25 Top Spots: #13 Telluride, CO
Travel
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The town is eight blocks wide, 12 blocks long, and 45 miles from the nearest stoplight-and it has been that way for a century. What has changed is the lay of the land: Last winter, Telluride opened Prospect Bowl, adding three lifts and doubling its acreage. The bumps are still there for the taking, but so are quick-hit chutes and some of Colorado’s steepest inbounds pitches.
The Vitals
Top elevation: 12,260 feet
Vertical drop: 3,530 feet
Snowfall: 252 inches (11,170′)
Skiable Acres: 1,700
Phone: 866-287-5015
Web: tellurideskiresort.com
Adrenaline
Happy Thoughts, Zulu Queen, Kant-Mak-M, and Spiral Stairs combine Telluride’s steepest drops and megamoguls.
Accumulation
Because the San Juans are steep and rugged and their snowfall downy, coverage can sometimes be thin. Visit in March for the best chance of getting caught in a notorious box-canyon storm.
Après
Chug Paulaner Oktoberfest from a glass boot and snag a seat on the patio at Leimgruber’s for wiener schnitzel and brats. Later, weave on over to the New Sheridan Bar, the oldest watering hole in town.