Top 10 Ways for Guys to Unplug & Recharge in Gunnison-Crested Butte

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (January 2, 2008) —  Guys can give it all they’ve got or take a more laidback approach when visiting Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo., this winter.  Consider these 10 reasons why guys can unplug and recharge in this sportsmen’s paradise, located in the heart of the Rockies in southwest Colorado, and why they’ll keep coming back for more.

1.  The skiing & snowboarding rock

Rip down Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s legendary extreme terrain or get your fill on beginner to advanced slopes that cover 1,167 acres and include 121 trails.  Try some new tricks at the ski area’s terrain parks and superpipe or attend the annual U.S. Extreme Freeskiing and U. S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships.  Crested Butte was the first home of the X-Games.  Visit www.skicb.com.

2. Après ski is hot (and cool!)

One of the hottest places to stop for a drink on the mountain is at the Ice Bar & Restaurant.  Saddle up to a bar made of ice and order a drink from bartenders wearing fur coats and hats.  If you’re lucky, you might get a drink served in a shot glass made of ice.  There’s no better spot for people watching, except for the lounge chairs at Camp 4 Coffee at the top of Painter Boy lift and the decks of Butte 66 at the base area and Paradise Warming House, located mid-mountain at Paradise lift. 

3. Catching air … on a snowmobile

If gathering speed on a motorized sled is more your style, explore more than 55 miles of groomed and marked trails and 170 miles of single-track in Gunnison-Crested Butte.  For the advanced snowmobiler, try riding the area’s bottomless powder fields, many at 10,000 feet or higher.  To check trail reports, visit www.coloradosledcity.com.  For equipment and tours, check with Snowmobiling Action Adventures, www.actionadventures.com.

4. Take to the ice for hockey

Gunnison County residents, young and old, take their hockey seriously.  Jump in on a pickup hockey game at the two open-air rinks (one covered) in Gunnison’s Jorgensen Park or the rink at the Crested Butte Nordic Center.  For more information, call Gunnison Parks & Recreation at (970) 641-8060 and Crested Butte Parks & Recreation at (970) 349-5338.

5. Drop a line in Blue Mesa Reservoir

Colorado’s largest body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, is located west of Gunnison and known as a place where record-breaking fish are landed.  A record 50-pound mackinaw trout was caught in May 2007.  Local fishing outfitters can steer you to prime ice fishing spots that will light up a winter day. 

6. Kick it into gear on 85K groomed Nordic trails

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is emerging as a Nordic skiing and snowshoeing hotspot.  Groomed Nordic trails now number more than 85K, backcountry routes are plentiful, and a full calendar of tours and races offer opportunities to get one of the best workouts on the planet.  Visit the www.cbnordic.org and www.gunnisonnordic.net for more information.

7. Head to the backcountry

Local experts who know the backcountry like the back of their hands can show you premiere spots for off-piste alpine and telemark skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.  The Crested Butte Nordic Center, www.cbnordic.org, offers half- or full-day backcountry tours on snowshoes or Nordic skis, with all tours including transportation, rentals and a guide.  Crested Butte Mountain Guides, www.crestedbutteguides.com, not only offers Nordic skiing and snowshoeing adventures in the backcountry, this well-known outfitter offers one-day and overnight trips to alpine ski or ride the powder in out-of-the-way places.

8. Take to the huts

Exploring the backcountry and staying in huts along the way is the ideal way to go on longer backcountry tours.  The Nordic Center books reservations for Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory’s Forest Queen Hut, located in the historic mining town of Gothic.  Other backcountry hut options are the Elkton Cabins, call (970) 349-1815, and the 10^th Mountain Division Hut Association’s Friends Hut, visit www.huts.org.

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