Get TIO in your Inbox!

Outdoors

Telluride, after the storm Friday, January 22, was a long-awaited powder day in Telluride. After a few runs on open terrain, I decided to check out "Captain Jack's". Renamed and with some...

26 January, 2010 /
The Telluride Nordic Association: Fun Tour and Ski Race on the Valley Floor, Sunday, January 24.

File The 15km “Flat and Fast Race” starts at noon, Sunday. A team race also starts at noon: two skiers are invited to pair up and each ski one 7.5km loop. The “Flat and Fun Tour” begins immediately after those two races. The course is 7.5km.

The Fun Tour is a new addition to Telluride Nordic Challenge Race Series. The event is for skiers who want to enjoy a relaxed day skiing and socializing with other free-heelers without the pressure of a race. As TNA’s Nordic Director Midnite Scholtes explains:

 “I’ve had a lot of people over the years tell me they want to come out and race, but are intimidated by the idea of racing. Lots of communities have Fun Tours in which people can ski at their own pace and not worry too much about a race result. We hope the Tour will appeal to all of the region’s Nordic lovers, and become social, community event. At the same time, Flat and Fast is a great way for skiers to challenge themselves and compete. I know we’ll have racers in Telluride from out of town, so the competition should be strong.”
23 January, 2010 /
P1110009 When the January freeze is over and done, Telluriders tend to store our down jackets and grab for our soft shells.

" Softshell jackets combine the hard-wearing aspects of a Gore-Tex jacket with the mobility, breathability and feel of a much softer fabric," explains Erik Dalton of Jagged Edge. "Though they won’t replace your rain jacket come summertime, these softshell jackets are perfectly suited for our cold and dry conditions in the mountains of Colorado, and for the ups-and-downs of backcountry skiing, hiking, and ski mountaineering."

Erik's pick: Cloudveil's Rayzar, a jacket that offers protection from the fiercest storms and coldest chair rides, while keeping the wearer cool when it comes time to move.
22 January, 2010 /
[click "Play" to listen to Ben Clark's conversation with Susan]

Benbioshotlr This is day-in-the-life-stuff for Telluriders.

Backcountry turns? Sure. Ice climbing? Ditto. Bouldering and climbing in the desert? But of course. Long runs in the high country? What do you think. But Telluride local Ben Clark is not just any Telluride jock.

Clark is a successful filmmaker/enterpreneur and alpinist blessed – cursed? – with an unusually high level of the enzyme monamine oxidase (MAO) and the hormone testosterone, both of which are associated with thrill seeking. In other words, the guy is biochemically suited to the extreme endeavors such as his annual pioneering expeditions in the Himalaya. (And for flying without a net in the world of business.)
21 January, 2010 /

IMG_8277 The valley floor in Telluride: it's not just for prairie dogs anymore. The Telluride Nordic Association now grooms and maintains an elaborate trail system on the valley floor, including seasonal river crossings at various points to access the western end of the valley near Lawson Hill.

28 December, 2009 /

IMGP0774 Telluride Adaptive Sports Program (TASP) has moved into its new space in the Capella complex in the Mountain Village. To celebrate its new location, TASP will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, December 29. The facility will be open to the public from 3:30-5:30 pm, with appetizers and beverages.

After years of tight quarters, TASP is enjoying some breathing room. There are separate spaces for clients, instructors and staff, with cubbies for the clients and lockers and cubbies for the instructors. In addition, the location right on the Meadows Run means that riders can access the snow right out the door. No more hefting equipment 100 yards out to Lift 4, or hiking students up the hill to reach the Meadows.  

27 December, 2009 /
[click "Play" to hear David Holbrooke talk with Susan about the fundraiser and movie]

IMGP0403 Ten years ago, in 1999, Mountainfilm in Telluride regular, world-class climber/author Conrad Anker found the frozen body of mountaineer George Mallory on Mount Everest. In the years that followed the discovery, Anker obsessed about Mallory much in the way Mallory had obsessed about becoming the first person ever to conquer Everest's summit. Mallory and his partner, Andrew Irvine, were last seen in 1924 only 800 feet from the top. Had the duo successfully tackled the Second Step and reached their goal? Just how much was Mallory torn between ambition and his love for his wife Ruth? What was it like to climb a mountain as forbidding as Everest using the scant gear available in the 1920s? "The Wildest Dream" endeavors to answer these questions with archival video footage of Mallory and Irvine on the mountain, love letters between Mallory and Ruth, and a bold attempt to reenact the summit bid by  Anker and Leo Houlding. Liam Neeson narrates. Also with Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson.

24 December, 2009 /
PC210053 Erik Dalton of Telluride's Jagged Edge is as busy as one of Santa's elves these days. Tonight, December 23, Jagged Edge is sponsoring a screening of Warren Miller's "Dynasty," the 60th action adventure film in the series and a look at the past, present and future of the twin sports of skiing and snowboarding. The event takes place at the Sheridan Opera House, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. At the same time, Erik is channeling his inner Ho Ho Ho to bring you last minute ideas from Jagged Edge to round out your Christmas stocking. The following are his eleventh-hour picks.

Nikwax cleaning and waterproofing products are great for prolonging the life of your favorite jacket or pair of ski pants. Normal detergents tend to strip many outdoor fabrics of their waterproof treatments, clogging pores and hindering breathability. Nikwax washes effectively clean fabrics without leaving residue behind. Washes can be enhanced by using a waterproofing treatment specific to the make of the garment. Whether we are talking about your favorite wool ski sweater, your best pair of ski bibs, or even that old tent fly, Nikwax has a product for under $15 to make old favorites new again.
23 December, 2009 /
[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Mick Dierdorff]


The World Cup in Telluride could be a life-changing event for snowboardcross racer Mick Dierdorff.  Only 18, Mick is racing for the opportunity to become the first homegrown snowboarder from the town of Steamboat, Colorado, to make an Olympic team. Whatever happens today on the snow, Friday, December 18, however, Mick is already a winner.

18 December, 2009 /