Skiing up a storm in the Rockies

Crested Butte is truly an undiscovered gem, combining outrageous mountain skiing with a postcard-perfect vintage town of unquestionable charm.

An emerging luxury resort that evokes the authenticity of Aspen 30 years ago, Crested Butte is developing an upscale character without sacrificing the qualities that make it exceptional. Tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, 20 miles north of Gunnison, Col., it may be the best-kept secret in Alpine skiing in the continental United States.

When we landed at Gunnison Airport, the snow was coming down and the landscape was a glistening white. We rode along the Gunnison River to the town of Crested Butte itself, surrounded by glistening peaks of majestic beauty. Then it appeared out of the mist, a dizzying vertical apparition of sheer stone, the legendary Mt. Crested Butte.

We stayed at the newly renovated Elevation Hotel (www.elevationhotelandspa.com ), a ski-in/ski-out facility right at the base of the mountain and next to the main ski lifts. Our room was spacious and comfortable, beautifully appointed, with a sumptuous bed, sitting area, kitchenette, and stunning views of the mountain.

Right next door is Mountaineer Square, a newly opened complex of shops, eateries, and upscale condominiums. The Lodge at Mountaineer Square, ultra-luxurious condos available for rental, is just part of the sweeping additions to Crested Butte.

A larger ski-in/ski-out luxury complex, Cimarron, is under development, as is The Ten Peaks, an ultra-chic boutique hotel set in a highland meadow. A whole neighborhood of stunning multi-million dollar homes, Prospect, is blossoming in the formerly hard-to-reach back bowl area.

From mining coal to skiers

Crested Butte began as an isolated mining town in the 1800s. Because its main product was coal, it survived the boom-bust cycle of other Colorado mining towns while bringing in a diverse population. The ski resort began to be developed in the 1960s.

Today the town is like a brightly decorated fantasy of what you might imagine the perfect Western town would be, restored to exquisite perfection. Shops and restaurants fill Elk Ave.with almost fairy-tale proportions. The original Town Hall, built in 1883, still stands as a community center and theater. One quaint, brightly colored 100-year-old wooden building stands next to the other under an unfathomably deep blanket of snow, 14 feet high in some places, burying houses and lending an otherworldly quality to this magical town.

We ate dinner our first night at Timberline in the center of town. Set in a restored 100-year-old home, owner Tim Egelhoff has fashioned a fabulous outpost of innovative cuisine for 18 years. Medallions of elk were sensational, as was the sirloin of spring lamb, but the capper was the truffle risotto cakes and the mountain trout from Idaho.

The next morning was crystal clear, the sky a radiant blue. There was a knock on my door and local Black Tie Ski Rental owner Roman Kolodziej was there with my boots and skis, to be fitted in my room. This innovative service (www.blacktieskis.com), now at 11 resorts from Colorado to Utah, is changing the face of ski rental with top-quality equipment and personalized concierge service. We were joined by international adventure race athlete Jari Kirkland. A triathlete and championship skier, she took us first to warm up on the intermediate East River runs. Then we went up the Paradise Lift to the top of Paradise Bowl and some steaming lengthy runs down Ruby Chief from top to bottom.

Then the true adventure began.

We took the T-bar to the top of Rachael's Run. Rachael's is a steep, smooth run, technically a double diamond, which was still covered with fresh snow from the night before. It was exhilarating, pounding out the last of the fresh tracks while flying down the mountain.

Then Kirkland took us back up the T-bar and into true uncharted territory (for us): the steep and mind-boggling runs along the North Face, genuine double diamonds to make the bottom drop out of your stomach. We rose to the challenge, coming down Hard Slab and Hawk Nest on slopes far above our pay grade, the adrenaline rushing, the views unimaginable, the powder flying.

We passed up Rambo, said to be the steepest run in North America (I've seen elevator shafts that are less steep), and headed for the single diamond runs at the center of the mountain. We flew like earthbound projectiles along Jokerville and Twister runs, tightly groomed diamonds that left us screaming down the hill with speed and precision.

Lunch was at the Ice Bar, a fine dining facility at the middle of the mountain at the bottom of Twister. The outside bar is literally carved from blocks of ice. Filet of veal sandwich and tomato artichoke soup hit the spot, washed down with a couple of local Flat Tire beers. Then we finished off the day by exploring the lengthy front side diamond slope International, a stunning top-to-bottom run that is so good, in fact, that we took three more successive runs down its challenging face before calling it a day.

After skiing we headed for a massage at the Elevation Spa in the hotel, a relieving hour of self-indulgence for our battered muscles. It was a fitting reward after a brilliant day of skiing.

Dinner that evening was at Marchitelli's Gourmet Noodle, a terrific Italian restaurant where owner Michael Marchitelli brings a family tradition of homemade sauces to life. All the pasta sauces are his grandmother's recipes, all the dressings are his mother's, and the pasta is fantastic. Elk scallopine is simply outstanding, although it is much more elk filet than scallopine, thick and lustrous cuts of tender meat, and the spicy vodka sauce on spaghettini is only outdone by grandma's original hearty red sauce.

We rose early the next morning and hit the slopes, focusing on the diamond slopes down the middle of the mountain: Jokerville, Twister, Crystal, and, of course, several scintillating top-to-bottom runs down International.

Dinner that evening was at Le Bosquet, a fabulous French bistro at the edge of town. Lobster ravioli in a saffron cream sauce was simply amazing, mushroom soup was rich and as wonderful as the Colorado spring lamb chops that melt in your mouth.

It snowed all night, 8 inches of fresh powder by daylight. We were joined in the morning by ski instructor Kim Stone. After deconstructing our technique and realigning our bad habits, she took us back to Rachael's Run. The snow fell relentlessly as we flew down with new-found authority. We went deep into the North Face, double diamond territory, for run after run down slopes of unimaginable treachery, and we succeeded, not just enduring them but skiing them. Then we came back over to the front side and did the unimaginable, crossing through the woods to Peel Run, a double diamond off the top of the peak of Mt. Crested Butte, an area we would not have dared to attempt.

We headed into town before dinner to revist Elk Ave. We stopped at the museum, a converted gas station, where they even have the original three-man gondola capsule from the early 1960s on display. We wandered down to The Secret Stash, a pizza parlor where owner Jeff Graceffa has fashioned a hangout that reverberates with townies and visitors alike. We stopped at a rustic saloon and former gambling hall heated by a 100-year-old wood stove. We passed home after home literally buried in snow.

Dinner was at Soupcon. Set in a log cabin built in 1891, and with only nine tables, Chef Jason Vernon has, since taking over in May of 2006, redefined fine dining in Crested Butte. Pan-seared foie gras in vanilla pear sauce was impeccable. Seared scallops in an orange marmalade demi-glaze were unimpeachable, and duck breast with cranberry thyme risotto and caramelized leeks was simply astounding.

It snowed all night, another 15 inches by morning. For our last day of skiing we rose with the dawn and were on the lifts as they opened. Nothing was groomed; all runs were filled with over a foot of powder.

We headed straight for the diamond runs in the middle of the mountain. We cut first tracks in the snow down the steep, unblemished Jokerville fairyland of mountain fantasy, powder up to our knees, flying downward like an elevated freight train. Then we went again, and again, coming to the top of Twister lift and then back down, taking laps, Jokerville, Twister, Crystal, over and over in an orgy of powder skiing unlike anything I have ever dreamed. It was an out of body experience, the mountain practically to ourselves.

We rewarded ourselves with a massage at the Wildflower Spa in the nearby Grand Lodge Hotel. After four days of skiing, our calves and thighs screamed out under the wondrous manipulation of the masseuses.

For our final evening we dined at Harry's Fine Dining. Osso buco melted off the bone, filet mignon was impeccable, and jumbo sea scallops in butternut squash risotto were extraordinary. Set in a lovely room at the foot of Elk Street, Harry's stands out even in a town filled with excellent restaurants.

Just 13 miles and several mountain ranges from Aspen, as the crow flies (but hundreds of miles apart by road), Crested Butte is what Aspen used to be, exceptionally upscale, but remote and unique. Nothing could keep us from coming back, and so we will, again and again.

IF YOU GO

Flying: United, American, Delta, Northwest and Continental Airlines all offer connecting service to Crested Butte through Denver to Gunnison Airport.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort: www.GUNNISONCRESTEDBUTTE.COM