autumn

Coming This Fall....

Posted on August 28, 2012 by katherine

The air in Telluride may be getting cooler and the sun is setting slightly earlier, but that doesn't mean that the fun has stopped! This Fall will be full of events to check out, from live music to mountain bike races to playing bingo for turkey. And this year, getting to and from Mountain Village in the off season will be easier, as the Gondola is extending their operating hours. Book with us before September 30th and recieve the 4th night free on your stay!

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival: September 14th-16th.This year marks the 19th annual Blues & Brews festival! Three days of music and beer and all around good times. This event is a favorite amongst locals and each year it brings people back for more. We can't wait for performances from Phil Lesh and Friends, The B-52's, Little Feat, Gov't Mule, and more. Check out our festival lodging page for information on where to stay!

BBQ Festival: September 22^nd and 23^rd Just when you thought the lineup couldn’t get any better; Telluride is bringing the heat with a new festival this fall. The Telluride Pig & Whiskey BBQ Festival will kick off its first year with barbecue competitions, music and more. Sponsored by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, this event will bring in 15 professional barbecue teams from around the country for a judged competition. An amateur competition will also be open to the public. The cook off will be held in the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village. The festival will run from 11am until 8pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Matisyahu: Thursday, October 11^th. The show will be at 8 pm at the Sheridan Opera House! Jewish Reggae and hip hop artist released a new album this summer and will be delivering some conscious minded music for all to hear. The show will be a seats-out, general admission performance. Tickets are on sale now!

Telluride Horror Show: This year marks the third annual Horror Festival, a 3-day genre festival that has become world famous. On October 12^th-14^th, the latest horror, fantasy, and sci-fi films will be screened in the Nugget Theatre and The Sheridan Opera House. Voted one of the “20 Coolest Film Festivals” in 2011 by Moviemaker Magazine. Check out the partial list of this year's films!

An Evening with Abigail Washburn: The Sheridan Opera House will host old-time American music singer/songwriter Abigail Washburn on Thursday, October 25^th.The show will be an intimate, seats-in performance with Abigail singing and playing the banjo and other instruments alongside Boston based musician Kai Welch.

Fall Tilt: Coming October 6^th Telluride’s 12 hour endurance bike race held in the Mountain Village Bike Park. Participants enjoy a free gondola tickets to the top of the park where they will complete as many laps as they can on the downhill course in a 12 hour period. Aside from the sheer athleticism and competition that spectators will see, the trees that surround the course will be showing their beautiful autumn colors.

Watch live streaming video from mountainvillage at livestream.com

Turkey Bingo: Play Bingo, win a Turkey! A community celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday at the Elk’s Lodge.

tags: autumn, bbq festival, sheridan opera house, telluride, telluride fall tilt, telluride horror show

Photographing the Fall Colors

Posted on August 27, 2012 by katherine

That time is approaching when the leaves on the aspen trees glow a golden yellow and the mountainsides are adorned with patches of autumn colors amidst brilliant greens. The autumn season in Telluride, Colorado is truly stunning but short lived. The trees here turn for only a week or two so be sure not to miss it this September. We've created a list of the top five places to photograph fall foliage. If this is of interest, consider attending the "Autumn Landscape Photography" workshop at the Ah Haa School for the Arts. Renowned photographer Ms. Barbree is returning to Telluride September 28-30 to teach the intensive session. Book your stay with us by 9/30 for late September and October and receive every 4th night free on our condo and home rentals!

Last Dollar Road During the fall, this dirt road is a photographer’s dream. It connects Ridgeway to Telluride and brings you high up above treeline where you have beautiful views of Mt. Wilson and the Telluride Valley. You’ll also see old wooden structures, open spaces, and lots of golden aspen leaves.
Dallas Divide This high mountain pass is a saddle between the San Juan Mountains in the Ridgeway area and the Uncompahgre Plateau to the north. This is a very scenic road with views of towering Mount Sneffels and fantastic autumn colors!
Sneffels Highline A beautiful 13 mile loop hike through the Mt. Sneffels Wilderness. Tons of aspen groves. Accessible from the Jud Wiebe trailhead at the top of N. Aspen Street.
The GondolaThe Telluride Free Gondola brings you from the town of Telluride to Mountain Village and the views of the box canyon are priceless!
HWY 145 to Trout Lake photo by Elizabeth Carmel. One of the most scenic and easily accessible lakes in the area. The 25 minute drive there has fantastic views of the Wilsons and the surrounding wilderness area that is full of vegetation and foliage.

tags: aspen trees, autumn, colorado, dallas divide, fall colors, last dollar road, photography, telluride, Trout Lake

Fall Foliage

Posted on July 25, 2012 by katherine

If you’ve ever walked through an aspen forest, consider yourself lucky. These tall, slender trees with white bark and delicate little leaves are only found in certain parts of Colorado, Telluride being one such area. Each year for only about two weeks, their leaves turn from a light green to a magnificent golden yellow. This year, the weather has been slightly askew and, though we are no meteorologists, we foresee that the forests surrounding Telluride will show their fall colors a few weeks early. That means that if you hope to see some gorgeous fall foliage in Telluride, be sure to come out and experience the beauty during the first couple weeks of September!

Top 5 for Fall Foliage

1.) Gondola The Telluride Free Gondola is the only one of its kind- transporting people from Telluride to Mountain Village every day in just 13 minutes. Not to mention, the ride gives you breathtaking views of town, the Box Canyon, the Wilsons, and the valley beyond. Perfect for an aerial view of the fall colors.

2.) Hiking There are several trailheads right here in town that will lead you through beautiful aspen groves, perfect for experiencing the wonder of their fall foliage. Take a short walk on the Jud Wiebe trail, or a full day hike on Sneffels Highline and you will not be disappointed. If you head out in the early morning or late afternoon, the light will be especially beautiful against their golden leaves.

3.) Mountain Biking Bring yourself and your bike up the Free Gondola to any of the many mountain biking trails that begin at the top of St. Sophia Station. One of our favorites is the Prospect Prail, a great 10 mile single track trail that brings you through the ski area and back down into Mountain Village. If you’re experienced and looking for a thrill, check out the Mountain Village Downhill Park, an expert rider’s playground.

Fall Tilt in Telluride - 2011 from UnofficialNetworks.com on Vimeo.

4.) Golf and Disc Golf That’s right, free disk golf! There is a course in Mountain Village that begins just across from the Town Hall Plaza. If you are unfamiliar with this fantastic game, you basically just aim for the targets (metal baskets), with the goal landing the disc in the basket. The winner is the player with the fewest number of throws throughout the course. Simple! Grab a Frisbee and get out there, a perfect activity to do while the aspens are in full golden hue.The course is open from 7am till Sunset. If you aren’t so good with a Frisbee, look into the Telluride Golf Club, a fantastic 18 hole course with the most breathtaking views of the San Juan Mountains.

5.) Fly Fishing There are a handful of beautiful fishing spots right here in Telluride’s backyard. Get outside and breathe the crisp mountain air this September, you may even catch something! Check out our list of favorite fly fishing spots at nearby rivers and lakes.

tags: aspen trees, autumn, fall, foliage, hiking, mountain biking, telluride, telluride gondola

“The Leaves They Are a-Changin”

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Hart

Just like my good friend Bob once said, “The Times They Are a-Changin”… and that goes for the Fall colors here in Colorado, as well. Every year as September comes to a close, I find myself wishing summer would last forever... then I remember, Telluride’s transformation into Fall is absolutely amazing, peaceful and exciting.

With the recent rain, snow and (current) sunshine… the astounding Fall Foliage of Southwest Colorado is on its way. As you stand on Main Street in Telluride and look around... you'll see patches of yellow's and orange's beginning to peek through. Higher in altitude on the Jud Wiebe, tree's have already completely transformed. We’re guessing most leaves will continue changing this week/into the weekend and if the weather holds up, the PEAK will be next week. Now, I’m not a meteorologist by any means… I usually look “Down Valley” to get the most accurate year-round Telluride forecast (“Yep, it’s dumping Down Valley… today’s going to be epic”)… but the 10-day weather forecast is looking exceptional. Sunny and 60’s: http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Telluride+CO+81435

So come visit us, get outside and get your “deciduous” ON! This is one of the best times of the year to visit – gorgeous colors, cool temps, snow-capped peaks – the perfect conditions to get outside and hike, bike, fish, camp and more. We have the 2^nd annual Telluride Photo Festival (9/26-10/2) and the 2^nd annual Telluride Horror Show (10/14-10/16) coming up… give us a shout at 877-507-9695 if you have questions about the Fall colors, lodging specials, things to do, where to stay, Fall festivals, or if you just want to say hi!

Here are pictures from around town of the leaves beginning to change:

tags: autumn, colorado, colors, fall, foliage, leaves, southwest, telluride, Telluride Horror Festival, Telluride Photo Festival