While staying at McPhee Reservoir near Dolores, CO, we took a day trip to Telluride - a very upscale world-renowned ski resort town.
Irene has always wanted to visit Telluride since she read about it in Architect-ural Digest in the 1980's while going to Parson School of Design in NYC.
You access Telluride (8750 ft. altitude), by taking two free gondolas from Mountain Village (altitude 9500 ft.) --- the ride is a total of 13 minutes each way. You hop onto the first moving gondola, then hop off as it keeps moving, then go across the patio and hop on to the second as it keeps moving, then hop off while that one is still moving --- and you get to see glorious vistas all the way. This is the only transportation system of its kind in North America. Telluride is roughly ten blocks long and five blocks wide, so a car is not necessary, plus there's no place to park it.
Located on the very scenic San Juan Skyway, Telluride, a National Historic Landmark District, is situated at the base of the Telluride ski resort and is surrounded by peaks that rise up to 14,000 ft. The high altitude in Telluride & Mountain Village means that the air pressure is 40% lower than sea level, which is what we're used to, coming from NJ. - and, boy, do we feel the difference!! We've been at high altitudes since leaving Mesa AZ and we can sure tell - shortness of breath big time.
During Telluride's mining heyday, the town's fortune and notoriety attracted all sorts. On June 24, 1889, Robert Leroy Parker, later known as Butch Cassidy, and his friends (the Sundance Kid wasn't among them) "withdrew" $24,000 from the local bank. This robbery was the first of many led by Parker, a.k.a. Cassidy.
You access Telluride (8750 ft. altitude), by taking two free gondolas from Mountain Village (altitude 9500 ft.) --- the ride is a total of 13 minutes each way. You hop onto the first moving gondola, then hop off as it keeps moving, then go across the patio and hop on to the second as it keeps moving, then hop off while that one is still moving --- and you get to see glorious vistas all the way. This is the only transportation system of its kind in North America. Telluride is roughly ten blocks long and five blocks wide, so a car is not necessary, plus there's no place to park it.
Located on the very scenic San Juan Skyway, Telluride, a National Historic Landmark District, is situated at the base of the Telluride ski resort and is surrounded by peaks that rise up to 14,000 ft. The high altitude in Telluride & Mountain Village means that the air pressure is 40% lower than sea level, which is what we're used to, coming from NJ. - and, boy, do we feel the difference!! We've been at high altitudes since leaving Mesa AZ and we can sure tell - shortness of breath big time.
During Telluride's mining heyday, the town's fortune and notoriety attracted all sorts. On June 24, 1889, Robert Leroy Parker, later known as Butch Cassidy, and his friends (the Sundance Kid wasn't among them) "withdrew" $24,000 from the local bank. This robbery was the first of many led by Parker, a.k.a. Cassidy.
---Upper Left and Upper Right: looking at Mountain Village from the gondola. Do you believe this is in the U.S. and not Switzerland!!
---Lower Left: Looking down at the town of Telluride while on the gondola - click on the photo to enlarge it.
---Lower Right: the initial view of Telluride when you arrive at the gondola station.
