The first day of spring was yesterday. This is what the 2nd day of spring looked like in Crested Butte this morning. Go figure.
Spring doesn't always show up on time at 9,000 feet.
Ahh spring, you gotta love it … and we do! Truth be told spring is actually a great time of year in Crested Butte. Temps start rising, snow starts melting and everyone has SPRING FEVER!
Essentially the fence between winter and summer, spring is the only season where you can partake in just about any activity your heart desires. Want to stick with bc skiing or transition into spring ski mountaineering? No problem, the big lines you’ve been wistfully longing for all winter are finally yours for the taking thanks to the stable spring snow-pack. Want to break the bike out of the garage and go for a spin? You betcha, the sweet single track at Hartman Rocks is ready to go. Craving a paddling fix or a fishing session? The spring melt-off is working it’s way into the Taylor and Gunnison rivers all the way down to Blue Mesa Reservoir. Looking to work those atrophied arm muscles with some early season rock climbing? Well, get after it then cause the sun-warmed rock walls of Taylor Canyon and the Black Canyon are waiting for you.
Earning spring season turns, ski mountaineering-style, in the Crested Butte backcountry.
Early season bike condtioning at Hartman Rocks.
Sun warmed walls of the Black Canyon.
At Crested Butte Mountain Guides we’ve got some awesome camps & clinics lined up for the spring season. If ski mountaineering is your fancy you can choose from 4 different spring courses; April 2 – 6 and April 8 – 12 in the Chugach Mountains of Valdez, Alaska or April 18 – 21 and April 25 – 28 in our very own backyard, the Elk Mountains of Crested Butte, CO. A skills intensive ski mountaineering course with CBMG is the very best way to take your skiing to the next level!
Ski mountaineering, Thompson Pass, Chugach Mountain Range, AK.
Ski mountaineering in the Elk Mountains, Crested Butte, CO.
If climbing is more your scene then join CBMG for desert rock climbing this spring. The infamous towers of the Utah desert are a favorite among CBMG guides and we know the best of the best that Utah has to offer. If you’re up for a little longer drive join us in Red Rocks, NV for some sweet climbing … and just outside of Las Vegas, who would have thought?!
Doesn't just looking at this make you feel warmer?
With spring comes a whole host of fun and quintessentially Crested Butte events. It seems this time of year there’s an event just about every weekend! The Red Lady Ball, which helps raise awareness and money for the on going Save Red Lady Campaign, was this past weekend, Mar 16. This Sunday, Mar 24, we’re all looking forward to the 38th annual Al Johnson Telemark Race; a fundraiser for everyone’s favorite non-profit, the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. The following weekend, Mar 29, The Elk Mountain Grand Traverse gets underway as teams battle it out in a ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Mar 31 brings the 22nd annual Extreme Free-skiing competition to town. This is a 4-star qualifier stop on the Subaru Free-skiing Tour. The resort closes on April 7, which as anyone knows is a party not to be missed. Last but not least is a new event coming to Crested Butte, the Crested Butte Pole Pedal Paddle (CB3P), Apr 28. The CB3P is a multi-sport race (ski leg, bike leg, kayak leg) that will span the length of Gunnison Valley, starting in Mt. Crested Butte and finishing in Gunnison. Wow.
The best part about the events we mentioned above? Well, in true Crested Butte fashion you can expect to see competitors and spectators alike in full-on costume for 4 of the 6 events (can you guess which ones?). What can we say, Crested Buttians LOVE their costumes!
CB locals at the Al Johnson Tele Race, one of the many Crested Butte spring events that require costumes.
We hope you’ll join us this spring to partake in all the outdoor recreation fun that Crested Butte has to offer. If you won’t be joining us for an adventure this spring we’ll look forward to seeing you at any number of the unique Crested Butte events … we’ll be in the ones dressed in tutus ; )
-CBMG Staff
