Hanging Out in the Mountain Paradise of Crested Butte, Colorado

The town of Crested Butte, Colorado - and the surrounding area - are a mountain paradise. Towered over by it's namesake of Mt. Crested Butte, which at an elevation of 9,898 feet is quite impressive in its' own right, it's an area of such natural beauty that it's earned itself the nickname "The Wildflower Capital of Colorado". Originally home to the Ute Indians, and then miners, Crested Butte Mountain Resort opened in 1960, hosting Colorado's first gondola. You can do it all here - mountain biking, skiing, hiking, rock climbing, river running and festival going. It's one of  my son and daughter-in-laws favorite places in Colorado - and after my first visit over Labor Day weekend, I'd have to agree. 

Crested Butte

Known as the "Gateway to the Elk Mountains", the town of Crested Butte has an Old West feel without being too kitschy. Sitting at an elevation of 8,900 feet, it's definitely a mountain town. Shops and restaurants in wooden buildings line downtown's Elk Avenue. You can visit the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum or take a historic walking tour that they put on. Locals and visitors alike were out in full force for our visit - there were sidewalk sales happening and bikers enjoying a beer on Elk Avenue. We were there between meals which means we didn't try the best pizza in Crested Butte, The Secret Stash, (just look for the long line on Elk Avenue and you've found it) so we settled for a beer upstairs at The Eldo - "A Sunny Place for Shady People". In fact, I tried my first milkshake beer - an IPA loaded with milk sugar and vanilla beans that makes it thick. (It's name is "Stay Home if Ya Sick, Come Over if Ya Thick) My verdict: Thumbs Up!

Blue Mesa Reservoir

At 41,000 acres Blue Mesa is Colorado's largest body of water. It sits within Curecanti National Recreation Area and some 50ish miles from Crested Butte. Winds off of the flat topped buttes make for great sailing but if that's not your thing you can still windsurf, fish, (it's stocked with millions of fish each year and is the home to the cokanee salmon fishery in the US) camp, boat and hang out on several beaches.

Kebler Pass

Kebler Pass is a high mountain pass that starts in Crested Butte and ends in Paonia. Known for its' fantastic views and golden aspens in fall - it's home to one of the largest aspen groves in the US - the pass takes about two hours to drive. But plan to take longer for the stops you'll make to enjoy those views.

We made several stops just to take in the views. The road wasn't crowded despite the fine weather and we took it to the end.( If you don't want a 3 hour drive back to Crested Butte then turn around halfway)

 Once we reached the end of the pass we had the fun surprise of finding we were on the West Elks Wine Trail. I just love when you find wineries that you didn't know about! We decided to stop at Black Bridge Winery and do a tasting. Black Bridge is not only a winery but also Orchard Valley Farms - there's u-pick fruits, olive oil tasting and a creek to play in plus picnicking to do. 

Our drive back to Crested Butte also had us driving through the stunning scenery of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. We took our time and pulled off at several viewpoints. And we finished with a delicious order of poutine - yes, that Canadian delicacy of fries, gravy and cheese curds - in of all places, Gunnison, Colorado. Will wonders never cease.

Schofield Pass

Connecting the towns of Marble and Crested Butte, at some 10,707 feet elevation, is Schofield Pass. Only open for one or two months per year due to mud and snow, Schofield Pass is known as one of the most deadly passes in Colorado. Originally an old wagon route over the mountain, this pass has some spectacular scenery including a glimpse Maroon Peak, half of the uber famous Maroon Bells.

The particularly challenging part of the pass is known as the Devil's Punchbowl - a narrow, rocky shelf road that is recommended for only jeeps and ATV's. Some 17 deaths have occurred on the Devil's Punchbowl and it should only be undertaken by very skilled and experienced 4 wheel drivers. In many places the road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of feet unprotected by guardrails and some streams are forded.

We did have an expert driver at the wheel - my son - but we didn't attempt the Devil's Punch Bowl. Extremely patient and steady handed, he handled the portion of the road that we - well, that he drove - expertly. And it was hopping over Labor Day Weekend - mountain bikers (tip to those who mountain bike: wear a mask or face covering for the dust), runners, hikers, and even some folks on horseback. Everyone, it seems, was enjoying the rare month or two of the pass being open.

Two other interesting tidbits about Schofield Pass - 

Located in a former ghost town from Colorado's silver mining days, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory conducts field research at the top of Schofield Pass in some 70 buildings. Founded in 1928, RMBL is a center for scientific research and education including invasive plant management and climate. Normally you can visit RMBL to learn about it and tour it but this summer it was closed to the public due to Covid-19.

With the stunning color of its' namesake, Emerald Lake is an alpine lake on Schofield Pass that is not to be missed. An opportunity for stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking or possibly even (gulp) swimming, Emerald Lake is about 15 miles from Crested Butte and has a large parking lot for visitors.

Mt. Crested Butte

Mount Crested Butte is the home of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort. It's the home of the ski resort and there are several hotels and condos to book - we stayed at a condo here. There are restaurants and a free shuttle bus that runs between the towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. On our summer evening there we ate dinner at the  Elevation Hotel - which was the venue for a celebration of runners who had taken part in The Grand Traverse, a 40 mile run through the Elk Mountains from Crested Butte to Aspen at 6000 feet elevation - and there were many out and about and enjoying the good weather.

How about you? Have you been to Crested Butte?

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