What Makes Crested Butte, Crested Butte?

There are many great Colorado mountains, yet few ski resorts engender the loyalty that Crested Butte does.

Off the beaten track, Crested Butte looms large in the imagination.

Ask any skier or snowboard who has been there and prepare for a glowing report.

Here’s why.

The Snow

This season, more than any other in recent years, has been epic, awesome, sick, primo and bang-up in terms of snow.

In January, Crested Butte received 11 feet (that’s 132” or 335 cm!) of snow. On one day alone, the resort received 26” of snow in 24 hours, overflowing the pow cam and temporarily halting operations.

All of this snow is the result of a favorable west-southwest weather pattern, with Crested Butte directly in the sweet spot.

How sweet? The seasonal snowpack is currently at 185%, with the historically snowiest months still to come.

According to Zach Pickett, the resort’s communications director, “The Extreme Limits are wall-to-wall open at one of the earliest times in many seasons.

“The snow that came in was dense and created a good base. The deep snow has filled in many aspects, many it possible to ski lines that many locals haven’t skied before.”

Karen HoskinWinter 2017