Fishing in Ridgway on Monday and Tuesday before fest, excellent, caught 2 Browns and 1 Rainbow(San Juan Worms and Yellow Sally’s), hiking to the waterfall and looking down at the beautiful valley below where we festivate, hearing all those beautiful voices on stage combined with nature, almost overwhelming.
LOVED, LOVED LOVED all the harmonica this year.
I have 10 new CD’s ready to rock in my player, smokin’ a brisket on the bbq, strawberrie Margs in hand and ready to crank up the tunes…
This is the festival that keeps on givin’, if I close my eyes, I’m still there.
TBF virgin this year! After about 20 years of wanting, longing, and dreaming of telluride. We bought our tickets for the festival and for Ilium camping back in February this year. Read the forums and the newsletters weekly. Planned every purchase and daily itinerary from all the helpful posts. Arrived in CO on Saturday 6/14 and memories overwhelm me still from the most incredible vacation of my life. So, here are my top 10:
Shooting over 700 images and the feeling that the last one was every bit the emotion capture for me as the first was.
Seeing Lake San Cristobal and the San Juan Mountains for the first time. Wow! Post cards abound!
Trying to drive our Ford Fusion over Cinnamon pass! Whoohoo! Who needs a jeep!? Okay, we didn’t make it and had to drive another four hours around the mountain to get to Ouray, CO.
Railroad Earth on Saturday 14th in Denver’s Ogden Theater. Holy crap that band is amazing, amazing, amazing!
There’s vegetarian food at the TBF! How thoughtful!
Carrie and Jeff: We love you! We met in the bus line coming from Ilium. Turned an hour long wait into the start of maybe life-long friendship.
Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, and Kentucky Thunder. Are you kidding? How does this rank as only 4th?
Yonder Mountain with Sam Bush! No more need be said. …Okay, more should be said. We stood against the rope just behind the poser pit waiting for the moment to trample the rope and rush into the space between. Third song, our chance came! We rushed to the fence, started dancing and stirred up a dust cloud that I was still coughing on the next morning. Best quote of the weekend was heard as we walked back for refreshments afterward: “Man, that band makes me dance so fast!”
Thursday morning the 19th, seeing the Telluride valley from the front window of the shuttle school bus coming in from Ilium camp ground. Oh my god!! I’m here! I’m finally here!
Crying uncontrollably Thursday morning when when Darrell Scott opened up with “Colorado I need healing”. I was finally here. My god, I’m finally here!
I’ll never forget my first trip to Telluride. Everything I read in the forum leading up to the trip was true: Good people, love and peace abound. An incredibly moving and joyous experience. We’re already planning our trip for next year.
Now that’s funny! You just made my day! :lol :lol :lol :lol Maybe next year you can try Black Bear or Imogene, and that’s pronounced EYE-mo-gene folks! Really tho, you could probably get over Ophir pass okay in a 2wd.
I forgot Tony and Teresa’s wedding (at least his name isn’t Dave).
Beautiful tye dye wedding attire, sweet Dylan walking Mom down the aisle.
Great music, too bad Rich doesn’t read this forum.
Gretchen, shining light and what a great smile her TeePee mate has.
It’s all percolated a bit and there are a few things I’ll add to my ongoing list of the things that keep me going until next time (page 12 of this thread):
My festival family for all the amazing things you are and do
Darrell singing Great Day To Be Alive during his opening set while I was thanking my stars just to be there with my family all alive and sound after some scary business on our way
The fabulous people behind and in front of the scenes that help make this so terrifically fun and simple
the lovely surprise of Shiloh and Andrew’s sweet grooves around the circle and that Devil Dog that keeps hanging with me
Seeing Bob Troutman, a man responsible for sending me some of the very best live music in my collection
Sam and Jack jamming on “Squeezebox”…I’ve been told to watch for this on You Tube…hilarious
Flashy drinks with LuAnna on the tarps
Hot Rize and Red Knuckles! Mightyfine!!
Time in camp with those who really make my soul happy
Finally getting to squeeze Jeff Stampes, whose wisdom and humor I’ve admired for years, albeit just as we were pulling out - nice to see you around these parts too Jeff!
You all rock. What do you say we do this again next year?!
TBF is that place where, as I make that turn up the canyon, the butterflies dance at a fevered pitch in my stomach and a cry of pure joy escapes my mouth.
TBF is that place where, as I pull across the bridge, I know there will be hugs and calls of “Welcome Home!”, and “Happy New Year!”
TBF is that place where I wake in the morning to strains of laughter, “Rawhide”, and the smell of coffee brewing.
TBF is that place where my day to day cares and concerns melt away and take their proper place in my life.
TBF is the musical well from which I fill my soul with enough pure sweet musical goodness to last until the next TBF.
TBF is the example of unconditional acceptance that I spend the remainder of the year trying emulate.
TBF is “happiness is a choice” in action… plain and simple.
TBF is definitely, unequivocally, much more than a music festival
TBF is family.
TBF is love.
TBF is home.
xoxo Rhonny aka Monkeygirl
P.S. Thank you everyone… for the sharing, the support, the music and the love.
I have gone ever year since I have :cheerslived here in Telluride - (7 years now) Being Irish and seeing one of my bands from back home (that I use to go see in Whelan’s Pub in Dublin) was great & of course meeting them backstage and sharing a beer while talking about Ireland what can I say
I know they will be back next year and who knows maybe more Irish tunes will fill the valley
see you then
Slainte
P.S anybody see my Irish flag flying high up front - love to get a picture if anybody has one
No, but I sure did enjoy helping you hold it high and proud during The Swell Season! What a wonderful show! Thanks for letting me join in the fun. :thumbsup
2008 was our first Telluride, we flew over from Germany. We camped in Illium, but we had 2 extra camping passes for Lawson Hill. We put them in an envelope and put the envelope on the message board at the box office. Guess what…it worked!
When we checked it after a few hours, someone had taken the tickets and the face value money was in the envelope. Great spirit, Telluride! :thumbsup
Another great moment was flying back from Telluride to Denver on Monday with Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn and Luke Bulla sitting next to us.
Not to mention the great people we met at the campground and the brilliant music.
I’ll be back next year and I’ll bring more friends. :cheers
Bernar, it makes me so happy that people like you folks have enough faith in their fellow humans to allow an exchange like that to happen. Good on you!
This year it was definately all about people. Rich, love ya man you have a heart of gold. We hope so very much that you make it back next year. Richard you are truly a great guy as are your buddies Scot and Andy. To the Virginia folks especially Gary it is people like you that make lifes’ moments that much better. To the folks at the jail tent we walked by your tent so much on the last day that I really almost fell over from exhaustion. Well anyways howdy gentleman as the passing always went. The Yonder trifecta especially the Opera house with Rich. Laure still hasn’t stopped dancin. I could just go on.
This is my first post on the message board and after our third TBF there are already so many wonderful memories. Being from Chicago, it is so nice to get out of the city and meet our dear friends in such a beautiful environment. Between the people, the music, the scenery it is definitely a break from the urban jungle that I am already looking forward to next year.
Best memories have to include meeting Sam Bush at the airport again, first Sheridan Opera House experience with Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers this year, the wonderful homebrew tea from Aric and the never ending gondola ride, being able to meet Andy and Erin from Flagstaff each year and watch their two young lads grow up right before our eyes, learning about Kirby and Kath this year expecting their first, the marshmellow war during the Swell Season, first flight into Telluride this year which resembles the hairiest roller coater ride like landing ever, John Cowen and Luke Bula singing “Strangest Dreams” in Elks Park in 2006, Railroad Earth in 2004, always being greeted by Bob with a smile and a gift (congrats on your 34th year at TBF Bob!)
Hope to have many more memories ahead and hopefully meet more and more of you great people along the way. :wave