Telluride Realty's Monthly e-Newsletter
September 2008

It’s September already, and you can feel it in the air… ski season is just around the corner. But not quite yet as fall in Telluride is one of the best times to be around. We dress Indian Summer to the nines up here in the mountains…with crisp, blue, blue days, chilly nights, hillsides ablaze with aspens in full golden and orange fall foliage and oftentimes, fresh dustings of snow up on the peaks. It’s a great time for hiking, running, mountain biking…getting those last days in on the trails before they hole up for winter. September’s biggest highlight is of course, the Telluride Blues and Brews festival, celebrating its 15^th year. What started as a little brewer’s tasting festival on main street in the mid-90s has blossomed into a full-blown, three-day event that has seen the likes of James Brown, B.B. King, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Blues Traveler, Los Lobos, Bruce Hornsby and The Black Crowes. Among this year’s headlines are John Hiatt, Gov’t Mule, G. Love & Special Sauce, Joan Osborne and Etta James. Other fun September events include the Imogene Pass Run on September 6^th when trail runners of all ages race from Ouray to Telluride over the rough and tumble 17-mile, 13,114-foot Imogene Pass, and the KOTO Potato Black Bean Sauté—a not-to-be-missed breakfast fiesta. Plus, the Farmer’s Market is still going strong every Friday on South Oak Street with tons of deliciously fresh and local pickins. As for August, it was one of the nicest Augusts weather-wise in years. Just enough rain kept things green and flowery, but days were hot and sunny to keep summer in full swing. The Festival of the Arts and Mushroom Festival were both big hits in August as funghophiles descended for the latter, while the former brought the legendary Taj Mahal in for a FREE show in Mountain Village (yes you read this right, FREE). With his soulful voice as smooth as syrup, Taj sounded just as superb on that midsummer’s eve as he has for the past 40-plus years.

Regional News: Airport's Federal Funds Not in Holding Pattern

While traffic may be slightly down at the Telluride Regional Airport this summer, federal funds are by no means grounded, according to airport manager Richard Nuttall and a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration. Numbers are lower because Great Lakes Airlines reduced its daily flights from five to three this year, and of course a sluggish economy with exorbitant fuel prices has led to airlines reducing flights. Airport officials were therefore concerned Telluride wouldn’t serve 10,000 passengers in 2008—the magic number set by the FAA for distributing its $1 million in federal funds to the Telluride Regional Airport for improvements. But Linda Bruce, a representative from the FAA’s Denver office, recently said the funds are not in danger. This, in turn, was followed by a release of the data, which showed that from January through June, Telluride’s airport boarded 8,687 passengers, with another 1,112 passengers boarding in July. Thus, for the rest of the year, Telluride only needs to have 201 enplanements (or passengers boarding) in order to hit its quota. “We’re still above the 10,000 pace for this year,” said Nuttall. “We had 17,000-plus in 2007, and we’re predicting somewhere around 13,000 to 15,000 for this year.”

The $1 million will be used to pay for a runway improvement project.

By next summer, hikers will once again be able to summit Wilson Peak from the spectacular Silver Pick Basin. The U.S. Forest Service recently announced its plan to construct the “Rock of Ages” trail through Silver Pick Basin and its underlying forest. Presently and for the past couple of years, the privately-owned mining claims garnishing the primary existing trail have prevented access to the typical peak-bagger. (Those intent on scaling the 14,017-foot peak have done so via trails located on other aspects of the massif, or have tackled longer and more challenging routes in order to stay off private property.) But last fall, after three years of negotiations, the Trust for Public Lands spent $3 million for 230 acres of mining claims on Wilson Peak, purchasing them from landowner, Rusty Nichols. The TPL acquisition enabled the USFS to pursue a newly designed hiking route, which will begin on Big Bear Road at a new trailhead and parking area. The “Rock of Ages” trail will then use an existing trail, as well as old mining roads, creating a route similar in difficulty to the previous route, albeit a bit longer and according to some, prettier. “The beauty of this proposed route is that it would occur entirely on existing trails and old mining roads so that no new trail construction would be needed,” said District Ranger Judy Schutza in the USFS release. Most importantly however, it’s one that avoids private property.

The Forest Service urges hikers to respect the ongoing closure of the remaining private claims in Silver Pick Basin, still limiting traditional access. For now, enthusiasts should continue using the alternate trails (Lizard Head/Bilk Creek, Kilpacker, or Navajo) until next summer when the new trail will be open for business.

Community News: Double Doses... Here's to Your Health