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The Ski Resort of Crested Butte

Crested Butte

Pronounced “beaut” this resort is a real one – no pretensions, no aspirations to Aspen, in fact it plays up to its anti-glitzy, “downhome” image. This is where you grab an early lift, savor the untracked powder, and go big. Which is why the North Face of the mountain has hosted many Championships.
 
Whatever their Colorado allegiances, skiers in the know regard Crested Butte as unique. In a state with some of the world’s best powder and several very high-profile resorts, the Butte claims to be more real on every level, from its old mining village center to its gnarly mountain terrain. The result is a mountain community first, ski resort second. Local skiers certainly reflect this—the town has more than its fair share of telemarkers and backcountry skiers who revel in an average of nearly 298 inches (745 cm) of snow each season. The closest they come to chic is during the annual Crested Butte-to-Aspen overnight ski race across the mountains, which must rate as much culture shock as mountain marathon for the participants, who arrive at dawn into the glitz of Aspen. The connection between the two resorts is as tenuous as this crazy trek implies—it might be just a few miles as the crow flies, but it’s hours by the most direct winter road link and even further in spirit.

For Europeans and many Americans, that’s the appeal: Wild West of the genuine variety. It’s also far enough from Denver and the Interstate that crowds are almost unknown. The one lift that regularly has a line is the North Face poma, where you might have to wait long enough to read the instructions on how to ride it. Only when you try to put them into words do the actions seem complicated, yet this style of lift is such a rare challenge in the U.S. that if you make it to the top first time you’re considered good enough for the expert terrain that it accesses: the ungroomed bowls and steeps interspersed with bands of rock that are home to the U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships each year.

Crested Butte, CO at a glance
 

On the mountain

Ski area

As with many other high-altitude North American resorts, beware that base level is high (not just the peaks); the elevation may be good for snow conditions, but sea level-dwelling vacationers will need to acclimatize to the altitude. more...

 

Lift system

The Crested Butte lift system has a capacity of 18,160 skiers per hour, with three high-speed quads, three triple chair lifts, three doubles, three surface lifts, and two magic carpets for children. Lifts run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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Ski schools & guiding

The ski and snowboard school is divided into Adults’ and Kids’ Ski and Snowboard World, located in the Gothic Building for adults and the Whetstone Building for kids, both slopeside. more...

 

Beginner

Despite the resort’s “extreme” tag, beginners are well served at Crested Butte—in fact the amount of well-groomed, easy terrain that’s simple and safe to access is one of the resort’s great strengths. more...

 

Intermediate

One third of Crested Butte’s terrain is suitable for intermediates, though it’s mostly at the easy end of the scale. more...

 

Advanced

Just 12 percent of the terrain is rated advanced, but this makes a clear distinction between advanced and expert, for whom there is a huge amount of skiing (42 percent). more...

 

Mountain restaurants

Many skiers head back to base for lunch. A quick-snack option is the burrito stall near Tom’s Coffee Cart (best in town) by the main bus stop. more...

 

Ski Map

open map Ski map

Off the mountain

Village

There are two distinct parts to Crested Butte: the original town and, three miles (4.8 km) up the valley, the resort's base area known as Mount Crested Butte, where most skiers stay. more...

 

Accommodation

The resort's hotels (at Mount Crested Butte) are the Sheraton, Club Med, the Nordic Inn and Manor Lodge. Club Med Crested Butte claims to be the only family “ski village” in North America offering an all-inclusive ski vacation. more...

 

Après-ski

Rafters is central to Mount Crested Butte’s après ski, which runs for a couple of hours before people head for town. more...

 

Other activities

Like many other resorts Crested Butte has a full range of activities for non-skiers, both on and off the snow.
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Getting there

Crested Butte lies at 8,885 feet (2,708 m) in the Elk Mountain Range of Southwest Colorado's Rocky Mountains, surrounded by over a million acres (404,700 ha) of National Forest, and within a few miles of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the newest National Park in the U.S. more...

 

 

Navigation

Quick access

Resort shortcuts

Crested Butte facts

Ski Area

Base9,375 ft
2,858 m
Summit12,162 ft
3,707 m
Elevation3,062 ft
933 m
Area size1,125 a
434 ha

 

Trails/runs

Number of trails121
Advanced20 %
Intermediate57 %
Beginner23 %

 

Lifts

Surface lifts2

 

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