DRIVEN TO RIDE '05 - TELLURIDE, CO

To-hell-you-ride! This was the nickname of Telluride in the golden days of the Old West. Once known as one of the most dangerous towns in Colorado, due in major part to the pillaging ways of the local hellions and the excessive alchohol abuse; as we rambled in from New Mexico, I was pleased to see that not much had changed. However tempting it was to explore those avenues, we made a far wiser call. Instead of unleashing our damaging influence upon the town, the mountains themselves were indeed savagely decimated by the SNOWBOARDER crew.

Whenever we visit Telluride, I am simply floored by the mountains that tower above. They are, in a word, frightening. The San Juan's of Southwestern Colorado are the business. They also receive the most snow in the state and since our presence inevitably attracts the powder, yes, we got it! We got it good!

You know, I like to ride park and I like to ride pipe but my true love is bashing gates; there is something about a nice tight Spyder suit, shin guards, and ridged forward angles that gets me pumped. I was, however, persuaded to put the hard boots away and step into the backcountry this particular visit. Our good friend, local legend Gabe Wright, was kind enough to show us where the goods lay.