Telluride Inside... and Out

In like a lion: March in the Mountain Village

Big doings in March uptown in Telluride's sister city, the Mountain Village: for starters the annual Telluride Medical Center Operation F.E.A.S.T. and the Telluride Rotary Red Ball Express fundraiser. The Telluride Ski Resort's operational hours change as we spring forward: starting March 14 through the end of the ski season, ski lifts will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 9:

 
Open Space & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting 
Mountain Village Town Hall; 5 p.m. 
Meeting Agenda.

Telluride’s Inn at Lost Creek in Mountain Village: free equipment rentals in March

The Inn at Lost Creek in the Mountain Village takes the hassle out of packing for a ski trip. In March, guests of the hotel get a free Premium Ski Rental package for every night of accommodation booked.
 
The package provided by Christy's Sports, located on the ground level of the hotel, is designed for beginner to intermediate skiers. The deal includes boots, skis, and poles or snowboard and boots, and guests get to choose from brands such as the 2010 Volkl AC Unlimited, K2 Sweet Love, or Ride Control. 
 

Mountain Village awards $48,000 in grants for 2010

The Town of Mountain Village, in cooperation with the Telluride Foundation, awarded eight local nonprofit organizations a combined total of $48,000 as part of the Town’s 2010 Grant Program. Each grant recipient works to provide the Mountain Village and Telluride region with services that directly support the town’s mission of providing health and human services programs. Since 2001, the town has awarded over $300,000 to a number of regional nonprofit organizations. For 2010, the Town received $170,500 in grant requests from 20 nonprofits. This year’s recipients include:

    •    Bright Futures School Readiness Initiative
    •    Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center
    •    One to One
    •    San Miguel Resource Center
    •    Telluride Adaptive Sports Program
    •    Telluride Foundation – One Telluride
    •    University Centers of the San Miguel c/o High West Central
    •    Wright Stuff Community Foundation

Valentine specials in Telluride region's Mountain Village

Love is in the air – although the air in the Telluride region tends to be thinner than at most addresses around the globe. Our Shangri-La literally takes your breath away. It is the picture perfect setting for a Valentine’s Day Weekend.

Valentines Day Specials and Packages in the Mountain Village include "Discover Romance at Capella, Telluride": three night’s accommodations, daily breakfast for two, champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries upon arrival, and one couples' massage. Starting at $625 per night, available February 12 – February 15, 2010.

Capella properties also feature menus for lovers.

Telluride's sister city, the Mountain Village: What's shakin' "uptown" in February

The town of Telluride does not have a monopoly on fun and games. There is plenty happening "uptown" in its sister city, the Mountain Village. Here's a rundown of the action in February, including town business.

Tuesday, February 9
Open Space & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting
Mountain Village Town Hall; 5 p.m.
Meeting Agenda

Telluride's CoolSculpt winners announced

It was snowing lightly in Telluride this morning, with more snow in the forecast, as the judges made their rounds to pick the winners of this year's CoolSculpt contest.

The finished products were indeed something to behold: beautifully executed, and very imaginative. In the end, the judges must have had a difficult time deciding.

The First Place winner ($850) for 2010 is "The White Castle". by D. O. Double-G's, sponsored by Telluride Ski and Golf. This entry featured a castle, complete with towers, stairs, and a dragon clinging to the ramparts. The castle was also attractive to young and old who climbed up to view the Plaza from the walls. Well done, and congratulations.

CoolSculpt happening at Telluride's Mountain Village

When I got to the Mountain Village Thursday morning the big blocks of compacted snow had already been delivered. Telluride's CoolSculpt was underway. On Saturday afternoon, January 16, I went back to see what the artists were up to.

I spoke to Colin Sullivan, who was on hand to turn the Ah Haa School's block of ice into a giant Space Invader, complete with a girl with a handheld controller.

The (new) Peaks wins big at World Cup

Mike Hess (r) and friend

In October, the Telluride region's Peaks Resort & Spa was honored with two not insignificant awards: Parents Magazine Top 10 Best Winter Resorts and SpaFinder Top Spa. Locals, however, met the news with the usual ho-hum.

When The Peaks first opened 17 years ago, it was a whole different story. The greater Telluride community went "uptown" to check out the action. The Great Room became a favorite watering hole and a place to listen to friends making music. Walls in the common areas were covered with art created by local artists and galleries. Nonprofits favored the venue for special events. It was a good start that came to a screeching halt as the property became a corporate hot potato. That was then. This is now.

The evening of December 17, 2009 marked the sea change. That night, the new and improved Peaks Resort & Spa, now locally owned and under the management of Grand Heritage Hotels & Resorts, hosted the opening party for the World Cup. Locals turned out in droves to celebrate the boarders and the views – and reclaim the venue. It is tempting to describe the extravaganza as a tour de force, only everyone seemed to be having way too much fun. Everything old is new again.

Staycations at Telluride's Inn at Lost Creek

Telluride’s Inn at Lost Creek is launching a Proximity Promotion with exclusive rates for its neighbors in the Colorado counties of Alamosa, Archuleta, Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, La Plata, Montrose, Mesa, Montezuma and Pitkin.
 
“In the current economy more people are staying closer to home and taking mini-vacations or weekend getaways,” explains John Volponi, General Manager at the Inn at Lost Creek.  “Our Proximity Promotion makes it a little easier to take a well deserved break with special rates offered to people who are within driving distance of Telluride.”

Fundraiser for Telluride Playwright's Festival

Last Saturday, July 11, Kimberly and John Kirkendoll hosted a party to support Sparky Productions' Telluride Playwrights' Festival. Jennie Franks' event is in its third year, and the quality of the theatre is getting better with each year. There is one more evening to see a reading at the Sheridan Opera House. Tuesday night, July 14, we will see Todd Kreidler's "The Small Legacy." If the previous offerings are a guide, we will see some great writing and (though it is a reading, no sets, costumes, movement) great acting. We'll see you at the Opera House at 7:00 pm.

Photos by Sophie Price and Jeff Price, slide show edited by Clint Viebrock.

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