Town Park virgin? Get your answers here!

[Bawndo]

We've got a group of 7 camping at Matterhorn.  Since we'll likely head into the fest at different times each day, and none of us will be in a condition to drive home at night, what is the best way to get back and forth?  Is ride sharing (Uber, Lyft) available, shuttle, hot air balloon?     

 Listening to: Balsam Range

[Hot Sugar]

We've got a group of 7 camping at Matterhorn.  Since we'll likely head into the fest at different times each day, and none of us will be in a condition to drive home at night, what is the best way to get back and forth?  Is ride sharing (Uber, Lyft) available, shuttle, hot air balloon?     

My understanding is that if you're not camping at a Planet Bluegrass campground, you're only option is to drive to Mountain Village to park then take the Gondola over. If you're not wanting to organize to leave at the same time with a few designated drivers, I'd recommend moving to Mary E or Lawson where you can rely on the Shuttles.

[culasthewiz]

If you're looking at this post wondering how you're going to ever get through 80 pages of responses, feel free to check out the summary I put together here: http://www.festivarian.com/index.php/topic,31794.0.html

[TRL]

It's great having all this information available at our thumbtips but it certainly comes with a major drawback  it doesn't leave much for the newbies to question, converse, and get to know others with. By all means the gold nuggets hidden throughout these pages have proven very valuable.

Thank you again Culasthewiz for going through and consolidating all that information it does make it easier to get through.

[culasthewiz]

It's great having all this information available at our thumbtips but it certainly comes with a major drawback  it doesn't leave much for the newbies to question, converse, and get to know others with. By all means the gold nuggets hidden throughout these pages have proven very valuable.

Thank you again Culasthewiz for going through and consolidating all that information it does make it easier to get through.

Thanks.  My goal wasn't to usurp this awesome thread as this is where I got most of my info before my first TP trip!  I figured that the summary could be an opportunity for folks who might be short on time to get the gist.  I encourage further discussion here. 

[MaryannKK]

First timer to Town Park camping and I've got a couple questions. Appreciate all the help! 

Due to work schedules, we won't be able to arrive until the afternoon of Friday the 22nd. There are only two of us, do we stand a chance at getting campsite space? Any suggestions on where we should look first when we get there?

What is the visitor policy in Town Park campground? We have friends meeting up at the festival that have other accomodations, but would we be able to have them visit us in our campground during the day?

Thanks again for the help! Super excited to check out Town Park! 

[Mark J]

After Wednesday evening, only those with a Town Park wrist band can get into Town Park, so unfortunately, your friends will not be able to get to your campsite.  As far as where to go when you get to Town Park...….your best bet is to simply walk around and when you see people at their site, ask them if they have room for your tent?  You will find people to be very friendly and welcoming.....if the first site you come to does not have room, just move on and check with others.....you will find a place considering you just need a spot for one tent   

[MarcyReally]

Also a Newbie here... 
We (5 of us) are flying in the Saturday before the fest from Florida so we have to buy some gear at Walmart in Montrose but also figure out the "Land Rush" deal with claiming a camping spot in Town Park.
Our group wants to do some hiking before the fest and we are not camping just yet, so if we lay down a tarp, how likely is it that it will remain "our spot" when we start camping on Thursday?
It all sounds so overwhelming just to have a spot for our weary bodies to sleep at night! I'm guessing we should set our tent up and ask our neighbors to keep an eye out for it.
It sounds like there is no place to charge cell phones, correct?
Tarps to claim ground, are they the things to have to sit on to enjoy the music and not camp chairs, is that correct? Tarps by the stage, chairs in back? How about hammocks?  What are the limits on chair heights, chair locations etc.?
We don't plan on cooking other than making morning coffee, is it possible to purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner on the festival grounds?
Flying in from Florida is quite limiting since we can't fly Southwest like we have done in the past for backpacking and no baggage fees. United wants $30/bag and NO carryon, what a crock of shit! Anyway, we are going to need to ship stuff in, I read the Post Office will hold packages, does anyone know if that is still true?
Another thing about coming from Florida, we are literally at 12' above sea level and we're going to 10,000'? How does one adjust for that and is there medical (I'm sure there is) for altitude sickness?
I may have more questions later, these are just my OCD ones for now!

p.s. thank you to the person that posted the packing list! I'm glad to see condoms were on the list.


 Listening to: Della Mae: Pine Tree

[Australian fan]

Also a Newbie here... 
We (5 of us) are flying in the Saturday before the fest from Florida so we have to buy some gear at Walmart in Montrose but also figure out the "Land Rush" deal with claiming a camping spot in Town Park.
Our group wants to do some hiking before the fest and we are not camping just yet, so if we lay down a tarp, how likely is it that it will remain "our spot" when we start camping on Thursday?
It all sounds so overwhelming just to have a spot for our weary bodies to sleep at night! I'm guessing we should set our tent up and ask our neighbors to keep an eye out for it.
It sounds like there is no place to charge cell phones, correct?
Tarps to claim ground, are they the things to have to sit on to enjoy the music and not camp chairs, is that correct? Tarps by the stage, chairs in back? How about hammocks?  What are the limits on chair heights, chair locations etc.?
We don't plan on cooking other than making morning coffee, is it possible to purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner on the festival grounds?
Flying in from Florida is quite limiting since we can't fly Southwest like we have done in the past for backpacking and no baggage fees. United wants $30/bag and NO carryon, what a crock of shit! Anyway, we are going to need to ship stuff in, I read the Post Office will hold packages, does anyone know if that is still true?
Another thing about coming from Florida, we are literally at 12' above sea level and we're going to 10,000'? How does one adjust for that and is there medical (I'm sure there is) for altitude sickness?
I may have more questions later, these are just my OCD ones for now!

p.s. thank you to the person that posted the packing list! I'm glad to see condoms were on the list.

Hi, I won’t try to answer the camping questions there are far more experienced folks than me but I can certainly answer the altitude question. I fly from Australia every year and altitude sickness is definitely real and best avoided. It is debilitating and will wreck your holiday unless you take precautions. If you can’t acclimatise by steadily moving upwards over a week then use drugs.  I go to a travel doctor and get a script for altitude tablets which I take for three days before I arrive in Telluride. I keep taking them the whole time I’m there. It makes it hard to drink ( hello, one beer and I’m smashed) but it’s worth it to be able to stay upright, happy and well the whole time. I’ve also used liquid oxygen when I feel bad and that helps a lot.

Enjoy our wonderful festival and see you in TP.


 Listening to: New Greensky

[Pirate Looks at --]

I can tell you that a tarp placed on Saturday will hold your place, BUT, if you don't get back to town park until Thursday two things are going to happen.  First, you will  miss the best part of the festival, no kidding, the pre-fest activities hosted by the camps in town park are the highlight of this festival. The music is wonderful, but the fun of pre fest is what it is all about and lets you get immersed in the fest. Second, since you are going to be "gone" for 5 days, you may find that your little corner of the world has gotten smaller and smaller to the point where you will need a 5 tiered bunk bed. My suggestion would be to extend your trip and hile after fest! 

[ToddG]

Also a Newbie here... 
We (5 of us) are flying in the Saturday before the fest from Florida so we have to buy some gear at Walmart in Montrose but also figure out the "Land Rush" deal with claiming a camping spot in Town Park.
Our group wants to do some hiking before the fest and we are not camping just yet, so if we lay down a tarp, how likely is it that it will remain "our spot" when we start camping on Thursday?
It all sounds so overwhelming just to have a spot for our weary bodies to sleep at night! I'm guessing we should set our tent up and ask our neighbors to keep an eye out for it.
It sounds like there is no place to charge cell phones, correct?
Tarps to claim ground, are they the things to have to sit on to enjoy the music and not camp chairs, is that correct? Tarps by the stage, chairs in back? How about hammocks?  What are the limits on chair heights, chair locations etc.?
We don't plan on cooking other than making morning coffee, is it possible to purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner on the festival grounds?
Flying in from Florida is quite limiting since we can't fly Southwest like we have done in the past for backpacking and no baggage fees. United wants $30/bag and NO carryon, what a crock of shit! Anyway, we are going to need to ship stuff in, I read the Post Office will hold packages, does anyone know if that is still true?
Another thing about coming from Florida, we are literally at 12' above sea level and we're going to 10,000'? How does one adjust for that and is there medical (I'm sure there is) for altitude sickness?
I may have more questions later, these are just my OCD ones for now!

p.s. thank you to the person that posted the packing list! I'm glad to see condoms were on the list.

If you leave a tarp down on land rush day, as long as you've spoken to those setting up around you it should be fine. I personally would go ahead and set up my tent, and again talk to your neighbors. If your staying in a condo you could offer a shower for watching your gear! I'd also make the suggestion to come hangout in camp whenever you are not hiking as lots of fun activities will be going on with your neighbors in TP. My wife and I use a small 4x7 tarp that can easily squeeze 4 people on it, and it usually fits conveniently between two large tarps. We sit in low back low sitting packable camp chairs, I believe the brand is Heliox, and we use a tarpestry not an actual nylon/poly tarp. At the bathhouse in Town Park there will be an elaborate power strip setup where you can charge just about anything. The festival grounds wont open till around 10am where there are some breakfast like stuff, and you can bring any beverage you want inside as long as its not booze, or glass, and styrofoam is/should be frowned upon. Its only a short walk from the TP campground to any place in town to get breakfast, I'd suggest checking out Baked in Telluride at least once. As far as altitude goes, we come from about 800ft, and though we always experience shortness of breath during hikes or bike rides, we've never dealt with any other symptoms. Before your trip, during, and the entire time you are in the mountains drink more water than you normally would, and give yourself a full 24 hours of being in the mountains before you attempt bagging all those 14ers!! Sounds like you've already been reading through past posts, which is a major aid in knowing about TBF and the festivarian crew.

 Listening to: me trying to figure out Beck Modern Guilt

[ToddG]

Pirate is completely right too. A huge part of the fun for those lucky enough to have TP passes is the pre-fest camp activities. Also there's more hiking than you could possibly get in in 4 days that you can do walking right out of camp, in just about any direction. We do a hike or bike ride everyday from Sunday-Wednesday.

[Maggie1B]

Also a Newbie here... 
We (5 of us) are flying in the Saturday before the fest from Florida so we have to buy some gear at Walmart in Montrose but also figure out the "Land Rush" deal with claiming a camping spot in Town Park.
Our group wants to do some hiking before the fest and we are not camping just yet, so if we lay down a tarp, how likely is it that it will remain "our spot" when we start camping on Thursday?
It all sounds so overwhelming just to have a spot for our weary bodies to sleep at night! I'm guessing we should set our tent up and ask our neighbors to keep an eye out for it.
It sounds like there is no place to charge cell phones, correct?
Tarps to claim ground, are they the things to have to sit on to enjoy the music and not camp chairs, is that correct? Tarps by the stage, chairs in back? How about hammocks?  What are the limits on chair heights, chair locations etc.?
We don't plan on cooking other than making morning coffee, is it possible to purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner on the festival grounds?
Flying in from Florida is quite limiting since we can't fly Southwest like we have done in the past for backpacking and no baggage fees. United wants $30/bag and NO carryon, what a crock of shit! Anyway, we are going to need to ship stuff in, I read the Post Office will hold packages, does anyone know if that is still true?
Another thing about coming from Florida, we are literally at 12' above sea level and we're going to 10,000'? How does one adjust for that and is there medical (I'm sure there is) for altitude sickness?
I may have more questions later, these are just my OCD ones for now!

p.s. thank you to the person that posted the packing list! I'm glad to see condoms were on the list.

We were newbies last year and camped in Warner field. 

Food wise - we didn't cook at all - we purchased some snacks in town to keep at our camp site to nibble when we were hungry.  We walked into town for our meals, ate at the festival or our camping neighbors were always inviting us to join and eat with them.  10 minute walk into town to find something to eat - one of our favorite places to eat was Brown Dog pizza - so yummy.

Phones - there was a huge makeshift charging station set up by the bathrooms, alot of people just would leave their devices to charge and go about their day.  We would take time to charge everything every evening - my friend is diabetic on an insulin pump and had to keep about 4 things charged up for the week - we had no problem keeping her devices charged.

We traveled from flat Texas - we didn't have any problem with altitude besides being out of breath when hiking - you can really feel the difference. Telluride is just like any other city - there is medical help/clinics available if needed.     

The hiking was great! We did local hikes every morning.   

[Pass Port]

Hey Marcy,

They all have good answers and similar to what you'd find by searching ... though that often goes down rabbit holes where you find even more fun tidbits.

Lesley does suffer from altitude sickness and needs those meds or she risks missing some of her favorites bands. She says she isn't a camper but she rocked it last year! For Todd or Pirate, it doesn't bother them as much. Ease into hiking or any exercise, and also any alcohol, but drink loads of water.

I would set up a tent, not just leave a tarp, and definitely talk to your neighbors! Even if you plan do camp elsewhere for a few days, set up in TP first. And not to beat too much on the same drum, just giving you some input. Use TP as your base camp. You can use your car until Wednesday, though after Wednesday morning you will probably get sent up to the resort which is gondola ride back. There are so many cool hikes, climbs, and rides right from town. Then come back and attend some of the fun events Pirate and Todd spoke of, meet new friends from all over that have a common love just like you. Oh, in town you can find everything from good food truck food to 5 star dining. Brown Dog pizza is a must at least once a visit! Once the festival starts on Thursday there will also be a bunch of vendors inside that are also very good.

Hope to see ya!!
 

[Susan Sparks]

First telluride festival here. I am struggling to find the location of the box office. I thought I saw a map in the past and currently I can not find it. Help please.