For some of the lowest fares of the season on Continental’s new direct jet service from Houston to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, book your airfare by Dec. 19. The fares are valid for travel from either direction between Jan. 5 – Feb. 17, 2011, and a two-night minimum stay is required. Sample round-trip fares for non-peak travel include $226 from Houston, $255 from Raleigh-Durham, $269 from Miami, $288 from Newark and $302 from Atlanta. These fares do not include taxes and fees and are subject to availability. Call Crested Butte Vacations at (800) 810-7669 or visit www.continental.com.
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, intermediate and advanced slopes that cover 1,167 acres and include 121 trails. Try some tricks at the intermediate terrain park or on the legendary superpipe and the latest features at the DC Terrain Park. Or enjoy the more than 95K of Nordic trails groomed by the Crested Butte Nordic Center and the Gunnison Nordic Club. Go on your own or with a guide to try something new or hit some secret powder stashes. Visit www.skicb.com, www.cbnordic.org and www.gunnisonnordic.net.
2. Drink in the atmosphere & culture
The Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley is known for its fun, free-spirited events and diverse cultural opportunities. The Alley Loop Nordic marathon, U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships, ArtWalk Evenings, Elk Mountains Grand Traverse (Crested Butte to Aspen), Night of Lights, Flauschink and many other events throughout the winter and spring keep the atmosphere lively. The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Crested Butte Center for the Arts, Gunnison Arts Center and Crested Butte Mountain Theatre keep the arts and history hot during snowy days. Go to www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com for a calendar of events and list of things to do.
3. Stroll Elk Avenue in Crested Butte
Crested Butte’s downtown district is big on charm with colorful historic buildings and a great vibe with people bench sitting and mingling around to locally owned, one-of-a-kind retailers, eateries, outfitters and service businesses. Much of Crested Butte was placed on the National Register for Historic Place in 1974, before it was a cool thing to do. In fact, Crested Butte was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” list in 2008.
• 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 or call (970) 641-1636.
• Join the Crested Butte Nordic Center on a Full Moon “Dinner at the Yurt” Ski & Snowshoe Tour to Magic Meadows on Dec. 21, Jan. 19, Feb. 18 or March 18. The gourmet dinners are prepared by local chefs and begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $65 for adults and $30 for children, which includes a trail pass and equipment rentals. Go to www.cbnordic.org or call (970) 349-1707.
• Crested Butte Mountain Resort offers daily guided snowshoe tours on ski area trails at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Snowshoes, poles, water, a light snack and a lift ride are included in the cost for the two-mile outing. Daily snowshoes tours on Snodgrass Mountain also are available from 1 – 4 p.m., with transportation included During Moonlight Snowshoe Tours on Dec. 21, Jan. 19, Feb. 18 and March 19, enjoy the thrill of being out in the night under the stars from 7 – 9 p.m. All tours cost $75. For information and reservations, call (970) 349-4554 or visit www.skicb.com.
• Enjoy a scenic, horse-drawn sleigh ride with Lazy F Bar Ranch to a rustic 1950s cabin overlooking the East River south of Crested Butte and indulge in a five-course meal that most importantly includes five kinds of homemade desserts. Visit www.lazyfbarranch.com or call (970) 641-0193.
5. Create magical moments during the holidays
There is merrymaking and fun for all ages with Crested Butte Mountain Theatre’s production of “A Tuna Christmas,” Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s Winter Solstice at the Rim (snowshoe walks, telescope viewing and more), holiday market at the Gunnison Arts Center, ArtWalk Evening in Crested Butte, and a gingerbread house display, ice sculpture carving and a Christmas Eve torchlight parade at the ski area. For New Year’s Eve, there’s the Frozen Buns Resolution 5K Run, a New Year’s Yurt Dinner Party accessed by Nordic skis or snowshoes, and a torchlight parade and fireworks on the slopes. Also don’t miss Valentine’s Week, when there are all sorts of sweetheart happenings and great deals for Romance in the Rockies.
