Henry's blog

Shoveling, Plowing and Ice Chipping

2008-02-28T22:48:07-06:00

I was reminded by a friend in Florida today that I haven't written a new blog since Feb 3. Time really flies in the middle winter months, especially THIS winter, when day after day, I don the boots and work gloves and hit the sidewalks, roofs, driveways and stairs that are my home and my office. No longer do I have the callouses of a seasoned veteran on the tennis court, instead, I boast the sore muscles and tired hands of one that has been battling one of the heaviest winters in recent history here in Telluride. While visitors (and certainly locals, alike) have joyfully accepted the heavy poundings we have taken, I for one, have grown tired of this epic, white winter, and look forward to more of the sunny, warm days that lie ahead. When local roads feel like tunnels, my driveway has no more room for piled snow, and my home's roof sheds blocks of ice as big as old school television sets, it's time to start the countdown for Spring Break! Sure, the views from my rooftop are absolutely phenomenal and the thrill of roping in and testing the strength and positioning of my trusty climbing gear fulfills my adrenaline rush needs, but enough is enough for this guy. Bring on Summer!!

Record Snowfall

2008-02-03T10:32:48-06:00

January ended with a record amount of snowfall hitting the slopes of the Telluride Ski Resort. The recording station near the top of Lift 6 received 105" of powder, making this the mst incredible years of skiing in history! February has started off with a bang. It has snowed every day so far, and morning flurries are just the start of another Winter Storm Warning, with 1-3 FEET expected by Monday night.

The Snow Just Keeps on Coming!!

2008-01-23T08:03:18-06:00

A winter stomr watch is in effect for Telluride Thursday and Friday. Here is the National Weather Service excerpt....

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

A STRONG STORM WILL MOVE INLAND FROM THE CALIFORNIA COAST TO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY...DRAWING SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE ACROSS ARIZONA AND INTO SOUTHEAST UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO BY THURSDAY NIGHT. HEAVY SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO...AND THE LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST UTAH...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A FOOT OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE.

ANOTHER MAJOR STORM HAS JUST EXITED TELLURIDE AREA!

2008-01-10T11:01:31-06:00

If you can believe it, another major winter storm has left its mark on the TELLURIDE SKI RESORT, bringing us 1.5 feet of new snow. The sun is shining in Telluride today, with a glorious weekend forecast for all to enjoy. Telluride Ski Resort has report a total of 67" of new snow since Saturday January 5. That's an amazing tally for the whole month of January, let alone a 6 day storm! Book your trip now to North America's most scenic ski area.

3.5 FEET of New Snow Since Saturday!!

2008-01-07T23:17:03-06:00

Telluride got NAILED with an epic storm this weekend. It hasn't stopped snowing for days! The Telluride Ski Resort is now reporting a 72" base. If you've skied Telluride before, you know that a 72" base means fantastic skiing and riding. Check out our special deals and BOOK NOW!

Jan 5th Weekend Storm

2008-01-05T12:58:01-06:00

Here is the text of the WINTER STORM WARNING.....

SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD AND HEAVY AT TIMES ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO TODAY. THE HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 1 TO 2 FEET WILL OCCUR BY LATE SUNDAY...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO 4 FEET POSSIBLE IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO.

Telluride Area Sets ANOTHER Real Estate Sales Record

2008-01-04T12:01:12-06:00

Exact details are still being compiled, although Judi Kiernan, Owner of Telluride Consulting, has leaked that 2007 Telluride area real estate sales will EASILY surpass the record year of 2006. While almost the entire nation still sits in a declining tailspin, Telluride continues to be a very safe and profitable product to park your real estate investment dollars. I will post the report as soon as it is delivered.

Good Tidings!

2007-12-24T19:50:03-06:00

West Meadows Sunset: Sunset colors over Sunshine Mesa, Telluride, CO.

What an incredible Telluride mountain experience today. Little man Beck got back in the saddle and is feeling no ill effects from the Big Crash of a day earlier. The snow here in Telluride is nothing short of extraordinary! This being my 17th Christmas in Telluride, I don't remember the conditions and terrain EVER being this good. Crowds are minimal, so far. Our big influx days are Wednesday and Thursday. Locals will all but avoid the slopes for the 30th and 31st as the high paying tourists, for which most of us earn our living, have the time of their lives. The photo below is of the Alpenglow that I am fortunate enough to get to witness nearly every evening. The front is blocking the view to the west of the La Sal Mountain range along the Utah/Colorado border. Not a bad view! If you haven't made your ski vacation plans yet, get going. This is a year to remember. You will find a very user-friendly booking engine on every page of www.TELLURIDE.com, or feel free to call one of our local agents to assist you in every aspect of your Telluride vacation planning. 1-888-353-5473. See you on the slopes.

Beck Has a Major Crash!

2007-12-23T18:55:10-06:00

I've preached to all of my kids to always beware of the people who don't ski in control. It's a lot like driving, I tell them. It's not enough to drive down the road, or ski down the line only paying attention to yourself. There's always someone out there that is not as good as you, and they're the dangerous ones. Well, today, one of the scariest moments of my parenting life happened, and it was on one of the easiest parts of the mountain. Jude was leading the pack this time, with Tait, me then young Beck following at a leisurely pace. We took a slight diversion to the left to get a little air- one at a time. Bringing up the rear, Beck hit the jump, then initiated a right turn off of the little hill. And, just as Murphy's Law states, some speed freak who couldn't control his speed, let alone make a simple turn, panicked and T-Boned the little guy, sending him somersaulting down the hill, launching him clean off the ground and out of his Volkl skis. After Boo came to a stop, I skied to him to pick up the pieces and check for broken bones. I replay the hit in slow motion over and over, the vision of his head snapping backward on impact, then the look of confusion as he sat stunned, not quite in tears yet. Luckily, the extent of his war wounds are a small scrape under his right eye, with a goggle imprint, swelling and bruising under and around his eye socket. What's more stunning to me, is the reaction of the guy after the accident. I used my best effort not to scream at this guy and throw a right hook when his first comment was that it was Beck's fault, irregardless of the fact that Beck was at least 100 feet downhill of this guy, giving him enough time, had he checked his speed on the double green run, to slow down or make a VERY simple diversion to avoid collision. After I extracted an apology from him, he promptly got his skies back on, skiing away as he said that he was only leaving because I was there to take care of the boy.

Long story short, we skied to the bottom of Chair 4 and had a discussion with Ski Patrol, who within minutes, flagged the middle-aged, reckless skier down and hopefully read him the act. I am aware that accidents happen, but being a father of four, I can't imagine fleeing the scene of a crash that, to all who witnessed it, was potentially catastrophic. The moral of the story is to take great care of your kids- watch out for others' kids, and be considerate and nice this Holiday season. Beck is fine, albeit a little rattled about the whole ordeal. Me, on the other hand?? I'm a mess! I hope to never see another crash of this magnitude happen to my kids or any one else's. The Telluride Ski Resort is the most incredible place to ski and is no more dangerous than any where else! We just ran into a little bad luck, that's all. Happy skiing!

Beck's Gonna Have a Shiner!

Black Iron Bowl Opens

2007-12-21T20:53:33-06:00

The Telluride Ski Resort announced the official opening of the Black Iron Bowl area off of the Palmyra Ridge. The runs opening today are Westlake and Lakeview. Ski Patrol is working diligently to open more terrain, but it might be tough given the foot of new snow Telluride received in the last 24 hours.

4+ Feet of Fresh Snow in Colorado High Country

2007-12-08T08:29:46-06:00

AND IT'S STILL SNOWING!!

The Telluride Ski Resort has received another foot + of fresh powder bringing our mid mountain settled base to 35". A WINTER STORM WARNING is still in effect as of this post. We're expecting a ton more snow before this series of storms moves out. The Town of Telluride hosted its famous Noel Night this week with mad discounts available at all shops in Telluride. My daughter, Emma, pulled consistent 30% disounts in the grab bags making for a great haul. Holiday bookings are really kicking into high gear with each passing storm. Availability is still decent, so book your Telluride vacation soon to get in on the best remaining selection. Call the Telluride Reservations Center at 888-376-9770 or click here to search lodging options. The handy booking engine to the left of this page allows you to search and book discounted airfare into Telluride and Montrose airports, as well as the entire Western Slope of Colorado. Discounted car rental, lift tickets and ski rental packages are also just a click away!

2-3 Feet Expected By Saturday Night

2007-12-06T07:53:17-06:00

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Telluride area, beginning tonight (Thursday) and ending Saturday evening. 2-3 feet of new snow is predicted out of this storm that brought severe flooding to the Pacific Northwest earlier this week. Telluride is already touting the most solid base out of the major Colorado resorts, so this storm should allow for even more terrain to be opened in time for the holiday season. Check out our webcams to see this storm in action later today through the weekend. Email me your comments as well.

18" Of New Snow. More Terrain Opening Sunday 12/2

2007-12-01T22:27:43-06:00

The "perfect storm" wasn't ALL it was built up to be, but we're not complaining! 18 inches of fresh pow on the Telluride Ski Mountain made for some great skiing on my first day of the season. Even though my youngest son, Beck, and I skied only 2 runs off of chair 4, it was a miracle I made it up at all! At just after one o'clock, we had found all of the little guy's ski stuff, but I had no idea where my gear was, so I skied in a hodge podge combo of old school ski clothes and a few pieces of the "wrong" gear. Basically, I froze in the 30 degree, 30+ MPH winds that covered over tracks almost as fast as we could carve them. Telluride Ski Patrol and Mountain Operations have done a fantastic job of making the runs off of Chair 4 very skiable. Tomorrow, news is that Chairs 5 and 6 will be running and offering up some gorgeous new Telluride terrain. Book your trip and come and get it!!

Telluride Opens Today!

2007-11-28T07:57:28-06:00

It's not much, but the Telluride Ski Resort announced yesterday that mountain operations are prepared to open terrain off of Lift 4 today. See press release below. With the rest of the state in the same boat, we are very fortunate to have the limited terrain opening today. Snow is in the forecast, so look for more announcements on additional ski runs later this week.

TELLURIDE SKI RESORT OPENS TOMORROW
>
> Telluride, Colo. - (Nov. 27, 2007) - The Telluride Ski Resort kicks
> off the 2007-2008 winter season tomorrow, Nov. 28th. Lift 4 will run
> with skiing and riding on Village Bypass to Lower Boomerang.
>
> "Following a foot of new snow and great conditions for snowmaking last
> week, we are thrilled to get the 2007-08 winter season off and
> running," said CEO Dave Riley. "The timing is perfect with local
> students out of school for parent/teacher conferences tomorrow, and
> plenty of anxious skiers ready to make turns."

Opening Day For Telluride Set For Friday Nov 30

2007-11-23T17:52:53-06:00

With 12" piling on the Telluride Ski Area in the last 18 hours, Dave Riley Telluride Ski Resort CEO has announced that ski operations will be open one week from today. There is another storm forecasted for the middle of next week, so we may open with more that just a skinny ribbon after all!! Stay tuned!

It's Snowing in Telluride!!

2007-11-23T10:37:26-06:00

As I awaken from my Thanksgiving slumber in Scottsdale, I've received several calls from trusted sources in Telluride that report 5" of new snow in Town, which should equate to more on the ski mountain. This is good news for the Telluride snowmaking team as they scramble to "connect the dots" on the Telluride Mountain. Snow continues to fall as the National Weather Service "Snow Advisory" still calls for up to 10". I'm guessing we see an announcement over the weekend that the Telluride Ski Resort will open early next week. Stay tuned!!

Opening Day Update #2

2007-11-22T20:17:36-06:00

Cold temps are allowing a lot more snowmaking on the Chair 4 area of the Telluride Ski Resort, according to CEO Dave Riley. Although sunny skies prevailed today, the National Weather Service has issued a Snow Advisory for the Telluride area starting tonight. See below. I think that it is a good bet that we will have some terrain opening in Telluride early next week.

A SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY.

A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY...BRINGING WIDESPREAD SNOW TO THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ALONG SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES. THE SNOW WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. COAL BANK... MOLAS...RED MOUNTAIN AND LIZARD HEAD PASSES THROUGH THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ON FRIDAY.

Opening Day Update #1

2007-11-21T17:07:01-06:00

According to Telluride Ski Resort CEO, Dave Riley, snowmaking crews have been hard at work creating an ALMOST contiguous ribbon of snow on Chair 4 runs, however, the short periods that they have been able to operate have not allowed sufficient amounts to connect all of the areas. As of this posting at 4PM Wednesday, the snow guns are running at full capacity in 26 degree temperatures. Riley does not see a lot of hope that the Telluride mountain will open by this weekend due to a dry, cold front approaching, but the colder temps are welcome news. I will update this blog again tomorrow.

Poolside vs. Slopeside?

2007-11-18T16:15:57-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's almost Thanksgiving. Our off-season activities are over. No more soccer tournament traveling, firewood is all split and stacked, snow shovels are out of storage and waiting for their first use. Problem is, we have nothing to shovel! Mother nature hit us hard and early at 10,000+ feet above sea level. The top of the Telluride Ski Resort once reported a hefty 24 inch base. But that was weeks ago. Local Telluriders are still clinging to that summer look with shorts, flip-flops and the like. For the first time in my 17 winters in Telluride, we have had to postpone our ski season opening- not only due to lack of snow, but also due to lack of cold to even make our own snow. All the best planning and spending on earth; new snowmaking equipment, increased coverage with new water lines, new snow cats, etc., can't make the temperature drop to a decent level in order to make sufficient white stuff to cover the dirt and rocks. The short term forecast looks good for this week, with an approaching cold front that promises some natural snow and cold temps. We'll get this thing going soon enough, but in the meantime, we're enjoying highs in the 80's and the poolside life in Scottsdale, AZ! Maybe we should heed the experience of many of our neighbors and just open our resort a week later every year. With global warming being the culprit, it's worth some thought!

Hockey Season Begins at the Hanley Rink in Telluride

2007-10-30T22:01:10-05:00

October 29 was opening day for Telluride's Lizard Heads hockey teams. Practice started for many age groups including Mites and Squirts. The ice sheet is holding up well in our 50+ degree weather we've been having lately. The Telluride Ski Resort opens in just a few weeks!

OCTOBER 16/17 SNOWFALL

2007-10-17T22:18:40-05:00

9" of fresh powder settled on the top of the Telluride Ski Resort Tuesday night- and it snowed all day Wednesday. That made for a very interesting day of commuting between Telluride and Mountain Village. Snow accumulated all the way into the Town of Telluride, melted, then re-accumulated as the day went on. The Telluride Crossfire Youth Soccer Club still has 2-3 weeks of practice and tournaments, but all fields were out of commission this afternoon. The Hanley Rink indoor turf has been removed in preparation for icemaking. Opening day for the Hanley ICE Rink is October 29. Low temps this week will dip into the teens, for the coldest mornings of the season. Get your winter gear ready- the weather is here!!

Winter Visits Telluride Early!!

2007-09-25T22:29:34-05:00

Measurable snow accumulated high on the Telluride Ski Resort last weekend as the season's first cold front pushed through the four corners. The heavy rains accompanied by cold wind assured those diehard winter enthusiasts that once the clouds lifted, there would be plenty of the white, contrasting fluff. Photographers popped out to get the beauty shots as the green grasses, gold aspens and fresh snowfall made for one heck of a scene.

TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

2007-09-11T22:39:37-05:00

LIMITED LODGING IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL FEATURING THE BLACK CROWES ON SUNDAY NIGHT

CALL THE TELLURIDE RESERVATIONS CENTER FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE AVAILABILITY AND TO BOOK SOME WEEKEND FUN!

Telluride Film Festival

2007-09-04T12:05:07-05:00

The Telluride Film Festival, Telluride's annual Labor Day weekend extravaganza, has wrapped up after giving us a huge menu of premieres, classics and surprises. Noted attendees included Sean Penn, Daniel Day Lewis, and others. Next up is the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival with notable headliners Black Crowes. Rock on!

On Vacation!!

2007-08-07T06:37:26-05:00

New Blog entries will be sparse until I return from vacation on August 27.

Apology and Explanation From Telluride Mayor John Pryor

2007-07-20T20:28:58-05:00

Don't pass judgment on what you are reading in the Telluride media until you have read the Town of Telluride Mayor's explanation below. I have retracted a blog entry that I made on Thursday that was written due to inaccurate, or at the very least, incomplete print media coverage. Thank you to Telluride Mayor John Pryor for his candid explanation. PLEASE, do not cancel your trips to Telluride due to the actions of a very small minority. Here is Telluride Mayor Pryor's explanation:

Henry,

I am so very sorry for the inaccurate media coverage stating that the Telluride Town Council voted to impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney and that this is causing some of our visitors to cancel their plans to come to Telluride.

Please know that the issue before the council earlier this week was the result of a local journalist Thom Carnevale’s initiative effort. Our Town Charter states if any registered voter presents a petition (with at least 5% of the number of voters in the previous election) to the council on any issue, the council must put it on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election. In lieu of placing this on the ballot, the Town Charter also gives the Town Council the option to adopt the petition by ordinance rather than refer it to the voters. This council felt that this was the wisest way to proceed and not to place it on the ballot in November. WE DID NOT VOTE TO IMPEACH ANYONE, WE RESPECTED A RESIDENT’S CONSTITUTIONAL AND TOWN CHARTER RIGHT OF INITIATIVE.

Once again, Telluride is a tolerant and welcoming destination resort that respects the rights of all people and does not want to discourage anyone from coming here. Yes, we are colorful and diverse but most of the time this attracts people, perhaps in this case it has worked against us and for this I am truly sorry.

Sincerely,

Mayor John Pryor

Telluride Mayor Speaks Out on Bush/Cheney Impeachment Initiative

2007-07-19T23:34:41-05:00

"This was a silly initiative". says Telluride Mayor John Pryor. That's all that can be said for the big waste of time that was the Town Council Meeting Tuesday. I wrote yesterday, a blindly naive paragraph, without knowing all of the facts of the Town of Telluride Town Charter. This charter allows citizens to "force" the Town Council to take action on an initiative, so long as the number of petitioners is at least 5% of the total of the participants in the last election. In my mind, the Town Council did what they thought was best for the community an voted to pass the initiative right then and there, rather than let this issue take center stage during our next municipal election. I applaud Mayor John Pryor for his outstanding ability to think on his feet, and for doing everything in his power to get this ridiculous piece of legislation out of sight and out of mind as fast as possible.

So if you are one of those tourists who is threatening to cancel his vacation, realize that this action was undertaken by a small minority of citizens and is not the sentiment of the Town of Telluride government, not the majority of its residents. Please come to Telluride!!

Some of Henry's New Listings.......

2007-07-16T22:39:46-05:00

#8 Trail's Edge Road, Telluride Mountain Village. This custom built, 4BR home, located just steps from skiing and a very short walk to the gondola and the NEW Mountain Village Market, has all of the luxury bells and whistles for the most discriminating buyer. Located in one of Mountain Village's newest areas, Trail's Edge offers you trailside ski access, HOA maintained roads, including automatic snowmelt under the private street. Built by Highmark Development, Trail's Edge #8 boasts 3599 square feet on three levels. Views of the San Sophia ridgeline are available from each floor. Walnut floors, top of the line appliances, a fabulous media room equipped with martini bar and state of the art electronics, ceilings and exterior siding of Port Orford cedar round out a very comfortable home package offered at $3,599,000.

Video Content on Telluride.com Is Now Live!

2007-07-07T08:14:40-05:00

Check out the latest feature to be added to Telluride.com. Streaming video, including never before shown scenes of avalanche control high above Telluride is now available for viewing. Click here to go straight to the video page. Soon, we will be offering the capability for YOU to add your own video content to Telluride.com. Stay tuned! Register to become a Henry's Blog member and let me know your opinion on our content.

Bob Dylan in Telluride Town Park July 21

2007-07-05T22:15:11-05:00

He's THE MAN! At least in MY book. My oldest child, Emma, would much rather travel to Rangely, CO for a swim meet, while my three boys tell me (daily) that Dylan is old, like me. A perfect match. For those of you fortunate enough to have seen THE MAN on his last trip through Telluride, you know what a treat this show is going to be. In fact, we "old folks" recall with shock that Bob traipsed around the streets of Telluride, checkin' out the sites, meetin' fans and undoubtedly enjoying the scenery and fresh Rocky Mountain air. You see, Bob doesn't usually "mingle" while on tour, so when I tell you that I was amazed to look out the front door of my office on South Oak Street and see Bob standing there, talking to anyone that cared to listen, you now know why. Opening for Dylan on this segment of the tour is a great band that's getting lots of airplay lately, My Morning Jacket. Gates at the Telluride Town Park open at 5:30PM, with the show expected to begin at 7:00PM on July 21. It's gonna be a great night! Tickets available at KOTO.org or by calling 970-728-4334.