2004 DTR - Telluride, CO

I'd like to say that I shook Vegas like a bad habit, but the fact remains I was used and abused and enjoyed every minute of it. Needless to say, the next assignment in Telluride, Colorado, was a welcome one, with the drive being just long enough for me to lick my wounds thoroughly. What lay ahead of us will forever be a reference point in determining what real mountains are. The San Juan's of southwestern Colorado are one of the most impressive mountain ranges I have ever seen. They are the youngest range in the U.S. and are apparently pissed about it. The peaks tower over the valleys below five to six thousand feet in some areas making the towns feel like you are in the middle of the Swiss Alps. Telluride is one of these towns.

Our reception at the resort was exceptional, within minutes we had been given the most central place to park in the entire village. We literally stepped out of the RV and into our bindings. This kind of exposure coupled with the visual catastrophe that the Orange Crush creates sent a buzz around town instantly. You could hear whispers in the shadows, and overhear conversations everywhere. This is exactly what we wanted. There were victims everywhere, the stickerless soon had ammo and a proud few would soon display their loyalty sporting new red Snowboarder Mag t-shirts. As you can see, the pinata party gave some young sluggers the chance to swing for glory. Goggles from Spy: free. Belts from 686 Enterprises: free. Posters from Arbor Snowboards: free. A disoriented kidlet whacking a green monster: priceless. I can't begin to tell you the fun everyone had today. I hope that when you visit Telluride it goes half as good as it did for us. Lots of thanks must be given to the marketing department for putting up with us and giving Snowboarder Magazine the opportunity they did.

One of the first words of advice we received upon arrival was to meet up with the manager of the local shred shop, Gabe Wright, for a quick tour around the hill. This we did, and what could have been a point in the right direction turned out to be a defining experience in the lives of a lucky few snowboarders. We met Gabe early in the morning fresh off the previous night's 10 inches of new snow and proceeded to the top of the lift. Only we would not be coming down the lift-accessed portion of the mountain, we would be riding nearly 4,000 vertical feet off the backside and into the most intense backcountry lines imaginable. Armed with our shovels, peeps and a greatly inferior lung capacity than our guide's, we then hiked up a ridge and dropped into a very memorable ride. I can only say the views left me speechless, which as I'm finding out right now is probably best. Trying to describe what it is like to ride something so majestic is kind of hard. I think we all just want to thank Gabe, who is a man among mountains for showing us how it is done in Telluride.

Snowboarder Magazine's Best of Telluride:

1. Instant winner: Best locals to show you around
Best waterslide inside a hotel: The Windam Peaks Resort

2. Currently in the lead for:
Best Backcountry
Best Sunset
Best View

P.S. Thanks to Jennifer Kinetz for the accommodations at the Mountainside Inn