Telluride may not be close to anything, but it's worth the trip

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) - Wanted: A skier's paradise. Requirements include pure, pristine powder snow as soft as confectioner's sugar. Practically no lift lines. Ski-in, ski-out accommodations. Sunsets that startle the imagination with naturally choreographed light shows. No traffic lights. Maybe a glimpse of TomKat and TomKitten. And something for your little dog, too.

Found: Telluride, a mountain town in the far southwest corner of Colorado.

You get all these things and more when you take the road less traveled to Telluride, a former mining community perched at an attitude of about 8,700 feet, and Mountain Village, a ski resort community just a gondola ride away above the town at 9,500 feet. Rising venerably in the San Juan range of the Rocky Mountains, Telluride is a hidden gem for anyone who enjoys life out of the recliner and into the outdoors. And with the nearest stoplight 35 miles away, traffic isn't much of a bother.

Although a cliche, Telluride really is quaint and charming. There's just no other way to put it. Surrounded by the 14,000-foot snow-covered peaks of the San Juans and filled with lovely Victorian architecture _ it's a National Historic Landmark District _ Telluride is a Currier & Ives postcard come to life. The town has a year-round population of fewer than 3,000, but that's perhaps because it is pretty far off the beaten path, even by today's standards.

It's a hefty drive or flight from anywhere. Denver is more than 300 miles away, and so are Albuquerque and Salt Lake City. Telluride's airport, at 9,078 feet one of the highest in altitude in the world, is served only in the winter by direct and connecting service through Denver and Phoenix. Otherwise, within Colorado you can fly into Montrose or Cortez, both just over an hour's drive away, or Grand Junction or Durango, about 2 ˝ hours.

Since Telluride is in one of those corners of Colorado that gets overlooked, you wouldn't think that Butch Cassidy could have even found it back in 1889 when he and his gang made their first illegal "withdrawal" at the San Miguel Bank. But he did, probably because Telluride prospered from mining _ silver and gold, primarily _ so the pickins' were pretty good.

Before Butch rode into town, Telluride was known as Columbia, but since there was already a Columbia in California, its name was changed to Telluride, after the metal tellurium. But a more romantic tome suggests that it was so named for a shortened version of the dispatch, "To hell you ride!" That's what the prospectors and cowboys supposedly shouted to those striking out to seek their fortunes in the much warmer southern San Juan range.

Whether it's Telluride or To-Hell-You-Ride, you obviously can get there from here, though, despite its remoteness. But that's part of its mysticism and magnetism and probably part of what prompted TomKat _ that's Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes, if you're just tuning in to the 21st century _ to buy a home in the area. Plus the uncrowded skiing. That especially counts.

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"About the only people who ski here are locals or those staying in hotels," said Karl Chase of the Inn at Little Creek. "You just don't come for a day of skiing."

I found myself in Telluride in celebration of my birthday, a significant one with a "0" in it. Years have passed since I last snow-skied, and maybe it would have been better had I let more years pass. Not to say that I didn't love it, because Telluride has the best powder in the world. It's soft and dry and really does resemble and feel like confectioner's sugar. Until you fall on it a few times, that is. It didn't take me long to figure out that ladies with a "0" in their age and who have depth perception in the negative numbers don't belong on skis.

Our group, real flatlanders from Georgia, stayed at the Inn at Lost Creek in Mountain Village. Part of the reason we chose this warm, cozy inn was that it has Christy Sports Ski Shop onsite, a ski school, a small spa, incredible view from its lofty elevation, and the outstanding 9545 Restaurant and Bar for high altitude dining. If you fail to make the grade at ski school as I did, that 9545 Bar comes in real handy, by the way.

The more advanced skiers of our group really liked the ski-in, ski-out in both directions from the Inn at Lost Creek, something unique to all of Telluride. And one added that she had skied all over Europe and America, declaring Telluride's scenery "absolutely the best."

At last count, more than 110 inches of snow had fallen at skier-friendly Telluride and more is coming. The spring skiing will be fabulous for anyone more coordinated than I am. Add into the massive amounts of snow the opening of the new Revelation Bowl, which has been called the "biggest news" in the ski industry for the 2008-2009 season. This European-style terrain is situated above tree line, and its natural, wide-open bowl offers advanced and expert runs in an unbelievably scenic setting.

Hot-doggers can run the Revelation all they want, but for my tamer doppelgangers and me, we have the more subdued dogsled tours, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, ice skating, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, and even heli-skiing. Since I flunked the bunny slopes, no way was I going to leap out of a helicopter for heli-skiing.

Too bad my birthday wasn't in summer, because I would have had plenty of outdoor opportunities that would have required less dexterity than skiing, like fly-fishing, hiking, white water rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, exploring national parks and golf.

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"If you've never hit a golf ball at 9,500 feet," said one local golfer. "You're in for a big ego boost. The air is thinner, and the ball goes much farther."

Not outdoorsy? Come to Telluride anyway. Take a shopping or walking tour of town. Dogs are most welcome in Telluride, with plenty of puppy parking available. For the more culturally inclined, you might want to come during the myriad festivals and events including, among others, the Telluride Jazz Celebration, Telluride Film Festival and Telluride Wine Festival.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Visit www.tellurideskiresort.com or call (800) 778-8581. Also, visit www.VisitTelluride.com or call (888) 355-8743.

The award-winning condominium-style Inn at Little Creek is a small, intimate property centrally located and the decor includes fabrics, furniture, and furnishings reminiscent of early Telluride and its mining heritage. Visit www.InnAtLostCreek.com or call (888) 601-LOST (5678).

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© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.