Make this weekend a multi-sport occasion

CBMR to spin the Queen, trails open at Hartman Rocks

There are some surprising things to celebrate during this offseason week. The big news is that you can ski the mountain this weekend with the opening of the Silver Queen Saturday and Sunday. If you prefer biking, a chunk of Hartman Rocks near Gunnison is open weeks before anticipated, given the spring mud and snow. And if you are looking ahead to the next ski season, Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Peak and Peak-plus season pass prices have been announced and it will cost you the same as this past year (See page 6 for details).

Let’s start with the Queen. Crested Butte Mountain Resort announced Monday that they were reaching out of the box and doing something they’ve never done before. The primary CBMR Base Area lift will start spinning Saturday at 10 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. The lift will be open the same hours on Sunday. If you have a 2013-14 season Peak or Peak-plus pass, it will get you on the lift this weekend. If you need to buy a day ticket, it will be $20 for adults (13 years old or older), $10 for kids between the ages of 7 and 12, and the little ones can ski free.
The resort will run a limited footprint with the Silver Queen lift and the terrain that services the front side of the mountain and a total of 155 acres. No beginner or extreme terrain will be open. An outdoor bar and grill will be open for guests for lunch and après.
There will also be increased Mountain Express bus service this weekend. With the addition of one extra bus, there will be buses every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As for why the resort would re-open part of its terrain after being closed for a couple of weeks, CBMR communications and marketing director Erica Mueller said it’s not as simple as flipping a switch to get the lift turning. “Our staff has been enthusiastic and embracing for pulling this off,” she said. “We had an awesome winter. Our team, locals, and guests alike have had an energy up here that we have not had in a while. With the great snow we received and the amount that is still up there, we thought, why not give it a shot? I will also add that people should not expect this every year. It is definitely a circumstantial decision. This year it is working out and we are excited to do it.
“The Forest Service had no issues with the request to reopen and in fact we hope to see some of the Forest Service personnel on the mountain this weekend,” Mueller added.
The hope is to try to attract some people from outside the valley as well as locals. Mueller said while not being situated near a major metro area doesn’t help, the good snow still on the mountain does. “Re-ramping up operations is not easy no matter where you are located. There are a lot of logistics that need to be discussed and decided on. Would more people come if we were closer to Denver? Perhaps, but we do have lots of snow and we think the novelty will drive some folks to the area. How many? We have no idea. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
CBMR’s full-time year-round staff will be used for a lot of the weekend jobs. Some seasonal staff such as ski patrol will be called in to help. There will be some ropes set up and some grooming performed. The Crested Butte Rental and Demo shop will be open only for tickets, rentals and small retail items. Guest services personnel will be by the bus drop-off to inform people where to purchase tickets.
“I will probably be scanning tickets or flipping burgers, but it’ll be worth it to see the smiles,” Mueller said.
While she would prefer sunny skies and warm temperatures, Mueller admits the weather could do anything since it is April. Whether it is a bunch of college kids looking to have a party on the hill or families seeking some last turns together, the idea is to celebrate a special season. “We are doing this for fun, so come have some fun,” Mueller said.
On a serious note, Mueller said you should not ride the Queen with the hopes of hiking into the Headwall or Teo Bowl. “Please do not duck any ropes,” she said. “Just as during the regular season, there is a reason why patrol closes off areas. We ask that everyone respects the closures on the rest of the mountain and enjoys the terrain we do have open.”
And by the way, the best ski area forecaster on the Internet, Joel Gratz of Opensnow.com, is saying it could be a powder weekend with double-digit accumulation on Sunday above 8,000 feet.

And for the bikers…
As for Hartman’s, the trails north of the Powerlines are now open. According to the Gunnison Trails website, Enchanted Forest and Freefall are still holding snow and mud and are closed for now. All roads and trails south of the Powerlines Road are closed for protection of sage grouse until May 15. Trails that remain closed include: The Aberdeen Loop, Skull Pass (part of the Growler course), Bambi’s (Growler course), Outback (Growler), Back-In (Growler), 9-0 (Growler) and Sawtooth.
The trails out of the main parking lot are open and ready to ride. If there are wet or snowy spots, be respectful and don’t ride around the trails.
“The BLM did a great job of continually monitoring conditions on the ground and they found the right balance between opening it too soon and getting it open to satisfy the hunger to recreate out there after a long winter,” said Dave Wiens of Gunnison Trails.
“My advice for riding Hartman’s this time of year is to avoid the areas that are wet from remaining snowpack and saturated,” Wiens continued. “However, areas that have dried out completely from winter will also dry out quickly after spring precipitation. Riding out there after spring rains while the ground still has some moisture in it, but not overly muddy, is the equivalent of powder skiing as the traction is killer. This also packs the trails down and creates the candy coated shell that, not only rides well once dry, but also protects the trails during the typical dry periods before the monsoons arrive in July.”
Enjoy the weekend. It is shaping up to be something special.