Telluride backcountry info?

I have a trip to telluride planned for next month, and i was hoping to get out into the backcountry around there. I have never been to telluride, and i am looking for information on any backcountry they have around there. Can anybody help me out? Any advice/beta would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Enjoy, but serious avy hazard abounds:
avalanche.state.co.us/pub_bc_avo.php?zone_id=7

For lift accessed:
blog.tellurideskiresort.com/blogs/davesb...g-in-bear-creek.aspx
Might find some nearby TRs at:
www.wildsnow.com/backcountry-skiing-arti...try-skiing-articles/

Also Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners, Volume 2, the Southern Peaks  $13 used at Amazon.

I stayed at Last Dollar Hut, then the closest of the San Juan Huts to Telluride - scenic, but pretty limited terrain for skiing

The ski area itself has opened a lot of controlled, hike to terrain in recent years.

Last I heard, their backcountry access from the ski area has been closed by the forest service over private property issues. www.wildsnow.com/4001/telluride-bear-creek/

There are other ways to get there however and this web site has maps of the ski routes in bear creek.

www.tellurideoffpiste.com/index.html

If you're looking for actual backcountry touring, the alta lakes area, ophir, and Lizard Head Pass areas are all good, as well as Red Mountain Pass and other areas over by Silverton. Really a lot of places to go as long as the snow pack cooperates.

I have toured around Telluride only twice, but I would highly recommend both of the spots we went. Red Mountain Pass on Highway 550 has lots of mellow options on east side. The west side looked more adventurous, but we were there on a higher danger day, so we stayed mellow on the east side. It looked like the west side was open to snowmobiles and I didn't see any tracks on the east side where we were. Lizard Head Pass on the northside of Highway 145 was really nice. Very aesthetic and puts you in a great spot just southeast of three 14ers.

The resort does have some great sidecountry options. Some go way beyond slackcountry as you can hike for two or three hours to get to the summit of Palmyra Peak. We skied the resort on the days when the conditions were not favorable for touring or ice climbing.