, Colorado’s beloved community radio station. Tune in locally or at KOTO.org at 6:30pm MST on Thursday, February 20, to listen to my interview with mapmaker, James Niehues. Referred to as the “Rembrandt of the Ski Trails,” by the New York Times, Jim has created ski maps for some 350 renowned ski resorts around the world, including Telluride. (If you look closely at T-ride’s trail map, you can locate his signature.) Jim will be talking about how he does it from start to finish, a story that’s sure to give you new appreciation for ski maps in general. He’ll put a little more visual into the interview by sharing about his recently published book, The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues, a must-have coffee table book that features two hundred of his hand-painted ski resort trail maps.
James with His New Book
I actually posted a story on Jim last year at Discovery Map International’s Map Geek blog. Entitled James Niehues: Ski Map Maker Extraordinaire, you can check it out right now.
In December, also for Discovery Map, I wrote Ski Maps Bonanza, a story that highlights two very interesting websites where you can check out trail maps from resorts located all over the world. It’s a great resource for planning future ski trips or just cruising around the world virtually in quest of some of the coolest places to do turns.
A couple of years ago Discovery Map published Old School Cool: Ski Maps, another great piece for winter sports enthusiasts of all ability levels.
Oh Yeah!
And the fun does not stop there, speaking of Old School, you can hear all kinds of stories about the rich history of Telluride Ski Resort and skiing in general on KOTO’s Guest DJ Day that’s taking place Friday, February 21, from 9am to 5pm. It’s always a super fun day to kick off the radio station’s fundraising and this year promises to be extra sweet, since the theme is Telluride Ski Legends. You’ll be hearing from many of T-ride’s most illustrious snowsports enthusiasts, past and present, including Johnnie Stevens and Annie Vareille-Savath. Annie, for example, started working as a ski instructor at Telluride when the resort opened in 1972. She later was the ski school director in 1978 through 2001 and served as the longest running Telluride Ski School director ever. She’s still teaching skiing and serves as an excellent role model to us all! Bill Jensen, a recent inductee into the Ski Hall of Fame, and Partner and CEO of Telluride Ski and Golf will also be a guest. (Bill incidentally wrote praise and an industry perspective on James Niehues in the front part book.) There should be some great programming all day long with lots of schwag, including a special giveaway of Jim’s book. (If you donate $250. or more to KOTO you will be put in a drawing to receive this beautiful book, valued at $90.)
Annie Ripping It Up on Bushwacker Back in the 70s
Hope you’ll be able to tune in to my interview with Jim on Thursday, February 20 at 6:30pm MST and KOTO’s Guest DJ Day all day on Friday, February 21! You can easily listen in at KOTO.org.
Anyone that donates a minimum of $40. to KOTO on behalf of Travel Fun will be put into a drawing to win a two-night stay in a one-bedroom condo at beautiful Mountain Lodge Telluride. Valued at approximately $1,600., know that some blackout dates apply. It’s a heck of a value and the chances of winning are big because I rarely have more than 10-15 donors. You can call into the station to 970-728-4334 anytime (office) or on Friday from 9am to 5pm to 970-728-4333 (on air). Or, you may contact me directly. Know that pledges must be paid before being eligible to be entered into the drawing, which will close out by Thursday, March 5. Be sure to mention Travel Fun!
Thank you for supporting community radio! Have fun on the snow!
Mountain Lodge Telluride
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by maribeth
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Telluride is Tops
Applauding Our Ski School Training, Clapping for Telluride
Ski School Trainer John Balmain
Iconic Mt. Wilson
Well, we did it again. For the sixth time out of seven years, the readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted Telluride as the #1 ski resort in North America. Since Telluride has been lauded so much, this year Condé Nast Traveler even wrote a story about it at Why Telluride Keeps Being Named the Best Ski Town in the U.S.
A Great Day for Skiing
John and Me
For those that live here or have visited here, it comes as no surprise. Telluride Ski Resort has it all: great terrain, spectacular scenery, charm, friendliness, topnotch amenities, an historic town at one base and a modern village at another, a wonderful mix of sun and snow and I must shamelessly broadcast, one of the best ski schools in the country. (I’m starting my sixteenth season as a Telluride Ski & Snowboard School instructor and I’m delighted to be a part of this distinguished group of snowsports enthusiasts.)
Aspen Colorado Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Telluride The Rockies: Altezza Aspen Aspen/Snowmass Colorado dining Explore Booksellers Home Team BBQ Inn at Aspen Jour de Fête lodging Meat & Cheese Mountain Lodge Telluride Redstone Redstone Inn Snowmass Kitchen Telluride Telluride Ski Resort The Peaks Resort & Spa The View Bar & Grill The Westin Snowmass Tulips Body Waxing Studio
by maribeth
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A Crazy Happy Holiday Season in Aspen, Telluride and Redstone
Hitting the Fresh Pow in Telluride
Fresh Powder Turns Today in Aspen
Yay, I knew that if I were to write this story, the snows would come! Telluride received 9 inches of fresh overnight, 11 inches the past 24 hours and 15 inches the last 48. And boy, was it needed. Aspen is enjoying a good blanketing as well. In addition to the fresh snow, let’s hope this signals a significant breaking down of the high pressure system that has been sitting over Colorado (and Utah, Arizona and New Mexico actually) for the past two months!
Yet despite the paltry snow conditions, the resorts have managed to crank out a good product.
The Top of Buttermilk this Week
Teaching Snowboarding at Buttermilk
I’m back in Aspen dealing with some family matters. I arrived here Thursday night, just a month after I flew in here from a very extended stay on the east coast. Wow, what a month it has been!
Happy Clients in Telluride at Christmas
Perfect Outside Dining Weather in Colorado this Winter
After an initial few days in Aspen in December, I threw myself into the busy-ness of gearing up for ski season; this entailed rounding up my ski clothing and gear, stocking the house with an almost winter’s-worth of provisions and working my ski legs back into shape by doing my Telluride Ski & Snowboard School training.
Ski School Training in Telluride
Piles of Provisions
A nasty cold almost thwarted the start to my ski instructing schedule but thanks to mega doses of Vitamin C, fluids and fresh, chopped garlic (yes, I even had two cloves for breakfast, lunch and dinner a couple of days–followed by a chaser of Listerine of course) I was able to knock it out of my system pretty fast. I pulled it together–training, shopping, cooking and even a little decorating–to embark upon a super busy holiday season that required me to teach skiing ten days in a row.
Winter Light Show in Telluride
Phew! We always go from to zero to 150mph in no time flat. But that’s life in a resort town, especially one that typically has its busiest week of the year between Christmas and New Year’s.
Torchlight Parade: A Telluride Tradition
Happy New Year to All
By now, you must be wondering when I’m going to mention the elephant in the room–the fact that we’ve all been going about business as usual without much help from Mother Nature. Yes, indeed, it has been shocking how little natural snow we’ve had. Up through the end of last week, the snow totals for the season in Aspen and Telluride rang in at barely 20 inches. Yikes!
