TELLURIDE TAMED : Once a rowdy mining town, this Victorian village now sports posh chalets, good restaurants and great skiing

It hosts an annual midsummer mushroom parade, with participants dressed as their favorite fungi; it’s the site of a yearly gin festival, featuring martini-stirring and lime-squeezing seminars; it is one of America’s fly-fishing capitals, and mounts an elite film festival every September. It also boasts 1,050 acres of uncrowded downhill ski slopes, 10 chairlifts feeding 43 of its 65 trails and near-perfect winter conditions--with an average annual snowfall of 300 inches.

I’m talking, of course, about Telluride, a well-preserved Victorian-era mining town of about 1,300 permanent inhabitants, tucked snugly into the 14,000-foot San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado.

Determined to get the wrinkles out of our downhill styles once and for all, my husband and I spent two weeks skiing in Telluride last winter, enticed there by promises of slopes all but free from day-skiers, and by the area’s wealth of perfectly groomed “ballroom” (novice/intermediate) slopes. Though there’s certainly plenty of steep, deep skiing for the daring only, Telluride also offers some 175 acres of novice terrain--the best beginner territory in America.

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Telluride consists of two separate communities--the historic old town, at the base of the ski mountains, and the new and casually elegant Mountain Village, seven miles away at mid-slope. Oprah Winfrey hides out at Mountain Village, in her $1.4-million lodge, along the Double Cabin ski run. I even shared the run one sunny afternoon with the talk-show queen herself, as she and boyfriend Stedman Graham, accompanied by a small group of pals, skied down the hill in front of me. (I can report that Oprah seemed as confident and controlled on the slopes as she is on TV.)

Telluride is full of celebrities, in fact. Tom Cruise got hitched nearby, and Daryl Hannah, Oliver Stone, Keith Carradine, Ralph Lauren, Dennis Weaver and Sting all have ranches in the vicinity. I spotted pop star Michael Bolton skiing (not particularly gracefully) with actress Nicolette Sheridan on another occasion, and once we spied Lionel Ritchie sipping hot cocoa with his kids at the Lift 10 base cafe. But resident and visiting stars alike keep a very low profile, and the townsfolk give them plenty of breathing room.

More than 90% of all accommodations in Telluride and Mountain Village are adjacent to the slopes--the very definition of a ski-in/ski-out getaway. We stayed in Telluride ourselves, at the Viking Suites Hotel. We had a comfortable two-room suite, spacious and clean, with a tiny kitchen area and stunning mountain view--and, most important, a good heating system.

Like many Colorado towns, Telluride began as little more than a mining camp. It was originally known as a silver site, called Columbia. It was renamed Telluride in 1880--after telluride, a compound of the ore tellurium (though some locals insist the name is a corruption of “To hell you ride”). A gold boom followed soon afterward, and tent settlements sprang up and mines were staked out in less than meticulous fashion.

Telluride was a wild place in those days. Deadly violence was so frequent that the local undertaker, swamped with business, is said to have offered group rates for funerals if all killings were done on Saturdays. A small plaque downtown, marks the site of the old “sporting district” or red-light area called Popcorn Alley. Home to gambling halls, brothels and brass-railed saloons, it apparently acquired its name from the “popping” noise made by constant opening and closing of doors during all hours of the night. Today only two saloons, the Senate (where slugger Jack Dempsey once worked as a dishwasher) and the Silverbell, plus a row of three Victorian houses on Pacific Street called the Cribs (once used by prostitutes) still stand. The Telluride Housing Authority renovated the buildings in 1983.

By the late 1930s, Telluride was a dying town. Most of the once-bustling businesses were boarded up, and the population had dwindled to a mere 500. Telluride retreated into the shadows of the looming San Juans--until the counterculture found it. Descending on the town in Pop Art vans and trailers, pure-minded ‘60s hippies looking for good vibes settled into the place, and gradually began to restore the pretty Victorian cottages and historical sites.

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This community still forms the backbone of the place, and if these early dreamers grew up, they didn’t sell out: No chain store outlets or designer boutiques crowd the main drag. Gucci and Benetton are as alien to this town as street signals. (The nearest traffic light is 60 miles away.) When the state of Colorado passed its notorious Amendment 2 last year, denying special protections to homosexuals, Telluride issued a statement to the governor, reading in part, “Telluride Town and County Governments renounce Amendment 2. This community will not tolerate discrimination at any level.”

Skiing first came to Telluride in 1972, when an enterprising local ski enthusiast named Joe Zoline, envisioning a winter recreation area “second to none,” formed the Telluride Ski Company and began operating the town’s first downhill runs.

Telluride used to be known as a “moguls only” spot--a paradise for double-black-diamond skiers looking for gnarly virgin terrain. As the ski industry expanded here, though, Lifts 1 and 10 were constructed for beginners. The latter, which offers some of the longest gradual runs in these hills, is edged by gorgeous, stylishly designed lodge homes (including Oprah’s). From this lift, I skied the Double Cabin run, which has easy-to-slightly-tricky pitches, perfect for practice if you’re a little more advanced. The Bridges, also off Lift 10, takes skiers over and under actual bridges.

Fourteen days on these slopes did indeed improve my technique--though one afternoon I hit a “death cookie” (an ice clump left over from trail grooming), and ended up skiing halfway down the Sundance run on the left side of my face, kicking up enough powder to be mistaken for a rampaging Yeti.

Sometimes I did better. On a beginner slope one day, I whizzed past movie mogul George Lucas, who was apparently taking his first ski lesson--with a private instructor, of course. It was somehow comforting to watch this cinematic mastermind proceeding down the gradual Village Bypass run with baby steps. Unfortunately, just as I was savoring the moment, a 6-year-old future Olympic medalist flew past me, yelling “Move it!”

The Mountain Village area is linked to town by a free shuttle bus service, but we preferred to rent a car to deal with our boots, blades and poles. We liked having afternoon tea at the most glamorous resort here, The Peaks, a 1 1/2-year-old luxury complex that was known as the Doral until it was purchased recently and re-christened by Westcor Resorts, which owns the Boulders in Arizona. Set to reopen Dec. 15 after remodeling by Westcor, the resort was a controversial addition to Telluride, seen by some locals as being too big and too pricey.

Despite its high celebrity count and a growing reputation as Colorado’s hottest “in” spot, Telluride has thus far kept blatant Aspen-style exploitation at bay. For now, it remains an easy-going sort of place, where mountain lions prowl late at night on the edge of town, and bears wander near the ranches in the hills. There’s a “free box” at the corner of Colorado and Pine, where people are encouraged to deposit or withdraw clothing items at will. A local reverend conducts religious services at Lift 7, where skiers go to pray for perfect powder. The Telluride Times-Journal’s weekly crime and misdemeanor report is full of such items as, “A woman accidentally called 911,” or “Sheriff responded to an alarm at a gallery. On the scene, he found 20 people involved in a snowball fight, which stopped upon his arrival.”

But the number of airline seats to the Telluride and nearby Montrose airports increased 47% last season. In the winter of 1994, a new passenger gondola connecting Mountain Village with Telluride is due to open, and six new lifts have been mapped out. How long the town can retain its special flavor is an open question. But, as former Telluride town council member “Rasta” Stevie Smith, puts it, “Positive affirmation results in positive manifestation. I know this community is the most unified I’ve ever seen, and I urge all citizens to keep their vision.” Maybe they will.

GUIDEBOOK

Ticket to Telluride

Getting there: Continental Airlines has several daily connecting flights to Telluride, via Denver, from both LAX and Ontario. Both Continental and United fly several times daily to Montrose, about 65 miles south of Telluride, also via Denver. (Due to weather conditions, flights to Telluride are frequently rerouted to Montrose anyway in winter months.) Fares begin at $436 round trip to Telluride, $432 round trip to Montrose. Both Continental and United also offer ski packages, including air fare, car rental, hotel, ski rental and lift tickets. For more information, call Continental Grand Destinations, (800) 634-5555, or United Mountain Vacations, (800) 775-7995.

Where to stay: We stayed at the Viking Suites Hotel, 651 W. Pacific Ave., (303) 728-6621, a complex with 59 studio-style condos, each equipped with bunk beds, a pull-down bed and a queen bed, plus cable TV and kitchenettes furnished with stove, refrigerator and microwave. There’s also a heated pool and outdoor whirlpool. Rates: Through Dec. 18, a “ski free” promotion at $100 per night, double occupancy, includes two free lift tickets per day (add $20 to each rate for a deluxe suite); $145 regular rate from Dec. 19 to 23; $190 per night Dec. 24 through Jan. 2; rates drop to $110 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 11, excluding the Jan. 14-17 holiday weekend ($190 per night); $145 from Feb. 12 through March 25, excluding the Feb. 18-21 holiday weekend ($190 per night); $110 “bargain rate “ from March 26 through April 1; $100 per night with two free lift tickets April 2-10.

The first-class Peaks at Telluride resort and spa, formerly the Doral (136 Country Club Drive; 303-728-6800, reservations 800-789-2220), reopens Dec. 15 after renovation. Rates through April 10, $200-$1,750 per night for two. Ski-free packages, included in the room price, are offered throughout the season based on availability. A Christmas package Dec. 18-25 starts at $169 per person, double occupancy (four-day minimum), includes lift tickets, spa access, spa treatment, ski-in/ski-out access, complimentary ski valet and morning stretch class. A wide range of other lodgings is available, in all price ranges. Telluride Central Reservations handles all bookings; for lodging, lift tickets and local transportation, tel. (800) 525-3455.

Where to eat: Here is a small selection of the numerous high-quality restaurants in town: the Powderhouse Restaurant (226 W. Colorado Ave.; local. tel. 728-3622), where owner/chef Tony Clinco, a former Golden Gloves boxing champion, serves “Rocky Mountain cuisine” (fresh pasta, duck, seafood, wild game, etc.); about $40 for two, food only. Campagna (435 W. Pacific Ave.; tel. 728-6190), a tiny place serving Tuscan specialties in a Victorian cottage; $75-$85. Leimgruber’s Bierstube & Restaurant (573 W. Pacific Ave.; tel. 728-4663), an apres -ski favorite with an outside deck, serving Bavarian-style specialties; $40. The Peaks’ Sundance Cafe (address and phone above) is a ski-in/ski-out restaurant with a menu serving everything from buffalo cheeseburgers to low-fat spa cuisine; $40.

Lift tickets: $29 through Dec. 18, $41 Dec. 19 through April 10. (Seniors over 70 ski free.) Some hotels offer a “ski free” program through Dec. 18 this year, with lift passes included in room rates. Call Telluride Central Reservations (see above) for details.

For more information: Contact the Telluride Chamber Resort Assn., P.O. Box 653, Telluride, Colo. 81435; tel. (303) 728-3041.