How to get a $25 day pass at Telluride Ski Resort

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).

A daily lift ticket at Telluride Ski Resort runs $215-$225 per day for skiers and snowboarders. However, those willing to trade the thrill of downhill for a more chill adventure can get a heck of a better deal that offers access to the resort’s breathtaking terrain as well as a lift ride.

For $25, snowshoers and crosscountry skiers can buy a singleuse lift ticket, known as a foot pass, which they can use to get to the Top-a-ten Nordic Trails. That includes a ride up the resort’s Sunshine Express (Lift 10) to access the unique area and a ride back down at the end of the excursion.

It’s accessible not only in terms of price but also skill level, since the lift slows down as you load on and off. Plus, it’s a blast, especially for folks who don’t downhill ski and can now experience the excitement of airborne chairlift travel.

According to Tyler Sandstrom, the resort’s winter adventure manager, the Nordic trails opened in 2001 alongside a new lift installed at the same time. Those who use them follow in the footsteps of miners and Basque shepherds who grazed sheep in the area in the early 1900s.

Today, the Nordic trails are not widely used because most people who visit want to shred the steep slopes that Telluride is known for. All the better for snowshoers who often have this hidden gem of an area all to themselves, save for the couple of times trails intersect with downhill runs.

“It’s ultimately in a more rollyhilly flat spot between the tops of chair 10 and chair 11. It’s a place you don’t see much when you’re skiing, so it’s a good spot to catch the views that even the skiers don’t tend to get on some days,”