T-ride: 2nd Coming of America's Greatest Backcountry Resort

[ChrisC]

Not my title. POWDER Mag October 2010.

However, I think it's quite true. Telluride added 1. skier CEO Dave Riley and then 2. some of most iconic expert terrain of the decade: Palmyra Peak, Gold Hill Chutes, Bear Creek.

Also, it now has the greatest vertical drop of any place in the US - 4,425' http://verticalfeet.com/

So the place is rocking full tilt.

I have been a bunch of great places(La Grave, Chamonis, Jackson, Whistler), Telluride compares favorably - and likely better due to its town & summer festivals.

Yes, the party gets started late: Feb 1st is a safe date. Maybe Jan 15th in a good year.

(Tony/Marc: Well Utah gets 500 inches of snow, and you cannot beat the Little Cottonwood Canyon microclimate.---> Really guys, sometimes terrain & living ine mountains beat precipitation.)

Some Gold Hill Chutes. Yep, Gold Hill #2 and #3 now open for business - first day ever on April 1st.

Palmyra Peak - 100% open.

Gold Hill Chutes# 6, Low Travers, #7

Gold Hill Chute #9 from Palmyra Peak

More Gold Hill Chutes

Palmyra Peak

Lena Basin (upper portion of Bear Creek drainage)

Palmyra Peak - Tram Shot

Palmyra Peak from below

Gold Hill Ridge. Left - Bear Creek Basin (4k to town). Right - Gold Hill Chutes.

Gold Hill #6

Gold Hill #6

 

[rfarren]

I've heard that the problem with telluride is that it's prone to avalanche moreso than other areas. I've heard thats because it gets less snow and is further south, so when storms hit it's normally a very unstable snowpack. This is all heresay,btw, and I have to say those photos look sumptuous!

 

[Tony Crocker]

The San Juans are notorious for avalanche issues. That's the great challenge for Silverton. I would not characterize Telluride's 279 inch average as "low" for Colorado. It's middle of the pack, and when you consider high base elevation and low skier density I'd call it above average for overall snow conditions. While Southern and Western Colorado is a relatively volatile snowfall region in North America, Telluride is actually one of the most consistent areas within that region.

Yes, the party gets started late: Feb 1st is a safe date. Maybe Jan 15th in a good year.

Which is why it's somewhat obnoxious to close the place down first weekend of April with max snowpack and often the powder still coming down. If you're choosing a home resort, 2 1/2 months doesn't cut it for me. Mammoth and LCC average 5+ months of quality skiing per season. And their terrain is nothing to sneeze at either.

And I call on the 4,425 vertical. Lift served is 3,831. If we start adding stuff above the lifts there are lot of places that will grow significantly. Admin will be quick to take credit for Main Chute at Alta for example.

Nonetheless Adam's critique of Telluride from 2004, "Why are we skiing down here instead of up there?" is gradually being answered. Most of us here would =D> Dave Riley's work and hope that such progress continues.

 

[Marc_C]

And I call on the 4,425 vertical. Lift served is 3,831. If we start adding stuff above the lifts there are lot of places that will grow significantly. Admin will be quick to take credit for Main Chute at Alta for example.

I don't know about significantly regarding going above the lifts at Alta. The highest lift at Alta is 10,500, the summit of Baldy is 11,068 and the top of Main is 30 - 50 vert. feet below the summit, which puts it about even with the top of the tram on the Bird side.

 

[Admin]

And I call on the 4,425 vertical. Lift served is 3,831. If we start adding stuff above the lifts there are lot of places that will grow significantly. Admin will be quick to take credit for Main Chute at Alta for example.

I don't know about significantly regarding going above the lifts at Alta. The highest lift at Alta is 10,500, the summit of Baldy is 11,068 and the top of Main is 30 - 50 vert. feet below the summit, which puts it about even with the top of the tram on the Bird side.

Which would theoretically boost Alta to 2,538' if you include in-bounds hike-to.

 

[schubwa]

Here at lowly Mt Bachelor, the number is 3,365' lift served.

But if you hike up from Bend, it's 5,467! :-D

I think we should stick to lift served to be honest.

 

[Admin]

I think we should stick to lift served to be honest.

Agree completely, a point I did a lousy job of expressing above.

 

[Marc_C]

Which would theoretically boost Alta to 2,538' if you include in-bounds hike-to.

On certain days, it feels like it's about 12K'.

 

[rsmith]

First of all, backcountry is a misnomer here. Backcountry is for those who truly earn their turns. We're all relative wimps, using lifts to get us to places where others use nothing but their hard work and sweat. The title we're really talking about is lift areas that get you the most quality powder skiing for the least effort.

Second of all, vertical feet is a simply terrible indicator of good skiing - anyone quoting it as a positive is suspect. Whistler v. Alta is the prime example. Sure, Whistler has (close to) the greatest vertical in NA and Alta clocks in at barely over 2000 feet. What this really means is that you burn at least an hour of every Whistler ski day getting up to, and down from, the Alpine. The bottom 2500' is basically worthless. I haven't skied Telluride - the lower elevation slopes certainly appear more appealing than at Whistler, but it's a haul to get to the steep shots in these photos. At Alta gratification is immediate (after the requisite traverse, of course).

For powder skiing it all comes down to quality and quantity of snow (throughout the full vertical) + consistently steep and varied terrain. The day an area can honestly boast 3000+' continuous vertical, 500+" of 8% at the base and 35+ degree chutes and bowls is the day Alta will give up the crown. Until then...

In Telluride's defense it easily competes for the most beautiful ski area in the U.S., and it has a great little town that doesn't suffer from the suburbanization that is the blight of so many. Plus, my guess is that the 2 1/2 months of quality skiing are much less competitive than at Alta or Mammoth. Combined with the high elevation preservation and late season snowfall, you may indeed get more untracked at Telluride during February-April. I wouldn't quite call it an even fight overall, but the full-time skier at Telluride is certainly a lucky guy (or gal).

 

[Marc_C]

The day an area can honestly boast 3000+' continuous vertical, 500+" of 8% at the base and 35+ degree chutes and bowls is the day Alta will give up the crown. Until then...

Gee, I wonder if there are any areas that have those stats. If only there were some area with *Snow* like that where you didn't need to be a *Bird* to get to the top. I wonder where there's such an area.

 

[rsmith]

The day an area can honestly boast 3000+' continuous vertical, 500+" of 8% at the base and 35+ degree chutes and bowls is the day Alta will give up the crown. Until then...

Gee, I wonder if there are any areas that have those stats. If only there were some area with *Snow* like that where you didn't need to be a *Bird* to get to the top. I wonder where there's such an area.

Ha. I still think Alta has this mysterious resort beat. As a hypothetical let's say these two resorts were 1000 miles away from each other, instead of next door. Which would you choose? Which would win as the area most likely to give you the most powder over the course of a season? My guess is this board has already seen this argument a million times over, but I would vote for Alta. Alta is ski-able earlier in the season and the snow is consistently deeper, especially at the base (no way does Snowbird get 500" at it's base and certainly not at the bottom of Thunder). Being at the end of the box canyon has it's benefits... Snowbird does have the advantages of more area, generally steeper terrain and a longer season. However, in the end, I think Alta would give you more grin-inducing turns per season, year-in, year-out.

I think with Telluride's recent expansion it deserves to be in the discussion of 2nd tier powder contenders. And, like I said, being able to ski there over a season would be awesome. But, Alta is Alta and there is no other.

 

[EMSC]

T-ride's new stuff does look tasty. But it's quite the slog from Denver area and looking at the lift layout (one of only a few never skied Colo locations for me) it looks like a long slog to get anywhere you want to be on the mtn in the morning too. I might hit it for a day or two this year, but very iffy right now. Will know more in about two weeks on a potential Silverton or T-ride stop this year.

 

[ChrisC]

The San Juans are notorious for avalanche issues. That's the great challenge for Silverton. I would not characterize Telluride's 279 inch average as "low" for Colorado. It's middle of the pack, and when you consider high base elevation and low skier density I'd call it above average for overall snow conditions. While Southern and Western Colorado is a relatively volatile snowfall region in North America, Telluride is actually one of the most consistent areas within that region.

Agree here. The snow is average for Colorado. What is more interesting is how well Telluride does with a NW flow storm - there are no blocking mountains from Wasatch. Yet Telluride does relatively poor from a Southern storm. So many blocking mountains.

Yes, the party gets started late: Feb 1st is a safe date. Maybe Jan 15th in a good year.

Which is why it's somewhat obnoxious to close the place down first weekend of April with max snowpack and often the powder still coming down. If you're choosing a home resort, 2 1/2 months doesn't cut it for me. Mammoth and LCC average 5+ months of quality skiing per season. And their terrain is nothing to sneeze at either.

They simply cannot keep the mountain open - the airlines cut off service. The interest goes down, etc. However, there are not really many resort that go past April 15th any more...even areas within 1-2 hrs of Boston, Seattle, SLC, Sacramento, Denver.....do not stretch it.

To be very honest....the Telluride crew is a little tough. They hike. They earn turns. They are scruffy.

And I call on the 4,425 vertical. Lift served is 3,831. If we start adding stuff above the lifts there are lot of places that will grow significantly. Admin will be quick to take credit for Main Chute at Alta for example.

Fair enough. However, the hike up Gold Hill into Bear Creek lap 4k standard.

Nonetheless Adam's critique of Telluride from 2004, "Why are we skiing down here instead of up there?" is gradually being answered. Most of us here would =D> Dave Riley's work and hope that such progress continues.

After a bunch of real estate or absentee CEOs, the place is doing well. There is such a fight over a lift into the Upper Bear Creek drainage. However I think it would be good thing. It would spread slack country into all over that drainage....and into other areas. There is truly so much terrain that I think it would be fine.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Ha. I still think Alta has this mysterious resort beat. As a hypothetical let's say these two resorts were 1000 miles away from each other, instead of next door.

One reason I'm jealous of the Utards is because they are next door. They get Alta's early season and Snowbird's late season. And with the combined pass on powder days they get to follow terrain openings around both areas.

My guess is this board has already seen this argument a million times over,

Yes we have, and I was :shock: to hear MarcC of all people weigh in on Snowbird's side!!!

(no way does Snowbird get 500" at it's base and certainly not at the bottom of Thunder).

That would be 465 vs. 520 at Alta.

Snowbird does have the advantages of more area, generally steeper terrain and a longer season

.
Which are offsets to Alta's early season and occasional specific storm advantages.

However, in the end, I think Alta would give you more grin-inducing turns per season, year-in, year-out.

Not sure about that; you still get more skiing per day at Snowbird. And with current lifts and terrain the areas get tracked out on powder days at a similar rate.

I think with Telluride's recent expansion it deserves to be in the discussion of 2nd tier powder contenders.

Not sure I agree with that at 279 inches. There are a still a lot of places over 350, and there are places like Snowbasin and Castle Mt. with excellent terrain and even less competition than Telluride.