You know those old, straight, extremely long skis you have in your basement? Light ’em up, Telluride style. This year marks the start of a new tradition and a nod to an old tradition: On Dec. 6 Telluride will light up its first-ever “ski tree,” a holiday tree fabricated by local artist/welder Anton Viditz-Ward made of old skis; after the tree lighting, there will be a ski bonfire to honor Ullr, the Norse god and patron saint of skiers. The festivities take place in Elks Park from 6-8 p.m.
I’ve been to plenty of ski bonfires where old skis were tossed in the pile, but that tradition hails from a time before epoxy and fiberglass and P-tex…the fumes from what now are “old” skis can be a little overwhelming. The best way to recycle skis these days is to donate to the Telluride tree or find some Pinterest design to make a bench or seat out of them.
There are lots of pre-holiday celebrations this month in Telluride. Don’t miss these events:
Dec. 4: Noel Night (discounts and cheer at Telluride retail shops)
Dec. 6-8: Telluride Arts Holiday Bazaar
Dec. 6: Ski Tree Lighting and Ullr’s Ceremonial Ski Burn (free hot chocolate and DJ music provided by Telluride Ski & Golf Resort)
Dec. 8: Old Fashioned Christmas at Schmid Ranch (horse-drawn sleighs, hot chocolate, tree cutting)
Dec. 14: Holiday Art Walk (a special holiday version of the monthly gallery walk)
Dec. 13-15: Mountain Village Winter Fest (free ice skating and hot chocolate, tree lighting, discounts and specials at Mountain Village restaurants and retailers)
*There will also be holiday cookie decorating and card making at the library, a pub crawl by bikes, and an ice skating party. For more details, check out the Telluride Watch‘s Holiday Prelude.