March 2008 Newsletter

BOX CANYON FEVER

Serving you, homeowners in the Telluride valley, with inspiring, relevant local information highlighting the abundant happenings and hidden surprises of this wonderfully remote mountain community that we call our year-round home.

"We Take the Anxiety Out Of Coming Home"
(970) 728-6240 Office (970)797-1397 Fax Email: teluride@rmi.net
P.O. Box 22, Telluride, CO 81435 (970) 729-0526 cell- 24/7 response

26 feet! THE SNOW DEPTH COUNT TO DATE! That translates to 315 inches, approx 86 donuts lined up, 175 ping pong balls…you get the picture!

Being snow bound here in this lovely box canyon can be claustrophobic at times. The first few days of this March were rather warm and spring like which quickly brought our attentions to: THIS SUMMER! Below are some ideas we came up with to move you into the path of planning some summertime fun! It can take a lifetime to experiment and to figure out what all the options for recreating are here in the Telluride. Below are tried and true outdoor family fun experiences requiring minimal mental effort, little gear and planning! Hopefully- you have just walked thru the door, your home is turnkey per your request and instructions, house projects are underway and you’re all geared up for some Colorado style fun!

The snowpack for the 2007/2008 winter season was well over 150% above normal for the region. Enough said to set the tone for broken neighborhoods, broken marriages, broken pipes and hereto now unheard of snow removal costs. Optimistically speaking – it has been a great season YET we cry UNCLE! We are keeping our fingers crossed that fair weather will prevail knowing full well that March is notoriously the greatest month for precipitation for the winter months here in the Southern Rockies… The best news is that once the roofs had been cleared, the snow that we have received has mostly melted off with the warmer days ahead!

There are many testaments in the community to the pros and cons of the elevated snowpack levels. Skier visits were way up thus the business sector had a bonus season- that is if they could manage to get their staff people to work! Local bartenders, ski tuners and ski instructors have epic stories to tell of how great it was so therefore their postponement of a college semester was validated after all. On the flip side the Town of Telluride’s February snow removal costs were $80,000 over budget! While bare minimum snow clearance services were provided for by the towns’ personnel at breakneck speed, it taxed the system. Just imagine what the overblown budget would have been if they had only had more time between snow storms! In the neighboring town of Ophir, CO pop. 113, the snow removal maintenance dept staffers had other unforeseen factors to deal with in addition to the overwhelming snow. They were being verbally abused and attacked by the town’s inhabitants to the extent that they walked off their jobs! Ophirites had many uncontrollable extenuating circumstances to deal with like planned and unplanned avalanches blocking their daily migration to and from their homes to name one. It’s a chosen lifestyle and a hearty one with lots to be thankful for.

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REMINDERS !! 2008 Summer Festival Pass Deadlines
The Festival Store(s) are now open!

The 35th Annual Bluegrass Festival
June 19-22^nd, 2008
To ensure that you tickets for the event, go online to purchase a four-day pass. The four day passes are currently on sale in limited quantities for the price of $175. This festival does sell out.
1(800)624-2422 or the Colorado phone number is: (303) 823-0848

Preliminary lineup: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals | Sam Bush Band | Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder | Ani DiFranco Band | Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar & Bryan | Arlo Guthrie | The Swell Season | Paolo Nutini | Yonder Mountain String Band | Hot Rize | Béla Fleck, Duos with Friends | Tim O'Brien | Del McCoury Band | Leftover Salmon | Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile | Peter Rowan & the Free Mexican Airforce | Jerry Douglas Band | John Cowan & Darrell Scott Band | The Frames | Edgar Meyer | Brett Dennen | Uncle Earl | Solomon Burke | Tift Merritt | The Emmitt Nershi Band | The Duhks | Cadillac Sky | Steep Canyon Rangers | Spring Creek Bluegrass Band

The 15th Annual Telluride Blues and Brews Festival
September 12-14 2008

Tickets are on sale NOW. Call 866-515-6166 to purchase tickets over the phone.
Phone service hours are from 8AM - 8PM, Mon-Sat. www.tellurideblues.com

One of the most scenic music festivals in the country, the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival takes place every September in Telluride, Colorado, a world-famous resort town in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The festival is a three day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking mountain peaks for a backdrop. By day, experience live blues, rock, funk, gospel, and soul, the best microbrews from over 50 microbreweries during Saturday's Grand Tasting, a wide variety of food and craft vendors, children's activities, and more - all on the festival grounds. By night, follow the festival as it flows into the town of Telluride and Mountain Village, with late night juke joints and after-hours jams.

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HANDS ON!
With the Ah Haa Schools new facility at the Depot Building there are many new and exciting options for delving into the arts-

Year-Round Programming Ah Haa School offers classes in summer, fall and winter sessions. Courses are taught by local and visiting instructors and take the form of one-to-three day weekend workshops or four-to-eight week classes that meet weekly. The schedules reflect a core of basic fine arts and crafts classes, including ceramics, painting, and photography, as well as specialized classes like silk dyeing, the business of art, metalsmithing, and the art of cooking. The eclectic mix of courses we bring to the Telluride community has come to define the Ah Haa School and reflect our diverse surroundings. Private instruction is available on an individual basis, call 970-728-3886 to plan private instruction with one of our talented instructors (one week advance notice is required).

Kids Summer Art Programs
June 16 – August 14 Let your child’s imagination blossom during summer art classes at the Ah Haa School. During four mornings, four afternoons or during Fabulous Fridays, students will explore different mediums ranging from sculpture and clay to acrylic painting and jewelry making in a curriculum that is designed to develop confidence, creativity and proficiency. Each week will bring a new and exciting topic for each age group. On the final day of each session, parents may be invited to the last 30 minutes of class for a student art show. Go to the website for a quick glance at a list of kid’s classes. New this summer, the Ah Haa School will be offering an early registration discount for our kid’s summer classes. Register by March 15 and receive a 10% discount on up to five classes! Register for five or more classes and receive a 15% discount. A 25% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit will be required at the time of booking. www.ahhaa.org

The Telluride Academy registration is open and accepting applications for kids 5-17 years old in a large selection of locally and regionally based day camps and learning adventure excursions. www.tellurideacademy.com

Aemono- the best deli around these mountain valleys has a signup sheet for their weekly menu postings; a big player for active families with second homes. Who wants to cook when you’re in T’Ride! Sophia & Mike do! Email Sophia your address to get on this mailing list at aemono@roadrunner.com.

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What you could do this summer

Day Use Areas

In and around the immediate Telluride Region-Places to play without getting into your CAR!

There are options for everyone in the family, including Spot the dog for excursions, activities and sports in the immediate populated areas of the TMV and the Town.

The Town Park has facilities for multitudes of outdoor activities not limited to swimming, basketball, soccer, Frisbee, baseball, tennis, fishing, camping, grilling, hiking, biking and skateboarding and playing with your dog. I have seen clients meet their personal trainers on the greens of the softball fields for their own one-on-one workouts. Adjacent to the park are havens for the naturalist-at-heart; beaver ponds, ducks, the Bear Creek Conservation Canyon, and junior ranger programs, trailheads, running paths, bike routes, fly fishing, swimming holes. Then for the intellectual there are the quiet contemplative cave like nooks and wooded pastures, rock spires and secluded points that dot the hillsides surrounding Town Park that beckon the Waldo and Ernest within. Did you realize that there are dazzling waterfalls behind Town Park? We mean really beautiful, tantalizing small waterfalls. And caves on the hillside? And a wonderful mini canyon/precipice hike just a few hundred yards above Town Park? Like we said there is a little bit of heaven right here in Telluride -within a few minutes walk. One great little loop to savor with some visiting guests would be to park at the park and walk through the camping area (left of the tennis courts), find the stream (Bear Creek) and follow that to the waterfall, take the trail back (to the right) thru the common area of the park (behind the stage at this point) continue on into the bracken (thicket) choosing the upper trail or the lower trail to catch a glimpse oft the active beaver family and then continue along the town’s very own river trail system. (this could take you all the way out onto the valley floor, 3 miles). This path provides a beautiful flat jogging path or a wonderful showcase for anyone intimidated by the sound of “hiking in Colorado”. Note: We will let you in on a little secret; if this trail system were in Aspen it would be called The Nature Trail and it would be on all the tourist maps- but this isn’t Aspen is it#@*!

In the Telluride Mountain Village the core plaza area offers a wide selection of options for soft adventure and playing outdoors. There is the rock climbing multi-sided boulder that youngsters can never get enough of. Beyond that there is a nice little pond for pint sized explorations. The Fishing Pond is great fun to explore late into the afternoon and is located near the firehouse and the Village Market area. Next to the Summer Sunset Concert Series tent area there is a small developed kid’s playground hosting a jungle gym, slide and see saw. Within the core you have the origin of the pedestrian-bike pathway, featuring the 4-mile long gravel lined trail which shadows the Mountain Village Boulevard. The Village’s greatest asset however would be the free gondola linking its users to limitless hiking choices and access. There are simple straightforward trails beginning at the steps of the San Sophia station and leading onwards to more expert terrain. Feel free to stop by the informative and cozy Nature Center located at the top of the gondola for trail infor and ideas; like a scavenger hike where everyone brings back something from the forest then uses the centers resources and tools to further their knowledge. The ski resort itself offers endless wide swaths of clear cut ski trails often with hiking trails interlaced throughout the vast network. Hiking through the resort’s developed high countryside will take you in and out of the woods showcasing grandiose views and add a “Peak Experience” within a few minutes gondola ride. *Several, not all, of the resort’s hiking routes/ski trails serve also as notoriously popular downhill mountain biking trails as well! So be aware of the combination of slow moving object (YOU; Hiking and the fast moving objects bikers!). The Code for bikers dictates that they reduce their speed when approaching pedestrian hikers but it only takes one bad apple to give the whole lot of them a bad reputation. In any event some paths take you up and some take you downwards. It’s a great feeling to be in charge of your destiny!*

The Valley Floor is all about nature and self discovery along the way for all ages! The presence of alpine flora and fauna will not disappoint from the ripened raspberries on the side hills of the steep Boomerang Hill, or the tiny juicy strawberries along the boggy paths of the valley floor. Dense moss covered rocks and trails are waiting for your exploration as are the meandering flat dandelion laden cow pastures which proliferate in the valley. The headwaters of the San Miguel originate less than 5-miles upriver at a pristine high alpine lake of the name Blue Lake among other water sources. The water that you’ll splash around in is cold, fast moving and crystal clear. There are a few wading pools and miles and miles of fun to be had on any given sunny summer afternoon. They are easily accessed from the edge of Town at Mahoney Drive or from mid-valley at Hillside or from the parking area at Society Turn.

If getting into the car …..
does not present any problems
then the gates to EXPLORATION are wide open!

Illium Valley- 10 minutes drive-mostly federal and BLM lands- open to all with easy access. Limited facilities located mid-valley in the campground

Secret spots for fishing and many more that are not so secret, established campsites with BBQ facilities, Ker plunking (swishing around in the streams), top rated bouldering, reading under a forested canopy, relatively flat mtn bike riding and then some expert terrain- exploring an old homestead, trails, mushrooming, exploring beaver ponds, old rail road tracks and a defunct but refurbished mine. The Fish and Game Dept have stocked the waters with trout along sections of the South Fork of the San Miquel. You name it. Ideal moment; a downhill bike ride from Society Conoco with a pick up in Ilium! Or a picnic from Aemono Deli, book, kid(s), sunshine, with a slight breeze (no bugs) next to the river.

Deep Creek- 10 minutes drive. No facilities but easily accessed! High and steep stream bed. Great exploring and stream trout fishing. Ideal moment: Good light, good gooey worms and a fishing pole! Or a sturdy hiking stick!

Trout Lake-15-20 minute drive. No facilities. Parking lots and easy access. A high alpine lake with storybook views. Bring the camera. Pack a picnic keep your eyes peeled for Dick Van Dyke family- this territory has plenty of history and character. Funky 1950’s cabins, families who pioneered the area from way back still use the grounds in the summertime. Access to a boat can be a little tricky to arrange but if you can wrangle one up you, the kids and the misses’ will have a day on the lake to remember. It is a shallow lake along the majority of the shoreline which makes for great observing and exploring. Heavily forested and seldom fished you can take it all in from shoreline or from the bow. Many hikes originate from this lake basin and there is a nice ‘ole railroad low level jeeping loop behind the lake. Ideal moment: Mixed group of friends/family, a vessel of some sort; like a canoe or kayaks, a picnic and maybe some beers – that’s about all you need! Some can meet you at the lakes far end and some can paddle across the lake to get there. Very beautiful and serene. Strawberries on the far side!

The Lizard Head Wilderness area- 20 minutes drive. Facilities, hiking routes access to the real deal for backcountry wilderness backpacking. What more can be said? In mid-September or October there can be a mushroom or two in this woods- hire an expert and get yourself some fixings for a scrumptious mushroom omelet for breakfast. Ideal moment: botanist guide, tattered guidebook, brown bag and a hiking group or friends or fellow curious types. Further – just a neat place to explore with the kids- keep them close- it is a dense forest up there. There are several creeks which always easily capture a long afternoons worth of attention.

Sunshine Campground-10 minutes- limited facilities, established campsites with BBQ grills, picnic tables and parking at the “camp sites” Best to go there on non-festival weeks and during the weekdays- less chance for choice sites if on a weekend. Located across from the now privately owned Skyline Guest Ranch, this BLM campground is nestled on a ridgeline with the Wilson trio of 14,000’ peaks featured as the living room view! Incredible sites, a great place to cook some burgers and pretend you camping for an early evening out-of-the-house. Let the kids be kids and GO WILD! in this spectacular next to nature (and your house) spot!

Woods Lake- 40 minutes drive. We will stop at this one since it is getting farther out-of-town. We mention it because the drive goes fast, is pretty and it is so well worth the effort. Pristine, untouched by the Dept. of Fish and Game and just a plain old idyllic setting. A heavily forested lake with killer backdrop views, facilities for camping and grilling and horsing around with the motorcycles, ATV or the jeep. Kastle Keepers could probably manage to get a horse outfitter to bring horses up for an afternoon with plenty of notice beforehand. Hiking trailheads abound or just circumnavigate via mindless meandering around the spectacular mossy sided lake all afternoon. It is a lake in the woods- bring bug repellant and check for ticks! Ideal moment: Camping out overnight. Otherwise, a shared meal, various forms of fishing paraphernalia including floatie boats! A nice fly rod, the right fly and a beer!

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NOTE: √
Kids activities like swim lessons, organized soccer camp, baseball and hockey camps fill up fast with locals or visiting families in the know. www.townoftelluride.co.org

Alternatively drop-in activities like the ranger program at Bear Creek or the San Sophia Nature center discovery programs and the Ah Haa four-hour classes are never overcrowded but we would advise you to call to confirm there is in fact a meeting planned! Local experts in just about any discipline are more than likely available for hire- with plenty of notice. Most have real jobs and only get to work in the field that they love because of us knowing who they are and then knowing who you are! Pole dancing for exercise, herb walkers, private outdoor Pilates instruction or elite running companionship are all a phone call way!

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What you’ll find at Colorado ski resorts. What makes heliskiing HELISKIING is the snow quality. The snow is soft and untracked on every run and skiers and boarders ride all day without crossing another set of tracks.

Colorado’s Only Heliskiing

The Thrill of a Skiing Lifetime awaits you…..

Intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders are invited to join Telluride Helitrax, Colorado’s only Heliskiing guide service, for the ultimate thrill, skiing on over 250 square miles of untracked powder on some of the highest helicopter-accessed terrain in the world, Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.

Helitrax.net * 970.728.8377 * 866.435.4754
Thinking Snow... ))
John Humphries ((
Telluride Helitrax ))
970.728.8377 office((
970.729.1587 cell ))

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News

TOWN'S CARBON FOOTPRINT

The Town of Telluride experienced a 6 percent decrease in the level of CO2 "exhaled" by town-owned vehicles, lights and computers in town offices, water treatment plant, Galloping Goose, ice rink, campground restrooms and all other public facilities. In 2007 the town's effort to slash energy consumption was mostly by doing small things. Copies were made on both sides of paper. Computers turned off and e-mails used instead of paper copies. Motion detectors for lights replaced lights not in use and the town fleet of cars were replaced with hybrids or electrics

The town released a summary of the 2007 energy use of its vehicles and facilities, identifying problem areas and making recommendations for 2008. These recommendations include eliminating the creation of ice in the Hanley Rink in August for a special event, improving gas mileage on the town's fleet, more temperature control in town buildings and eliminating the mowing of grass along the River Trail.

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March 2008 Calendar

Friday, March 14, 2008
The Eric Lindell Band Singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell brings sould, R & B, wamp-pop, funk and blues to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m.
970.728.6363
Friday, March 14, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - Sunday, March 16, 2008
Smartwool Race Series
Over 200 ski racers (ages 15-25) from Colorado compete on Milk Run to qualify for the state FIS Rocky Mountain Trophy series. 970.728.6163
Sunday, March 16, 2008
One to One Cardboard Derby
The young masterminds of Telluride race their hand-made cardboard sleds on the Thrill Hill for the benefit of the One to One Youth Program. Race begins at 10 a.m. and a traditional BBQ follows. 970.728.0885
Monday, March 17, 2008
Baseball on Skis
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by witnessing the annual spectacle of skiers dueling it out with bats, balls and bases at the base of Lift 7.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Spring Creek Bluegrass Band
From Lyons, Colorado, the quartet that makes up the Spring Creek Bluegrass Band is quickly gaining a reputation as the hottest young band in Colorado. They are performing with special guest Arkamo Rangers at the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m.
970.728.6363
Friday, March 21, 2008
Bonerama
With a four-trombone frontline, Bonerama brings New Orleans funk to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m. 970.728.6363
Friday, March 21, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Little Women
The Broadway musical Little Women comes to the Palm Theatre, 8 p.m. 970.369.5669
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Melvin Seals & His Funky Friends
Melvin Seals, musical director and keyboardist for the Jerry Garcia Band for nearly two decades, bring his newly formed band to the Sheridan Opera House, 9 p.m. 970.728.6363
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Special Olympic Family Day
A day of racing, games, food and fun for Special Olympic participants and their families. Telluride Ski Resort/Mountain Village, time TBA. 970.728.3524
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Egg Hunt
Join the Telluride Ski Resort for an on-mountain Easter egg hunt. 970.728.7400
Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Sunday, March 30, 2008
Show and Tell Series
The Telluride Repertory Theatre presents a staged musical reading of the 1989 Best Off Broadway Musical Closer Than Ever at the Sheridan Opera House Gallery Room: 6:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. 970.708.7728
Friday, March 28, 2008
Winter Concert Series
A free concert in Mountain Village. Performance and time TBA. 970.728.7620
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Swing Camp Telluride
Telluride Lindy Society presents a swing dance camp for all enthusiasts. 970.327.4908
Saturday, March 29, 2008 - Sunday, March 30, 2008
Winter Festival
Celebrate the season in Mountain Village with two days of live music and entertainment. 970.369.7632

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Kastle Keepers, LLC update

We really enjoy collaborating with you on what you find thrilling, exciting and rejuvenating in Telluride. All of us at Kastle Keepers have an outdoors based sort of mindset- a good one to have if you are based at 8,750’ in altitude in a town full of 65-year old ski bums! The Palm Presents, the Sunset Concert Series and other cultural & entertainment attractions each do a great job of reaching out to the part time residents with regards to their enticing schedules and their smoke and mirrors. Surveying a fine oils artists’ work in progress while strolling the sidewalks on a warm summer’s eve is a savored moment for almost everyone. But who also does not appreciate the lakes/streams and muddy puddles that kids of all ages thrive upon? Who will market their wares to you? You have these wonderful homes and invite your loved ones to share memories along your brief interludes with Telluride. The Box Canyon Newsletter is a consortium of alpine lifestyle best of the best suggestion book. So what has been one of your best experiences here? We have heard good things about rafting with Trevor and riflemanship at the Valhalla Ranch, a private jeep trip town-town and so much more. Drop us an email and we will put it on the next letter.

We take great strides towards providing you and your family with the tools for A) the hassle free visit and secondly B) a true Telluride experience. You Own A House Here. We Take Care Of It.

Running a service business can be full of complexities. Take for example our high end caretaking company. There are a number of homeowners coming and going during the same week and each having personal preferences. The homes themselves can be very complex what with multiple boiler rooms, idiosyncratic problems and challenges. The success relies upon one simple principle: trust in the guys at the helm. The guys focus on the nitty gritty meat and bones of the house caretaking 24/7, 365 and then some as most of you know from personal interactions. The odd stuff trickles thru, “I left my cell phone and need it FED EX this morning”, and “My computer has shut down can you purchase, set up and get me back in gear by tomorrow?“ The team handles these requests one at a time but they are random and fleeting occurrences. Overwhelmingly the core mission has remained the same year after year (18-years in all). Provide thoughtful, professional, personalized service to each homeowner with integrity, respect and courtesy. Preserve the residences with diligent care, mind full forethought and immediate intervention when needed. Of course the number of houses being covered has expanded at a nice steady pace- thank you very much- thus more arms, legs and brains are needed each year as we progress. While the Homeowner has full control of a vessel that is off shore so to speak- truly it is the guys that have the pulse of her operations under their command. Thus the nature of our relationships is that of a two-way street. We need your input, direction; resources to keep the homes in as good a shape as when you first bought it. Communication back and forth in a written form, either fax or email, sets everyone up for success.

The community at large got slammed by snow this past winter- and it’s not over yet. It was a regional once in a lifetime experience. There are towns within a few hours drive of here where there were roof collapses, stranded townships and other difficult obstacles to overcome this winter. In a section of the country that typically enjoys over 300 days-a year of sunshine this winter’s climate demonstrated Mother Nature’s range of power and intensity. Naturally the strain tested our relationships at every level. Lee had to walk every individual homeowner through the logistical nightmare borne out of the heavy snows accumulated around the residences. He had to ship in outside help from across the state. Now we have the big melt off to contend with. Lee prepared all the homeowners for the interventions he had to implement to maintain safety at the homes, access and general normal winter upkeep. Otherwise we would be sending out more emails about costly broken deck rails, collapsed walls and interior roof leaks. It was an interesting learning experience. None of us expect to be in the same ballpark next year. We wanted you to know we appreciate your insight and trust in us here in the land of snow.

Come and enjoy what will be a wonderful white spring,
Lee, Sheilagh, Freddie, Trevor and Rusty