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January in the Rockies – Great Deals & Adventure in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (October 18, 2010) - January is an ideal time to visit Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo.  There are less-crowded slopes, amazing conditions, great deals and a jam-packed calendar of events, plus Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 17 offers a great chance to sneak in a three-day weekend getaway. 

January 2011 Calendar of Events
1  "A Tuna Christmas" Presented by CB Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret Theatre
6  Learn to Skate Ski for Free, Crested Butte Nordic Center
7  First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music, Various Galleries & Locations, Gunnison
8  Citizens' Race-15K Skiathalon, Crested Butte Nordic Center
12 - 19  Military Appreciation Week by Crested Butte Mountain Resort
15 Citizens' Race - 20K Classic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
16  9th Annual Wedding Show by the Gunnison-Crested Butte Wedding Council, Lodge
at Mountaineer Square, Mt. Crested Butte
19  Full Moon Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Yurt Dinner Tour, CB Nordic Center
19  Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
22  Citizens' Race - 20K Skate, Crested Butte Nordic Center
27  ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Downtown Crested Butte
29  CAMP Ski Mountaineering Race (Randonnee Rally)
29  Gunnison Nordic Ski Fest, Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area, Gunnison

Crested Butte Nordic Center pulls out all the stops for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing adventure in January. 

  • A Learn to Skate Ski for Free! clinic will be offered at 1 p.m. on Jan. 6.
  • Locals and visitors alike are welcome to participate in Citizens' Races on Jan. 8 (15K skiathlon), Jan. 15 (20K classic) and Jan. 22 (20K skate). Participants must register at the Nordic Center by 9:30 a.m. on race day. The cost is $12 for adults, $5 for ages 8 - 17, and free for ages 7 and under.
  • Put on your Nordic skis or snowshoes to attend the Full Moon Yurt Dinner on Jan. 19 and enjoy gourmet cuisine prepared by a local restaurant. It's an easy journey to Magic Meadows with dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per person, which includes a trail pass and equipment rentals.
  • For dinner and "Skate Ski for Free" reservations and information about any of these events, call the Crested Butte Nordic Center at (970) 349-1707 or visit www.cbnordic.org.

The Gunnison Nordic Club's annual Nordic Ski Fest also offers a chance to get on the skinny skis for a fun-filled day of ski racing and touring/skiing for all ages.  For more information, visit www.gunnisonnordic.net. 

Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) not only offers world-class skiing and riding, there's snowshoeing, tubing, ice skating, bungee trampolines, dining, shopping and great events.

  • Take a snowcat ride to the top of Red Lady Express Lift and snowshoe on trails back to the base area during CBMR's Moonlight Snowshoe Tour on Jan. 19. The cost is $75 per person. Time to be announced.
  • The CAMP Ski Mountaineering Race - Randonnee Rally on Jan. 29 requires competitors to ski their way up, down and across the ski area's legendary Extreme Limits terrain. The rally begins at 8 a.m. and is part of a U.S. series. Take part in or watch men's and women's racing and recreational divisions and team categories. Go to http://www.ussma.org/.
  • For information and reservations, call (970) 349-4554 or visit www.skicb.com. 

If that isn't enough to keep you busy, check out these great options for art, theatre and wedding planning. 

  • Crested Butte Mountain Theatre's last evening of the comedy "A Tuna Christmas" will take place on Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m. It's 24 hours before Christmas and all havoc is about to break loose as characters from Texas' third smallest town attempt to cope with seasonal traumas. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students. Call (970) 349-0366 or visit http://www.cbmt.weebly.com/.
  • To kick off the month right, enjoy great art in Gunnison at the First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music on Jan. 7 from 5 - 7 p.m.  Refreshments, on-site artists and great socializing are highlights.  Call Gunnison Gallery at (970) 641-6111 for information.
  • Gather great ideas at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Wedding Council's 9th annual Wedding Show on Jan. 16 from 2 - 5 p.m. at The Lodge at Mountaineer Square in Mt. Crested Butte. Meet all types of vendors, sample foods, enjoy music and check out the freebies. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is offering a rate of $129 for one night's lodging at Elevation Hotel and Spa for those attending the Wedding Show. More great planning information is located at http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutteweddings.com/.
  • Check out the wide array of art galleries in downtown Crested Butte on Jan. 27 during ArtWalk Evening from 5 - 8 p.m.  Light refreshments, music and on-site artists are featured at many of the locations.  For more information, go to www.awearts.org.  

January Lodging & Ski Deals
The family-owned Nordic Inn in Mt. Crested Butte has a Winter Playtime package available from Jan. 3 - Feb. 18, 2011.  The deal for two people includes three nights lodging and two days skiing for only $618.00 ($309.00 per person).  Call (800) 542-7669 and visit www.nordicinncb.com.

Break In Your New Gear This New Year with two nights lodging at The Ruby of Crested Butte bed and breakfast and two days of skiing at CBMR from Jan. 3 - 13, 2011, for $135 per person, per night.  Book before Christmas Day and receive an additional 10 percent off your stay. Or Wine Down from the Holidays at The Ruby from Jan. 19 - Feb. 4, 2011, and enjoy two nights' lodging, two lift tickets and a bottle of wine for $425.  Both packages include a gourmet breakfast served each morning of your stay.  Call (800) 390-1338 or visit www.therubyofcrestedbutte.com.

The Three Great Resorts package is ideal for anyone driving over Monarch Pass to the Gunnison-Crested Butte area.  The package starts at $227 per person and includes three nights' lodging at Three Rivers Resort in Almont, two days of skiing/riding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and one day of skiing/riding at Monarch Mountain. The deal is based on double occupancy in a lodge room featuring a queen-size bed, futon, kitchenette and full private bath, but additional lodging options and lengths of stay are available. Reservations must be received at least 48 hours in advance of stay, and the offer is valid from Jan. 3 - Feb. 19, 2011 and March 27 - April 3, 2011. 

Through Crested Butte Lodging & Property Management, enjoy Grand Lodge Savings of 15 percent off stays of two to three nights and 20 percent off visits of four or more nights from Jan. 2 - Feb. 17, 2011.  Visit www.CrestedButteLodging.com or call (888) 412-7310.

Enjoy some of the best conditions of the season and an additional night of lodging and day of skiing for free with Crested Butte Mountain Resort's 4th Night & 4th Day Free package.  Purchase three nights' lodging and three days of lift tickets between Jan. 3 - March 10, 2011, and receive a fourth night of lodging and fourth day of skiing free. Blackout dates apply. Call Crested Butte Vacations at (800) 600-2803 or visit www.skicb.com.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events or to book other personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines and during the winter season by American Airlines and Continental Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.
 
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Photo: Moonlight snowshoe and Nordic skiing dinner tours to the Crested Butte Nordic Center's yurt. Photo courtesy of Xavier Fane/Crested Butte Nordic Center. 

For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below. 

Contact:                       Beth Buehler, Public Relations Director                                    

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association               

                                    (970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/

January in the Rockies 2011.doc (892 KB)

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