We arrive in Telluride! Standing on the bridge right outside our condo. If you walk towards the hills in back, in two blocks, you get to downtown Telluride. You'll pass the library on your left.
We took the Gondola up to Mountain Village, an extravagent ski/resort development perched on the mountain above Telluride. One of the lodges is the Franz Klammer Lodge.
The gondola at Mountain Village. By the way, gondola rides are free (paid for by Mountain Village).
We had lunch at 9,545 feet. I had the recommended BLT which comes with grilled salmon to make up for the fact there is otherwise no protein in a BLT. Recommended!
Gerhard and I got off halfway back down the mountain (from the gondola), and walked the rest of the way.
We took some shortcuts down steep double-diamond slopes.
You would not believe how many aspens are in Colorado, or how sweet they look in groves.
The gondola on its way back down to Telluride.
Gerhard and Dad do hand wash.
A view from our balcony.
Inside the condo.
To town!
Art shot(tm).
We are the first ones to arrive for the Stammtisch hosted by the people who run the unlikely Tirolean store named Alpen Schatz. You can see above the multicolored Tibetan prayer flags that are all over town - on every other building, commercial or public.
An old red brick building framed by Tibetan prayer flags, fluttering in the breeze, uttering timeless Tibetan prayers on behalf of us all.
Our hostess for the Stammtisch. She is one of the owners of Alpen Schatz.
Erlmosers.
An English guy. This was an international Stammtisch.
Safeguarding the accordion until the accordion player showed up. Gerhard hid the fact that he plays a mean accordion.
Gallery owner.
I got Dad to eat Korean kimchee. It wasn't too spicy-hot and he seemed to like this variant of pickled cabbage.
At left, our accordion player, then his wife, then a singer-songwriter, then an Alpen Schatz person.
Jocularity.
Crooning
Soul music
I also got Dad to try some wraps: Thai dish where you put chicken etc. inside a lettuce leaf and chow down. The Stammtisch was held at an east-west fusion cuisine sort of very California kind of restaurant named Honga's.
Bridalveil Falls
Our fearless steed, the Ford Escort.
The view from the Telluride airport, which is 5 minutes out of town.
Art Shot(tm).
Social clubs in town include the Masons, etc.
It is tempting to shoot about 10,000 pictures of the same mountains and the same street.
Alpen Schatz das ding an dich.
More Alpen Schatz.
Popcorn Alley, the long-ago bordello district.
Mysterious - must be an Art Shot(tm), or, more likely, a through-the-window shot.
One day we took the Pinzgauer tour - Dave's Adventure Tours - up the mountain to Imogene Pass. What follows is about 50 pictures from that tour. It was about 2 1/2 hours up and about 1 1/2 hours down. Quite a bumpy and perilous-looking ride. No way you could drive this unless you were in a jeep or some sort of ancient Austrian army vehicle, as we were.
Our tour guide, Dave.
Explaining an abandoned building of an abandoned mining town of an abandoned mine.
The merry troupe.
Bowls
Cowboy Lotte
Hang on!
The view just keeps getting better. We had glorious clear warm weather.
At the top is an incongruous mailbox, which serves, apparently, as target.
Our trusty red monster.
Dave and Dad at the pass - 13,114 feet.
Jaunty Dave and questioning Dad
Flowers and snow
Flowers and snow and mountains
I liked our trusty red monster
Red Rocky Mountain Truck and Cowgirl
Gerhard and I scrambled up a nearby pile of rocks - you could call it a hill - and this gave me a chance to get some perspective on the size of the truck versus the mountains.
Blue flowers hidden at the very top
Gerhard at the very top
Suddenly, red rock mountains
Dave and horse
Time to head back down that dusty road
Flowers everywhere - at this altitude in mid--June, it's early spring
If you go to Telluride, call Dave for a tour! 728-9749.
Columbine, the state flower (and a truly lousy shot)
Quaintness
Bridalveil Falls from above
The town of Telluride from the road up to Imogene Pass
The river outside our condo
The view down the street from our condo
And ... our condo!
Sparkly river outside the condo
Farewell, sweet condo