A First Descent 45 Years Ago

A trio of locals send Crested Butte Mountain for first time

April 19 marks the 45th anniversary of the first ski descent off the peak of Crested Butte Mountain. On April 19, 1965, three local skiers—Patty Light (now Patty Hayes), Gary Weber and George Seffert—made the descent off the peak in spring-like snow conditions under bluebird skies.
Patty is the daughter of Betty and the late Dr. Mason M. Light of Gunnison and grew up skiing in the Gunnison Valley from Cupulo (the hill behind the college) to Cranor Hill, Rozman Hill and eventually on Crested Butte Mountain when it opened in 1961.
She, Weber and Seffert were all ski instructors under Robel Straubhaar the winter of 1964-1965. Seffert was a mountain guide from Germany and mentioned the idea of skiing off the peak.
“George had been talking about climbing the peak and we asked if we could come along,” says Weber.
According to Weber, the idea was unique to Seffert.
“No one was talking about doing that,” says Weber. “No one was nuts enough.”
Weber believes that they chose that day because it was the last day the ski area was open that year and offered them a chance to ride the gondola before hiking.
 Light recalls a bit more spontaneity to it.
“We were hanging around wondering what to do,” remembers Light. “We just grabbed our skis and went.”
While recollection of their equipment is a bit foggy, both Light and Weber believe they were on Head skis.
“I know we were in buckle boots,” says Light.
Weber’s boots had broken though so he borrowed a pair of leather lace-up boots.
“They were either Henkes or Raichles,” says Weber. “I know they didn’t fit that well.”
The three boarded the gondola that morning, getting off at the top, where the current ski patrol headquarters sit just below the start of the current High Lift.
Back then, that was as high as you got on Crested Butte Mountain lift-assisted. From there the three skinned past the top of the Twister Lift and then up until they could skin no more. They then proceeded to side step until that became impossible and then threw their skis over their shoulders and boot-packed the rest of the way.
 “We just headed up going by what we could see,” says Light.
The three then reached the cornice on the ridge and that’s when Seffert’s knowledge of ski mountaineering came into play big-time. Weber recalls that Seffert stuck his feet and hands into the cornice and Weber climbed up his back to get over the cornice to the ridge that led to the summit. Weber then reached down and pulled Light up and then Seffert.
The three walked to the peak, snapped a few photos and then “some time between 10 a.m. and noon” turned their skis around for the descent, skiing off the same cornice they climbed up and over—skiing the same line that the general public skis today.
“The first turn off the cornice lasted forever,” says Weber.
“There was enough snow that we just went straight down,” adds Light.
They wrapped around to the front, skiing down what is known now as the Banana/Peel area and finished up with some celebratory beers on the deck in front of the Beirstube at the base of the ski area.
“We just did it for our own selves,” says Weber. “It’s something we remembered for the rest of our lives.”
“I know I didn’t return to Earth for a year or two,” adds Light. “It was just like flying.”
While no one can say for sure whether it was the first ski descent off the peak, Light puts it this way: “As far as we knew, we didn’t know of anyone who had done it.”