Mountain Village: Past, Present & Future

28 Mar Mountain Village: Past, Present & Future

A documentary, “The Past, Present & Future of Mountain Village,” is scheduled to be screened at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village on Saturday, April 2, 2016, 5 – 7 p.m. Guest speakers include Ron Allred, William Mahoney Sr., Junior Mahoney, and Johnnie Stevens, all of whom “ star” in the film. Social hour with cash bar from 5:00-5:45 p.m.; screening, 5:45 – 6:15 p.m. FREE event hosted by TMVOA.

Mountain Village. The somewhat generic handle allows us to fill in the blanks, but it does suggest a sleepy place lost in the mists of time. “Sound of Music” meets Shangri-La? The reality is something altogether different, though no less appealing, as will become evident in the new documentary, “The Past, Present & Future of Mountain Village.” The film features the change-makers who helped develop Telluride’s sister city, local icons such as Ron Allred, William Mahoney Sr., Junior Mahoney, and Johnnie Stevens.

For perspective, a thumbnail history follows.

In 1968, entrepreneur Joe Zoline began to assemble the land needed to build his resort, including the Gorrono and Adams Ranches. Land in hand, his next challenge was to convince the Town of Telluride and the United States Forest Service about his choice for the location of an “official winter sports site” – the present Mountain Village. Enlisting the expertise of former French world champion skier Emile Allais, Zoline planned to develop the ski resort in stages.

In 1972, the first of the lifts and ski runs opened for business.

In 1978, Ron Allred and Jim Wells purchased the Telluride Ski Resort from Zoline.

Allred and Wells determined to develop their property – 3.5 square miles of land on what was once sheep ranches –  based on the look and feel of ski resorts in the Alps, iconic places such as Zermatt, Megeve, and Chamonix. Like them, Mountain Village would have a pedestrian-friendly core, a commercial center surrounded by a network of winter and summer trails, walking paths, and single-family homes neatly tucked into the pristine landscape.

Has that vision played out? Where is Mountain Village now? What’s in store? How will Mountain Village grow?

“The objective of the gathering is to understand the history of Mountain Village, celebrate its pioneers, and discuss our future as we work toward sustainability and completing plans for the town,” explained Robert Stenhammer, executive vice president, Telluride Ski & Golf Resort.

And for a more detailed history of Mountain Village, go here.