TR: Crested Butte and some recommendations for future trips
First of all: If you are thinking for some reason of going down to compete in the extremes and are for some dumb reason debating not doing so, GO. They are going to go fucking off this year.
Okay, thursday afternoon no real plans seems like the butte's been good, forecast is reasonably positive and it has been a couple of years since I went. Make a couple of calls, get a maybe from my boy Greg but they just had a baby and confidence is medium low.
Friday morning, forecast improves somewhat, wives give okay for trip. Leave work early pack up, chill at his place off 285 for an hour while he fights death hell traffic home. I've never had as smooth a drive to CB before, 4 hours from Conifer, drove up to MTCB, no bars open at 11. Drive to end of road, puking snow, sleep. :)
Sat. couple inches on the truck overnight, drove down to the hill ate at the brown dog (fucking awesome baked goods). Reporting 5" I think, skied like more generally. First tracks on hedwall, some fracturing and fast moving sluff but not too bad. First tracks in edge and staircase (staircase was SUPER DUPER DEEP). Rest a blur, hiked to third bowl, sweet as usual. Puked most of the day.
Drove down to gunny stayed at the Wildwood Motel (see Recco's below), ate at the trough, in bed early.
Sun. More snow. First tracks down rabbit ears, got super lucky at the queen when they opened an extra lane just before we got into the maze, much more crowded. Had a loose binding so we kind of bailed down hawks nest to get to paradise. bonked a couple of rocks and I got hung up on one of the stupid uplsope things, tore my shoulder good (works but hurts), stupid, I know those are there. Down the queen, up High Lift, decided to ski teo just cause you can now. It was good, fresh deep. Hiked out to spellbound/pheonix. Still freshiesoft. Skied the rope line (right) all the way down. Soft, steep, fun. Finni. Relatively the butte was uncrowded. The new tbar moves people much better. Line waiting for the weekned was WAY down.
Drive home was cake, 4 hours back to conifer. Had to blast diareahha on the side of the road, that was fun. Roads dry excpet for lightly wet/snowpacked monarch pass (they didn't get 1/4 of what the butte got). 4 hours to conifer.
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Some notes:
the butte is skiing better than it has since the mid 90s, 70" of base is a LOT for that place but there are still plenty of coreshots waiting to happen. This weekend just confirmed that with snow, the butte is my flat out favorite place to ski. Good vibe, stellar terrain. If you've never been, get a buddy who rips and go, buy the extreme limits guide and get on it. If you've been avoiding cause the low snow years, go, NOW. Oh, and they replaced the poma with a tbar, THANK YOU. Relatively the butte was uncrowded. The new tbar moves people much better. Line waiting for the weekned was WAY down.
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Reccos:
Go to the butte, that place is a)super super cool and b)kind of dying after a few rough seasons. There is a good reason why that mountain produced the largest share of rock star skiers in the 90s. It is burly. (and they had their own film company). Bring your balls, you will be needing them.
the Wildwood Motel in Gunny is awesome. Well maintained but basic rooms (with kitchen). Hottub with decent chemicals. Friendly owners. Two queen beds = 50/ night. They allow dogs for an extra 7 a night. Discount lift tixs are 39 bucks (that's right $27 dollars OFF the window price). That right there makes a trip to the butte DIRT CHEAP (basically a free room).
I've always been a bit down on Gunny but it's growing on me. Ate at the Trough, had a ginormous prime rib plus two beers, buddy had ribs and two beers, with tip = 60 bucks total. Good deal on a BIG, good meal.
Sorry no pics.
:FIREdevil :FIREdevil :FIREdevil :FIREdevil :FIREdevil :FIREdevil :FIREdevil
