The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Walking around in the 45+ degree warmth Monday before the winter storm blew in this week, I chatted with a few businesspeople about this ski season compared to recent ski seasons past. What I learned was that given the state of the snow this season the numbers of tourists walking through the doors of local businesses are down, but there is not only hope with winter appearing to return this week, but it hasn’t been all gloom so far this season. Locals, a changing demographic of people living here, second homeowners and the fact people still need to eat (and apparently shop) all have helped shore up what would seem a pretty lean 2025-26 ski season.
Of course this was no scientific poll, but a mid-winter walkabout to get a feel for what our friends on the front lines are experiencing. I promised anonymity and it was just a pleasant way to spend a slow Monday. The people I spoke with who were related to the ski industry said they were feeling it the most as were snow removal specialists. Mountain lodging is down and while they might have been full last year for the three-day Presidents’ Day weekend, they weren’t this year. But I was told this past holiday weekend was actually really busy and not just in the Paradise Lift line but at the bars, restaurants and local shops. In fact, I was told a few spots had a tremendous weekend.
While many local businesses are down for the season, they aren’t just seeing tumbleweeds in their stores. The Gunnison-Crested Butte airline program is showing a small decrease in passengers so far this season. According to a report for the RTA, December of this season brought in 73 fewer passengers than in December of 2024. January of this year saw 16,929 passengers use GUC which was off just 304 passengers from 2025. Tourists coming in on jets tend to spend more than those arriving by SUV so being down 1.8% is not bad.
On the bus side, the RTA is reporting that 2025 ridership was down 5.7% from 2024. Almost all of the decline occurred in the winter months, and it was presumed that was due to “snowfall deficits late last winter and early this season.” The RTA bus numbers were off about 12% this past December compared to 2024. January was down 17%. I’d rack that up to fewer Gunni folks hopping on the RTA to grab a few runs and less need for workers at the ski resort when fewer rooms are being occupied for example.
The Mountain Express is indicating it is off about 10% in ridership so far this ski season: December was off 13%, January down 8%, but FirstTracks is up double digits. Again, that makes sense to me given fewer people hopping on the bus to get a rope drop when there aren’t many rope drops to get. While I hear CBMR is doing great with the snow conditions they have, most skiers I talk to are way off their normal season ski pace for a legitimate reason.
What I heard on my walkabout from specific business owners and workers was that, yes, the number of tourists in town so far this winter has been noticeably down compared to the previous two seasons. But some businesses have actually seen a little bump in business. They credited it to changes in inventory, the fact that while skiing hasn’t been great people still want to get out so they come uptown, and the fact that the population of full-time residents and second homeowners who are in the valley these days are a more flush demographic than in the past. Many residents no longer depend on tips to put money in their pockets. While a local waitress living in Paradise Park might have less money to spend this year and thus avoid going out as often, there are now more people here making a paycheck from out of town (or not needing a paycheck), so they aren’t as impacted by a drop in tourism. They are still spending and supporting local biz. The second homeowners still like the place, and they’ll come whether the snow is good or not and they too, have money to spend.
The tourist-dependent businesses certainly are feeling more of the drag. I was told that the number of people coming from the Front Range appears to be down. “They can see the snow conditions, and they know the Extremes aren’t open, so why would they drive all the way here when they can drive half the time and ski similar snow at Breck?” Good point.
Some of the restaurants are seeing a typical dinner rush but without a big wait. The restaurants that traditionally soaked up some of the wait overflows are not seeing it that much this year. And while there’s still a dinner rush, there is rarely more than one rush an evening except during the busy weekends or when there is an event bringing people to the commercial cores.
So, my walkabout conclusions would be that while it sure feels lean in terms of not just snow before Wednesday but tourists, our local businesses are resilient. They continue to be one of the charming attractions of our small-town vibe and they are being supported even in a lean year — maybe not at the levels of a normal winter but they are still feeling some love. They are adapting and catering to a changing demographic — perhaps that amenities and CB culture economy versus a strictly tourism economy we have been talking about the last few years.
Of course, most people I spoke with wish they were busier. There is only so much sunshine in which to make hay in our seasonal village up here in the Rocky Mountains. And while nobody is setting Olympic records with their business this year, they are doing better than I thought they would be given our sketchy conditions. So, cheers to them and a return to what appears to be the end of 45+ degree walkabouts as a real winter is blowing in.
—Mark Reaman
