When I opened up the Crested Butte trail map for the first time in my hotel room I was awestruck. I had never seen so much black on a trail map. Black and double-black diamond runs appeared to occupy more than half of the resort. About one-third of the Crested Butte’s 1,547 acres was, it turned out, was in fact extreme double-black diamond terrain.

“Could this be my dream hill?” I wondered.

It was one of the most hardcore-looking ski resorts I’d ever seen. This was confirmed when two of the locals took me down Rambo, the steepest man-made run in North America, and when we had to skirt around several in-bounds areas that were permanently roped off because they’re simply too steep and extreme to allow public access to them.

Crested Butte has called “the last great Colorado ski town” but, although it is a great ski town with all the charm and character that one could desire, I didn’t see any reason to place it above some of the other small out-of-the way ski towns.

Crested Butte certainly surpasses most resorts for ski culture and authenticity, probably because of the hardcore brand of skiers and riders that it attracts.

The other side of that coin is that, while Crested Butte has all the extreme terrain a guy could want, that terrain only receives 300 inches of snow on average annually, which is 200 inches less than some of the other hills we visited.

So, while Crested Butte offers some of the most hardcore terrain in the country, fresh tracks are not be as easy to come by as at some other resorts.

How important is that to you?

Do you think Crested Butte could be the best in the west?

Cast your vote now!

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I went on a mission to find the best ski and snowboard vacation experience in the USA. During my trip, I visited Crested Butte, and then compiled what I learned into this micro guide.

The video above contains lots of useful information, but, if you want to carry have this information on the hill where it will really come in handy, bookmark this guide on your phone.

Crested Butte Micro Guide Part 1: The Hill

Whenever I show up at a hill, I never know where to go. The map doesn’t tell you enough. So, we’re created annotated maps of each hill explaining the terrain, so that you know where to go. Here’s our annotated map of Crested Butte.

DOWNLOAD A FULL-SIZED VERSION OF THE MAP TO YOUR DESKTOP OR PHONE

Here are the highlights:

For the hardcore:

Crested Butte was made for you. It’s hard to choose one single highlight for thrill-seekers. This mountain has a higher-proportion of double-black diamond terrain than I’ve ever seen anywhere else. It’s a big-mountain dream. The north face is is a great place to go looking for cliffs and steep pitches, the Headwall has several serious chutes, and the Teocalli Bowl is magnificent.

For bragging rights you must do Rambo at least once, so you can tell your friends you slayed the steepest man-made run in North America.

For the park rats:

Unfortunately, although there are several parks for people of different abilities, there’s no central park area on Crested Butte where they can all hang out. Those looking for big features will want to hit spend their time in the DC Superpipe and DC Terrain Park off the Paradise Express Chair. Skiers and riders looking for something a bit smaller will want to visit the Smith Hill Terrain Park and Jib Park accessed by the Red Lady Express, and the youngsters can fool around in the Kids’ Park off the Painter Boy lift.

For the groomer cruisers:

If you’re looking to make your eyes water and lay some nice carves into well-groomed corduroy, you can’t beat International (accessed by the Silver Queen Express), Ruby Chief off of the Paradise Express, and the all the runs around the Gold Link Lift.

For the snowplowers:

Both the Peach Tree Lift and the Red Lady Express access nothing but nice rolling green runs, perfect for learning.

Crested Butte Micro Guide Part II: Where to Eat

The following restaurants came highly recommended by the locals we spoke to:

Uley’s Cabin
Named after a famous local bootlegger, this elegant restaurant located just off the International run serves signature cocktails, has an ice bar, and even offers a sleigh ride dinner.
Off the International Run
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-2275

Django’s
This restaurant and wine bar prides itself on it’s southern European influence and fresh ingredients. Intimate, romantic, and great for dates.
Mountaineer Square Courtyard
620 Gothic Road C-130 (courier)
Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81224
970-349-7574

View a Map

Secret Stash
Like the name suggests, a great local secret with pizza and wings that have been voted the best in the city every year since it opened.
21 Elk Ave
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-6245

View a Map

Ginger Cafe
If you’re looking for curry, there’s nowhere better in town than than the Ginger Cafe, which specializes in both of the main varieties of the dish: Indian and Thai.
425 Elk Ave
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-7291

View a Map

Avalanche Bar and Grill
A true ski bar, this is truly THE place for après drinks on the hill.
15 Emmons Rd
Crested Butte, CO 81225
(970) 349-7195

View a Map

Maxwell’s
The best choice in downtown Crested Butte for upscale pasta and steak.
226 Elk Ave
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-1221

View a Map

9380 Prime
With outdoor fireplaces, an extensive wine list, and refined menu this is the classy apres-ski alternative.
Elevation Hotel & Spa
500 Gothic Rd
Crested Butte, CO 81225
(970) 251-3030

View a Map

Crested Butte Micro Guide Part III: What to do Off the Hill

Crested Butte is heralded as “the last great Colorado ski town”. As such, one of the main attractions is simply the atmosphere. It’s just a great place to be. The Nordic Center has an ice skating rink and many miles of cross-country ski runs. There are also numerous festivals throughout the year.

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The saving grace of the trip was the opening of the High Lift T-Bar, which accessed previously closed terrain. So, although there was no fresh snow, there were some fresh tracks, and the local pros lit it up. This is what it looked like.

What do you think? Could Crested Butte be the best ski resort in the USA?

Vote for your favourite ski area now!

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Crested Butte was a great surprise for me on this tour. I had heard little about the mountain before we arrived. When I opened up a map of the hill at the hotel desk I was pleasantly surprised by the swaths of black and double-black diamond runs blanket the north face of the mountain.

I was also very stoked about the small ski-town charm. Crested Butte is a perfect example of a small ski town, just like the one I grew up in. Authenticity like that can’t be bought or replicated. Those were all things that the locals told us they loved.

What do you think? Could Crested Butte be the best ski resort in the USA?

Vote for your favourite ski area now!

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