Owl Gulch Trail in Telluride, Colorado

On July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado4 Comments

Located right down the street from the Telluride Historical Museum is a the trailhead for the Owl Gulch Trail. It takes you above the town of Telluride and provides wonderful views of the town as well as Bridal Veil Falls off in the distance. Unfortunately, it is also a road that is heavily traveled by 4-wheel drive vehicles, so you often have to step out of the way. It is also exposed to full sun, so be sure to wear sunscreen and take plenty of water with you.

Town of Telluride with the Ski Slopes Behind

We got on the trail at around 11:00 am in the morning and started our leisurely hike that took us east of Telluride. The mountains around Telluride are absolutely stunning and hiking throughout the valley provides stunning views. The trail also gives a chance to see how quaint and small the town of Telluride has remained throughout the years. Although Bridal Veil Falls, which is the tallest free falling waterfall in Colorado, is far off in the distance, it is still quite spectacular. The power plant that sits adjacent to it is also clearly visible.

Bridal Veil Falls, the Power Plant, and if You Look Carefully, All of the 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles

Ingram Falls, Which Can Be Seen from Telluride

We decided to keep our hike short as we had hiked Bear Creek Trail the day before and our legs were a little tired. The number of vehicles with local guides taking people up the road to Bridal Veil Falls also made it dusty and somewhat less enjoyable. Despite the heat and the traffic, we did enjoy getting out and seeing the beautiful scenery. Afterwards, we went back into town and took the free gondola up to the Mountain Village to enjoy a relaxing lunch and a deserved ice cold beer.

View of Telluride as We Hiked Back to Town

The Food of Telluride, Colorado

On July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Food5 Comments

The town of Telluride has managed to keep a small-town feel despite being a popular destination for tourists. Excluding the restaurants that are located in the Mountain Village, there are only about 36 restaurants in Telluride. During our visit, which was obviously impacted by the pandemic, not all restaurants were open and some were only open for pick-up and not for inside dining. The town did make every effort to have as much outside seating as possible in order to allow for people to enjoy the scenery and still be able to enjoy food from the local restaurants.

Spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp with Shishito Peppers

Beers at the High Pie Pizzeria and Taproom

Typical of any resort area, restaurants of varying price ranges and styles of food can be found. There are casual restaurants as well as fine dining restaurants, but like almost anywhere in Colorado, even in more upscale restaurants, people tend to dress casual. We went to several restaurants during our short stay and enjoyed a variety of food. We also had a couple of glasses of wine at the Historic Bar in the Sheridan and a couple of beers at the High Pie Pizzeria and Taproom.

Winter Warmer Beer at the Smuggler Union Restaurant and Brewery

On our first night in Telluride, we enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at Rustico where we had Caesar Salad and Spaghetti Rustico. For a more casual dinner, we ate Barbeque Ribs with Mac N Cheese at the Smuggler Union Restaurant and Brewery. On our final evening in Telluride we decided to splurge and have dinner at The National, which is a newer fine dining restaurant where we had spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp and a 5 Spiced Duck with a Fig, Sage and Pecan Pudding as well as a Sweet and Sour Huckleberry Sauce.

Ornate Ceiling in the Historic Bar at the Sheridan

Scrambled Eggs with Poblano Peppers at The Butcher & The Baker

Since we wanted to get and do some hiking early, we went out early and stopped for brunch before getting on the trail. The first day we went to The Butcher & The Baker and the following day we went to Baked in Telluride, both of which offered fresh baked food. We only ate one lunch in the Mountain Village as we spent most of our time in the town of Telluride itself. This was our second time in Telluride, but it has been a while and we certainly enjoyed the food and drinks that we had during our short stay.

Riding the Gondola in Telluride, Colorado

On July 14, 2020July 14, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado4 Comments

Whether staying in downtown Telluride or staying in the Mountain Village, you will want to take advantage of the free gondola that can shuttle you between the two. Depending on the time of day, there can be long lines to get on the gondola, but it moves pretty quickly. There is also a stop at the summit that is 10,540 feet high (3,212 meters) with hiking trails and a really nice restaurant called Allred’s with incredible views.

The gondola operates 290 days per year, with scheduled downtime during the non-peak seasons, and runs between 6:30 am and midnight daily (and until 2:00 am on Friday/Saturday). The ride between Telluride and the Mountain Village takes a little less than 13 minutes as the gondola travels at 11 miles per hour during the journey. Most of the cabins are fitted with bike racks in order to carry mountain bikes up to the top of the mountain.

Heading Down Towards the Mountain Village

Although the gondola serves as transportation between the Mountain Village and the town of Telluride, it is really about the incredible views of the mountains that make it worthwhile even if you don’t have a reason to travel from one location to the other. It was hot during our stay in Telluride, so it was also nice to get a little higher in altitude where the temperatures were slightly cooler.