Considering Telluride early-mid Feb. Would fly to/from Denver. Heard weather could strand. I'm Blue/double Blue skill. Just a long weekend, is it worth it? Experiences- please advise on any/all points, etc. Thx

I don't ski, but flying into Grand Junction might be easier for you. (Couple hour drive vs. Several hour drive.) *FYI*

In good weather under ideal traffic conditions it's a good 6 - 7 hour drive to telluride from the Denver airport, perhaps a bit longer. With winter conditions you could plan on the possibility of chewing up a an entire day at each end of the trip to get there and back - not worth it for a long weekend. Consider flying direct into Telluride, which is pricey but an incredible view. I flew into there this past June and it's amazing - you swoop in above razor sharp mountain ridges and drop onto an airstrip on an elevated mesa on the side of a mountain. Not for the faint of heart but very cool. If you're on a tight schedule to return to work be advised that there are often weather related airport delays in the winter - at over 9,000 feet it's the highest commerical airport in North America. Best bet is to fly into Montrose. It will be as much as $200 cheaper RT than going direct into Telluride and there's a ground shuttle from there to Telluride that runs about $35 IIRC and it's about a 90 minute drive. Grand Junction is significantly further away but still much closer than Denver. If you go be sure to try some goodies at Baked In Telluride - very tasty.

If you're flying United, it might not be much more expensive to go straight into Telluride, assuming United Express flies there. I don't think the trip is worth it just for a long weekend, if you're having to drive from Denver. If thats the case, it would be better to choose somewhere closer to Denver.

Flight delays/cancellations are common around Durango and Telluride. Often there is a "weight limit", which means the plane still flies, but a certain number of passengers are asked to give up seats. If you have a little leeway on your return trip, that weight limit is a great way to build up a few vouchers pretty fast. You'll usually get to your destinatiuon within a couple of hours of when you planned.

I think Great Lakes Air may be the only airline actually serving telluride direct. IIRC, they were owned by United Express and then split off on their last spring. if you book on other airlines it will apppear that they are flying you all the way but then you'll be transferred onto Great Lakes. When I flew there, the Denver - Telluride portion of my trip was well about $360 RT and the Newark-Denver portion was only $230.

We fly into Montrose and take a shuttle to Telluride. Gorgeous drive and you don't need a car in town. Skiing in Telluride for two days is worth any amount of hassle but then again I just love to be in the beauty of Colorado. Telluride has lots of green and black runs and not as many blues but for a long weekend you have plenty to challenge yourself with.

Fly into Montrose....65 miles to Telluride. $70 round trip transfer. Much more reliable than flying into Telluride.

The drive from Montrose to Telluride is very pretty.

We drove from Montrose to Telluride during a vacation there a few years ago. Actually we had family living in Montrose. We took lots of trips. Does the Telluride route include the Million Dollar Highway? If so, yes, it’s a very pretty trip but very scary too. My family who lives there thought it was quite hilarious how my husband and I, in the back seat, clung to the side of the van opposite of the cliffs. No guardrails, lots of sharp curves, straight-down cliffs, and locals who drive it like it’s your average highway. I say you have to experience it at least once in your lifetime.

The stretch from Montrose to Telluride is part of the scenic loop, but it doesn't include the really nasty cliffs. (They are just south of Ouray.) It winds around a lot, but feels a lot safer. It's part of the route we take from Ouray to Durango if the passes on 550 (Million Dollar Highway) are icy.

Thanks for the memories Travellyn. The trip over the Million Dollar Highway was from Montrose to Ouray and over to Silverton, not our Telluride trip. Wow, the scenery in Ouray was unbelievable! The public hot springs weren't too bad either. Driving into Telluride was a pretty cool sight to behold as well.