Hello my Friend!  It’s finally time for our ski trip recap!  We headed back to Telluride last month for our anniversary.  We were planning on 9 days, but the weather gods had other things in mind and we were there for 11 instead.

We decided to fly into the Telluride airport this year and just take a chance that we’d have a good day for flying onto a tiny, mountain runway (it’s completely hit or miss.  One year at a festival in September we got cancelled because of rain-not even snow, oy).  We got lucky that it was a gorgeous sunny day out when we arrived.  We met our girls Janet and Kelly at the Denver airport and hopped onto our 19-seater.

An hour flight from Denver.

The exact moment that you hope to make the runway–which is off the side of the mountain….

A little secret nugget on earth (don’t go spilling the beans).

Love this town.

Cool store front.

Getting unpacked and settled into our place.  You can’t help but stop and stare….so he did.

I will never, ever get enough of this view.  Spectacular.  Ah-haaaaa.

We decided on a little Apres Ski action (my favorite kind of activity) at Allreds.  It’s the restaurant that overlooks the town of Telluride.  You can ski down from it, or continue on the gondola down the other side to Mountain Village.  Janet and I got to our prime spot first.  There aren’t very many tables, so the early-birds get the worm (champagne).

CW and Kelly were meeting us after their first day of skiing.

One of many, many colorful hats I would wear this trip…

Ready for our vaca.

Even the mountains have Sunday Funday.  We plan ours around the Superbowl.

Janet and I decided that we would cook some apps, order food and take advantage of our cozy place to watch the big game.

Check out the floor to ceiling windows!  The snow started falling and it didn’t stop all day.  It was an unreal feeling.

Since the girls are from Cali (and we hope to be one day ) I was ready to represent.  I thought it was a sign when I saw this Golden Gate bridge tank.

In a winter wonderland heaven–with many, many layers on.

Keep it coming!

Game time in our comfy clothes.

This was MY plate–after the appetizers.  Skiing is good exercise, so I say “indulge”!

Fire roaring.  Isn’t this what you would imagine doing when on a ski trip?

Hot tub time.

We woke up and I was ready to ski!  We ended up being majorly spoiled this trip, with great sunny days and intense snowy ones too.  This is the “warming hut” on the top of Prospect Express.

Yep, I got new plaid ski pants this year.  Hat from last year’s trip.

CW grew out his beard.  Loved it.

Almost the exact spot where we got engaged.  We were knee-deep in snow that year.

Mt. Wilson in the background.  My favorite pic of the trip.

Onto the most fabulous restaurant in the entire world….But, first, you have to get to the tippy-top of the mountain.  Love how “ski patrol” is designated on the sign.

Literally-the top of the world.  Those are Utah mountains in the way background….

Down the “See Forever” run….with Alpino Vino in sight.  Get my wine ready….

The outside deck view.

I didn’t edit this picture–it’s really that perfect.

I love me some furry, cow pillows.

and warm blankets.

Happy campers.

We get this spread every single year.

My grilled cheese and tomato soup combo.  Delish.

An incredible day.

Seriously.  It’s 11,966 feet up.

Can you tell we’re happy to be there?  Kelly and Janet were pretty much our personal photographers.  Thank you girls!!

I’ve missed them!

These two count down this trip for months before….

The way down…argh.  My worst favorite part.  The wine doesn’t even make me more of a dare-devil.  I for sure have sore legs when I get to the bottom.

Night-time view at our fav corner table at Last Dollar Saloon.

You gotta love a rustic bar that only takes cash–yet has a decorative ceiling and chandeliers.

CW manning the music.

Even in February, all of the Christmas lights are still up all over town.

Goodnight sleepy town.

I mean, how is this even real-life?

and then the snow started again.  It was like little bullets on your face, so I made CW take me to Apres Ski a tad early haha.

Trying to warm up.  I thought his gloves were going to start on fire.  I’m a bit paranoid at times….

This is where our mountain wedding reception was five years ago.  Such amazing memories.

Everyone was huddled around the fire or inside.  No one was playing in the snow that day.

Correction, one person was playing.  This guy.  What a trooper.

and this guy could stay out in it all day long if he didn’t have a wife saying “enough”.

One of the many ahhh-mazing meals we had…this was Janet and my dinner at Cosmopolitan.

Blue skies, blue skies!  CW and Kelly hiked up Bear Creek.  Janet and I did not.  I trekked it twice last year and this year there was a ridiculous amount of snow, so that would be a PASS.  The view on their way back down, getting close to town.

There they are as they finished, hanging out by the river behind our pad.

Heading out for another ski day.  You take the gondola up from town…

You can get off  at the gondola station and ski down to the town–or go to the restaurant.  If not, you just stay on and head down the other side to Mountain Village.  Here’s the view when you’re coming out of that gondola station to the MV side.

I was not the only one who had packed colorful hats.  Props.

An open area to do some tricks…

Cheese.  Again.

Yep, snow angels.

Kelly-are you sick of taking pictures yet?

What’s so funny?  Knowing CW, probably something inappropriate.  I can’t see his hands

Hello to our “Goose”.  There’s her ski run.

Let’s hit it!

We love coming here at this exact time of year.  You have the mountain to yourselves quite a bit.

I wasn’t too happy with my choice of wine at one of the mountain spots, so I smuggled my own in.  Shhhh.

Back at Goronno Ranch for lunch.

Quite a bit different than when it’s down-pouring snow.  Don’t forget the sunscreen.

The chairs were taken, so we made our own-in the snow.

This was how CW liked to spend his free time at the house…listening to music on his Ipad.

I couldn’t resist capturing his jam session for you.

There was an open house at one of the units.  We need to win the lottery!!

The mountain man.

One of our last days–or, so we thought….

It was pointed out that I probably coordinated our hats to the sign.  I did not haha.

Even their water is cool.

Here we go……The snowstorm began.  Da-da-daaaaa.  We had been following the flights to see if they were getting out of the airport and it wasn’t going very well.  The day we were supposed to leave was crazy.  The girls had it easier–they had more options to get back to San Fran.  They ended up buying new tix out of another airport an hour and a half away (the one we usually flight in and out of).  Not us.  We at least needed to get to Denver, to find a flight back to the FL.  Remember I told you that it was a crap shoot when you choose this airport?   We all said our goodbyes and hoped for the best.

In a nutshell, they got out of their airport (a little late, but out at least), we did not.  Not even close.  All of the flights were cancelled and we had to make a decision.  One option was paying for a shuttle with ten other people to Denver….UM, that would be an instantaneous–no thank you.  We’ve done that drive before when we were stranded in Denver-trying to get to Telluride (7 1/2 hours in GOOD weather and riding with 4 people who we knew), so no way jose were we going to do that nightmare, with that many people, in a snowstorm.  Even if we did end up choosing that, we still would’ve had to spend the night in Denver anyways.  So, we completely agreed and put our names on a flight 2 days later (you were basically waiting for seats to randomly open up, as people were able to find other options).  The storm was supposed to be clear by then-so, whatchya gonna do.  Thank the lord for our girl Tammy who ROCKS and was able to take care of our pups for a couple extra days.  You da best lady!

I got on the horn to try to re-book our flight options 2 days later and then find a hotel.  We had been in a house for the entire week and had obviously already checked out, so we couldn’t get back in there (and we wouldn’t have, with just the 2 of us).  We have never, ever stayed in Mountain Village in all of our visits to Telluride, so we figured maybe it was sign that we should get a room at one of the hotels.  Room service did not sound bad.  At all.

We got an awesome room with a ha-uge balcony.  See the gondola lift over on the right-going up the mountain?

A good sized room.  The bathroom was ginormous.

Then the snow came again.  Um–ok, yeah, I see why we didn’t fly out…

let’s do what we do best and go eat then…

Brrrrrr…..ice bullets.

Pizza at Brown Dog.  I had been craving their taco pizza since last year and about died when they said it was no longer available.  Kill me now.

Heading back up the mountain.  You can’t even see the town down there, but the trees were beautiful.

We got back to our room and I was ready to settle in to watch a movie.  Well, long story short, we had to change rooms.  Our neighbors were driving me bonkers, when all I wanted to do was chill in some peace and quiet after a crazy, long day of shlepping luggage all over the place (I am not a light packer as you know).  Of course we got a room next to some dudes blaring music.  One of the hotel guys came up, was so nice and ended up moving us (and gave us an upgrade). Yee-haw!  Thank you Hotel Madeline!  Our new room…

What a view onto the ice skating rink and up the mountain.

The next morning the sunshine was back, but we were still stuck.  Time to tool around town.  Fingerless gloves are smart.

A different kind of “beach”.  I actually prefer this kind.  Really.

The snow is so pretty.  One of the lifts from town.

Can you tell the different “feel” of the town of Telluride, in comparison to Mountain Village?  The town doesn’t have big hotels, it’s house-lined streets, unique shops and restaurants.  We prefer the town, but will give MV credit for their modern amenities.

The next day  we were ready to get back home (or, just live here forever, but we would have to go get our pups first).

Wait a minute, I thought the storm was supposed to be gone by now?  Great…

Sitting on the tarmac, starting to panic.  This does not look safe my friends.  Is that a runway?  The one that you kept saying that you couldn’t clear for the past 2 days?  Lovely.

Back to the gate (this is an airport that you’d see in a movie, where the same person might check you in, drive the baggage truck AND de-ice the plane).  HAHA.  After another de-icing, we actually took off.  In THIS.  Not a comforting view.  You gotta give credit to these amazing pilots.

A day of traveling and a time change…to this view out our front door.

We are so blessed to be able to spend time in our favorite place on earth.  No-not Disney.  I really need to unpack the last lone ski bag.  It’s the one full of ski pants, boots, mega mittens, hats, etc.  The hardest part is finding a place to store it all again.  I don’t know how it fits and in a spot that I remember where it is for next year!  Who am I kidding, I’ll prob just buy another pair of ski pants.  I did love the plaid this year.  Fashion statements are huge on the mountain!  I could do a blog on the outfits alone.  I don’t believe in being boring–my peeps can always spot me coming down the slopes =)

Now I’m singing “she’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes…”  See ya!