If You Can’t Stand The Front Range You’ll Fall In Love With This Ski Town ~
If you can’t stand the front range you’ll fall in love with this ski town. A ways off the beaten path, nestled away in the Elk Mountains of the Colorado wilderness, sits Crested Butte. Once a booming mining town that eventually went bust, Crested Butte has regained it’s popularity with the rise of it’s ski area which opened in 1962.
In 1960 Dick Eflin and Fred Rice bought a piece of property known as the Malensek Ranch just three miles northeast of the town of Crested Butte. They formed their company, Crested Butte Ltd. and in the winter of 1962-1963 opened their ski area on Crested Butte Mountain with Colorado’s first gondola.
Many Colorado mining towns have transitioned over the years, become booming ski towns bustling with tourists but Crested Butte has been able to maintain it’s small town charm. That charm and sense of community is what many of the long time residents and locals like the most. Those who have found Crested Butte appreciate it’s blue-collar roots, passion for snow sports as well as biking and outdoor recreation, and dedication to preserving the surrounding public lands.
The Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) boasts some of the best extreme skiing in all of North America. Once the home to the Winter X-Games, CBMR offers skiers and riders acres of challenging and exciting terrain along with plenty of groomed runs the entire family will enjoy, minus the lift lines. So if you can’t stand the front range you’ll fall in love with this ski town. A bit off the beaten path but well worth the drive.
For more information on Crested Butte events, festivals, news and real estate, please visit CrestedButteCollection.com.
