Butte-iful Days in Colorado

Nestled in Colorado’s glacier-carved Slate River Valley and encircled by three wilderness areas and more than a million acres of national forest are a pair of “buttes”—Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte—with a mind-set and ambience like no other.

Founded in 1880 by European immigrants lured by rich strikes of gold and silver, Crested Butte prospered as a supply town to the neighboring mines. When the precious metals ran out, the town was kept alive by coal mining.

Today, it bears the designation of a National Historic District in honor of its mining-camp origin and authentic false-front buildings, including an ingenious two-story privy.

The town hasn’t let anything go to waste. Old license plates were used to construct a wall, and bumpers and grills from old vehicles have become sidewalk benches.

Quaint Victorian buildings are home to a wide variety of boutiques, art galleries, lodgings and eateries. Legendary for its madcap winter events, Crested Butte offers just as many zany happenings during the rest of the year.

Mt. Crested Butte, situated three miles up the road, is world-renowned as a winter Mecca for hardcore skiers and other snow enthusiasts, but its “off-season” provides just as many diversions. I love Crested Butte for its funkiness, but am drawn to the mountain village for its self-contained resort atmosphere.

Cuisine Variety
Between them, the two Buttes serve up more than 30 restaurants, cafés and nightspots featuring everything from family-style to intimate dining. I pick a cuisine—French, Mexican, Italian, Asian, Cajun and Creole, steak and prime rib, seafood and picnic fare— and have no problem indulging it.

I can people-watch while I munch, shake my booty to live entertainment, partake of happy hours, or relax with fireside or patio dining. One thing you won’t find are franchised, chain-style eateries. Dining at the Buttes is innovative and palate-pleasing.

The slopes of this remote-feeling valley are blanketed by an abundance of wildflowers, so many that the governor named it the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Surrounding mountain peaks soar 12,000 to 14,000 feet into the sky. Ghost towns, mining relics and old mule-train paths dot the countryside, making it the perfect playground for outdoor activities.

I narrow my choice of hiking options to the network of trails available from the chairlifts at Mt. Crested Butte, which whisk me to the 11,400-foot elevation. If I were in better shape I might opt to climb 12,162-foot Crested Butte Mountain for its incomparable view. Instead, I play a game of Frisbee golf on the way back to the village. I’ll let other, more hardy folks partake of journeys to the high alpine meadows and backcountry lakes.

Mountain Biking
Considered one of the birthplaces of modern mountain biking, this area offers riding possibilities that are as limitless as the hiking choices. The town is encircled by single-track trails and a maze of old mining roads, while Mt. Crested Butte village presents more than 15 miles of varied terrain to entice all ability levels.

Many consider this area to have some of the best mountain biking in the world, and turn out in force to celebrate the oldest mountain bike festival in the country, Fat Tire Bike Week, now in its 25th year. The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is housed in the town’s Mountain Heritage Museum, and rentals and equipment are available at numerous shops in both Buttes.

Another big draw to this area, and one which I handle with more aplomb, is fishing. The world-famous Gunnison River is the second-largest river in Colorado and, according to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, has more fish per mile than any other river in the state. Starting where the East and Taylor rivers meet up, about a half-hour from Crested Butte, the Gunnison provides countless miles of excellent fly-fishing and large, tasty trout.

The largest run of kokanee salmon in the world is reputed to inhabit the East River. Sections of water above and below the Roaring Judy Hatchery, sited 13 miles south of Crested Butte, are home to small rainbows and record-breaking browns.

The Taylor River, winding its way through a rocky canyon, boasts large northern pike, lake and brown trout, kokanee salmon, and some of the state’s largest rainbow trout. Taylor Park Reservoir teems with cutthroats, rainbows and browns.

The Taylor River is also a popular destination for whitewater rafting. Countless other lakes and rivers offer boating, kayaking and water sports. You can also enjoy a trail ride to many of these watering holes, or take in the spectacle from a hot air balloon.

For golfers, long drives at The Club at Crested Butte are made easier by the 9,000-foot elevation. Designed by Robert Trent Jones III, the course is described by Mountain Golf Magazine as the “Best Mountain Golf Course in Colorado.”

Nearby Kebler Pass, topping out at 9,980 feet, has one of the largest contiguous stands of aspens in the world. Aspen trees are clones growing from a common root base, and the grove at Kebler Pass is reputed to be the largest living organism on the planet.

Gothic, a town perched on the east bank of the East River, where it intersects with Copper Creek, is another nearby attraction. A boomtown in the mid-to-late 1890s, it is now home to the famed Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.

The Buttes also offer a wide range of stimulating and cultural activities. Numerous festivals celebrate the arts, music, food and plants. There are walks, runs, triathlons, and races for everything from mountain bikers to rubber duckies. Almost anytime you visit, you can enrich your mind, expand your senses, and have a heck of a good time with the fun-loving Butteans.

Lodging options include quaint B&Bs, hotels, condos and luxurious lodges. The Gunnison-Crested Butte area includes almost 50 campgrounds, from National Park Service locales to privately run parks, with facilities ranging from primitive to all-the-amenities.

Vicki Andersen, a freelance writer from Portland, Oregon, is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. She can be reached at skicat1@comcast.net.