GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (December 1, 2009) - The Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley, located in southwest Colorado, has emerged as a Nordic skiing and snowshoeing destination with routes and events that sizzle. Groomed Nordic trails now number more than 95K, backcountry routes are plentiful, and a full calendar of events, tours and races offer opportunities to have fun and stay in shape.
The Crested Butte Nordic Center and Crested Butte Mountain Resort are open for the season and are kicking off Nordic skiing and snowshoeing activities.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Dec. 5 Citizens' Race - 10K Classic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Dec. 12 Citizens' Race - 10 K Skate, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Dec. 19 Citizens' Race - 15K Skiathlon, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Dec. 20 Solstice Brunch at the Yurt, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Dec. 31 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Dec. 31 Full Moon "New Year's Eve Party at the Yurt" Ski & Snowshoe Tour, CB Nordic Center
----
Jan. 7 Learn to Skate Ski for Free! Clinic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Jan. 9 Citizens' Race - 20K Classic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Jan. 16 Citizens' Race - 20K Skate, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Jan. 17 Brunch at the Yurt, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Jan. 30 Kenny Mac Ski Fest, Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area, Gunnison
Jan. 30 Full Moon "Dinner at the Yurt" Ski & Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Jan. 30 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
----
Feb. 4 Learn to Skate Ski for Free! Clinic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Feb. 6 24th Annual Alley Loop (1.5 K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K, 42K), Starts on Elk Avenue
Feb. 14 Valentine's Brunch at the Yurt, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Feb. 28 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Feb. 28 Full Moon "Dinner at the Yurt" Ski & Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Nordic Center
----
March 4 Learn to Skate Ski for Free! Clinic, Crested Butte Nordic Center
March 6 Super Tour (22.5K backcountry ski event), Crested Butte Nordic Center
March 13 12 Hours of Crested Butte Nordic Ski Race/Tour, Crested Butte Nordic Center
March 20 Progressive Bonfire Dinner on skis or snowshoes, Crested Butte Town Ranch
March 30 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 30 Full Moon "Dinner at the Yurt" Ski & Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Nordic Center
Crested Butte Nordic Center
The Crested Butte Nordic Center is a full-service cross-country ski center providing lessons and complete rental packages for skate and classical skiing, as well as ice skating, snowshoeing and sledding. The Nordic Center maintains more than 50 kilometers of groomed trails that meander around the outskirts Crested Butte and offers tours, races, events and ski programs). Located in the heart of town at Second Street and Whiterock, the Nordic Center will be open for the season from Nov. 21, 2009 - April 4, 2010. For more information, call (970) 349-1707 or visit http://www.cbnordic.org/.
- Learn to Skate Ski for Free! clinics are offered by the Nordic Center at 1 p.m. on Jan. 7, Feb. 4 and March 4. Reduced-priced ski rentals are available.
- Citizens' Races are held for locals and visitors on Dec. 5, 12, 19 and Jan. 9, 16. The race length and style changes each week. Participants must register at the Nordic Center by 9:30 am on race day. The cost is $12 for adults, $5 for ages 8 - 17, and free for ages 7 and under.
- Full Moon Ski & Snowshoe Tours to the Yurt feature a moonlit tour to Magic Meadows for a New Year's Eve blue moon party on Dec. 31 and gourmet dinners prepared by Maxwell's Steakhouse on Jan. 30, Feb. 28 and March 30, all beginning at 6:30 p.m. The New Year's Eve party cost is $75 per person, with the dinners priced at $60 per person, which includes a trail pass and equipment rentals. For locals who have a ski pass and equipment, the cost for dinners is $40. The capacity for dinners is 30 people.
- 24th Annual Alley Loop Nordic Marathon on Feb. 6 not only is the highest-altitude Nordic marathon in the United States; it reflects the athletic and free-spirited nature of Crested Butte. This American Birkebeiner qualifying race starts and finishes on Elk Avenue and winds its way through alleyways, streets and the trail system located on the outskirts of town. Also a Colorado Cup Series Race, the Alley Loop features course lengths of 1.5K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K allowing all skill levels and ages to participate. The races begin at 9:30 a.m., with many people wearing costumes. Registration costs vary based on race length.
- Super Tour is a 22.5K backcountry ski event slated for March 6. It's a race for those who like to go fast, or it can be skied as a loosely-guided tour for those looking for a more relaxing pace. The tour starts at 8 a.m. at the Gothic Road trailhead in Mt. Crested Butte, with registration and equipment check from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. The route circumnavigates Gothic Mountain, but is a challenging ski with a steep 2,000-foot climb and a sometimes fast downhill. Shovels, probes, beacons, full skins are required and a COSAR card are required. The cost for the tour is $35.
- 12 Hours of Crested Butte is a lap format race on March 13 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that has solo, duo and four-person categories as well as a junior four-person division. For information and costs, go to http://www.12hrsofcrestedbutte.com/.
- Progressive Bonfire Dinner is a 4K journey on Nordic skis or snowshoes that takes participants along a luminaria-lit path for a four-star, four-course, four-fire meal that benefits the Gunnison/Crested Butte Junior Nordic Ski Team. The camaraderie of sitting around crackling fires and dining on good food and warm drinks along the way makes this event on March 20 one for the memory books. Seatings begin at 5 p.m. and run until 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $15 for children under age 12.
- Backcountry Tours are for those who want to adventure off the groomed trails for a half or full day on snowshoes or Nordic skis. There is a two-person minimum, with all tours including transportation, rentals and a guide. Full-day tours start at 9 a.m. and include lunch, and half-day tours start at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The cost is $65 per person, half day, and $95 per person, full day.
- Brunch at the Yurt is a premiere way to spend a Sunday morning. Put on your skis or your snowshoes to get there and back on Dec. 20, Jan. 17 and Feb. 14. The December and January brunches will be prepared by Maxwell's Steakhouse. The cost is $20 per person for adults and $10 for kids (under 12). Ski passes and rentals are extra. Brunch runs from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT
In addition to premiere alpine skiing and snowboarding, Crested Butte Mountain Resort offers daily snowshoe tours on ski area trails with a guide at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Snowshoes, poles, water, a light snack and a lift ride are included in the cost for the two-mile outing. New this year is a daily snowshoe tour of Snodgrass Mountain from 1- 4 p.m. that includes transportation.
During Moonlight Snowshoe Tours on Dec. 31, Jan. 30, Feb. 28 and March 30, enjoy the thrill of riding in a snowcat to the top of the Red Lady Express Lift and snowshoe the moonlit mountain trails back to the base area. The cost for all tours is $75 per person. For information and reservations, call (970) 349-4554 or visit http://www.skicb.com/.
GUNNISON NORDIC TRAILS & EVENTS
There also is outstanding Nordic skiing and snowshoeing along backcountry routes and groomed trails at Hartman Rocks Multi-Use Recreation Area west of Gunnison, which offers a desert-like setting that is very unique for Nordic skiing. This combined with VanTuyl Ranch, the Western State College practice field on campus and Jorgensen Park encompasses approximately 45K of trails groomed by the Gunnison Nordic Club.
The Gunnison Nordic Club will offer clinics, races and the Kenny Mac Ski Fest. The festival is scheduled for Jan. 30 and will include a fun-filled day of ski racing, touring/skiing for all ages and a bonfire at Hartman Rocks. A schedule of clinics and races will be available soon. For more information, visit http://www.gunnisonnordic.net/.
GUIDES & BACKCOUNTRY HUTS
Oftentimes, it is helpful to hit the backcountry with guides who know the area like the back of their hands. In addition to the backcountry tours offered by the Crested Butte Nordic Center, Crested Butte Mountain Guides, http://www.crestedbutteguides.com/, take visitors on Nordic skiing and snowshoeing adventures.
OUTFITTERS
Retailers who sell and/or rent Nordic skis and snowshoes include The Alpineer, (970) 349-5210 in Crested Butte; Crested Butte Sports Ski & Bike, (970) 349-7516, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort's ski rental shop (snowshoes only), (970) 349-2252. In Gunnison, rentals are available at Gene Taylors Sporting Goods, (970) 641-1845, and TuneUp Bike & Ski, (970) 641-0285.
Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison County or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/. The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines with direct flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago and Delta Air Lines with direct flights from Salt Lake City and Atlanta.
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.
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 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. Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
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.
[###]
Contact: Beth Buehler
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association
(970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net
Valleywide Nordic Skiing & Snowshoeing 2009.2010.doc (892 KB)
Return to Press Releases |
