Summary
Even the locals said that it was a heavenly week. Five out of our six ski days were officially ‘blue bird’ days, temperatures were moderate, the snow was good, and we were graced with four inches of snow on our third day, and on the eve of our last ski day. It just doesn’t get any better.
Detailed Report
Travel/Arrival
Our group of 37 skiers departed Washington National at 9:00 AM on Friday, March 11 The trip to Montrose through Chicago was uneventful with departure/arrival on time. All land only participants arrived on time, so all were able to make the group bus to Telluride, which transported us to the mountain village on schedule.
Our arrival at the Peaks Hotel was somewhat protracted – there seemed to be a shortage of experienced front desk staff and some glitches with the card readers. However, the good news was that most of the rooms were ready, and we were all able to quickly settle in.
The balance of the afternoon was devoted to picking up rentals from Black Tie Rental, conveniently set up in a meeting room beside the Welcome Reception.
The Club-sponsored Welcome Reception was from 5 to 6 pm. Many of the group welcomed an early evening, and some were already feeling the impact of the altitude. The hotel is located at 9.500 feet .
The Peaks Resort and Spa
The Peaks Hotel was, in a word, superb. The hotel is conveniently located in the Telluride Mountain Village only a brief walk from the free gondola service to the town of Telluride. The hotel is a true ski-in, ski-out property and has dedicated ski valets to manage the daily storage of skis and ski boots, much appreciated by members.
The hotel had an extensive spa with workout facilities, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, steam, and sauna rooms, and a full range of services (massages, facials etc.).
The Mountain
The skiing was superb throughout the week with all lifts open along with most of the mountain except a couple of off-piste areas. The mountain offered ample terrain for all levels, and some on-mountain dining options. Finding options for lunch at the base Mountain Village was easier than up on the mountain where outlets were rather limited, and subject to long waits. We had five out of six true bluebird days – an exceptional week, according to locals. Visibility was 100% during our entire week and the views of the surrounding mountains were stunning.
Non- Skiing Activities.
The easily accessible town of Telluride provided our members with a range of activities. A free gondola connects the Mtn Village and the Town. Many members visited the local Museum and enjoyed shopping or just walking around the town. There were also a number of other activities – e.g., snowmobiling, ice climbing – which kept some members busy on non-skiing days.
Group Activities
In addition to the Welcome Reception at the Peak’s lovely Appaloosa Room, there were two group events: a dinner at the same Appaloosa Room (on Monday), and a farewell pizza dinner at the Piazza/La Pizzeria Restaurant in the Mountain Village (on Thursday).
There were also four optional fine dining options on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at restaurants in town and in the Village. The optional meals attracted the vast majority of the group - at least 27 of the group signed up for each meal.
The size of the optional dinner groups presented some challenges, particularly in finding venues with adequate seating and arranging individual checks, which are apparently uncommon for large groups. The size of the group also meant that in several cases, we were unable to seat the group at the same time. Accordingly, we had either two seating times at some restaurants, or had the group widely dispersed in at least one. The 4 optional dinners were at the Cosmopolitan (Mar 12th), 221 South Oak Street (13th), Allred’s (15th) and Siam Talay Grille (16th)
Departure
We departed the Peaks on time at 9:15 on Friday, March 18th. The departure from Montrose went smoothly and the flight departed on time at 1:30 PM and arrived DCA on schedule.
Post Trip Addenda
There were no injuries or significant illnesses reported during the trip, but one trip participant tested positive for Covid 19 upon return. It was a very mild case. All trip participants were notified immediately, most all members tested and reported results, and thankfully, no additional positive results were communicated.
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