Crested Butte is the quintessential classic Colorado Ski Town and Ski Resort with everything you want from great dry snow, steep – rugged mountains – scenic mountains, and an old western ski town that rivals Telluride and Steamboat for charm. Over the past 10 years Crested Butte has come on the scene as a haven for Extreme Skiers, as this is a major stop on the tour. Perhaps you’ll catch a lift with a world renowned extreme skier, or get a chance to see them rip it up live…
This is a smaller resort compared to the mega resorts like Vail, Aspen, Telluride, etc, but that’s the point when you visit Crested Butte. People who come here are looking for the awesomeness of the old school mountain feel, smaller, less commercial, less developed ski town experience. CB is the read deal and you’ll be delighted by its charm and off the beat laid back atmosphere.
First and foremost the town of Crested Butte is awesome! If you walk more than 10 mins in any direction from downtown you’ve definitely have wandered too far and headed into someones ranch land. You won’t find the glitz of Aspen or Vail here… The people are very nice, the town is laid back, and the bar scene tends to get a bit rowdy as the night goes on.
When it comes to great skiing, once again Crested Butte delivers. There’s a reason why the Extreme Ski Tour stops in Crested Butte as there are big features, steep chutes, and plenty of in-bounds double diamond slopes to keep your adrenaline high. There’s something for everyone else too! Unlike the sprawling resorts with dozens of lifts and traverses to “get to the backside”, CB is more compact and the runs tend to be segmented into skiing zones. So, it’s quite good for a newbie to come and get straight to what they came for. Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner skiers all have a good dose of great terrain to keep them pleased and challenged all week.
The Expert Terrain is super amazing and it does take a bit more snow to cover – so mid season and or El Nino years will favor. The lodging is tighter in supply, and you may want to book your trip early, especially for MLK and or President’s Day time periods.
If you’re up for something a bit off the track, you may want to check out Cat Skiing just up the road in Irwin – Eleven Cat Skiing Adventures. Up the road in Irwin they actually get a bit more snow than the main ski hill, so you’ll find great conditions even when the main mountain is skied out or getting thin.