To advocate for safe, accessible, enjoyable and respectful opportunities for human-powered recreational activities in the Telluride region, through education, awareness and collaboration.
Our
Mission
Our Vision
We envision increased recreational opportunities, safety, and environmental sensitivity for both locals and visitors in our community.
About Us
The Telluride Mountain Club’s goal is to preserve and enhance public access to human powered activities including hiking/biking, backcountry skiing and boarding, mountaineering, climbing and other mountain related recreation (like Telluride’s via ferrata).
Personal responsibility, self sufficiency and environmental stewardship are core values, as well as preserving each citizen’s right to their “Freedom of the Hills.”
Originally conceived as an avalanche-education organization in 1986, the Telluride Mountain Club (TMtC) evolved towards access advocacy and promoting responsible, safe backcountry travel and recreation.
If you enjoy hiking, trail running, mountain biking, backcountry touring, climbing, the Via Ferrata and/or exploring the San Juan mountains, we encourage you to join us and help make our outdoors a better place to recreate.
Telluride Mountain Club is a 501C-3 non-profit organization.
We serve many purposes:
Advocating for the education, appreciation, enjoyment and protection of human-powered, mountain-related activities.
Promoting personal responsibility, safety and self sufficiency while enjoying the backcountry.
Creating new and preserving existing access for human-powered backcountry recreation.
Freedom
of the
Hills
Public access to recreational activities in Telluride’s San Juan Mountains.
TELLURIDE MOUNTAIN CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOSH BOROF – President
Josh Borof has worked with the Telluride Mountain Club since 1997 and has lived in the Telluride area for 29 years. He is an avid rock climber of 28 years who established first ascents in Colorado, Utah, California and Alaska. Josh laid the foundation for many San Juan classic ski descents in the Telluride area and is a veteran of river expeditions including many sections of the Colorado, Green, Salt, Arkansas, Tuolumne, Rogue and American Rivers. He owns a general contracting company serving the greater Telluride Region. His wife, Wendy Borof, owns and operates a local Pilates fitness business. He has two kids, Wiley age 16 and Skylar age 13, who are both active outdoorspeople who love to ski and run the rivers of the western US with their dad.
NATE SMITH – Vice President
Nate Smith has served as a director of the Telluride Mountain Club since 2011. Nate earned his law degree from Vermont Law School, a school consistently ranked as the top environmental law school in the United States. During this time, he served as an editor on the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law and focused his studies in public lands law and recreation issues. Nate’s writings have been published in renowned legal journals. He is the only attorney to have studied the impact that the Town of Telluride’s condemnation of the Valley Floor for open space and recreation will have on land-use planning in the Rocky Mountains. When not riding his mountain bike, Nate loves to enjoy his public lands with his wife, Ashley, and their two Labradors.
JOANNA SPINDLER – Secretary
Joanna Spindler has been an inhabitant of wild Colorado since birth. Questing after ice climbing brought her to the San Juan Mountains in 2012, but she found the region worthy of far more than just climbing and has spent subsequent years as a librarian, artist and freelance writer, adventure nanny, and emcee presenter for Telluride festivals.
Joanna holds a degree in English and literatures and is endlessly inspired by the Colorado Plateau, human storytelling, and foraging things that grow in the woods. She believes deeply in the wildland’s future of the American West and sees the Mountain Club as a pragmatic agent of that future.
TOR ANDERSON
Tor has worked with the Telluride Mountain Club for over two decades and has served at the club’s President. He owns a graphic design company and specializes in map design and formatting. When not busy with work and the club, Tor loves hanging out with his wife Sharon and son Wilder at their home in Ilium.
BRIAN O’NEILL
After many years of exploring the mountains in the Telluride region and around the world, Brian settled down to do the same with his two boys. His concern for maintaining a continued backcountry experience for all encouraged him to join the Telluride Mountain Club as a member almost 30 years ago. Now, he is delighted to be on the TMtC board where has the opportunity to help people discover what has caused him to stay in the San Juan Mountains.
TODD RUTLEDGE
Todd got distracted from a career in Academics in the early 90’s when the siren songs of the Andes and the Alaska Range coincided with a break in his graduate program in Linguistics and Anthropology and he’s been a mountain guide ever since. In 2004, after a decade of guiding for the company, he assumed co-ownership of Mountain Trip, an Alaska-based guide service. They expanded to lead trips on all seven continents as well as around his home in Ophir, just south of Telluride. Todd feel incredibly fortunate, as the recent years have provided him the opportunity to get out and lead trips, but also to spend more time with his family. He has two sons, with his wife and enjoys climbing, skiing, hiking and riding motorcycles.
Todd believes in public service and term limited himself after four years as Ophir’s mayor. Serving the greater Telluride community as part of the Telluride Mountain Club is an extension of that belief. We have amazing opportunities in our corner of the San Juans and Todd would like to help people enjoy what is all around us. While the quest for finding balance in life between work and family will probably always be elusive, both are tons of fun, especially in our neck of the woods!
KEVIN COONEY
Kevin was an aspiring alpinist in Telluride in the late 1970s while he lived the hippie dream managing the local food coop, swinging a hammer for BONE, and surviving various rock & ice escapades. For some reason, this gave way to engineering school in Boulder, and a career in the fledgling clean energy industry. Over the years, he also developed outdoor gear, ran peaks, and got to work and climb in many countries. After getting to return to Telluride a few years ago, Kevin joined the Mountain Club’s efforts to assure access to the incredible outdoor recreation opportunities we have here. He also serves on the boards of San Miguel Power & EcoAction Partners. When not at his computer or in meetings, you might find him exploring local ridgelines, no-name 13ers, or climbing, or ….
TELLURIDE MOUNTAIN CLUB STAFF
HEIDI LAUTERBACH – Director
Heidi Lauterbach has a background in operations, marketing and finance. She has worked in the outdoor industry for over ten years and in the nonprofit sector for six. Growing up in Colorado, Heidi has been recreating and enjoying public lands her entire life. She understands the positive benefits that the outdoors can have on the mind, body and soul. She believes everyone should be able to experience a hike, mountain bike ride, climb or other activity. Her motivation to help Telluride’s outdoor-recreation community is most certainly correlated with her desire to explore the San Juan Mountains on her days off with her husband Matt and their dog Annie Oakley.
ASHLEY COADY SMITH – Grants & Programming Manager
Ashley, founder of Sage Advice Telluride, LLC. (a capacity building and project management business for nonprofits in Telluride, CO), has worked in outdoor education, nonprofit management and sales/marketing for over 11 years. Before that, Smith worked as a veterinary technologist after studying animal science/veterinary technology at St. Petersburg College where she received her bachelor’s degree in 2006.
Smith has lived in Telluride with her husband and their two Labradors for the last decade. When she isn’t spending time helping her local community thrive through volunteerism and dedication to her career serving nonprofits, Smith can be found mountain biking and occasionally climbing rocks in and around the Colorado Plateau, travelling around the world embracing other micro-communities and surf destinations.
Smith, a past Board member of Telluride Mountain Club, now serves as a part-time staff focusing on programs and development for the organization.
JORDAN CARR – Trails Pro
Jordan has spent the majority of his life wandering the landscape via trails. After getting into trail advocacy as a teenager in Northern Illinois, he pursued his love for the outdoors at Western Colorado University where he pursued Environmental Studies and Sociology.
After spending some time working as a bike mechanic and part time mountain bike coach, Jordan accepted a position with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) as one part of the Subaru Trail Care Crew where he traveled the U.S. for two years leading educational trail seminars.
He transferred this experience into becoming a professional in the industry working with IMBA Trail Solutions and contracting with Swiss based Allegra Tourismus. Jordan has traveled all over the world working on trail planning and building projects and he’s passionate about the creation of inclusive, accessible, and collaborative recreational trail projects.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Telluride Mountain Club has assisted with many different issues in the Telluride region, from avalanche education to the re-opening of Gold Hill’s backcountry. Some of our past accomplishments have been…
2020: View 2020’s recap report here.
2019: Check out our 2019 recap report here.
2018: Read 2018’s recap report here.
1986
Avalanche Education
Started Telluride’s first formalized local avalanche education classes.
2002
Backcountry Access Points in Prospect Basin
Worked with the USFS, Telluride Ski Area and San Miguel County to insure that Backcountry Access Points be included in the ski area's Prospect Basin expansion. These gates were open until 2010.
2004
2004 - 2007 Access to Silverpick Basin & Wilson Peak
Assisted the Trust for Public Land and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in re-establishing public access to Silverpick Basin and Wilson Peak, one of Colorado's most popular 14,000-foot peaks.
2008
Bridal Veil Falls Ice Climbing
Collaborated with San Miguel County and local guide services to create a successful ice climbing management plan for the world-famous Bridal Veil Falls, as well as lobbied climbing gear companies for donations of ropes and other rescue-related equipment.
2008
Climbing Areas
Helped the Access Fund establish an easement and agreed to be the land steward for the Society Turn climbing area, a place where thousands of kids and adults rock climb for the very first time, developing their skills and a love of the worlds’ wild places.
Again with San Miguel County, helped preserve the Bilk Creek climbing area and plan the addition of parking, trails and safe anchors.
Collaborated with the Telluride R-I School District and the Telluride Academy to re-open and manage Telluride's public indoor climbing wall. Located in the high school building, adult access was complicated by a change in management and policy that we helped solve.
2010
2010-2014 Re-opened Gold Hill
Successfully re-opened access to the ski area's Gold Hill backcountry access gates into Bear Creek. We worked with San Miguel County, USFS, the Town of Telluride and others to regain access to this popular backcountry skiing terrain. In 2010, the gates were closed by the ski area and USFS in reaction to a private mining claim owner's request. This owner also requested closure of the Wasatch Trail through their property, one of Telluride's most popular summer hikes and an official USFS trail. In spring of 2011, we persuaded the USFS to open an access gate on Palmyra Peak into upper Bear Creek, and in the spring of 2014 all other access gates into Bear Creek were officially reinstated. This process was very complicated and time-consuming.
2015
Via Ferrata Access
Surveyed Via Ferrata access points and advised San Miguel County on a new trail re-route system, in an effort to avoid conflicts with private land owners.
2015
Alta Lakes Reroute
Collaborated with San Miguel County, SMBA, USFS and private landowners to research and develop a plan to protect and reroute the popular Alta Lakes multi-use non-motorized trail system.
2015
Ophir Wall
Anchor & Protection Bolt replacements on Ophir Wall.
2015
Ilium Boulders, Bear Creek Signage & Telluride Vision Survey
Fall 2015: Adopted the Ilium Boulders recreation area. Worked with the USFS and the Access Fund to restore the main access trail, and develop a plan for future restoration efforts to take place in 2016.
Fall 2015: Worked with local entities to push improved signage as skiers/boarders leave the ski resort and enter backcountry skiing in Bear Creek.
Fall 2015: Launched the Telluride Regional Trails System Vision Survey to collect data on the future vision of Telluride's trails.
Fall 2015: Worked with local entities to push improved signage as skiers/boarders leave the ski resort and enter backcountry skiing in Bear Creek.
Fall 2015: Launched the Telluride Regional Trails System Vision Survey to collect data on the future vision of Telluride's trails.
2016
Ilium Boulders Trail Work
Summer 2016: Completed trail work on the Ilium Boulders recreation area in conjunction with the USFS and the Access Fund. Both trails have been restored to create a more sustainable trail system into the future.
2016
Backcountry Radios
Fall 2016: ISSW White Paper published on the use of radios in high-use backcountry ski zones. Paper written using Telluride's backcountry radio program as the example.
Winter 2016-2017: With assistance from the Peter Inglis Avalanche Education Fund and Jagged Edge Mountain Gear, backcountry radios are now available for rent at Jagged Edge.
Winter 2016-2017: With assistance from the Peter Inglis Avalanche Education Fund and Jagged Edge Mountain Gear, backcountry radios are now available for rent at Jagged Edge.
2017
Alta Lakes & Via Ferrata
Spring 2017: Collaboration with the USFS, SMBA, San Miguel County and more to create long-term vision for the Alta Lakes recreation area.
Spring 2017: Initiation of an official engineering report for Telluride’s Via Ferrata to be submitted to the United States Forest Service.
Spring 2017: Initiation of an official engineering report for Telluride’s Via Ferrata to be submitted to the United States Forest Service.
2018
Via Ferrata & Trail Projects
Summer 2018: Via Ferrata hardware replacement and upgrades.
Spring 2018: Trail maintenance days, group hikes, trail inventory project, progress on Trails Sustainability Plan, coordination with private landowners for public access, rebuild of Society Turn climbing area access trail.
Fall 2018: Submittal of Via Ferrata engineering report.
Winter 2019-2019: PI Fund Backcountry Chats for free avalanche education in Telluride.
Spring 2018: Trail maintenance days, group hikes, trail inventory project, progress on Trails Sustainability Plan, coordination with private landowners for public access, rebuild of Society Turn climbing area access trail.
Fall 2018: Submittal of Via Ferrata engineering report.
Winter 2019-2019: PI Fund Backcountry Chats for free avalanche education in Telluride.