No motos allowed on the mountain

“Five years ago I had a guy jump over me on a snowmobile”

Once the ski area closes, backcountry skiers and riders descend (and ascend) the mountain, and some use snowmobiles to access the upper slopes. In case you didn’t know, snowmobiles—and any other “over-the-snow winter motorized vehicles”—aren’t allowed on the mountain, even if the lifts aren’t running. Period.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort cites a slew of safety issues as the reasons behind the closure, and the Forest Service states that public motorized travel is not permitted on the ski area.
“The key here is employee safety,” said CBMR’s Risk Manager and Mountain Planner Roark Kiklevich, “and the reality is that we are out there every day doing something. We’re happy to extend access to the area on foot, and [people need to] realize it’s changing on a daily basis. Day one after we close we start clearing roads—it’s a continually changing complexion at the ski area.”
“It’s a huge safety hazard for our employees,” Kiklevich further explained. “Five years ago I had a guy jump over me on a snowmobile; he was on such a fast snowmobile I couldn’t catch him. He loaded the sled up on his trailer and drove off before I could get there.”
Periodically this spring, a U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer is patrolling Crested Butte Mountain looking for people violating travel regulations in the national forest.
According to Bill Jackson, Recreation Manager for the Gunnison District, most of the ski area is included in a “B” restricted travel area as indicated on the 2008 Gunnison Basin Public Lands Map (available to the public). As quoted on the map: “In Area B, travel by motorized vehicles is allowed only on designated routes yearlong. Designated routes are indicated on the map by an orange highlighting and defined below. Winter motorized over the snow travel, snowmobile or snow cat, is allowed only on designated routes. No off route over-the-snow travel is allowed.”
“There are no designated winter motorized routes at the ski area, so accordingly they are not allowed,” Jackson elaborated.
The ski area is permitted to use their motorized over-the-snow vehicles within the “B” area because that use is included in CBMR’s permit.
The Gunnison Ranger District also delivered a public service announcement (PSA) that’s been heard of late on KBUT: “The Gunnison Ranger District would like to remind all folks in the Crested Butte Community that Crested Butte Mountain Resort is not open to public motorized recreation. Private snowmobilers are not allowed on Crested Butte Ski Resort because of safety and liability reasons.”
“There are ski area operations occurring up there even after the ski area is closed to the public (or before the terrain is open to the public) and inherent dangers/liabilities that exist from ski area facilities up there like unpadded lift towers, plowed roads, snowmaking equipment, etc.,” Jackson said. “This gets to the safety and liability issues discussed in the PSA.”
Skinning/hiking up the mountain is permitted. A USFS law enforcement officer will be posted up on the mountain from time to time, so keep your motos off the mountain to stay in compliance.
For more information on the travel regulations, contact the Gunnison Ranger District at (970) 641-0471.