Telluride, CO
On our way into Telluride we stopped at the 4 Corners Monument where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It was kind of a nice surprise that the monument is simple and not showy. There was a circular pavilion centered around a bronze emblem in the ground denoting the meeting of the corners. A short line of people waited with their phones and cameras ready for their turn to stand in 4 states at the same time. Dogs weren’t allowed in the pavilion so Mike and I took turns. The site was quiet and our time there turned out to be a peaceful and reflective moment for both of us.
Back in the car we drove out of the desert and through a narrow valley in the San Juan Mountains, arriving in Telluride in the early evening.
Telluride was every bit the classic mining-turned-ski-town we had heard it was. We rented a cheap and tiny room in the Old Town and were delighted that it was only a hundred meters to the mountain chairlift and less than a half mile to the town center and gondola. After we unpacked we played ball with Merlin right at the base of the ski hill!
The next morning we took Merlin for a long stroll on the footpath along the San Miguel river which traverses through town and ends up at a large town park. Merlin ran around the fields and even went sledding on a busted sled we found!
After the leisurely morning, Mike and I suited up in our lightest layers and headed up the mountain for an afternoon of gorgeous weather and great runs on the extensive and beautiful terrain.
At the end of the day, we skied all the way down to the door of our building! We took a walk in town and stopped at Taco del Gnar for a late afternoon snack (with a name like that how could we not!) After the delicious tacos we took Merl for a spectator ride on the town Gondola! He was a little nervous at first but warmed up to it.
The Gondola connects the Old Town not only to the peak of the mountain, but also to the new resort-y Mountain Village on the west side of the mountain! It is free, dog friendly, and runs until midnight! You can go from a restaurant in one town to a bar the next in about 10 minutes. It had us wondering why every mountain doesn’t have a set up as easy and tourist friendly as this.
That night, we looked at the wet weather and long drive in the forecast and reflected on the beautiful day we had just enjoyed. We made the decision not to ski the next day, meaning this had been our last day of skiing on the trip. It was a bittersweet feeling as we ended a big part of our little adventure, but we still looked forward to warm weather and the return trip east.
It rained as we packed up the next morning. We were happy to have ended the ski season on such a high note and we were ready for the warmer weather predicted in Durango. In order to get there though, we’d have to take on one of the most difficult and dangerous drives of the trip!
