First Ski Days in Telluride Dec 08

Above is a video that Renae took of our first ski trip to Telluride for the 08-09 season. I'm practicing my powder skiing.

We got a bargain for stay and ski in Telluride so we headed to Telluride on Saturday around noonish. We stopped off in Delta for some good pie at the Eatery but found that they were closed (I think for good because they were also closed Monday). Then we stopped outside of Montrose at Ray's Jerky shop. WOW.....what awesome jerky, we spent like $75 dollars there and decided we need to take Kristen and Clayton here when they come in March.

We ended up getting into Telluride around 4pm which was check-in time for the hotel. I thought we were at Mountain Village but it ended up being in the town of Telluride Mountside, at the Mountain side Inn. We were actually both pretty sick the couple days prior to going, so we actually collapsed and slept for a while.

Sunday we got up bright and early and made breakfast. We walked the three blocks to the free Gondola and rode up to the base of the mountain, and picked up our tickets. We started our runs around 0900 hrs in the morning on Sunday it was a BEAUTIFUL day. Mid 50's and clear sky's, and freshly groomed runs. We were some of the first skiers on the mountain which was way sweet. We ran three runs and took a break. They only had two lifts going and maybe like 5 or 6 blue and green runs. We had some food at Tracks there in Mountain Village then got back on the slopes for 3 more runs. Renae's last run was a mogul double blue that they just opened up. This was the most runs I've done in a day since like 1994. I forgot my brace but my knee and foot seemed to do fairly well. We rented a locker on the mountain to keep our skiis there for our skiing on Monday.

Renae swishing in the powder on Boomerang Blue run at Telluride

Renae stopping to visit with me

Monday we packed the car and checked out of the hotel and drove up to the mountain and it was overcast/cloudy/fogged in and snowing big huge flakes and about 28 degrees. We got up on the mountain around 1030 hrs and ran three runs. They were blowing snow so at times between the fog and blown snow it was difficult to see. Renae really likes powder runs and by the time we started skiing it had snowed about 2-3 inches of fresh powder and they had probably blown 2-3 more inches since yesterday, so she was really excited. Me, I was trying to hold my anxiety because mostly what I have skied is icy groomed and I lift my back leg in turns which throws me in powder. But by my last run I was getting faster and my turns were better. Renae took a separate run the last run and I thought I actually beat her to the bottom but there she was with her skiis already off and she was calling my name, it was pretty funny. We ate at Tracks again and then got into the car and headed back to Junction.