Finally it came.

Last weekend, two feet dumped on Telluride, and this coming weekend, we hope to get nailed again.

Telluride USA’s new Resort CEO Dave Riley and Patrol Director Pat Ahern have combined forces to make great promises for terrain available in our ski season ahead. We have unbelievable new acreage opening up, including the infamous faces off of Palmyra Peak, that will change the face of this resort forever.

But, until that happens later this winter, locals and visitors are getting doused with powder.

At this stage in the game, possible snow adventures include either heading out to Ophir and other backcountry areas for a ski tour or enjoying the various terrain open on the seven lifts currently running. Finally, southwestern Colorado gets the upper hand. Telluride leads in snow pack coverage, second only to neighboring extreme hotspot, Silverton Mountain. (Check the coverage of your favorite resort at Snow-Forecast or On the Snow.)

But, back to Telluride. Our town is home to a family-owned company which offers the only heli-skiing operation in the state: Helitrax. These guys know their stuff (and start operations in January).

After we got pounded last weekend, I had the “honor” of going for a ski tour with Speed Miller, a local heli-ski guru and one of the main guns at Helitrax. Hanging with him awards me with lessons in snowpack, local history and anecdotes of adventures in both years recent and past. Hanging with characters like this, one can see how Telluride developed into the town that it is today; these guys define our history with flavor.

So, if you don’t have snow in your mountain town - or if you live in a town without mountains - give Helitrax a call, and see if Speed will hang out with you for a day. Or, pack up your stuff and join the locals skiing freshies in Telluride.

Kim Havell is a Cloudveil, CAMP-USA, Telski, and Volkl/Tecnica athlete who ski models and guides for the Telluride Ski and Golf Company. A badass climber, Kim has written about climbing in Indian Creek for the Mountain Culture as well as a more controversial story about mountain town development.