Life in a Resort - Living in Telluride - World Class Ski Mountaineer, Hilaree Nelson

Looking to move to a small mountain resort off the beaten path that attracts a pinch of celebrity, yet still maintains its rugged charm? Telluride just might be for you. Backed up against a box canyon, the historic mining town of Telluride was established by gold miners seeking their fortune. The jagged peaks of the rugged San Juan Mountains still bear the scars of old mine sites and ghost towns haunt the area with echoes of the past. And while you may see celebrities here, they aren’t the main attraction.  Locals pride themselves on keeping it real, and the hometown artists are just as famous in town as any name brand film star. Why come here? Epic chutes. No lift lines.  No freeways - the nearest stoplight is 45 miles away. Dictated by nature, Telluride will never become a big city with large bedroom communities of workers commuting along a busy highway. It can’t.  It’s at the end of the road. And I mean that in a great way.

World-class ski mountaineer, Hilaree Nelson, has chased adventure on the world’s biggest mountains. Originally from Washington, she carved her first turns at 3.  Seeking bigger challenges after Colorado College, she moved to Chamonix, France and discovered the world of big mountain skiing and climbing. A passion for big descents led her to ski volcanoes in Russia and mountains in Mongolia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Cho Oyu in Tibet and Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. Outside Magazine named Hilaree one of the most adventurous women in the world of sports:  A well-earned title. By becoming the first woman, and only the fourth human ever to climb Everest and Lhotse in a continuous push, Hilaree entered the record books for high-altitude innovation and prowess.

Hilaree continues to travel the globe as an adventurer for The North Face, always ready for new challenges. But her true compass always points home to Telluride where she lives with her husband and two boys. Hilaree tells me what it’s like to live and ski this mountain town.