Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

The spectacular scenery in Telluride makes cross-country skiing pure joy to experience. For high-mesa cross-country skiing this area is tough to beat. The Telluride Nordic Center (970-728-1144) offers a 30-km. network of groomed trails around town and the ski area. Lessons, rentals and full-day backcountry tours are available. If you'd like to ski the intermediate and advanced groomed Nordic trails at Magic Meadows at the top of the Sunshine chair, buy a ticket at the downhill ski area ticket windows.

The San Juan Mountains set the stage with spectacular scenery for guided tours of a five-hut, 68-mile net-work of intermediate and advanced trails. While the San Juan Hut System (970-728-6935) recommends it for intermediates, you should really be a strong intermediate in good physical shape. You can tour the entire route or make individual huts your destination. Huts, about 6 miles apart, are equipped with padded bunks, propane cooking appliances and big potbelly stoves. Skiable terrain around the huts ranges from bowls, chutes and trees to gentle slopes. Guides are available for groups, with a maximum of eight skiers.