Telluride
Colorado
Sliding down a hill in
Late February 2024
Issue # 6
I can tell you ride!
My work led me to the mountains of Colorado, this time photographing a big ski trip. Carrying four different cameras while riding a snowboard is my kind of work!
After I delivered all the photos, some of my closest friends joined me in Telluride for a proper ski vacation.
Where I’ve been:
Colorado
(Denver, Telluride, and Crested Butte)
Why:
Work + nomadding with friends
How long:
18 days
What it was like:
I'm pretty biased against Colorado, but even still, Telluride is probably the best all-around ski resort in the continental U.S. It's a challenge to get to, so it's never crowded. It still has the feel of an old mining town, not another pretentious ski resort. The free gondola runs almost all hours of the day, linking the old town with the new lodges of Mountain Village. The terrain has enough variety to appeal to virtually all levels of skiers. Lastly, the views are iconic --literally. The skyline is the actual mountain featured on the can of Coors Light.
So yeah, Telluride’s all right.
What I’ve seen:
a sampling from my camera roll
What I’ve thought:
[ a few things on my mind ]
Unpopular opinion: Denver is the most overrated city in the U.S. It's not walkable, the food is disappointing, the airport is literally the origin of conspiracy theories, and all of the unique things to do "in Denver" are actually outside the city. It's a Midwest town; just with mountains close by.
I recently had a conversation about my emotional age (ie. how old I feel). The part of me that "wants to be seen", feels very young; like a child saying, "Watch me, Mommy!" This feeling is especially palpable when I am at play on a board. I so badly want to be seen and validated for teaching my adult self how to snowboard, skateboard, etc., yet nobody else in my family skis. None of them are around to see me.
Thanks to the free gondola in Telluride, my sister Heidi was the first person in my family to watch me slide down a hill. It's such a simple thing, but her gift of attention meant so much to me.
Most of my ski days lately have been lifestyle oriented: skiing in the morning, and then working into the evening, or literally working while skiing in some cases. However, for a few days in Telluride I put my camera and computer away, and I simply enjoyed skiing with my friends. It was a much-needed reminder to be fully-present in my play, as I am in my work.
My ski season began in Italy with my friend Libby. We enjoyed cappuccinos on the mountain top as we celebrated Christmas. Forty-one ski days later, Libby was once again with me in Colorado sharing my final runs of the season. It was only fitting to end it with another round of cappuccinos.
Oh! and…
I had the pleasure of meeting Victor Vescovo, who is the incarnation of the world's most interesting man. He's been to the deepest point of every ocean, he's climbed Mt. Everest, and he's been to space. Currently he's working with a team to de-extinct the woolly mammoth.
He gave a presentation of 17 Lessons he's learned along the way. Including:
Say "yes" whenever possible, and "no" when uncomfortable.
Read history to understand the past, and science fiction to imagine the future.
Learning a new trade will give you more respect for those who do it, and vice versa.
At the end of his presentation, he made one last point that still resonates loudly in my mind: "Never forget," he said, "that we have very little time here."
In Colorado I was
thankful…
for tree runs that looked like Narnia
to ski without a backpack, cameras, and extra lenses
for Brown Dog pizza
for a cigar night on a closed chair lift
for the ski valet in Crested Butte
I walked away from my longest ski season with only a small scratch