River Talk: High country has snow

While it may seem like we have little snow down here, there is plenty of snow up high. In Telluride over the weekend, there was more than enough snow to make skiing on the runs enjoyable and there was even a bit of powder in the trees. In fact, when I took off my snowboard to retrieve a lost pole for my daughter, I sunk up to my mid-thigh in powder. Not bad, not bad at all.

Be prepared, however, a day of skiing in Telluride for an adult will cost you $118, a half-day this year is $98.

A beautiful town

Congratulations to the winners of the lighting contest and thank you to the hard-working judges who braved the cold, dark night. All the displays are beautiful, and we know what a difficult decision you were tasked with.

Also thank you to everyone who strung up lights to make this season special.

Tune in

Two local fugitive hunters, Clint Simmons and Dayson Goetz, are starring in the new season of Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters. The second season features 10 new one-hour episodes airing Sundays, at 7 p.m. (MT) on Animal Planet. The first show is Jan. 11.

Catch some local music

Local band Sol Mesa will once again rock New Year's Eve at the Ute Mountain Ute casino. The talented group specializes in blues and classic rock. The Dec. 31 show starts at 7 p.m. and is free.

Get out and enjoy the snow

It's time to go cross-country skiing. Lizardhead pass has 2 feet of snow. The track at the pass and nearby Trout Lake have been groomed by Telluride Nordic Association. Donations are encouraged. The trails accommodate skate skiers and there is a separate track for classic skiers. For more information go to: www.telluridetrails.org/html/grooming_report.html

Check the weather, roads before you head out

Visitors to doloresstar.com now have access to a five-day forecast and weather webcams. That's right, if you are heading out to enjoy the snow and not sure what the roads are like, your answer is just a click away. Log onto doloresstar.com and click on the weather logo in the top right corner. You will see a forecast and a map with video cameras on it. Click on the camera and you will see a live photograph of the roads you want to travel. Heading to Telluride, fore example, you can click on the nearest Colorado Department of Transportation camera and see just how icy the roads are going to be.

The page features a five-day forecast, weather webcams, radar and precipitation forecasts, river flow data and a ski report with an updated design.

The page is powered by Cloud Scout, a new product of Ballantine Communications Inc., the parent company of The Dolores Star.