Marching into spring break at the ski area

New uphill policy in effect

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is anticipating a rise in the number of spring breakers and vacationers this March, in part from some new marketing efforts. But those numbers are offset by a reduction in groups, and the resort projects that March will be down by about 7 percent in room nights this year over last.

According to CBMR public relations and communications manager Erica Reiter, a large veterinary group visited the resort during the first week of March last year and accounts for the majority of the decline this year. Reiter said the second and third weeks of March will be slightly up over last year, and the fourth week will be up 30 percent.
The Texas spring break falls on the second week of March and the Oklahoma spring break lands during the third week. Easter falls on March 31, and according to Reiter the resort has also been reaching out to markets outside of Texas and Oklahoma.
“We’ve been putting some more marketing efforts towards Chicago and Denver because their spring breaks are after Texas and Oklahoma,” Reiter said. The resort is also offering a “Kids Stay and Ski Free” during the last three weeks of the season to target this market.
Just in time for spring break, CBMR has opened the BagJump to skiers and snowboarders, and its new uphill policy is officially in effect—that comes with a new pass, but includes the option for daytime uphill skiing.
The BagJump is open daily between 1 and 5 p.m.; users can either purchase a pass to the Adventure Park, which includes the BagJump, for $28 or purchase a pass to the BagJump only for $21. Either way, their final tickets to play are a helmet and a Park Pass Sticker. The latter is awarded after taking the “Safe Slopes” test (find more information at www.safeslopes.com).
Skiers less interested in hurtling themselves at a giant airbag can now earn their turns during the day while the lifts are running. The U.S. Forest Service has officially approved CBMR’s new uphill policy.
According to CBMR, about 75 skiers skin up the mountain during off hours every day. With the new policy come designated routes, including an all-day route to Ten Peaks, two dog-friendly trails, and dog-free routes.
The all-day route travels uphill on lookers-left of Warming House Hill, heads to the bottom of the Painter Boy lift and then back toward Columbine Hill. From there, it meanders through the aspen trees and finishes at Ten Peaks.
The new policy also comes with a requirement to purchase an uphill pass (free to season pass holders and EZ pass options). The cost is $100 for the season or $10 for a daily pass, but the season pass will be $40 for the remainder of the 2012-2013 ski season.
The full policy and uphill routes can be found at http://www.skicb.com/cbmr/info/mountain/uphill-policy.aspx and passes can be purchased at the Adventure Center. Skiers can also demo uphill gear at he Scarpa/SkiTrab Uphill Demo Center in the Elevation Station.