>>Calculating online flight prices is curious:
>>
>>2way FRA BZN is ~630
>>2way FRA TEX is ~455
>>
>>
>>going via TX goes from 640 to 830 via BZN and 955 via TEX
>>only 130$ less than two fly 4 times over the ocean. Weird...
>
>
>Going to Telluride is probably much more expensive than going to Montana as the closest airports are all small ones. That's why when I fly home to visit family in GJ it costs sooooooooo much... and I fly into GJ which is bigger than Montrose or Durango...
>
>These are the airports that get you close:
>
>Telluride Airport (TEX)
>Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ)
>Cortez Airport (CEZ)
>Durango Airport (DRO)
>Gunnison Airport (GUC)
>Grand Junction Airport (GJT)
>
>It's a good four hour drive (at least) from GJ (in good weather)... ignore the mapquest or google or gps driving times of 2.5 - 3 hours - nonsense. It's mountain roads. If you get behind someone sightseeing (which is common), it is almost impossible to get around them (and dangerous) It's hard to plan on a definite drive to/from too since the pass closes periodically in snow storms and you have to wait for the snow plows to make it through to clear it.
>


I'll second that!. I used to live in Silverton and there were many days we could not get out of town because of avalanches on Red Mountain and Molas Passes (the only 2 roads out of town). The San Juans are beautiful and the skiing is great. I really miss SW Colorado.