Most people come to Telluride to ski, but I have a confession: I’m Madeline’s new General Manager and I’ve never strapped on a single pair of ski boots.  But I’ll let you in on another secret: I don’t feel like I’m missing out. With Madeline as Base Camp, I’ve discovered so many ways to enjoy Telluride’s incredible snow. My new favorite (and unexpected) winter sport is fat-tire biking. Cycling Bear Creek Trail pairs a great cardio workout on the trek up with an exhilarating descent. On five-inch tires, I feel like I’m almost floating down the slopes.

Each year, AAA announces all hotels and restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean that received the Four or Five Diamond Rating during the previous year. What an honor to be among the ranking and to receive our first 4-Diamond rating! Telluride is a town of great history, character and lore. It is where Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank and was the first city lit by Nikola Tesla’s method of alternating current electric power. More recently Telluride has been recognized as one of the best ski destinations in the U.S. and the world.

In my former life, I was the Spa Director at Mukul in Guacalito, Nicaragua, where I crafted a wellness program that specialized in indigenous rituals, crystals, and other local elements. Now, as the Spa Director at Madeline, I use the same natural approach to healing—and I get to incorporate my new favorite wellness ingredient: CBD. Colorado became one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, so it’s only fitting we have CBD, or cannabidiol, a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant, on our spa menu.