I’m a lot higher up the mountain than in yesterday’s view. Mountain Village, where we started our hike, is at 9,512 feet. And, obviously, it just gets higher as we struggle up the mountain. My wife and I weren’t used to the high elevation, so the moderate climb was taxing, though we continued on. It got even prettier as we got higher.

I’m looking back towards Mountain Village where The Gondola originated. The system ties together the cities of Mountain Village and Telluride and is free and open nine months of the year. Unfortunately, The Gondola wasn’t running during our stay between the summer and winter seasons.

Off in the distance on a high plateau is the landing strip for Telluride’s airport. There is limited commuter service, but not from the major airlines, and the planes are much smaller. Internet research indicates Denver Air Connection flies the Dornier 328JET, a 30-seat plane, into the airport.

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