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Crested Butte, Colorado, USA
At least once a week I daydream of
Crested Butte. When thinking about Crested Butte, I typically suffer from
"grass-is-greener" syndrome where all of my life's challenges are solved by
being there. But for good reason.
C.B. is an old mining town turned extreme sports mecca, encircled by
snow-capped peaks carpeted with aspen forests and wildflower meadows in summer.
Did I mention that it has hardcore snowboarding on Mount Crested Butte and the
sweetest twisting, packed dirt singletrack trails radiating from town like
spokes on a wheel? In this town where cowboys still ride their horses down the
streets (which were only recently paved), mountain bikes far out number cars.
Crested Butte is where many outdoor enthusiasts (junkies) escape to get
their fix and to avoid "growing up" in the traditional sense of societal norms.
In the 1960's when CB was nearly abandoned, the hippies resettled the town to
escape the war and the oppression of conventional civilization. Even with modern
telecommunications and ski condo's blossoming like wildflowers up on the hill,
old town CB still feels remote and retains its historic flavor with the old
Victorian miner homes lining the streets.
As long as you embrace each day fully and live honestly in the moment
(which usually means biking, boarding, hiking, kayaking or skiing), there's no
societal pressure to achieve more (as long as you cover your share of the rent
or mortgage). Peter Pan would have loved this place - as long as he could deal
with the snow from September to May (a particular pitfall for myself) and he
doesn't mind a construction job or waiting tables (another pitfall). Except for
the older wealthy building second homes on the hill or in CB south, you won't
find many trust-fund babies here - they stick to the glam of Aspen or Telluride.
Located north of Gunnison on the slopes of Mount Crested
Butte, Crested Butte Mountain Resort has more double-black diamond runs than any
other resort in Colorado. This is an extremely boarder-friendly mountain due to
its conical shape - each run down seems to spawn and spider into several trails.
Unlike many ski areas, though rarely needed, the traverses from back to front
are even nicely sloped with minimal hiking required, in any. The Crested Butte
ski area has 85 runs spread over 1,200 boardable acres with a life-accessed
vertical drop of 2,800'.
For starters, take the high-speed Silver Queen Lift from
the base area (9,375'), which provides excellent access almost all the way to
the summit (12,162'). Try the double blacks Peel or Forest (both require lots of
snow to open) or consider taking the High Lift (t-bar) to access the steeps and
chutes of the double-black diamond Headwall. If you are really adventurous, try
the hike to the summit for a total vertical drop to the base of 3,062'.
On pow days, after stopping at the Camp4 Coffee atop Gold
Link, head back early to the Double Top Glades off the Eagle River Lift. If you
are up for a challenge and there's enough snow, catch the North Face Lift
(t-bar) to drop off the North Face into Phoenix bowl with plenty of glades,
chutes and drops.
Look for steeps? Then check out the double-black North Face. If you need a
powder fix, look for stashes in the glades on Teocalli.
At the end of the day, check out apres ski at either
Rafters or the Avalanche. For local nightlife,after 10pm or so head down to
Kochevars and the Talk Of The Town.
To me, Crested Butte is dry deep blue sky days and
crisp countless star nights. Its winters deep powder glades and snowcapped peaks
all around. Its summers spectacular green meadows of lupines and alpine
sunflowers rolling into verdant forests of aspens and firs. And purple
Columbines - soft, graceful, complex, wild, magical. Its cowboys, mountain
bikers, miners and snowboarders. Its rivers cascading from snowy summits in
every direction you look. Its quiet crisp morning walks around town before the
sun climbs over the butte while the mist rises from the rivers with a steaming
cup of joe from Camp 4 Coffee (where Al always greets you warmly). Its hanging
out in Kochevars or the Talk after a long day of adventuring to share stories
with old friends and new.
Everyone should know of a special place like Crested Butte where the mere
thought evokes a sense of calm, peace and passiveness. Only from within this
state of being can we fully realize what's important and strive to find a
balance in the forces of our lives. From here we grow a little more. I've found
that its not so much actually being in Crested Butte that important to me, but
just knowing that it exists, and daydreaming about it makes me feel a little
calmer, balanced and empowered to resolve the daily challenges of life.
CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT (888) 223-3530
For more info, try our links below:
Snow Report
Cross-Country Skiing
Summer Mountain Biking
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