The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Lots of snow to clear
By Kendra Walker
Crested Butte Mountain Resort will begin summer operations on Saturday, June 10 and this week Vail Resorts announced more details about the upcoming season.
Mountain activities will include bike hauls on the Red Lady Express, scenic chairlift rides on the Silver Queen and Red Lady Express and various offerings will take place at the Adventure Park, including the rock wall, bungee trampoline and gem panning. There will also be a high alpine archery course and two disc golf courses on the mountain.
Twilight Hours will also return to the bike park beginning on June 30 and will run every Friday during the month of July. With Twilight Hours, guests with passes or day tickets can continue riding the Red Lady Express until 7 p.m., and discounted bike haul tickets will be available starting at 4 p.m.
CBMR communications manager Julie Block said there will be more information on CBMR’s spring Mountain Clean-Up Day in the coming weeks. She also shared some insight with the Crested Butte News into what goes into the mountain preparation process for summer operations.
“The process of opening biking and hiking trails can change each year depending on the snowpack. After a winter like the 2022/23 season, that involves a lot of snow removal!” she said. “Snowcat operators clear snow in the larger, more accessible areas of the bike trail network. Then, easily accessible areas in the trees get the same treatment with a mini excavator. Finally, our trail crew members use shovels to manually remove remaining snow. After that, it’s a waiting game as the dirt dries.”
Block continued, “Once the ground dries, our bike park team members start raking trails and shaping features that need attention. Bike patrol begins their work installing ropes and signage for the mountain’s trail system and checking all trails before we welcome guests for summer.”
The CBMR Summer Camp will offer on- and off-mountain activities for kids ages 7–14, including whitewater rafting, stand-up paddleboarding, rock climbing, fly fishing, ropes course, archery, disc golf and mountain biking.
Resort-based activities will also be available for kids ages 5–8, including chairlift rides, nature hikes, Adventure Park activities, arts and crafts, sports and games.
“We are excited to welcome guests to the Wildflower Capital of Colorado for their summer adventures,” said CBMR vice president and general manager, Tara Schoedinger. “We just had our third-snowiest winter on record, which is sure to translate into some beautiful summer scenery. I can’t wait to share it with our visitors and community members!”
Weather dependent, CBMR summer operations will run daily from June 10 to Sunday, September 24. After Labor Day on Monday, September 4, operations will only be available on weekends.
CBMR summer offerings and pricing will be available starting May 9. Those who have already purchased Epic Pass products for the 2023/24 season get free scenic chairlift rides and a discounted bike haul pass.
