One of my friends summed up Crested Butte pretty well when she described it as Whoville. It's adorable and it's also deservedly known as “Colorado's last great ski town.” While Vail and Aspen can feel like Alps rip-offs, Crested Butte is authentic, has its own unique personality, and is somewhat less saturated with '90s-era condos and second homeowners than other resort towns.
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| Mt. Crested Butte as seen from Snodgrass Mountain |
It also happens to be a dead end. Unless it's summertime when unpaved Kebler Pass opens up, all roads end in the Butte. That means almost no lift lines, relatively uncrowded slopes, and attainable dinner reservations after a long day's ski. Those slopes also happen to be some of the best in the country if you're an advanced rider, with more extreme terrain than any other resort in Colorado. In other words, it's totally worth making the drive or dishing out for a flight, and hauling your ski bags out to the middle of nowhere.
Here's what you need to know before you load up your gear and head to “Crusty Butt,” as some locals affectionally call it.