Mt. Crested Butte, CO – Officials at Colorado’s Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) may not have won the approval they were seeking to expand skiing and snowboarding onto adjacent Snodgrass Mountain, but they’ll celebrate the resort’s 50th anniversary this year with expanded glades, a new terrain park and superpipe and more this winter.n“We’ve given detailed thought to our terrain and on-mountain amenities and how the mountain is laid out,” said Ken Stone, COO of CBMR. “Our goal going into the 2010-2011 season is to maximize our assets. To accomplish that objective we’ve reconfigured things a bit, freeing up additional intermediate terrain in the process.”
Crews are glading Horseshoe Springs, expanding tree-skiing options and, as a result, adding more intermediate terrain to the resort’s tally.
CBMR will also introduce the new Gold Link Terrain Park and Superpipe for the 2010-2011 season. By relocating the resort’s largest park and pipe, crews have created a complete freestyle park pod off the Painter Boy and Goldlink lifts. This translates to a literal playground for the park enthusiast, highlighted by the ability to progress from one park – and one feature size – to the next. The Cascade location also is ideal for larger park features, offering a consistent fall line for the jib park and halfpipe. Cascade is blessed with good afternoon light, allowing for better visibility, and its proximity to mountain operations headquarters means snowcat operators have easier access and more time for preening features. The new location also leaves crews hopeful for delivery of a constructed halfpipe in time for the Christmas holiday, thanks to the park’s location along the main water feed pipe for the ski area’s snowmaking system.
With these mindful improvements and reconfigurations skiers and riders at CBMR gain back two full-length trails in the resort’s best existing intermediate pod.
Guests to CBMR also will note increased snowmaking capabilities resulting in earlier terrain openings and a better late season base. Increased snowmaking at the base area will allow for Peachtree beginner lift and the Camp CB teaching area and magic carpets to open on the first day of the season. And, the resort is eager to utilize its $40,000 NSAA grant, which translates to 10 new high efficiency tower guns.
Another notable change on the mountain is the new NASTAR race arena located on the Canaan trail just above the Paradise Warming House.
At the base, $400,000 in improvements and enhancements to the Treasury Center base lodge include more seating and expanded skier services, such as lockers and bathrooms. Butte 66, a popular choice for lunch and après ski, will also benefit from extensive renovations, and the Spellbound Pizza Company will move to a new location on the remodeled third floor of the Treasury Building.
In addition, CBMR has added a new activity to the existing Adventure Park, and relocated the Trailhead Children’s Discovery Museum to the Outpost Building – now open year-round. The Adventure Park line-up now includes mini golf during the summer season in addition to the bungee trampolines and climbing tower, which are open year-round. The Flying Gopher 18 hole mini golf course is located under a weatherproof dome, which will convert to an ice skating rink during the winter season. The Trailhead Children’s Museum features playful adventure, art, science and discovery for young children and parents throughout the year, including special events and programs. The museum’s new location at the base of the mountain makes for easy access.