Crested Butte - Well worth the trip!

A review of of one of the nation's top destination ski resorts

By Robert Gagnon

Crested butte is a great destination for all types of skiers. From learning areas on peaceful slopes, nice wide open blue runs with a ‘’magnifique’’ view or steep challenging terrain you will find all you could possibly seek at this ski resort.

The mountain is far from the crowds and in harmony with the nature. Crested Butte is 255 miles from Denver airport and it is a beautiful drive in the Colorado country to get there. I suggest you land at Gunnison if you want to save your energy for skiing. A shuttle will pick you up directly at the airport when you arrive and will bring you right to your door. It’s possible to rent a car from the airport, but I don’t think this is necessary because once you are at the ski resort there is a free shuttle which travels between the resort and the village. It takes only few minutes and the shuttle comes every 15 minutes.

The base of the mountain is 9,375 feet (2856 m) and the top is at 12,162 feet (3707 m) above sea level which mean less oxygen and it is really dry. You will feel it after a few hours. So don’t forget to drink a lot of water and go gradually on your skiing to acclimate yourself with the altitude. It is better to moderate the alcohol too because the effect is double up there.  The sun will be part of your holidays. You better apply sun cream few times during the day to avoid sunburn. In the case of a bad day expect flat light which means you will not be able to see the terrain properly. It will be all whiteout. The best goggles to have for these conditions are those with yellow, blue, pink, other clear and bright lens. It will help but won’t give you a perfect visibility. Ski in the forest or on the edge of the slope to get better visibility.

Not restricted to just advanced skiers and riders, the terrain is awesome even for beginners. You will begin at the base of the slope on a magic carpet and after a few days practicing at the bottom lifts you will move to the top. Once you are able to reach the Painter Boy Lift you can practice over there. This ski area has many green runs. This is one of the best areas for novice skiers I have seen and on the opposite side at the top you can access blue runs.

For kids the place is heaven, a lot of tree runs where they can learn and have fun at the same time. Don’t try to follow their track in the forest if you are not an intermediate skier, let their ski instructor do it with them. It is more dangerous for you than for them because the trails are made for the kids and they carry less speed then you do. 

There are many blue runs all over the mountain. You will probably spend a lot of time on Paradise Express Lift where the slope is pretty wide and fun with different shapes. The terrain constantly varies. You can ski a black run between two blue runs just to get a taste of it.

If you prefer Black diamond runs and bumps you will spend more time using the Silver Queen Express Lift. Once at the top, you go to the left and you’ll encounter a lot of black runs where you will have a blast. Crested Butte has the steepest run in North America. You can see the bottom from the top beside your feet.

There are many terrain parks for all levels of freestyle skiers. One of them is in the Paradise Lift area with jump and rails for intermediate and advanced skiers. Another is a park with smaller jumps and features like mini half pipe for the kids on the Painter boy area which is safely separated from the beginner slope. The keystone jib Park is the perfect place to practice your new tricks. If you’d like to improve your skills on the halfpipe, the 17’ high, 400’ long DC Super pipe is perfect.

The highest point of the mountain is accessed by the High Lift. Once there, you can find the famous Headwall, the steep terrain of North face and if you want to hike you can reach the top of the Banana Funnel. “Extreme skiers only” allowed in these areas and it is not safe to go alone. Use the services of a ski instructor or ski guide to show you the best spot. You can buy the Extreme Limits Ski Guide too. This ski book shows you more details of the extreme terrain. Many high level freeskiers have participated in the U.S. Skiing Championships there.

The resort and the village are at separate locations. There are some great restaurants at the bottom of the slope and many ski-in, ski-out accommodations. If you take a day off from skiing, take the Mountain Express for free and go to visit the village of Crested Butte. You and your family and friends will not be disappointed.