>>>>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.
>
>The San Juans (to me) are the most beautiful mountains in the world.... I love the rest of the rockies and the Appalachians and the Cascades, not to mention the Alps in Europe, but the San Juans are the most beautiful....and Silverton, CO is one of my favorite places...(Gunnison, CO is nice too - and Grand Lake, CO - and Ward/Estes Park - I could go on and on and on)
>
>Favorite commercial mountain area: Leavenworth, WA or Estes Park, CO

When I lived in Silverton (late 70s) it was still a mining town that turned up its nose at tourists, especially in the winter when the train wasn't running. Now I see that it is turning into a tourist town (with its own ski area no less - 1 lift).

One of the great things about Silverton was its proximity to SE Utah. In April whenyou were getting really sick of winter you could head for Moab and red rocks and sun for a week. That was usuallly sufficient to get me through the rest of winter until the start of spring (mid-june for Silverton) Living in Silverton was similar to living in Montana, you better embrace winter because it lasts a long time.

I havn't spent much time in the Cascades. Hiked up Mt Adams and almost summited Ranier before we turned back in a blizzard.
The central Sierra is awsome. My dad and I backpacked for a week in the Sierra every summer for about 15 years. You really need to backpack in to see the best the Sierra Nevada has to offer.

I agree with you that Estes Park is one of the great, kitchy mountain towns. Jackson Hole was kind of like that in the 70s, but it has gotten too big.

The Appalachians are nice "hills" but after living all of my adult life in the mountain west, I am reluctant to call them mountains.

I too have fond memories of the Alps. We lived in Germany (Bitburg) for 3 yaers in the 60s. Went to the Alps every summer. Hoping to get back next summer and do some hiking in Switzerland (Angela's sister now lives in Geneva which gives us the perfect excuse to make the trip)

Did you get much snow? I understand it doesn't snow much there (the Isle of Man I mean)