Briefs Crested Butte

Better trail signs wanted
Crested Butte Mayor Aaron Huckstep has consistently brought up one of his pet issues at recent town council meetings. Saying he had taken a recent trip to Moab, he wanted to improve the signage around the trails in the area. He said improved signage would benefit bikers, hikers and equestrians. Huckstep said Moab was busy and filled with foreign language-speaking visitors and improving trails and trail signage in the area could benefit Crested Butte in a similar fashion. Citing a recent “Norton’s Notions” newspaper column, he said he too felt Crested Butte could and should regain its prominence as a mountain bike destination. No one disagreed, and the council has set aside a little more than $1,100 out of the 2012 budget to put toward better trail signage. They hope to solicit matching funds from other interested parties.

Bye-bye, bike racks
It may feel like summer temps but the vibe is quickly changing in town. Parks and Recreation director Jake Jones informed the council that the look of the town would soon be changing. It will be good-bye summer and all that goes with it. The local bike racks, picnic tables, benches and other signs of Crested Butte summer will soon be picked up and stored away for the winter. “Things are going to start disappearing and it will look different,” Jones promised.
Irwin gets a cat permit
The council approved the Irwin snow cat permit. The move allows the Tucker snow cat to travel a designated route in town. The request has come before the council in years past to give neighbors a chance to voice concerns but those concerns have dissipated, so next year the permit may be approved administratively or on a quick consent agenda.

Deadman Bridge
Mayor Aaron Huckstep said he went on a tour with the Forest Service and other interested parties to discuss the potential for a bridge at Deadman’s Gulch up Cement Creek. He said the tour was a positive experience and a new bridge is possible in the location sometime next summer.

Locker room blues
The council will look at the potential for constructing locker rooms at the new ice arena. It gets crowded in the Nordic warming house when hockey players come in to use the two dressing rooms in the facility. While locker rooms and a warming house expansion are in the future plans of Big Mine Park, some people, particularly those with a Nordic interest, want them now. The staff will look at ballpark costs for such facilities but indicated the project will likely have to wait, given the town’s financial situation.