Gunnison-Crested Butte: Spring will Rock in these towns!
March and April, my favorite time of the year to ride, are choice times to head to Crested Butte. An incredible mountain, newly accumulated snow and an event calendar that could keep you busy every day of the season are enticing reasons to head down to the “Butte”.
I got a glimpse of their calendar of happenings from today, March 1, until April 8, closing day for both Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Crested Butte Nordic Center. For a complete calendar of events, go to www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/events. Here is a jam packed condensed version:
EVENTS
Art, Concerts, Film & Festivals
Mar 2, Apr 6 First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music, Various Galleries & Locations, Gunnison
March 6 John Oates Concert, Crested Butte Center for the Arts
March 9 – 10 Banff Mountain Film Festival, Crested Butte Center for the Arts
March 10 Kids Rock Concert Presented by Trailhead Children’s Museum, Crested Butte Music Festival &
Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Mountaineer Square Ballroom
March 17 – 18 FestEVOL (featuring Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Big Head Todd & the Monsters), CB Mountain Resort
March 29 ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Downtown Crested Butte
March 29 Kissidugu Concert (music & dance), Crested Butte Center for the Arts
April 4 – 8 Flauschink (flush out winter & welcome spring festival), Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte
Sporting Events
March 8 – 11 21st Annual Extreme Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 10 Ski For Hope Nordic Challenge & Ski-a-thon, Crested Butte
March 10 Big Air on Elk Presented by Colorado FreeSkier, Elk Avenue, Crested Butte
March 22 – 24 16th Annual Extreme Telemark Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 25 38th Annual Al Johnson Uphill/Downhill Telemark Race, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 29 – 31 Junior Extreme Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 30 – 31 15th Annual Elk Mountains Grand Traverse, Crested Butte to Aspen
April 7 Bump & Jump and Pond Skim Competitions, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Activities on Nordic Skis & Snowshoes
March 1 Learn to Skate Ski for Free!, Crested Butte Nordic Center
March 8, 17 Moonlight Dinner at the Yurt, Crested Butte Nordic Center’s Magic Meadows Yurt
Mar 8, Apr 6 Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
March 18 Winter Photo Workshops by Xavier Fane & Raynor Czerwinski (on snowshoes or skis!),
Crested Butte area
So with so much to do, I have some info on a few Hot Deals. Check these out:
Ski & Stay in Paradise is available from March 26 – April 8, 2012. Choose from 19 properties in the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley starting at $62 per person, with packages priced to include one night of lodging for two adults per room and two adult lift tickets. Additional nights and lift tickets can be added. Go towww.paradisepackage.com.
With Three Rivers Resort’s Stay, Ski & Save Package, a lodge room and lift tickets for two start at just $95 per person, per night and deluxe cabins on the river are available starting at $132 per person, per night from Feb. 17 – March 25, 2012. This package also can be priced for families. Call (888) 761-3474 or visit www.3riversresort.com.
FestEVOL is back on March 17 – 18 with headline bands Barenaked Ladies on Saturday and Guster/Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Sunday. Host Crested Butte Mountain Resort is offering FestEVOL Lift, Lodging and Ticket Packages starting at only $112 per person, per night for three nights’ lodging in a Grand Lodge king suite, two days skiing and both concerts. Other combinations and lodging properties are available. Packages are based on double occupancy and subject to taxes, fees and availability. For more information call Crested Butte Vacations at (800) 810-7669 and visit www.skicb.com.
Embark on a thrilling, two-hour snowmobile ride in Crested Butte with Colorado Adventure Rentals for only $79. Your partner on the trail is a Polaris 550, a 60 HP deep snow/trail sled that is all about having fun in the back country. This special is valid through March 31, 2012. For information, go to www.coloradoadventurerentals.com or call (877) 641-3525.
There is one other alternative to all of the excitement and that is some serious down time. The surrounding natural beauty and quite of the back country in the surrounding area is another very good reason to find your way down to Gunnison and Crested Butte. Grab your snowshoes or nordic skis and get out there.
~Ali.B
Featured Photo Courtesy of Crested Butte Ski Resort
Concert Photo by Alex Fenlon, Courtesy of Colorado Ski Country USA
