Colorado’s Biggest Secret: The Last Great Ski Town is a fantastic article discussing one Australian’s take on Crested Butte skiing, the town and the lifestyle. While chatting with his ski instructor “Norm” about why he moved to Crested Butte, Norm explains “I just wanted a big mountain and a small town.” He goes on to say “The mountains don’t get much bigger than in Crested Butte, and towns don’t get a lot smaller.” I think that’s one of the most accurate descriptions of our special ski town that I’ve heard so far. Thanks Norm!
The Aussie’s description of the skiing, the area and the locals is dead on. The terrain on Mount Crested Butte is known on a national scale for it’s impressive steeps, but there are plenty of beginner and intermediate level runs for any skier or snowboarder to enjoy. He explains how Crested Butte’s magic seems to have cast a spell on many of the locals he meets, enticing them to stay forever in the old mining town turned ski resort. He describes Paradise Divide and Mt. Crested Butte as being Switzerland size mountains plopped on the Colorado boondocks. The culture is described as never moving past the 70’s and I guess in most aspects, that’s true. Elk Avenue is filled with prayer flags, colored buildings and people from all over- giving it a unique vibe- even among ski towns. Unlike Aspen, Vail and Beaver Creek, Crested Butte is laid back place where we worship the great outdoors, more than we worship great clothing designers.
