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at_nyc

Getting off the lift
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For non-expert skiers, that is.

Reason I ask is I'll be at Frisco for 3 1/2 weeks. It's easy enough to do an overnighter to Crested Butte. And it's included in my MAX pass.

Everyone know about Crested Butte as the expert's paradise. The question is, what about the rest of us who aren't experts? Is it worth the 4 1/2 hr drive?

Some post mention Crested Butte has tons of terrain for experts (duh!), and sufficient terrain for beginner-lower intermediates but not so much for the intermediate/advance. If so... :(

I would classify myself as advance but not expert. More importantly, I don't feel like "pushing" myself.

The kind of terrain I like is where I can make lots of nicely linked turns without too much route finding and line hunting between cliffs. I will do bumps and trees but only when they're not super steep or super tight. And only when I have good view of a clear line without having to worry about being cliff out.

There're some terrain I "can ski" but don't particularly enjoy. I would get through them in the easiest route to get to the good snow or good terrain (for me). But I wouldn't seek them out just because it's there.

Really, I look for snow, not terrain.

To name some examples, I did a couple of the easy routes off Spanky's Ladder at Whistler. That's about the top end of what I enjoy in terms of steepness. It was wide open so easy to see my way out. Throw some rock bands in there, I wouldn't go there.
 

pchewn

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Well if you are in Frisco, you've got so many nearby areas, and some excellent areas much closer than Crested Butte. (Keystone, Breck, Copper, Loveland, A-Basin, Vail, Steamboat, Beaver Creek, Winter Park, Aspen) all are closer than Crested Butte. Unless the weather only throws the snow down south, I can't see that Crested Butte will be a huge attraction over all of those other areas.
 

Nathanvg

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I'd say it's worth it. All the single blacks should be fine and you may be able to ski a few double black routes if you can handle non-cliff steeps. Its not tiny but it is a smaller ski area. The ski area and town have a cool vibe.
 

NPhoenix

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I'm guessing you want to use your Max pass and avoid the nearby Vail properties. I would use all my days for Copper, Winter Park and Steamboat before considering Crested Butte. CB has plenty of terrain that isn't too crazy but is smaller and probably not worth it from Frisco. I would even hit up Loveland over CB since it can be cheap and is much closer. On the other hand if you're looking to hang out in a cool ski town, then CB might be in order.
 
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at_nyc

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I'm guessing you want to use your Max pass and avoid the nearby Vail properties.
Not so much “to avoid” them. Just that I don’t have a vail pass this year, so it’s prohibitively expensive.

I would use all my days for Copper, Winter Park and Steamboat before considering Crested Butte.
Yes, I plan to use them up first. I’m thinking exactly between Loveland vs Crested Butte.

I've skied Loveland about 5-6 days over the past 10 years. Only once at CB, quite a few years back. Condition wasn’t its best that time. Not only all the extreme stuff are closed, all the ungroomed were teeth charttering refrozen coral reef. That left me wondering what the mountain really is like.
 

TonyC

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I don't know when you're going to be in Frisco, but CB is in big trouble in a year like this is shaping up so far. I wouldn't go near the place before February and March is probably safer.

I've seen at-nyc ski some steeps like Classic Chute at Squaw as well as Spanky's, so I think she can handle a moderate amount of the North Face. The route finding is a key feature of Crested Butte. Hopefully you can enlist some local guidance for that as with Spanky's.
 

tball

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I'll be at Frisco for 3 1/2 weeks. It's easy enough to do an overnighter to Crested Butte. And it's included in my MAX pass. . .

Really, I look for snow, not terrain.

I have to differ with @TonyC and suggest you keep your lodging flexible, and plan to migrate south to CB when the conditions are better down there. The beautiful thing about your MAX pass is the geographic diversity. Use that advantage to find to the best snow. There's a good chance over the 3 1/2 weeks there will be a southern storm where CB gets more snow. Head down then, and you'll likely have better surface conditions for several days given the few skiers at Crested Butte.

Likewise, of course, head north to Steamboat when they get a favorable storm cycle. There's good snow diversity between Copper, WP, Steamboat, and CB. Use that to your advantage to ski the best conditions!

On CB terrain: yes, the extreme terrain will most likely be slow to open this year, but there are a good number of blue and black runs that don't need as much coverage to open. Given the lower skier traffic and north facing aspect, there's a decent chance that could be the best CO skiing on your pass for a chunk of your trip. It's just a matter of timing when you head south.

I'm specifically thinking of the East River lift which serves 1000 vf of some classic Colorado cruisers, bumps runs and glades that face due north:

CBMR_WINTERPcktTrlMp_OCT_2017_otlns_fnl_indd.png
 
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StuckonI70

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Yes, go. CB has some excellent cruisers with few crowds on them. International might be my favorite groomed run in the state.
It's not a huge mountain if you're not going for the extremes, but you still have 1000 acres at your disposal.

Even within the extremes, some runs aren't that bad. The terrain above the Paradise exit road (Hawks Nest, North Face, Old Pro, etc.) are pretty manageable. Headwall is pretty damn steep, but its also wide open. Banana is actually pretty tolerable too, even though it looks terrifying from the base.

Spellbound, Big Chute, Phoenix, Cesspool/Sock it to Me, those are the really challenging areas.
 

Ken_R

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The past few storms have been weak and few and far between. The place would need about 6 feet of snow for it to get decent. Or more. At this rate it is gonna take months.
 

tball

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Uh, yeah, same goes for most other areas in Colorado.

@at_nyc also consider a visit to Monarch if you make the southern swing. You'll drive past Monarch to get to CB. It always has some of the nicest snow in the state, has cheap tickets, and terrain you'll enjoy. Nearby Salida is a cool little town as well.
 

jmeb

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I agree CB can be worth checking out and that Monarch is worth a day pass since you're driving through.

For the terrain you're talking about skiing, I'd disagree with TonyC that you need to wait until Feb or March. A few good storms will get most of CBs non-expert terrain open which sounds like what you're looking for (i.e. the areas besides North Face, Teo, Headwall, and Peak). Obviously watch the conditions and terrain openings. Plus the town is an uber classic. If you're feeling thrifty, Gunnison isn't a bad town for a night or two either.

Even without the big-time terrain open, CB is fun and a welcome break from the Summit county madness. Go on a weekend if you can so you don't have to be in Summit.

Plus, it's a beautiful drive down the whole way. Try to go during the day time if you can, as seeing the Collegiates and Monarch Pass are something.
 
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at_nyc

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Thanks for all the good idea. And the specific runs to hit are especially appreciated.

I've been to Monarch, and yes the drive is one of the highlights.

Now I sit back and wait for snow... :(
 

tball

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Speaking of specific runs to hit, Wendy Fisher has some fantastic videos highlighting her favorites. I love Wendy's title displayed in the videos: US Olympian, CBMR Ambassador, Mom, World and US Extreme Champion. :hail:

This run is her favorite groomer. She ends up at the bottom of the East River lift I mentioned above. I believe they have snowmaking the full length of this run, so it should be open by the end of the year, if not sooner.


These are her intro routes through the extreme terrain. They are reasonably wide open and navigable with a little care the first time. @at_nyc, based on how Tony described your skiing you may be comfortable doing laps here. It's super fun, challenging, and great for your skiing and confidence to get mileage in those steeps. Skiing almost anywhere else gets a lot easier after spending time in CB's North Face.


And, these some of her favorite more extreme routes. Note you can get to the bottom fairly easily without mandatory air if you heed the cliff warning signs. But unless it's an outstanding snow year, navigating around numerous rocks is part of the challenge.

How do you know it's steep? Watch the snow she kicks up beating her down the hill!


Wendy gives tours/lessons on Weds ($150 for 2 1/2 hours) If it works with your schedule and snow conditions.
http://www.skicb.com/lessons-rentals/lessons-olympian-wendy-fisher
 
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