Crested Butte

Crested Butte

Overall Rating

Crested Butte

Crested Butte4/516
Crested Butte4 out of 5 based on 16 reviews
  • Recommend
    81%
  • Would Revisit
    81%

Crested Butte - Reviews

Crested Butte - Reviews

Best hidden gem on the Epic Pass (if there is such a thing)

30/03/2023

Eivind Moen

Powder Enthusiast
Powder Enthusiast

Eivind Moen

Powder Enthusiast
Powder Enthusiast
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Telemarker
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

Best hidden gem on the Epic Pass (if there is such a thing)

30/03/2023
I've visited Crested Butte twice now and I plan to keep returning. In my opinion, the mountain has the most authentic ski town feel and offers the smallest crowds as far as Colorado goes for the Epic Pass. Welcomed upgrades to the lift system were done after Vail Resorts took over the mountain, yet the massive crowds have not yet showed up as the case often is for other Epic Pass mountains.
Getting there is not the easiest, but once you're there it is well worth the slight travel hassle.
Offpiste area off the High Lift is great, and the hikeout at the end keeps skiers not willing to hike for 5-10 minutes away. Added benefit for those who don't mind hiking, a draw back for those who do.
Apres scene is decent, and the town offers plenty of bars and restaurants with good food, yet an authentic ski town feel. Do beware of the mountain being quite rocky which expose sharp rocks winters with lower snow coverage.
See our video here

Poor lift operation coordination

Tashia
25/03/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Intermediate
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    March
  • Admin Rating
    2

Poor lift operation coordination

Tashia
25/03/2023
Very poor communication at Crested Butte mountain. We were not allowed to get on Goldlink lift because operator said we just missed it. Two people were only 3 lifts in front of us and allowed to get on. He said we had to go all the way down mountain to catch bus. We had to hike several places and by luck took the right turn.
There was no sign or any person on top of Painter Boy to let us know we couldn’t go down. It only takes a 3 minutes to go down. This is so crazy and so unorganized. It took me over an hour to finally find bus and still waiting.
See our video here

Medical Tyranny

Richard Schlosser
26/01/2022
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    1

Medical Tyranny

Richard Schlosser
26/01/2022
I would like to share my experience exploring Crested Butte Mountain for the first time. My compliments on the array of beauty, diverse terrain and well maintained trails and runs. This was almost my new favorite Mountain. What ruined the day for me was, after a vigorous morning of skiing more runs then I’m used to. I went to take a break at the Paradise warming house. I was very hungry for a warm bowl of soup or stew. I was greeted at the front door by a young man who asked me for a vaccination card. I’m sure he was just doing his job but my medical information is personal and is none of his business. He would not allow me to enter and told me they are serving burgers outside. I don’t eat burgers.

I am not going to go off on a Constitutional power trip here, even though this was illegal discrimination but more of a humane understanding. When does this end? When there are no viruses or bacteria on the planet? When people stop believing propaganda from the media? When politics decide to step out of our personal health and freedom? When people open their eyes to the truth in science and recognize the power natural immunity? Whatever your reasons are for breaking the law, you will someday realize this whole agenda had nothing to do with keeping people safe and healthy.

This is not a one shot fits all, many people who have thick blood such as Factor 5 Leiden (as I do) can develop serious blood clotting as well as many other complications. I work in the health service industry and I personally know people who died from this shot. I also have clients who went blind, have tinnitus, had strokes, heart attracts, have cancer, are infertile and miscarried after receiving the shot. This is not a vaccine its an experiment, vaccines stop the spread of the virus of which it is intended. COVID cases have exploded since this shot came out. Is anyone paying attention to that?

I pray your organization realizes the media is not being honest with you. I don’t judge those who choose to be vaccinated and will not be judged by those who are. I’ve had COVID in the fall and do not wish it on anyone but I was one of the 99% who survived and now have antibodies for life. I am reluctant to get the shot because its too new, it doesn't work, its dangerous to the human DNA. I do not take medical advice from the government or a ski mountain.

Please consider peace and harmony.
See our video here

The Crusty Butt

30/09/2021

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur

Brandon

Powder Connoisseur
Powder Connoisseur
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    March
  • Admin Rating
    5

The Crusty Butt

30/09/2021
Butte's Bagels
The Butte
Steepest manmade run
Stopped for a pic on North Face
Through the BC gate over near Banana Peel
My Crested Butte experience was pretty different than any of my usual Colorado ski trips for a number of reasons. For one, my wife and I flew into the quant little Montrose airport which was a 2 hour drive as opposed to flying into Denver which is nearly 5 hours away. Also, maybe I’m just used to the drive from Denver to Summit County from doing it so many times but the drive from Montrose to the Crusty Butt was especially scenic to me. The town is awesome, definitely had a more authentic vibe than any of the Summit Co resorts.

We were there from March 20-22nd. 1st day we had some icy conditions early that turned to some fun slush later in the day. Basically explored the whole mountain minus the T-bars and lapped the trees off East River Express a bunch which were fun. Made our way to the new Umbrella Bar at the top of Gold Link and Prospector and enjoyed some apres ski before heading in with some incredible views of the butte.

Day 2 it snowed 3” over night which was a blessing. Day 2, and every day after, started with bagels from Butte’s Bagels which were absolutely fantastic. First run of the day was International which I absolutely loved. It is steep as hell for so long you just get sooooo comfortable cruising at a higher speed than you would at any other resort. Spent most of the day lapping paradise with the wife which were some phenomenal blues. I did end up riding the North Face T-bar once and tried to locate Rambo but ended up going down North Face and Hawks Nest to The Last Steep. My last highlight of the day was going through the backcountry gate at the top of Silver Queen and riding Upper Forest to Forest to Hot Rocks and then catching the bottom of championship.

Day 3 we woke to another 3”. I ended up hitting 3 T-bars which all the snow off of those had the full 6” from both nights. Rode the North Face again and managed to make it to Rambo via Hard Slab and Old Pro, but Rambo was closed. BUMMER! Gave it another shot after lunch and ended up talking to a dude that knew a side way in that dropped you in about 5 feet below the top but was definitely OPEN. Rambo did not disappoint. It was challenging, it was steep, it was a little sketchy in terms of snow coverage in some spots... Lastly I hit the High Lift which was actually a pretty intimidating Tbar. It’s a longggg haul and you go up some pretty steep sections and maybe even sketchier was some downhill sections that create a lot of slack in the line and then yank to catch up. The run down was Halfpipe Gully to Powder 8 Gully, super steep with lots of moguls.

Now for the breakdown, as far as snow quality goes, the snow that dropped was high quality however not enough of it reliably falls at the crusty butt which makes riding the hard terrain that much more challenging. Lift lines were great. It maybe slowed up a bit at the Paradise lift but we had practically no lines the entire weekend. I know its redundant but the terrain off the T-bars and through the backcountry gates at CB is second to none. Theres not incredible tree skiing all over the mountain like some other CO resorts but just the scale of how hairy some of the lines are at CB is worthy of a 5. The piste trails very good as well, especially International. Value is pretty good imo. It was about the same pricing as most of the Summit County resorts but without dealing with the lines and over crowding it makes it way more valuable to me. Seemed to be pretty child friendly. Didn’t explore too much nightlife. We did indulge in Après ski every afternoon on the mountain and devoured some incredible food at the Secret Stash. My wife and I both loved the town and restaurants. I absolutely would recommend it, especially for the advanced rider whose looking for some fun challenging lines. Definitely planning on bringing the boys trip there when we switch back to the epic pass in a couple years.
See our video here

Needs a lot of snow

15/02/2020

Walter Arader

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy

Walter Arader

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

Needs a lot of snow

15/02/2020
I visited Crested Butte in early February 2020 and had an absolute blast being completely humbled by the "extremes" and "steeps" this mountain has to offer. That being said, there was enough snow but barely. The base depth on my visit was ~50" and it is a good thing that I took out the insurance policy on my demos cause there were a ton of exposed rocks all throughout the off-piste skiing. As one local said, "this place has either be the best skiing of your life or like three groomers". If there isnt fresh snow and a ton of it at that, it is impossible to take advantage of the wild terrain. Another note is that while there are a ton of shoots, cliffs, trees, and technical gnarly terrain there is a marked lack of any wide open bowls. A huge positive is that even on a pow day the lift lines were manageable while other mountains on the Epic pass were basically shut down with crowds.

So in short, if CBMR has a base depth of 50 (preferably 75) and up and you get a few inches of fresh pow on top that, this place will knock your socks off. In particular running laps off the Silver Queen lift to Peel, Flat Iron, Banana, Funnel, and Sunset Ridge offers ridiculous views and long, narrow, snow-trap chutes that would be hard to beat anywhere.

Also the town of Crested Butte is a real gem: totally laid back and authentic. Bonez has money Mexican food and everyone was warm and welcoming.
See our video here

Good place to jump off cliffs

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    N/A
  • Rider Level
    N/A
  • Rider Age
    N/A
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    2

Good place to jump off cliffs

Pallavicini
23/10/2019
Crested Butte is an oasis for the serious skiers.
Gnarly terrain, good snow and its remote location all help its notoriety.
Vail buying a ski area like CB makes zero sense.
See our video here

Off the beaten path Gem

Prawn
01/02/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

Off the beaten path Gem

Prawn
01/02/2019
Wow! Crested Butte is a great ski area. Groomers were in great shape. Of piste was very good even though it had not snowed in several days. Runs are long and varied. Tree skiing was decent. There looked to be adequate skiing for intermediates and beginners despite CB's reputation as an expert mountain. For a smaller ski area Crested Butte skis bigger than it's size. The lift system is decent with several high speed lifts. The only downside to the lift system are two T-bars. Not a big fan of T-Bars here. The ski area felt deserted on a Sunday. The village at the bottom feels sleepy. If you want night life, go to the town of Crested Butte where there are plenty of restaurants, bars, galleries and shops. The town has a very unique vibe. It has not succumbed to the commercialization you see at other mining-ski towns. I recommend spending some time in town during your stay.
See our video here

50 Year Skier

Greg
22/04/2017
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

50 Year Skier

Greg
22/04/2017
This is a skiers mountain. If one comes here to "be seen" on the slopes or to personally market five ski outfits during their week's ski trip, this isn't the mountain for you. People here are all about the skiing & snowboarding....with lots of 'town' fun thrown in between the activity on the mountain. The historic town of CB located a mile or two down from the base is a must see, must experience place if you come here.
The mountain itself is unique - funky like the town in a way. it offers excellent extreme terrain, especially from the top and subsequent north side T-Bar accessed areas - enough great terrain in this respect to satisfy the ski junkie for weeks. Basically, one can create their own runs from bowl to bowl - through tree areas and horizontal traverses. There is sufficient novice intermediate terrain, although probably not enough to satisfy an entire week's vacation - but one will want to take in the town for a few days should they venture here. The snow was excellent - coverage on all the steeps was deep and 100% of the mountain was open.
Well worth the visit - it has character that oozes, unlike the corporate hell holes - the take a number and we'll be with you in a few days kind of resort that one typically will find with mega ski run resorts of North America. This area is THE REAL experience for anyone wishing to take in an authentic ski town.
See our video here

Not what you think it would be!

Tom Hanks
20/02/2017
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    1

Not what you think it would be!

Tom Hanks
20/02/2017
This is a over priced over rated resort have been to a lot of places and this is the worst so fare lets start with the LINES like 50 to 80 people in line at once all times and when you try to be nice and let people know how they like to work STUCK UP RICH LIFE comes out and let me do me so not so nice people, then who lets a toddler on the PARK with jumps to block and even hurt other riders?????????????????????? no regulation on how people go down just like a sliding Theme Park bad bad bad the grade of the Mt. is so vertical and no remorse so be ready to wait 45 min in line to get cut off by little kids and bad snow GOOD LUCK!

Ed note: Huh?? It appears that the commas and full stops weren't working on the computer?
See our video here

Great Colorado resort

Daniel Sherwin
30/06/2015
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Admin Rating
    4

Great Colorado resort

Daniel Sherwin
30/06/2015
We visited Crested Butte towards the end of our Colorado road trip during the last northern winter. Unfortunately, avalanche hazard had halved the available extreme and advanced terrain at the top of the mountain. We had some good fun in what was left whilst sticking to the out-of-bounds rules. This is one spot where ducking the ropes is not a socially conscientious choice - rider triggered avalanches would be funnelled to the lower family slopes in a number of locations.

The powder stashes at the top of mountain were even good despite the terrain being limited and I can easily see how fantastic they would be with similar demand and twice the available acreage to ride. The upper pistes are well groomed and a delight to ride as well.

Most suited to: Local families and those looking to ride the extreme zones of the upper mountain. If you don't mind a hike, the powder basins of the top are excellent!

Pros
Excellent variety of terrain
Great array of restaurants and bars in the mountain and lower town
Uncrowded
Very friendly
Well groomed, steep pistes

Cons
Limited snowcover may cause significant terrain hazards due to sharp rocky geology toward the top of the mountain
Avalanche hazard can cause reasonable amounts of the advanced and extreme terrain to be closed
Upper lifts/surface drags are slow
Terrain park options may be a little limited for intermediates
See our video here
[1] 2 >