About Telluride Outside

Local Since 1984

In 1984, Bill White launched his first commercial rafting trip on the San Miguel. Telluride Outside was born a rafting and fly fishing company with operations on the Gunnison, San Miguel and Dolores rivers. A committed outdoorsman, White developed Telluride's original home-grown guide service with the addition of 4-WD and snowmobile tours over the ensuing years.

Tom Craddock, a longtime manager, and head fly fishing guide Troy Youngfleish teamed up with former guide John Duncan (1991-1994), who was then working for Scott Fly Rods, to buy Telluride Outside in May, 2001. Duncan, Craddock and Youngfleish took over the company with renewed commitment to the original guide services. Snowmobile tours, which had been separated, were added back to the menu in 2012 with the acquisition of Dave's Mountain Tours and T.O. started a SUP guide service in the spring of 2015.

Along the way, West Slope native Kris Knackendoffel joined the partners, adding born-and-raised talent to the fly fishing, rafting and snowmobile guide services. Ron Solomon also joined the team, a longtime friend and experienced traveling angler. Among other contributions, Solomon helped Telluride Outside develop its Argentina fly fishing program.

Between 1984 and 2000, the company occupied four different locations including a Colorado Avenue booking office, a space above Clark 's Market, the old San Miguel Country Store and an out-of-town reservations office in the Lawson Hill business park. In 2001, the new owners consolidated operations in Telluride Angler, Telluride Outside's Main Street fly shop. They invested in both guiding resources and the fly shop, acquiring over 12 miles of private water for the fishing guide service and opening a major online store (tellurideangler.com). In November 2022, the company moved one block west on Colorado Avenue to a new, larger home at 221 W. Colorado Ave, with an improved, re-merchandised retail space and new reservations office.

Over the last 22 years, Tom, John, Troy, Kris and Ron have worked to make Telluride Outside and Telluride Angler a projection of their passions and ambitions, a guide service defined by its people, a resource for visitors and locals in common, a company with the soul of Telluride.