Colorado Telluride town or MV? and other questions

[raisingarizona]

We are returning to Telluride for the third year in a row. I wholeheartedly agree with those who recommend the town, particularly since your wife, like mine, isn't into skiing all that much. In town, my wife likes the restaurants, the shops, the bakery, the coffee shops, the theaters (and I don't mean movie theater). Last year, we went to a performance of Pippin. The year before, we went to a concert (not a partying concert).



The town is not a party town. Comparing to the East, I'd describe the town, in feel, to maybe Portsmouth NH? MV would be like a very large version of Stowe's Spruce Peak development, everything there, but sterile.

I agree with the earlier recommendation of staying at the Oak Street/Gondola area, and second the nomination of Camels Garden. When I ski with my wife, we go up the gondola, ski blues and easy blacks, meandering around the mountain, lunching either at MV or one of the restaurants on the mountain.

You, your wife, and your kids will appreciate the variety of options that staying in town will afford.

 

[raisingarizona]

One poster said that it's not a party town and I'd disagree. There's plenty of locals that love to smash pow bumps all night long or that sure was the case 12 years ago. I've done some serious partying there.

That being said some of my most enjoyable times not skiing related were just sitting on the benches along main street on a sunny day sipping coffee and watching the time go by. The library is really rad and the Brooklyn pie at Browndog is worth the trip alone. The walking path along the creek can be pretty sweet in the afternoon. A Day snowshoeing or biling up on lizard head pass could be fun.

 

[Goose]

The top of Telluride is definitely high but lets put a little context around the base. I'm not looking up the exact numbers but if you stay in town it's approximately 1,000' lower than Copper. Even more when considering Luv or A Basin. I'm not trying to minimize altitude sickness, I just trying to show in the grand scheme of things Telluride is not the highest thing going. I believe in town is lower than anything in Summit Co. I think staying in Montrose might be in your best interest just to ease your concerns. Sleeping in town will also be lower and that might be good also.

thanks for the post. And I mean that honestly, but with due respect how high copper is or anything else matters none because its telluride we are going to. And while not the highest thing going is certainly more than high enough where as many people do have issues regardless.
It is known that people from sea level even have issues just staying in Denver so its not like there should be no concern just because tell isn't the highest of resorts.

 

[Goose]

I'm thinking you are over-thinking it and wondering how many pages this thread will be by March. You could spend the night in Montrose and be on the slopes in Telluride before 10 the next day, assuming you can work out the logistics.

On the way to the last CO Epicski Gathering, I spent the night not much above sea level in CA, flew to Denver then drove to almost 12K over Loveland Pass, then skied well above 12K that afternoon at A-Basin and stayed at 9K in Silverthorne without problems. Your results may vary.

I have only been to Telluride once and it was in the late 1980s which I know is before they had the gondola and probably before there was much of a Mountain Village. We stayed at the New Sheridan (not as fancy then) and my wife was able to ski to town on her second day there and 4th day ever skiing (and may have been her first trip ever to snow). The lift operator questioned how she qot there as she was skiing on a $25 beginners special that included lift, lesson and rentals and her ticket only covered beginner lifts. She told him they had good instructors, even though she only used the lesson on the 1st day, and he let her load.

yea I am over thinking I suppose. Appreciate your posts as well.
But its really a once in a (lets say) half a life time trip. Something we may not have opportunity to do again and is expensive. Its been so many years where I been trying to do a trip to the rockies and never works out due to number of reasons. So my concerns, while they may be a bit much are imo legitimate. Those issues are a problem which do happen to many people. Id hate to turn my wife off from ever wanting to do this again. I am hoping she will appreciate the whole thing and the beauty of it all (something shes never seen) and possible want to go back again on day or possibly somewhere else similar . And I certainly wouldn't want any of us to have a bad situation. So yea, I may be over thinking but I cant help it. There is a lot on the line here to make this vacation a good one and memorable. But memorable needs to be for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. So Im just trying to make the best choices I can. Once I make them that's going to be it and so I need the most opinions and info I can get. It might be a bit of an annoyance but I would think its understandable.

 

[Jerez]

Absolutely Oxygen in T-ride delivers. There's no way to know a-priori who will get sick, but the odds are in your favor for no problems. Denver post says only 10% of visitors to Colorado get altitude sickness at the Montrose level and 25% at the highest levels.

I say this with the greatest of empathy, but you have so much invested in this being "good and memorable" that if you continue on this path, you will inevitably be disappointed.

Been there, done that. There is so much that can go wrong, not just altitude, but things you won't have considered. I took my 5 YO granddaughter skiing at a big mountain for the first time. The lesson first day was an unmitigated disaster. Took will power, but instead of dwelling on the failure, or making her go back, we took her snowmobiling (she loved it) and hiking in the snow (liked that too) and swimming at the local rec center. Now she wants to "go skiing" again this year. Just enjoy your family and the adventure and the beauty of the mountains and you won't be heartbroken over the perfect vacation being less than your fantasy.

 

[karlo]

One poster said that it's not a party town and I'd disagree.

I agree. One can certainly party. Telluride has so much to offer.

 

[sinbad7]

FWIW we flew Sydney (at sea level) to LA, then from LA to Montrose, then we hopped in a mini bus and were in Telluride by mid-afternoon. Oddly, given the time difference, we actually arrived about an hour before our initial flight departed. We didn't suffer from anything related to the altitude.