The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
These days when things are slow, I can always write about the weather—or Brush Creek. I’ll write about the weather unless the Mt. Crested Butte council throws a big wrench into the process late Tuesday night…(which they did but we’ll have to take some time to figure out the ramifications of the tie ‘no’ vote after expressing major concerns with density.)
Tuesday was an actual day where it actually snowed most of the day. Not that any of it stuck on my car that was parked for hours, but at least there was white stuff falling from the sky. You gotta start somewhere and given that the “storm” was supposed to be blown out by mid-morning, it was nice to see winter weather through the office window—in winter. As Than asked, could we be going from a season of “Un” to a season of “Some?”
If the town of Crested Butte goes ahead and rents the Old Rock Jail at Second and Elk to the Gunnison County sheriff’s office as a north valley substation and the town of Mt. Crested Butte keeps all its officers on the police force, the north valley could be the most protected population on the planet. Throw in the state highway patrol officers who enjoy the upper valley and there’d be like a non-stop flash mob of men and women in uniform and marked cars roaming the lone highway north of Round Mountain.
If everyone who got on the town’s vacation rental waiting list follows through, the maximum cap set by the town will be just about right. Under the Crested Butte rules, right now 212 properties can be rented for short-term vacations and essentially 211 people have shown real interest. Not a bad outcome for Crested Butte’s new regulations.
A local businessman asked this week where all the community-saving flag bearers were with the Brush Creek issue, which he reckoned, if approved, would change the place more dramatically than a blue-tinted three-day party with free beer. He pointed to the loud, oftentimes bare-knuckled debates over Snodgrass, Whatever, and Mt. Emmons. But he felt bewildered that the standard pugilists who “always claim to be here to protect the future of their home” were pretty silent these days. It does seem like a different group of fighters (on both sides) are engaging in this latest community melee, or perhaps they have their eye on helicopters and roundabouts and bikes being allowed in wilderness.
As usual, there was a last-minute scramble to put together a Mardi Gras parade for Fat Tuesday. Believe it or not, Fat Tuesday is this Tuesday, February 13. It’s an early one this year. Now, most would admit that the glory days of a Crested Butte Mardi Gras parade were when Club Med was in town, along with the Brazilian crew working as lift ops. The parade was an international dance party that inspired beads and fire and fun. We can expect a more mellow Elk Avenue show these days, but hey, it’s Mardi Gras so come out, participate and get yourself some beads. The parade starts at 5:30 on Elk Avenue.
If a mellow parade doesn’t trip your trigger, and you feel the need to do just about anything to make it start really snowing, consider going to the darker edge with the new Crested Butte Heartless Ball this Saturday at the Talk of the Town. The poster is intriguing. Who doesn’t want to see “Gothic GoGo Dancers?” Who doesn’t like a party that starts at 10 and features horned women and Super Blue Blood Moon ritual kits? What could go wrong with a “Midnight Ritual (human) Sacrifice to Ullr”? Bloody drink specials and the advice to “Dress for a date…with Death” are all you need to know about where to be Saturday.
The promoters aren’t wrong when they say “We need snow” and it appears they are ready to go to any length to get it. So, thanks, and thanks to whichever local man gives it up so the rest of us can enjoy powder. Ahh…the little things.
—Mark Reaman
