The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Ice skating has long history in Gunnison Valley
By Gregg Morin and Bruce Bartleson
The first annual Blue Mesa Black Ice skating event at the Elk Creek Marina at Blue Mesa Reservoir is set for Sunday, January 31 starting at 9 a.m. There will be various speed skating events, including a marathon, as well as a hockey breakaway event for both kids and adults. Go to www.bluemesablackice.com for details.
There is a long history of winter sports in the Gunnison country. Skiing and sledding in the mining camps near and around Crested Butte and other mountain towns were quite common and, in fact, a necessity for travel as well as sport in the winter. However, ice skating was also a very popular sport in places such as Lake Irwin and Nicholson Lake near Crested Butte, but also in Gunnison. Some of the local streams and ponds afforded occasional skating rinks but most of the skating was done on the Western State (WSCU) campus at several sites over the years, which were enjoyed by the entire town.
One of the most famous citizens of Gunnison, the venerable Rial Lake, was well known as an excellent figure skater and taught many people how to skate. One of the big events of the early years at Western State was (and still is) the famous Winter Carnival. Events included speed skating races, jumping over logs, backwards skating, obstacle courses and figure skating contests.
So, why is ice skating such a great sport here? Aside from our obvious winter temperatures, we have just the right combination of factors that make this area one of the best in the country for winter lake skating:
—The geographic setting of Gunnison with its high altitude assures that late fall and early winter temperatures will be ideal for ice formation. That we typically have lower snow amounts at that time of the year means the ice stays skate-able for longer periods of time.
—Our low humidity ensures that we get hard, clear ice, which can grow two to three inches overnight under the right conditions.
—Typically, we have calm, clear days, and the wind isn’t as strong this time of year, so the early-formed ice isn’t broken up.
—The Gunnison country has many lakes, ponds and reservoirs at various altitudes, which provide skating at different times of the season. For example:
Rainbow Lake, at around 10,500 feet, is commonly the first to freeze, usually around Halloween, but typically doesn’t last long due to early snows at that altitude.
Dome Reservoir in Cochetopa Park is usually ready to skate around Thanksgiving.
Peanut and Meridian (a.k.a., Long) Lakes near Crested Butte also have short seasons due to early snow, but frequently offer a few days of beautiful skating.
Lake San Cristobal, near Lake City, has given us miles of spectacular, crystal clear ice, smooth as glass, the past few seasons, before being snow covered in early December.
Blue Mesa Reservoir. This is the big one! As the largest reservoir in Colorado, this lake provides skating for much of the winter. Starting at the Gunnison River canyon west of town, the ice freezes in sections, slowly migrating to the west. When conditions are right, skates of 10 to 15 miles of ice are possible. We will hold the Blue Mesa Black Ice event here at the West Elk Marina.
Finally, the Black Canyon, accessed by the Curecanti Trail at Pioneer Point picnic area, is sometimes available in early January. This requires a difficult hike of four miles round-trip, down a steep, snow-packed trail to the famous Curecanti Needle on the upper end of Morrow Point Reservoir. This is not for the faint-hearted: You feel as if you are entering an eerie and magical world, surrounded by vertical cliffs a thousand feet high all around—incredible!
As always, safety is first and foremost with lake skating. Never skate alone, always carry safety gear such as extra clothing, food and water (or a thermos of hot drinks), life vest, throw rope and ice picks. If unsure about local ice conditions, please contact long-time local skaters. It’s best to skate with an experienced skater.
Gregg Morin has been skating the area lakes for over 25 years and has kept an ice journal for over 10 years. Bruce Bartleson, retired geology professor and weather historian has been speed skating since 1945 and is the senior member of the local speed skating group.
