The Mountain:
Crested Butte enjoys an average of 300 inches of snow per year. Opening Day this winter is November 25.
There's a go-for-it attitude that prevails among friendly, relaxed skiers and management. There's plenty of terrain for all abilities, but experienced skiers and riders will want to know that there are more double-black diamond ski trails than any other resort in Colorado.
The mountain rises dramatically from the surrounding plain, lending credence to its extreme reputation. But a peek at the trail map tells a different story. About 45 percent of the terrain is rated green or blue. The Gold Link and East River lifts serve predominantly intermediate terrain - some ten trails in all. All told there are 362 acres of intermediate terrain.
There's a new Adventure Park in the base area with ice rink, bungy trampolines, and climbing wall.
Beginners have a number of good, long runs to enjoy. The majority of beginner terrain is accessible from the Red Lady Express Lift, with Houston probably the easiest green after the learning terrain.
The East River Lift is now a high-speed quad which added four new trails and 15 intermediate acres to the mountain's terrain. A Bombardier Snowcat was added to the grooming fleet to ensure that even more terrain is groomed every night.
Single black diamond terrain is concentrated off the Silver Queen lift, where the runs are long and often bumped-up.
But the best skiers and riders head to the double diamond bowls and glades. Get there by turning right off the Silver Queen lift (for one area) or turn left and drop down a bit to the High Lift to access a second area.
The greatest expanse of truly difficult terrain requires riding the North Face lift, from where you can drop or traverse into areas that, while named, have myriad lines.
Ski:
2007/08 snowfall of 418 inches surpassed the long-standing 1979-1980 record giving a spectacular season. Average snowfall is 300 inches. Opening Day this winter is November 25, 200p. Our condo is ski in ski out at the base of Mt. Crested Butte.
