Mountain Layout—Snowboarding

The Plunge lift provides more vertical than any other lift on the mountain, serving a multitude of runs including The Plunge, a run visible from town. If you don't like moguls, stay away from these single- and double-diamond trails unless you ride the ones that have been split-groomed. For advanced gladed areas, the Apex chair is your best bet. Check out the trees between Allais Alley and Silver Glade.

For riders who get their fix with bowl skiing and deep powder, Gold Hill and Prospect Bowl give you the ultimate in big-board freeriding. You'll have to hike to the expert shots in Prospect Bowl, but they're all in-bounds so they're avalanche controlled.

For big powder days intermediate boarders will want to head straight for Prospect Bowl. Stella, Magnolia and Sandia will give you a rollicking ride and you can mix it up with glades. Near the bottom, you'll want to carry your speed so you don't end up hoofing to the lift. Or enjoy short runs off the Palmyra chair including Dew Drop (look for hits), Ophir Loop and Silver Tip. Avoid Cake Walk when you're done riding this lift. Instead, ride it back to the top then stay rider's right and pick up the Apex chair. You can then ride See Forever back to the gondola or drop off the front into town.

Too-flat runs for snowboarders to avoid include Bridges and Galloping Goose off the Sunshine chair.

Parks and pipes
Telluride’s Air Garden Terrain Park, with three distinct lines for all ability levels, has more than 11 acres and 480 vertical feet of berms, banks, rails, funboxes, A-frames, tombstones and tabletops. There’s also a superpipe with 18-foot walls. Get there by riding the Village lift or the gondola. The Air Garden Yurt is at the top of the superpipe and offers riders a crankin’ stereo system and excellent views of the park while taking a break. Newbies might want to get their park baptism in a learning park with rollers and berms off the Ute Park lift.

If you want, you can skip the manmade and head to the Plunge lift. East and West Drains form two natural halfpipes that are 2,000-feet and 4,000-feet long respectively. In addition, there’s a 1,200-foot natural quarterpipe on Bushwhacker.