Guys can give it all they’ve got or take a more laidback approach when visiting Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo., this spring. 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.See 'em all after the jump.
1. The skiing & snowboarding rock
Inspire your passion for adventure on 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 tricks at the new intermediate terrain park or on the legendary superpipe and the latest features at the DC Terrain Park. Watch some of the most daring skiers on the planet at the U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships on Feb. 18 – 22 and U. S. Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships on March 19 - 21. Visit www.skicb.com.
2. Après ski is hot (and cool!)
Some of the hottest places to stop for a drink and some food mid-mountain are the Ice Bar & Restaurant and Paradise Warming House. At the base, look no further than the club-like feel of Trackers Bar & Lounge in the Lodge at Mountaineer Square, the New-York hip style of the new django’s in the Mountaineer Square Courtyard and the fun-loving Butte 66, which overlooks to slopes. At the Ice Bar, ski 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. If java is more your style, go to Camp 4 Coffee at the top of the Painter Boy lift and sit in the log chairs outside for great people watching or fill up at their location across from django’s in the courtyard.
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. Kick it into gear on 95K groomed Nordic trails
The Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is emerging as a Nordic skiing and snowshoeing hotspot. Groomed Nordic trails now number more than 95K, 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.
5. 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.
6. 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 Maroon Hut and Forest Queen Hut, both located in the historic mining town of Gothic. Other backcountry hut options are the Elkton Cabins, call (970) 349-1815, and the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association’s Friends Hut, visit www.huts.org.
7. Going to the dogs
There is nothing quite like the freedom of being pulled by a team of dogs in the thick of stunning mountain terrain capped with snow. Dog sledding with Lucky Cat Dog Farm is one of those lifetime experiences not to be missed. Visit www.luckycatdogfarm.com for details.
8. Hit the ice for hockey
Gunnison County residents, young and old, take their hockey seriously. Jump in on a pickup hockey game at the new indoor hockey rink in Gunnison, which next to a covered open rink in Jorgensen Park, or the outdoor 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.
9. 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.
10. Cap it off with local brews & great wines
Colorado is one of the nation’s microbrew hot spots, and Gunnison-Crested Butte is no exception. Go microbrewery hopping at The Eldo in downtown Crested Butte and Gunnison Brewery in downtown Gunnison for some suds and a bite to eat. Look for large wine lists at django’s in Mt. Crested Butte, Timberline Restaurant and Maxwell’s Steakhouse in Crested Butte, and Brick Cellar in Gunnison.
