We have all seen the videos by now. A family looks out there back window to be surprised by a family of bears relaxing in their pool, or digging through their garbage. They are entertaining and we all get a good laugh out of them, but it’s not all fun and games. Though, it is great to see these amazing animals up close, you should really be doing all you can to keep them away from your house for your safety and theirs.
Spring is the time of year that we start to see the bears in the area rising out of hibernation and looking for food. It is also the time of year when people should be looking around their homes for ways to “bear proof” them. Here are a few helpful tips for keeping bears away from your backdoor.
Don’t leave pet food outside
This is an important one because it often gets overlooked. By now, most people know that they need to safely stow away their garbage so bear can’t get it, but they are also drawn in by your pets food. This also goes for the food of any livestock that you have. Bird feeders
Thoroughly clean your grill
If there is left over food, or even just a food smell, bears will be attracted to it. It is important to hiclean your grill and utensils thoroughly after you are done with them.
Try to keep your doors and windows secure
The screens on your home’s doors and windows will do nothing to keep bears out. If at all possible, you should keep them closed when you are not in that particular room. Leaving a radio or tv on will also help deter bears when you are not around too. Spread something for odor around the doors and windows to mask food smells.
Be aggressive
If all else fails and a bear finds its way into your yard it is important to scare them away. They are very smart and will always return to a place that they think they can get food from. Being as intimidating as possible will scare
It seems as though this ski season has been particularly fatal all throughout the area, with two having died just in Telluride this month. It is during times like these that it is even more important to stress proper safety while you are on the mountain. Here are a few ways you can better protect yourself while skiing.
1. Don’t Drink While Skiing
I cannot stress this enough. Not only is it a criminal offense and can get you a fine of up to $1,000, it is just not smart. In a letter to the editor written earlier this month, John Cohn, Telski Director of Security, urged visitor and locals “practice common sense while drinking alcohol at our on-mountain restaurants while skiing or boarding.” This, he wrote, was inspired by ” a dramatic rise in the incidents of skiers and boarders on the mountain under the influence of alcohol.”
San Miguel County, where Telluride is located, ranked second in the state for excessive drinking.
2. Use The Correct Ski Equipment
It is very important to have the right gear on when you are skiing or snowboarding. It is not enough to just borrow your buddy’s gear to avoid rental costs if the gear isn’t right for you. When you rent your gear from one of the rental places around town, you are getting gear that is appropriate for the activity that you are wanting to do as well as getting a proper fitting for the gear. These shops can also show you how to take the gear off and put it back on correctly to avoid any mishaps throughout your day.
3. Get Adequate Instruction
Never been skiing or snowboarding before? It’s not as simple as it looks, and many people often underestimate the mountain. It’s important that you know what to do in different situations that are likely to arise, and the best way to do that is to take some classes. Telluride Ski Resort offers classes for all ages and skill levels that will give you the confidence you need while on the mountain.
4. Respect Your Limits
There are a lot of stressful things that can take place while out skiing or snowboarding. It is important that you are aware of how far you can push yourself and your abilities safely. Know your limits and respect them by not pushing yourself too hard. You are supposed to be having fun after all.
5. Dress Appropriately
You don’t want to be out on the slopes and realize that you are not dressed nearly as warm as you first thought. I’ve been there. The first time I went skiing I did not wear appropriate gloves. I just wore whatever I had laying around, which ended up being some cloth gloves. Needless to say they got soaked from the snow very quickly and I narrowly escaped frost bite on my hands.
This goes for all of your attire. Especially if you find yourself lost, injured, or stuck, you don’t want to be overly exposed to the elements on top of that. Here is a great blog post detailing what you need to be wearing when you hit the slopes.
6. Take Your Phone
You may be thinking that you should leave your phone behind so it doesn’t get damaged in any way while you are skiing of snowboarding, but it’s a good idea to brink it along with you. It’s worth the risk to your phone to have a means of communicating with someone in case of emergency. Remember to always check to make sure that you have the number for ski patrol saved on your phone before you set out. For Telluride it is (907) 728-7585.
This past Sunday during the Academy Awards, Brie Larson won the best actress in a leading role award for her part in the film Room. She began her acceptance speech by thanking the Telluride Film Festival for giving the film an opportunity to be seen. Room is one film on a very impressive list of films (with six of the last 8 best picture winners included) that either had their North American or World premier at the Telluride Film Festival. They have been providing a stage for immaculate film for decades. Here are just some of the critically acclaimed films that took off at the festival.
This film directed by Bennett Miller and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman is about New Yorker writer, Truman Capote. Set in 1959, Capote learns about a gruesome murder of a Kansas family of four and travels to the city of Holcomb, Kansas to research the case for a story that would become his most famous piece of work, In Cold Blood. While in town, Capote interviews one of the killers, Perry Smith, and forms a relationship with him. Capote’s finished book went on to become a redefining work of nonfiction. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and was nominated for four additional Oscars.
Director Ang Lee tells a story about forbidden love between two cowboys that meet as sheep herders. The film follows them through the years as they grow apart and begin their separate families, but are ultimately drawn back together. This modern western is a heart wrenching tale of love, secrecy, and longing. Brokeback Mountain won three Oscars including Best Achievement in Directing, Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay, and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures- Original Score, and was nominated for five additional Oscars.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald, this film is based on the ruthless dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin, during 1970’s as told by his physician, Nicholas Garrigan. Garrigan meets the Ugandan president while working in a rural hospital and the two become friends immediately. Amin soon promotes Garrigan to the national health department and makes him one of his closest advisors. Over the years Amin becomes obsessed with the possibility of being assassinated and the people of Uganda pay the price for his fear. The film won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
Directors Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan made the biggest movie of 2008 with this film about a teenager from Mumbai, Jamal Malik, uses his life experiences during the Indian Version of the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Malik is arrested and accused of cheating as the show ends for the day before answering the last winning question. To prove his innocence he recounts his life story for the police to reveal the experiences that helped him answer each question of the game. It won eight Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures- Original Score, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures- Original Song, and Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and was nominated for an additional two additional Oscars.
This film tells the story of King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during his sudden rise to the throne. Throughout the film King George VI works with speech therapist, Lionel Logue, to remedy a stutter that has plagued him his whole life and to gain the confidence he needs to run the country. He finds his voice and courage through the therapist’s unorthodox methods, and is able to lead his country through World War II. The King’s Speech went on to win four Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Achievement in Direction, and Best Writing- Original Screenplay and was nominated for an additional eight Oscars.
BEN AFFLECK as Tony Mendez in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and GK Films’ dramatic thriller “ARGO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, this film tells the story of a CIA rescue mission of six Americans from Tehran amidst the 1980 U.S. hostage crisis in Iran. Undercover as a Hollywood producer in search of the perfect location for their next film, CIA agent Tony Mendez enters Iran in hopes of smuggling the hostages out as crew members. They are in a race against time as the Iranians get closer to uncovering the ruse and endangering the lives of everyone involved. Argo won three Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay, and Best Achievement in Film Editing, and was nominated for four additional Oscars.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, center, stars in a scene from the movie “12 Years a Slave.” The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. (CNS photo/Fox Searchlight) (Nov. 20, 2013) See MOVIE REVIEW Nov. 20, 2013.
This film tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free African American man who finds himself captured and sold into slavery. Directed by Steve McQueen, this is a true story of the fight for freedom and justice. The setting is pre-Civil War America where Northup is taken from upstate New York and faced with physical abuse and violent slave owners as he tries to survive and regain his freedom. It isn’t until his twelfth year as a slave that Northup meets an abolitionist that will go on to help him be a free man again. The film won three Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for an additional six Oscars.
Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu takes you on a journey following an actor that has fallen from grace as he struggles to deal with the current state of his life. Actor Riggan Thomson played a superhero during the height of his career and never quite got out from under the character’s shadow. He attempts to make a new name for himself by directing, writing, and starring in a broadway play. He jumps through hoops trying to make the play a hit with the risk of losing it all. Thomson spends the entire film battling with his own insecurities to try and make a greater name for himself. Birdman won four Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Direction, and Best Writing- Original Screenplay, and was nominated for an additional five Oscars.
Room is a story directed by Lenny Abrahamson that depicts a woman and her five-year-old son, Jack as they escape from a room that has been his whole world for his entire life. His mother, called Ma, has transformed the room into a safe and comfortable space for Jack that he was convinced it was all there was. Jack grows consistently more curious as he ages until Ma has no option left but to attempt an escape. Upon their escape they are faced with coming to terms with the real world and changing everything they had known about life while trapped in the 10X10 room. Room took home the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and was nominated for three additional Oscars.
This film, directed by Tom McCarthy, tells the true story of the huge child molestation and cover-up scandal going on in the local Catholic Archdiocese and how the Boston Globe unveiled it all. The “Spotlight” team at the Boston Globe digs into allegations made against the Catholic Church during an investigation that would go on for a year. What they found was decades of the church covering up child molestation to save the reputation of their clergy by Boston’s leaders in religion, law, and government. The film won two Oscars including Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Writing- Original Screenplay, and was nominated for an additional four Oscars.
The lineup for Telluride’s 40th Annual Jazz Festival, that will take place August 5- 7, has been announced by organizers of the festival this week. This year’s festival will be emphasising the music of New Orleans in a way that only jazz music can. While it is a jazz festival, many other genres of music will be represented such as Latin, funk, and soul.
The festival draws around 3,000 attendees every year and has solidified its position in the beautiful mountain town. Paul Machado, executive director of the Telluride Society for Jazz, describes the festival as “intimate” and “focused on music”, and credits this for the festival’s popularity among the town.
This year’s festival boasts acts such as Grammy award winner, Jon Cleary, who is a R&B artist based in New Orleans along with his band, The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Other headliners include Grand Baton and Lisa Fischer (vocalists for Sting and Rolling Stones), jazz-funk band Galactic, and Grammy award winning bassist and composer Marcus Miller.
In addition to his performance, Jon Cleary will also be holding master classes in piano and voice. Other workshops will also be available for those interested during the festival along with a parade, free spirit and wine tasting, and so much more.
This year’s lineup will also include John Scofield & Jon Cleary Duo, Nigel Hall Band, Jeff Coffin & The Mu’tet, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers, Sobredosis del Sabor, Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band with Jeff Coffin, USAF Academy Band Falconaires, the Telluride Student AllStars Jazz Ensemble, the Stillwater Foundation AllStars, and the Young Razzcals Jazz Project with even more acts soon to be announced. If you would like more information on this nonprofit festival or would like to purchase tickets visit their website: telluridejazz.org.
Telluride Jazz Festival 2016 Initial Lineup Guest of Honor: Jon Cleary & The Absolute Gentlemen Marcus Miller Galactic Lisa Fisher & Grand Baton John Scofield & Jon Cleary Duo Jeff Coffin & The Mu’Tet Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers Rebirth Brass Band Nigel Hall Band Sobredosis Del Sabor USAF Academy Band Falconaires Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band With Jeff Coffin Telluride Student All-Stars Jazz Ensemble Young Razzcals Jazz Project Stillwater Foundation All-Stars
The headliners of the 5th Annual RIDE Festival lineup have been announced. This year Pearl Jam and Cage the Elephant will be leading the lineup for the July 9th-10th festival in Telluride, Colorado.
Organizers of the festival have also announced that they will include Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, The Sheepdogs, Mike Farris and The Roseland Rhythm Revue, Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons, The Temperance Movement, The Band of Heathens, HoneyHoney, Little Hurricane, Radio Moscow, and Big Something with still more to be announced.
The NightRIDE is also making a comeback this year with festival entertainers playing late night shows throughout Main Street’s venues. Venues that will be taking part on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings include The Roma Bar and The Sheridan Opera House. These shows are free to everyone that has RIDE Festival tickets on a first come, first serve basis with the exception of shows held at The Sheridan Opera House.
Every year over 150 people sign up to volunteer for one of Telluride’s biggest winter events, the Telluride AIDS Benefit (or TAB). Thousands of hours are poured into the event that has become a staple in Telluride’s winter calendar.
The benefit originated in 1994 as a way for Telluride locals Kandee DeGraw and Robert Presley to help the Western Colorado AIDS Project (WestCap) with paying medical expenses of those infected with AIDS. Telluride proved to be passionate about the cause raising $12,000 in their first year.
Today, TAB provides unrestricted benefits to four AIDS organizations in Colorado and another three in Africa. These funds are used for education, patient care, and prevention as well as costs of transportation to medical appointments.
The event kicks off this year on February 19th at Palm Theater with a student show that has been choreographed, directed, and starring students from Telluride High School. All the proceeds from this show go towards TEB’s educational programs, and all the costumes from the show will be available for purchase at the Sample Sale on February 29th.
On February 25th, there will be a Sneak Peak Fashion Show at Telluride Conference Center that blends the feel of any high end fashion week with the theatrics of a circus. The show features all local models and has raised more than two million dollars since it’s inception in 1994. Following the show there will be a live auction.
The Art Auction on the 26th is always a favorite of the benefit. This silent auction at Sheridan Opera House Gallery includes drawings, paintings, furniture, photography, jewelry, fabric art, and home furnishings accessories that have been donated by national and local artists. Denver’s Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program (CHIP) also contributes artwork created by their patients and their families.
The Gala Fashion Show at Telluride Convention Center is the crown jewel of the benefit. The February 27th show features international fashion designers and local models. It is a truly unique show that blends fashion with Cirque de Soleil style theatrics. All proceeds go towards HIV/AIDS advocacy, education, and clinical care in Colorado and Africa. Following the show there will be a live auction.
Wrapping up the week of fun, education, and awareness is an after party on February 27th with DJ Ruckus at Sheridan Opera House! He has been referred to as “the most sought after DJ in the world” by GQ magazine and has entertained the likes of P. Diddy. This is your opportunity to party with this DJ that has been headlining since he was sixteen.
The final event in this weeklong benefit is the Sample Sale on February 29th at Sheridan Opera House. Here all the remaining clothing items from the fashion show will be sold at a fraction of their value to benefit TAB. You will also have the opportunity to purchase work directly from designers that will be present. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to make a difference in your community and have a blast doing it. Not only is Telluride AIDS Benefit changing lives all over Colorado and Africa, but it has easily become one of Telluride’s most attend events.
No one can deny the beauty of Telluride. With the backdrop of the San Juan Mountains, Telluride’s scenery is unparalleled. For this reason, it is the perfect place to whisk away to for an unforgettable vacation. Here are three amazing rentals available in Telluride that are sure to make your stay memorable.
This two bedroom, three bath condo is located right in the heart of Telluride’s downtown giving you easy access to all it has to offer. This place is perfect if you are in town for one of the numerous festivals that happen in Telluride year-around. It is also just three short blocks from the Gondola, but if you don’t feel like walking you can take advantage of the free shuttle. Enjoy a night in with a full gourmet kitchen and a terrace that has breathtaking views you can enjoy from the hot tub!
This spacious three bedroom condo boasts amazing views of the ski area. It is furnished with all new bedding, TV, carpets, and lighting. There are two bathrooms and an additional room with a jetted tub that is perfect for a long soak after a day of hitting the slopes or shopping. And you can’t beat the views from the huge windows.
This rental is like something from a fairy tale! The rental property includes the main house, the hot springs grotto, and the carriage house. The main house has a huge wood burning fireplace that is perfect for cozy-ing up to after a long day in the snow. The master suit upstairs also has a fire place that will keep you warm all night, a steam shower, and access to a hot tub out on the private deck. On the lower level of the house you will find a private theater for watching all your favorite movies. There is even an elevator to get you to each floor with ease.
Telluride is home to three creative, inspiring, and fun film festivals throughout the year. The first of these to take center stage is the Mountainfilm Festival. This festival, according to its website, is “a dynamic organization and festival of films, people, stories, and ideas that celebrates indomitable spirit, educates and inspires audiences, and motivates individuals and communities to advance solutions for a livable world.”
Mountainfilm Festival is held every year during Memorial Day weekend, and showcases documentaries featuring stories concerning topics that really make a difference such as culture, environment, and social and political justice. In addition to these films, innovators, world-class athletes, and game-changing artists all come together to revere the unflinching spirit.
Mountainfilm works to spark a fire in audience members to become proactive in worthy causes through several free community events, outdoor presentations, and interactive talks. This experience is taken on the road worldwide every year to share their message globally. The tour kicks off January 13th in Girdwood, Alaska and concludes in Hong Kong on April 24th. You can catch the festival when it passes through Telluride during the tour on March 23rd or attend the Memorial Day weekend festival.
Several initiatives are taken on my Mountainfilm through their film work. These include: grants to aid photographers, artists, and filmmakers who work to create media that inspires audiences to take action on important issues, education for students through the use of inspiring content that they might not have been exposed to otherwise, and motivating people to take action for positive change in the world by getting audience members involved in causes that are presented throughout the festival.
The theme for this year’s festival is “National Parks”. Commonly considered to be America’s best idea, national parks will celebrate their one hundredth anniversary this year. Telluride will be showing their support for the national parks in their May 26th symposium during the festival. Mountainfilm Festival Director David Holbrooke states that “Mountainfilm has always had a deep and abiding relationship with wilderness, and national parks contain some of America’s finest wilderness.”
The final date to submit films for the festival is fast approaching on February 8th. Information on what you need to submit, fees, schedules, and processes can be found here. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online on the festival website or by phone. Donations are also being accepted at this time. Don’t miss out on your chance to be exposed to numerous inspirational and innovative films as well as learn how to make a serious impact on the world around you.
Quentin Tarantino’s most recent film, The Hateful Eight, is set in the Wild West after the Civil War, and shot in 70 mm film. It is full of classic Tarantino characters, gore, and scenery. The scenery, however, is especially picturesque due to the vast San Juan Mountains of Telluride.
The film is set atop a tall mountain where the main characters seek shelter from the blizzard taking its toll outside. Telluride was ideal for this setting with its large, beautiful peaks and its yearly snowfall average of over twenty-six feet. The void surrounding Telluride also made this the perfect location. The large expanses of untouched land within the San Juan Mountains is easy to pass off as post-Civil War era wilderness.
Three locations were considered originally for the shooting of the film: Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. During Tarantino’s time in Telluride, though, it is said that he fell in love with the site.
Filming began in December of 2014 and with it came stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Kurt Russell. Telluride is no stranger to hosting celebrities due to the film festival that is held there annually, but this is the first major film shot in the town since the original True Grit in 1969.
The film project received a five million dollar incentive to shoot in Colorado from the Colorado Economic Development Commission, but also made a $60 million dollar impact on the state’s economy. Aside from typical production costs, the cast and crew were spotted stimulating the economy by eating at local restaurants like 221 South Oak and Allred’s Restaurant, skating around Telluride’s ice skating rink, and relaxing in Ridgway at the Orvis Hot Springs.
One hundred and sixty-eight jobs were estimated to have been created by the making of the film that had a $44 million dollar budget. One business that has been vocal about the impact the film has made is local car shop, Telluride Tire, who estimate that the crew spent nearly $150,000 at their shop on tire chains, tires, and other materials to get them around in the winter-y weather.
The Hateful Eight continues to shine in the box office opening with nearly $30 million on its first weekend, and is well reviewed by many critics. It will certainly helps put Telluride further on the map when people awe at their beautiful landscapes and scenery throughout the film.
Telluride is an exciting place to be to ring in the new year. While there is always a lot of great things going on, this is especially true for New Year’s Eve. Here is a list of five events that you can check out in Telluride while you are saying goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016.
Ah Haa’s NYE Winter Galawill be from 5:30 to 10 on New Year’s Eve at the art school. Ring in the new year while taking in the work guest artists in the Daniel Tucker Gallery. It will be set as a formal dining room for those in attendance to indulge in hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail reception. This will precede a four-course dinner by one of Telluride’s own chefs. Conversations will also be featured by Gala Artists, Sam Levy and Rob Schultheis.
You can get tickets to this elegant gala for $300 a person (or $2,000 for an 8 person table). Make sure to reserve your spot quickly to attend this creative and fun evening.
New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks is a must see for anyone lucky enough to spend New Year’s Eve in Telluride. This unforgettable event at Telluride Ski Resort features skiers and boarders meander down Coonskin, Telluride Trail and into Mountain Village with blazing torchlights.
Don’t forget to stick around after this display to be wowed by fireworks and festivities.
Keller Williamswill playing in Telluride with his band, More Than A Little. They will be bringing the funk at the Telluride Convention Center with doors opening at 9pm and they will be playing well into the new year. Tickets are still available so hurry and get yours today! They can be purchased online here.
What better way to welcome the new year than to party with one of the best funk artists around.
Preservation Hall Jazz Bandwill also be playing in Telluride for New Year’s Eve. If classical Jazz is more your style, this is a must attend event. Join the band at Sheridan Opera House for their New Year’s Eve Gala.
The event has a New Orleans party theme to give the feel of the Big Easy while they are enjoying a band that was founded to promote the traditional jazz music of New Orleans. Come enjoy great music, dancing, champagne and so much more!
Tickets are $100 GA on the floor and $250-$500 in the balcony. Doors open at 9 p.m. with DJ Jerry Bonafiglio and Preservation Hall Jazz Band playing at 10:30 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Countdownwill begin at 11:30 in front of the Courthouse on Main Street. Come together with everyone in town as they countdown to midnight and a new year. This is the place to be for ringing in 2016 the way that only Telluride can.
