A Holiday Excursion to Crested Butte, Colorado

some photos by Jacy Lawrence

 

 

Crested Butte is located in Gunnison County in southwestern Colorado at an elevation of 8,885 feet. The Town is surrounded by  spectacular  mountain scenery and is a recreational paradise. Crested Butte is a  spirited fun-loving community with a population of 1,550.

Local residents and vistors enjoy skiing, hiking, biking and an array of exciting outdoor activities. The ski area resort is in Mt. Crested Butte, three miles north of town. Crested Butte is 28 miles north of the City of Gunnison and 231 miles southwest of Denver. The Town was incorporated in 1880 and

Crested Butte Town Hall is designated a National Historic District.

 

City Hall, Crested Butte, Colorado, built in 1883.

 

 

 

The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by Ute Indianss. However, they were quickly displaced when white explorers first entered the area. The first caucasians to explore the valley were beaver trappers, followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named was one of the early explorers to enter the area.

In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the surrounding area and many little mining towns formed. However, when silver mining hit on hard times, many of these towns failed. Crested Butte was in a better position to survive because it served as a supply town to the surrounding area.

The other industry that supported Crested Butte was ranching

When the coal mines closed, the town began to shrink, and eventually the local high school was closed. Students had to travel to Gunnison to go to high school. The town did not revive until a ski area was built on Crested Butte Mountain in the 1960s.

In 1993 the Crested Butte Academy opened in Crested Butte, bringing a private high school into town. However, on July 9 2008, the Academy was closed. In 1997, the Crested Butte Community School was opened, and Crested Butte finally had a public high school again.

US Energy Corp. owns rights to mine molybdenum on Mount Emmons ("Red Lady") near Crested Butte and as molybdenum prices rise, the town is fighting to prevent a molybdenum mine from being opened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crested Butte was the setting and main filming location for the Walt Disney ski movie Snowball Express.

 

 

 

 

The Wooden Nickle Bar & Grill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ski Report

Good Morning skiers and riders! Today is Monday, December 28th and this is your official snow report for Crested Butte Mountain Resort! I hope everyone is having a wonderful time this Holiday Season! The skiing and riding has been a blast here in Crested Butte! We are gearing up for more snowfall to come our way this Tuesday with snow showers expected to continue through the rest of the week. So get ready folks, because we could be skiing and riding more powder as we celebrate the coming of the New Year!

It's time to begin working off those holiday calories on the Hill today! You can start by taking any one of 14 lifts that will transport you to 84 trails all spread out across a 35 inch base. Fifty five of those trails have been groomed into "Colorado's Best Corduroy" and today's groomer's choice is the Canaan Terrain Park. Be sure and check it out! Eighty five percent of the Mountain is open including all of our beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain. We've watched the snow stack up over the last few weeks giving us a season total snowfall of 94 inches. Temperatures are expected to reach 24 degrees today and the conditions on the Mountain will be packed powder.

2010 is just a few days away, so why not ring in the New Year is style ! Come and enjoy a ski vacation with us here at Crested Butte Mountain Resort! For $210 a person, you'll receive 2 nights of lodging at the luxurious slopeside Elevation Hotel and Spa, one day of lift tickets for 2 people, and a bottle of champagne to ring in the New Year! Start 2010 the right way, by spending it on the exciting slopes of Crested Butte Mountain Resort!

Looking for something fun to do with the kids over the school holidays? Bring them up to Crested Butte for an unforgettable time! Just book an adult reservation and we'll hook your kids up with FREE skiing, airfare, and lodging! Plus, once they get here there are plenty of great activities waiting for them, like the new base area Adventure Park complete with year-round ice-skating, bungee trampolines, a climbing wall, and lift-served tubing! Yes I said lift-served! How good is that! There's also plenty to learn at Camp CB during their Winter Kids Program, which has authentic experience-based adventure opportunities, designed just for kids. Not only will they learn how to ski or snowboard, but they'll have a blast doing it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Chrome Dragon" by sculptor, Sean Guerrero, in Crested Butte, Colorado.

 

 

 

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