Crested Butte’s Other Winter Activities

Crested Butte Off-Piste

ACTIVITIES TO DO AWAY FROM THE BASE AREA

By Kendra Walker

For a community known for its alpine skiing, Crested Butte does not revolve around just the ski resort. Wintertime is a special kind of season in Crested Butte, and the residents here sure know how to play in the snow. And while most folks in town will tell you the downhill skiing is what brought them here in the first place, you’ll find there’s a whole world of additional winter recreational activities that might just turn into your next passion.

Nordic Skiing

Known as the Nordic Ski Capitol of Colorado, Crested Butte and the area’s Nordic trails live up to the name. The Crested Butte Nordic Center alone provides 50 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails. If you’re prepared to put in a little sweat, the valley’s Nordic trails will lead you into a snowy paradise of scenery and solace, just minutes away from town.

Nordic skiing is a favorite pastime that allows community members to explore the groomed terrain near town as well as the backcountry drainages of Slate River, Washington Gulch, Gothic, Brush Creek and Cement Creek. “The outdoor scene is just spectacular. The Nordic trail system is excellent and I do a lot of Nordic skiing here,” says Kathryn Johnson. “I get out there with the dogs and it’s such a great way to spend the day, getting a great workout in such a healthy environment. You’re out in the middle of the trees and the snow, and it’s so beautiful and very peaceful.”

Katy Mattson is also an avid Nordic skier. “I love to go Nordic skiing with my dog, and I think he loves it too because he goes very fast,” she says. “I live in Crested Butte South and will Nordic ski up Cement Creek because the access is so easy and a local business owner grooms it for the neighbors.”

The Nordic Center rents out gear for both skate and classic styles, and offers clinics and race events throughout the winter. The beloved Alley Loop race draws in locals and visitors for a jaunt through the town’s alleyway nooks and crannies while adorned in colorful costumes. You can even burn some calories skiing to the Nordic Center’s Magic Meadows Yurt for a gourmet backcountry feast.

Di Bridges enjoys doing her Nordic skiing at night. “When it’s snowing, I love to ski up the Bench trails at night with a headlamp. The lights of Crested Butte reflect off of the snowflakes and it’s really magical to be up there and capture that moment all to yourself.”

Fat Biking

This town loves its bike culture, and that doesn’t stop when the snow flies. Whether by townie, road, mountain or fat bike, cruising around town on two wheels is still the locals’ choice to get around in the winter. Fat biking is often referred to as the winter version of mountain biking, which is why it’s no surprise Crested Butte has embraced the sport so heartily.

The bicycle shops in town rent out fat bikes in the winter, and fat biking has become a popular way to navigate the snowy roads and trails in the area. The Crested Butte Nordic Center grooms 10 kilometers of its trails for fat biking, and the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association (CBMBA) grooms many trails around town and the drainages surrounding Crested Butte for the community to enjoy for free.

While the mountain provides some of the most extreme trails in the country, the backcountry terrain in the valley offers adrenaline-pumping options for those willing to work for their turns and responsibly educate themselves on avalanche safety. Pick any trailhead in the valley, and you’ll see a flurry of activity; snowmobile engines revving, skiers strapping on their uphill touring skins, avalanche beacons beeping and everyone all smiles in search of untouched powder.

“Crested Butte made me a better skier, and this place builds the best skiers in Colorado,” says Michelle Rampelt, who enjoys using the skills she’s learned from skiing the resort’s steeps to venture out into the backcountry. “I really enjoy backcountry skiing, it’s my favorite thing about Crested Butte,” she says. “I almost like touring around the Crested Butte area better than skiing on the mountain.”

Snowcats allow enthusiasts to enjoy backcountry turns without the hike. Betsy Wiebe enjoys bringing guests out to experience the area’s backcountry terrain as a snowcat driver for Irwin Guides. “It takes me out to the backcountry in the winter, and you’re out there to help folks powder ski in a beautiful setting in the West Elks,” she says.

Jaima Giles loves playing in the Crested Butte backcountry in motorized form. She owns a Timbersled, a dirt bike that has been converted to a snow bike. “I love to go up Kebler Pass in the winter with my husband and we take every opportunity to explore the backcountry on our snowbikes.” Snowmobile culture is prominent here in the Gunnison Valley, and chances are if you’ve lived here long enough you’ll find yourself looking into a sled for a fun and fast way to get into the backcountry.

Whether exploring the wilderness by human-powered or motorized form, please take avalanche awareness and safety training and equip yourself with the proper backcountry gear before venturing out. The Crested Butte Avalanche Center provides upto-date avalanche forecasts and observations in the valley, as well as resources and educational opportunities.

Di Bridges Ice Skating on the Blue Mesa There’s something so quintessentially winter about an ice skater on a frozen lake, and the alpine lakes of the Gunnison Valley don’t disappoint. Di Bridges has been ice skating in the area for over 12 years, and prefers speed skating the frozen lakes and reservoirs for her outdoor recreation. “Ice can happen anywhere there’s water, and there are many locations within this valley to skate,” she says. Di skates with a small group of speed skaters that scout ice locations in the winter, the Blue Mesa being one popular location for ice to form. Natural ice skating doesn’t come without its risks, and Di wears plenty of safety gear, including a personal flotation device, helmet, and protection for her pelvis, elbows and wrists. Di also frequents the local ice rinks in both Crested Butte and Gunnison as natural ice can be fleeting.

Hockey has built up momentum in Crested Butte in recent years, with Town League Hockey adding excitement and competition amongst the community. Youth leagues and after-school programs fill the Big Mine Ice Arena with hockey players during the cold weather months. The arena uses natural ice, and the Crested Butte Nordic Center rents out skates to the public all winter long.

“The athleticism here in the Gunnison Valley really shines. We are pretty fortunate that we have four ice rinks in the area,” says Gary Huresky, noting the Big Mine rink, the Crested Butte South rink, and the outdoor and indoor rinks in Gunnison. “Even though this is a ski town, we like to think we’re also a hockey town.”