It’s the soul in little things….

Experiencing the cynicism eliminator of two, smiley four-month-old grandkids for the weekend, it is easy to be all jovial and bright for the holiday period. I like the occasional cynicism-free perspective and there were more than a few things that I witnessed in the last week that made a positive difference to locals. Blessings abound if you open your eyes.

Sitting on the Mountain Express bus last week to head back down to my car that was parked in CB after a late afternoon on the mountain, a group of women in their 20s got on as well. They were genuinely excited to be on the “Christmas Bus.” It made their day. They were as stoked to be on that particular bus as they might have been getting an early season rope drop. Okay, maybe not that excited but they obviously felt lucky. They loved the elf feet hanging from the ceiling, the snowflakes and holiday vibe that surrounded them on their journey from the base area to Elk Avenue. It was sort of touching to see that sincere excitement for the fun Christmas bus…another subtle CB treasure that made a difference to someone.

WinterGlow was a really good Crested Butte event Saturday afternoon into the evening and the lights that have sprouted up the last couple weeks in town have also made a difference to some people. Waiting for Santa to throw his magic dust on the tree to light the lights wasn’t warm but the booths, businesses and fire pits made it nice between Third and Fourth Streets. There were tons of kids running around and racing on the Elk Avenue ice, and almost as many dogs mingling together for a chance to see Santa Paws in a closed-off block in the middle of the town. It was no Gunnison Christmas tree lighting event (they win that all day long) but it was a step up from years past in CB. 

Hundreds of people took part in the holiday gathering at some point on Saturday. The local business community led by Kim Raines of Mountain Colors, Jesse Ebner of Signature Properties, Alyssa Moore at the CB Museum, and Heather Leonard at the Chamber along with many others, spent time, money and effort to light up the middle of the CB business district and it looks pretty darn good. Thank you. You all really did provide a spark to help bring some needed light during the long, cold holiday nights in a resort community. 

The trees along Elk that have been spectacularly lit, the light poles that have the green CB State of Mind lights, the town wreaths and CB lighting display at the Four-Way, have all helped our naturally picturesque town look even better during the shortest days of the year. The people appreciate it! And our family group did what part of the purpose of the event and the holiday scene was meant to encourage — we went out to dinner at a locally-owned restaurant and had a great time.

Skiing cautiously down Twister and Crystal last weekend (while the grandkids were visiting new friends) a long-time ski patroller informed me that the mountain openings are “ahead of schedule.” Right on! In the previous editorial I had questioned why it took so long to get the Paradise pod open after a major dump hit us right before opening day. I had guessed staffing issues, and I’d bet that was partially right. But the mountain staff has kicked into high gear and not only was Paradise spinning, but the Silver Queen and Painter Boy lifts were loading, and the Twister and Crystal runs were skiing great beneath soft snow. 

A lot of the ski mountain is now open and I’m sure the area is way ahead of schedule and working on getting even more open early. Thanks go out to all those on the mountain ops team that are working their butts off to give the locals places to recreate on the main mountain before the busyness of the season kicks in. That makes a difference in early season.

The grandkids got an up close and personal taste of CB winter while they were here. I’m not just talking about the 5-degree temps waiting for the tree to get lighted on Saturday. Our furnace blinked out Saturday night at some point so when the thermostat normally clicks on the heat, there was only silence…which woke me up. And it was chilly. Waiting for the sun to come up enough to hit the windows and warm the house a bit, I made a call to our local furnace contact and left a message early Sunday morning with not much hope of anything happening until Monday at the earliest. The girls in their warm onesies and hats got changed by the space heater. But my phone rang a bit later and Spence was out to the house to replace the part, and all was warm again by noon. A Crested Butte heat hero who provided a happy ending to a story the girls will hear about as they grow up. Brrr. Thank goodness for small-town Crested Butte.

Finally, many years ago, when the kids were skiing for physical education in school and in the CBMR ski programs, we bit the bullet and got a locker at the base area. To say having a locker is a convenience is an understatement. We haven’t given it up. On Thursday I skied with a friend and didn’t return to the hill until Saturday — when the grandkids were hanging out with future friends. Walking to the locker, my wife and a locker neighbor pointed to a pair of relatively new skis and poles hanging out in the most visible part of the locker room. My skis. I figured Diane had taken them out. Oh no. The locker neighbor said they had been sitting there a couple of days. “Thank god it’s Crested Butte,” he reminded me. “They probably wouldn’t still be there in most places.” True that. And another reason to appreciate this place and pushing the cynicism meter down a notch or two.

There are lots of other things outside the cynicism box that make a difference. Driving in to work Tuesday I saw the CB Community School track was groomed and Nordic tracks were there to help kids taking part in the Morning Mile program that is a great addition for local students. Local parents going all wigs and margaritas (I mean Onesies) last weekend to raise $70K for the PTA and local students! I see the Weather Channel has named Crested Butte the fourth snowiest town in America with an average yearly snowfall topping 200 inches. Bring it! The CB Avalanche Center is helping to keep people safe in the local backcountry and the community returned the favor with a full house and fun time during the annual Avalanche Awareness Night last Saturday at the CB Center for the Arts. 

The list could go on…but suffice to say, we have it pretty darn nice in our small-town community up here in the mountains! There is a lot of soul in the littlest of things this time of year, from four-month-old grandkids to holiday lights to the Christmas bus… but especially the people. Shake off the cynicism —not all the time — but maybe for the holiday period — and look around with fresh eyes at where you are lucky enough to be. Then share a smile or a hug and embrace (and spread) the holiday blessings that are everywhere.

—Mark Reaman

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