March 1, 2008 Crested Butte, CO

It’s been 15 years since my last visit to Crested Butte.  On the previous visit, I ducked a rope line and unfortunately skied down near a ski patroller.  There was no way to talk my way out of the predicament and I received a personal escort down to the general manager’s office. Naturally, I lost my ticket and future ski days. Fortunately, I had another ski outfit and skied the next day, in bounds.   

Crested has grown significantly into a major resort with the appropriate lift pricing.  We used a Phillips Gas 2 for 1 ski coupon and saved $82.  After talking to a local, we found it more convenient to park in town and ride the free shuttle the 3 miles to the ski area.  The free on-mountain parking is a long walk uphill; the $5 parking is a bit shorter and downhill; the $15 parking is closer still; and the free bus shuttle is the closest.  It was a sunny, cold day and we were on the 2nd chair of the Silver Queen express.  This lift provides 2000vf of high angle groomers that zip off the front face. About 5 of those and you’re feeling ready for the t-bar High Lift.  Crested has hosted the US Extreme Freeskiing Championships for many years.  Just take the High Lift or North Face lift and you are deposited at the top of some of the most challenging terrain on the mountain.  There was no new snow in 5 days, but the extreme terrain was packed powder with steep moguls.  We began skiing down The Headwall and stopped to breathe as the rollover became interesting. While stopped, a ski class of young short people, all less than 4 feet tall, came bouncing by without hesitation. Geeez! While still feeling rather adventurous, we rode the North Face lift and saw nothing but extreme this and extreme that.  We meet a couple of young guys who rode the chair with us earlier in the day.  They asked what we were doing in the extreme area, we replied that this helps wake up sensations that diminish with age.  The extreme terrain has a large foldout aerial map that identifies all of the runs and sells for $6. It seems to be a worthwhile investment before you enter places like Body Bag Glades and realize it requires a 20 foot air exit or Dead End Chutes.  We cruised all day in brilliant sunshine. As we were departing, we heard a Blizzard Warning for tomorrow so we’re heading for Monarch Pass and hoping that the blizzard brings some powder turns for Sunday.

Nice to see a report from the wild side at Crested Butte Zap -- hope Monarch treated you well! Two of the best ski days of my life were spent at Monarch while attending school in Gunnison after a classic upslope event that closed the pass in both directions after we had arrived. Snowed over 36 inches of the lightest snow I had ever seen that first day and we shared the entire area with less than a dozen skiers.

If you end up in Salida, enjoy a cold one at the Vic for me, and if in Gunnison stick your head in the drive-through window at High Mtn. Liquor and give "John T" greetings from the Pacific Northwest. Great towns and great people.

Enjoy!

J.P.

Happened to be at Crested Butte on the same day Zap, and the day previous, and Monarch before that. I get out that way nearly every year, and the coverage this year was fantastic, and the warm days made holding an edge on the steeps possible (usually).

That roll over on the looker right side of Headwall is pretty impressive -- you'll slide a long way if you fall there -- reminds me of Paranoid Flat at Mammoth.

the North Face is pretty difficult route finding -- sort of Alpy BC equivalent in that regard, but doable and fun if you can find your way.

The real treat was being able to ride 1700 vf of consistent 40-45 degree steeps on Banana Funnel and Flat Iron on the far right front side of the mountain. Usually these runs are evil rock gardens but this year they are almost completely filled in.

Drove over Monarch Pass Sunday in the storm -- the driving was double black diamond so the skiing must have been interesting ...