The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Biking in January?…sure, why not?
The short-term forecast looks like more of the same: sun, blue skies, and temps hovering around 30 degrees. With 12 lifts open, Crested Butte Mountain Resort really is doing a phenomenal job of keeping Crested Butte on its skis. But if you’re looking for things to do après-ski, or find yourself with extra down time, consider the following, affordable ways to stay entertained:
Trade your sticks for blades
A new book, New York Diaries, edited by Teresa Carpenter, says that New Yorkers used to ice skate on the canal that is now Canal Street. New Yorkers too poor to buy their own skates would polish a rib of beef and “fasten it on their shoes to skate on.” Luckily, Crested Butte ice skate rentals are available at the Crested Butte Nordic Center for $9 for adults and $7 for kids. Extra time has been set aside for public skating at the Big Mine Ice Arena over Martin Luther King Weekend (check the Parks and Rec page on the Town of Crested Butte web site for specific times)—somehow, the atmosphere of the new roof makes skating feel like a much bigger deal. But there’s also skating available under the wide-open skies of Crested Butte South, and the word on the street is that ice skating on Blue Mesa is better than it’s been in 20 years.
A few hearty Buttians claim to have skated 15 miles in one day.
Become a more discerning coffee drinker
According to coffeeresearch.org, “cupping” is a technique used to evaluate the aroma and flavor profile of coffee. It’s a somewhat complicated process that involves six to ten cups for every type of coffee, arranged in a pyramid shape reminiscent of beer pong. A true cupper would fill one with roasted beans and another with a sample of green coffee beans, then cover both so as not to bias observations made by smell and taste. The most critical moment in tasting is “breaking the crust”—pushing a spoon down into the coffee to release its aroma. Perhaps the Crested Butte version of cupping simply means challenging your taste buds. Can you tell the difference between a cuppa joe from the Bacc versus Buckaroo Beanery? Rumors versus Camp4?
Get your bike out of storage
Crested Butte News editor Mark Reaman jumped into research mode for this story and says it felt unexpectedly great to put his bike back on top of the car and head down to Hartman Rocks last week—even if it did feel a little wrong in January. But he says there was no shortage of smiling Crested Buttians stirring up the January dirt on miles and miles of single track. The latest on-the-ground scouts tell us that Hartman’s is still snow-free after last weekend’s storm—just a chilly (but awesome) ride.
Give your time away
There are plenty of organizations with plenty to do, come snow or shine. Call the Nordic Center to see if they need help shoveling snow onto trails for the Alley Loop. Find out if PAWS is playing host to any animals that need a little love, or a walk. Consider mentoring a Gunnison Valley kid through Gunnison Country Partners—take them up to the groomers for a ski, and you just might find that fun can be had without all the powder.
Check out the Townie Books book club
The book titles selected by the Townie Books book club just sound interesting: Yoga B*tch, The Tiger’s Wife, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Add to that a 20 percent discount on book club books for members and the freedom to drop in without a long-term commitment, and it sounds like the perfect book club for Crested Butte. According to Danica Ayraud, Townie Books owner, about seven people attend regularly but some folks stop by once if they’re interested in a specific book. February’s selection is TBD; check the Townie Books web site or Facebook page after Thursday, January 12, for the final selection. Meetings are held at the bookstore, the second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.
Organize a snow dance or bonfire
Around the News office, there has been a lot of serious talk about snow dances. And rumor has it that a bonfire was held up Washington Gulch on Snodgrass to entice ULLR, the god of snow, to return to the valley. Turns out Buttians aren’t the only ones turning to superstition this winter. Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) is inviting Coloradans to prove that with a whole lot of passion, ordinary people can change the weather. They’re inviting you and everyone you know to submit a video of your killer snow dance to www.coloradoski.com/snow-dance. It’s worth a shot, right?
