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| NUMBERS? CRESTED BUTTE IS HUGE! |
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By Pat Turner Kavanaugh CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. -- Let's look at the numbers. The town of Mt. Crested Butte in southwest Colorado in the Gunnison National Forest and the Elk Mountain Range of the Rocky Mountains has a permanent population of 707. Three miles away, this well-known town of Crested Butte, the authentic 19th century mining town, claims 1,629 permanent residents. At the snowsports resort, the base elevation is 9,375 feet with
a vertical rise of 2,775 lift-served, 3,062 after a short hike to
the Peak trail. The summit elevation is 12,162 feet (pant, pant.) The terrain encompasses 1,167 acres served by 16 lifts - including four high-speed detachable quads, creating a total uphill capacity of 19,850 an hour. Hey, man, how many skiers or riders can fill all those up-hill seats to 121 trails, the longest of which, Peak to Treasury, is 2.6 miles? (Are your thighs burning, processing those stats?) Oh, but you prefer the DC Superpipe? At the top of the Silver Queen lift, it's 55 feet wide, 18 feet high with a slope of 17 degrees. Or the DC Canaan Terrain under the Paradise lift? You face 2,800 feet of jumps in various shapes, sizes and sequences, supplemented by a dozen or more rails for intermediate to advanced riders. Just getting started on skis, snowboards or snowskates? Look for the Kid's Park with its introductory elements - rolls, rails, tabletops and a mini-halfpipe. Several years ago Diane and Tim Mueller, who own Okemo Mountain Resort and operate Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire, acquired Crested Butte Mountain Resort. In a few short seasons, they have turned their legendary skills - and largesse - to making sure the Colorado resort is spiffy, fun and family-friendly. Diane and Tim are almost bi-coastal: half the month in the East, the other half in southwest Colorado. As Diane quipped, "I'm starting to recognize the flight attendants and know which paper towel dispensers in the airport don't work." As they commute between Okemo and Crested Butte, Diane and Tim continually note the differences between East and West. Crested Butte is a destination ski resort, with steep terrain, big snowfall and avalanche control requirements. That's taught the two and their son, Ethan, Crested Butte's director of operations, plenty. But the ski industry is still about "trying to make people happy, so they have a good time with family and friends on vacation," Tim said. In addition, the Muellers are committed to the environment, east and west. Last year they purchased Renewable Energy Certificates to supply all three resorts with enough energy to power all electrical needs for the next 12 months. It will save an estimated 18,800 tons of carbon dioxide from being released in the atmosphere. In their first year of ownership at Crested Butte, the Muellers' company started to invest $80 million in improvements, especially those aimed at families. The Kids' corral has been upgraded with a longer and more user-friendly magic carpet. Parents can let their kids take a break from skiing at the new daytime tubing hill at the top of Painter Boy. There is now a Kids' Trail map which features children-only trails, fun zones and clubhouses.
And if you don't want to catch air off the snow, there's a two- mile Atlas Snowshoe loop with two daily tours every day in January, February and March. Hey, Mother Nature blesses these trails with an average of 300 inches of snow a year, and Crested Butte gives her a hand with snowmaking on 282 acres served by 14 of the 16 lifts. Wow, you, your family and your friends can occupy one of the 5,000 pillows (resort-speak for places to sleep) with another 550 downtown and reachable by free shuttle bus. Once again, the numbers. You're not sucking in diesel fumes on a highway from Denver. OK, Crested Butte is a place unto itself -- 30 miles north of the airport at Gunnison, 90 miles northeast of Montrose, 197 miles west of Colorado Springs, 230 miles southwest of Denver. (Don't even ask about the 17 air miles "and one very big mountain range" from Aspen, Crested Butte warns.) There are deals from various markets - east, Midwest, left coast -- so check with the Crested Butte vacation specialists for advice. One of the Muellers' early projects was a new state-of-the-art central reservation system for Crested Butte Vacations. Don't worry, it's not all snow even though the permanent populations at the resort and the historic town are only 2,336. Look on the Crested Butte website before you discuss this vacation possibility with your less snow-friendly spouse, significant other or friends. Up at the resort are 10 bars and restaurants. A free 15-minutes bus ride to town gets you just about anything you might want to eat or drink - seafood (in SW Colorado snow?), cheap Chinese, pizza, New Mexican, a 1915 holdover, lightning fast and cheap margaritas, homemade tamales, burritos, tacos, the Bloody Mary voted best for four consecutive years, steaks and much, much more. Too much snow and exertion at altitude?
Too much Rocky Mountain Chocolate? Hit the Crested Butte Nordic Center. Want more rush? Crested Butte is home to Colorado's first X-Games, the legendary Saab U.S. Extreme Freestyling and U.S. Boarderfest Championship, the U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships, a Randonnce Rally and the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse. Makes you tired to think about it? In addition to Extreme Limits terrain, Crested Butte promises "Colorado's Best Corduroy" and "Dreampipe," the superpipe with a view.
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Your
kids aren't exhausted yet? Let them hit the children's tubing hill
near the base of the Red Lady Express after the lifts close.
The
website has a list of almost 100 "Crested Butte Shops &
Services," ranging from Air Up Skateboards to Zacchariah Zypp
& Co. (jewelry and gifts), with chocolate, pilates, sunglasses,
Christmas ornaments, "highest quality body products,"
pet pampering, flowers, pregnancy garb, booze, Reiki, "comfy
pjs, robes, sweaters and more," records and CDs, gourmet kitchen
supplies, pottery, books and mountain bike gear.