Nowhere to ‘go’ in base area

Visitors at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) this year may have a difficult time finding a restroom when nature calls. The loss of the Gothic Building at the base area means that a familiar block of bathroom stalls won’t be available for use, shifting the burden onto the Treasury Center and other nearby public facilities.

CBMR officials say directing visitors to the restrooms this year is a matter of public education, but some business owners in Mt. Crested Butte are frustrated with the number of visitors anxiously looking for a restroom.

Two public restrooms were located downstairs in the Gothic Building and four were in the cafeteria. Two more restrooms were located on the building’s top floor, but were generally not available for use unless special events were being held in the conference room. "We relied on the Gothic Building for a lot of years," CBMR general manager Randy Barrett says.

Treasury Liquors co-owner Tracy Hastings says visitors to CBMR familiar with the Gothic Building from previous visits may be having the hardest time, because they were so used to the same restrooms. "I can see a problem in the future, especially in the next two weeks when we have holiday visitors out there and kids from Butte Bash," Hastings says.

Hasting’s husband, Justin, says six people went to Treasury Liquors on Saturday, December 1 looking for a bathroom, and six more came in on Sunday. He says usually only six people per season come looking for a bathroom.

"That is a considerable amount, considering they have to cross the street just to find a restroom to use. Then they get disappointed and you can see it in their eyes," Hastings says. "There’s not a whole lot you can do."

There is one bathroom in the Treasury Liquors/The Store building, but it’s in the kitchen and the state health inspector says it’s not a public facility, according to Hastings.

"A lot of business owners have talked about it; it’s a big concern," Tracy Hastings says of the bathroom situation.

Colorado Boarder sales representative Jason Erickson says people come in the store all the time. "They’re not here to shop—they’re people just looking for the bathroom," Erickson says. He says Colorado Boarder employees have been telling people to use the restrooms in the Transit Center.

Avalanche Bar and Grill owner Pete Schewe and Colorado Freeskier co-owner Jesse Weyl both say curious visitors looking for a bathroom have not been a problem at their businesses.

Nearby at the Brown Lab Pub and Bakery, owner Steve Mikeska also says bathroom use hasn’t been a problem, but he acknowledges that it is an issue. "It’s one of those things (CBMR) is going to have to address," Mikeska says. He says using the restroom is something everyone has to do and use shouldn’t be discriminated; therefore the Pub’s bathroom is available for public use.

"I always put myself in that position… It’s sort of frustrating if you can’t find one," Mikeska says. "I’m not going to tell somebody, ‘no you can’t use my bathroom’ because they didn’t buy a donut."

Barrett says the Treasury Center will serve as the main public restroom facilities at the base area. He says the building has always had more bathroom facilities than the Gothic Building, but admits the bathrooms in the Treasury Center are harder to find. "We are working on signs. We do have signage up, just not the final version," Barrett says of efforts to direct resort guests. He says guest service representatives are also on hand at the base area to give skiers directions to public bathrooms.

Barrett says the Atmosphere restaurant and Elevation Hotel also have public bathrooms, and there are new bathrooms at the Adventure Center and Transit Center in Mountaineer Square.

Hastings says the new bathrooms in Mountaineer Square help, but they are not a full replacement for the lost bathrooms of the Gothic Building. Plus, Hastings says, the bathrooms in the Treasury Center and Elevation Hotel existed last year and already carried some of the bathroom burden.

The lobby of the Lodge at Mountaineer Square has a restroom right across from the transit center, but signs were posted by the door that said the restrooms were for Lodge guests only. On Monday, December 3, Barrett said he had the signs removed. "We have a public bar in there. Those bathrooms should be open," Barrett says.