Getting high near Telluride, CO

ByMike Wendland
Getting high near Telluride, CO 1

Man we got high near Telluride!

matterhorn view
The view from the Matterhorn camground

At 9,500 feet in elevation, the Matterhorn Campground just south of Telluride, CO was the highest place we've overnighted yet on this Great Roadtreking Family Vacation of 2013. Son-in-law, Dan, noticeably felt the effects of the altitude and all of us noticed a bit of dizzyness on exertion, especially when hiking.

The Matterhorn Campground is just off Colorado Highway 145, about an hour and a half's drive from our stay at Mesa Verde National Park. Run by the USDA Forest Service, it has 28 spots and we chose two offering full hookups for Wendy and Dan and the granddaughters in the travel trailer and Jeff and Aimee in the Roadtrek SS.

jeff at metterhorn
Jeff's spot at Matterhorn

Jennifer and I put the eTrek in one of the dry camping spots.

The campground also has showers and flush toilets, though the showers were a bit challenging, bursting out blasts of scalding hot water for 20 seconds, then abruptly shutting off until you waited six seconds and then pushed the button again. When I say scalding hot, I mean hot enough to make you howl if they hadn't shut off when they did. Man, too hot is just as bad as too cold

matterhorn1
Mike, Jen, Hua Hua and Tai hiking the Galloping Goose Trail just off the Matterhorn Camground

We loved this campground, nestled in a valley and surrounded by panoramic views of the mountains in all directions. On the day we arrived snow had fallen on one of the mountain tops to our east. Right from the tent area of the campground runs the Galloping Goose Trail,  a 15 mile trail great for hiking. The trail features over 20 footbridges, winds past historical landmarks and through the deep gullies of Uncompahgre National Forest—some of Colorado's most beautiful scenery. And the famed Lizard Head Wilderness is only about 3 miles away.

The big attraction in the areas is the nearby town of Telluride, described by locals as “the new Aspen.” To get to Telluride, we are advised by the campground host to drive up 145 to the nearby Mountain Village ski and golf resort community and take the free gondola ride into town. Since that was the only place I could get a solid Internet connection, I opted to stay in the Roadtrek in the parking lot while the rest of the family rode the gondolas.

gondola
Telluride Gondola

It's a pretty cool service, free transportation that is supposed to take 13 minutes. Wendy and Dan took their Goldendoodle, Charley, the youngest of our three dogs and an energetic ball of energy that is game for anything.

Sequouia, Jeff's 120 pound part St. Bernard and partMalamute, is 12 and with, Tai, our 70-pound Norwegian Elkhound, opted to stay with me in the air conditioned Roadtrek.

While I cranked out work on a fast 4g signal with the two dogs, the others found themselves stranded. Their gondola just stopped and hung there, swaying in the wind 6,000 feet above the valley leading to town and sweltering in the sun. While the adults and kids groaned, Charlie's long tail thumped out a happy rhythm as it hit the side window of the gondola. He was with all his favorite people and all close together. What gets better than that? Maybe a little breeze but, hey, Charlie was happy anyway.

They stayed like that for more than a half hour getting hotter and hotter. The first I learned about it was when I saw Wendy and Jeff updating Facebook about their plight.

telluridestreet
Downtown Telluride

By the time I reached them on the phone, I offered to drive into Telluride and pick them up in the Roadtrek for the return trip. Jeff, Jennifer and Aimee readily agreed. Once on the gondola was enough for them.

Wendy, Dan and  Rachel considered it all a grand adventure and, with Charlie, took the gondola back to the village, where they had left their car. Hua Hua rode back with us in the Roadtrek.

The town is very dog friendly so we brought all three of ours and even had them sit with us while we ate in the patio of a little restaurant area used by a  nearby Mexican and Middle Eastern restaurants on Colorado Street. Our dogs looked downright shabby compared to the oh-so-upscale dogs of the well heeled Telluride residents. The “in” dog in Telluride is the massive Burmese Mountain Dog. If you have to ask how much such a pooch costs, you cant afford it.  A  puppy of average pedigree starts about $1,500.

bridalfalls
Bridal Falls near Telluride

Telluride  is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River that has great winter skiing and is a very popular Blues and Brews Festival each fall. Lots of Hollywood types have made their way here and have no problem shelling out $3 million for a vacation home on the edges of the box canyon that the town is built in. 

We walked the streets, stocked up on groceries and headed to the northern end of Main Street for a look at the spectacular 365-foot Bridal Falls.

sky
Colorado night sky

Then it was back to Matterhorn and quiet night beneath a stunning star canopy that takes your breath away, though at that 9,500-foot elevation,  there was not much breath you could get. But even if you weren't at such an altitude, those Colorado stars will get you high all by themselves.

This is why we RV.

Mike Wendland

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

87 Comments

  5. Man I can’t wait to get the hell out of texas!!!! 10 months till Colorado bound….

  6. We are looking for a good small 25ft or less to buy, so we can go when we want, and my Honda crv will pull, or my ford f150. Ready to travel.

  12. Black Bear Pass…..you don’t have to be crazy. but it helps !! 😉

  18. well kris slape….. im not sure what you all mean by a ” green room” but … this is my definition 🙂

  20. Judi Jerdee says:

    A favorite spot of ours!

  21. Marjorie Stewart says:

    That is high too !!! /*

  23. Judy Powell Pittman says:

    Really enjoyed Telluride!

  24. Chuck Shackelford says:

    That’s the exact spot I will be in July 2014.. Black bear pass..

  28. Nice I would love living like that if I had an RV I would hit every national park in the US . Change the view at will my friend

  29. Jerome Newood says:

    Love Telluride been there many times !

  30. Renee Abbott Killian says:

    Love being and biking there!

  34. One of our favorite Towns. We visit almost every summer.

  35. One of our favorite Towns. We visit almost every summer.

  36. Cheri Dochnal says:

    I love Telluride…

  37. Cheri Dochnal says:

    I love Telluride…

  38. Claudette Lyons says:

    Was this pic taken from Imogene Pass Road?

  39. Claudette Lyons says:

    Was this pic taken from Imogene Pass Road?

  41. 4 is to many, I took my ktm adventure 990 their it is pretty rough

  42. Love this area of Colorado. Fresh Air. Sunshine. And Mountains. Its just breathtaking.

  43. Victoria Hoselton says:

    Absolutely beautiful Scott Hoselton, wanna go?

    1. Not if you come over the top. Experienced 4 wheelers please. Been there, done that. Bridal Veil Falls, beautiful!

    2. Paul Bulgier says:

      “… could have taken…there…”

  45. Cathy Rawlins says:

    Wow…just wow.

  47. Janice Ries says:

    Love it there!!!

  48. Rita Iber Gower says:

    I have been there and it is beautiful!

  53. Susan Cupstid says:

    Miss seeing this,maybe one day.

  56. Bridal Veil Falls… we 4 wheel Jeeped over the pass above the falls, fantastic!!!

  57. We were there this past June. Beautiful scenery. Also visited Ouray, Silverton & Durango. It was definitely worth the side trip!

  58. Love that part of the country. But very expensive.

  59. Stayed a few nights there a few years ago enjoyed every breathless moment

  60. Tim Brown says:

    I so miss this area.

  61. Teresa Dodrill says:

    Love every inch of CO !!!!

  65. Betty Moseley says:

    Some roads?

  67. Nick Wright says:

    Did you really just say “getting high” in Colorado?

    1. Campskunk says:

      Mike swears he goes there for the scenery, honest…

  69. I went from Durango to Telluride in February of 05, the road was open and they just had an 8′ snow a couple days before, everybody was excited because the drought was over, back there 5 years later, drought was back

  70. Jamee Vaughn says:

    Here we come!!!!

  71. Telluride is a beautiful area. So glad that you discovered it. The Telluride area also offers great 4-wheel drive trails. Trailer your own car or book an excursion (usually out of Ouray).

  72. So much to see and so little time for most people to enjoy before they realize its to late. So take time to smell the roses every chance you get !!!!!!!!!!!

  73. When I first saw Telluride it looked much different than it does today.
    The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is a once in a lifetime adventure that I won’t soon forget. I made my way in and out of town on the Gondolas. I love that way of traveling.
    I was tent camping all the way then.

  74. Craig Moore says:

    We were just there. Rent a Jeep a see the back country! The trail between Telluride and Ouray is amazing!

  75. Thanks for sharing your journeys! My husband and I are “homebound” this summer do some relatives’ health issues. Your adventures have been one of my escapes during this time.

  76. Bill Sprague says:

    I hope you don’t mind the extra 260#. I’m really enjoying the ride!

    Thanks, Mike & Jenn

  77. Mike Wendland says:

    It’s hard to believe I visited a lace that Campskunk didn’t. We’ve basically made one big circle around Colorado. It is a huge an amazing state with so mch ore to explore. We’re headed to the Rocky Mountain National Park today.

  78. Campskunk says:

    i have never been there – i am always over across the ridge in silverton/ouray on 550. there’s a lot of colorado left for us to explore.

  79. 😉

  80. Sounds like so much
    fun!

  81. Rolland Lawrenz says:

    Really awesome article, thanks for bring all of us along.

  82. Linda Matthews says:

    Bernese Mountain Dogs are beautiful. I’m glad you liked Telluride and I agree it is the new Aspen. That’s why I avoid both. The smaller towns like Silverton, Ouray, and even Breckenridge farther north seem much more like real Colorado. I’ll be interested to see where the rest of your travels take you.

  83. Laura H Postema says:

    Thanks for the update. It sounds absolutely wonderful. Your family will have memories to cherish…forever. Continued safe travels.

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