The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
X-Cards, CBMR season pass gets you on the hill through April 11
Winter still has its grip on the local mountains, and though Crested Butte Mountain is closed for the season, you can still get your shred on at Monarch Mountain—for free, if you have a CBMR season/employee pass or X-Card.
According to Greg Ralph, Monarch’s director of marketing, Monarch will honor CBMR passes and X-Cards, as well as passes from several other ski areas with which Monarch has reciprocal partnerships, through closing day, Sunday, April 11. Monarch’s snowcat skiing operation shuts down for the season on April 11 as well.
Ralph said there is snow in the forecast and he wants to see people up on the mountain. When asked why he decided to open up Monarch to CBMR pass holders, he said, “If we can get the Crested Butte people over here to ski, what’s it going to cost us? Close to nothing.” He also said Garlic Mike’s restaurant in Gunnison is running specials for skiers who show up with a comp Monarch ticket.
Despite the challenges faced by the ski industry this season, Monarch has fared well. In fact, Ralph said, “We are finishing up our best season ever—our record for skier days was 175,000 from the big snow year three years ago. We’re over 177,000 as of yesterday [Sunday April 4]. The forecast is for 183,000 to 185,000 skier days by the end of the season.”
Closing day at Monarch “turns into a pretty big party,” Ralph said. “We have a cook-off in the parking lot and award season passes for best food, decor, and cocktail.”
Monarch season passes are on sale currently for $299 until July 2010, and top out at $399. Ralph said he’s seen about a 50 percent increase in Monarch season pass sales in the Gunnison area, from 300 three years ago to 450 this year.
Monarch ran the same reciprocal pass offer last season. “It doesn’t hurt, being neighborly,” Ralph concluded.
