Let’s Make America Fat Again

The Fat Bike World Championships, or Fat Bike Worlds, are returning to Crested Butte January 26-29, 2017 and while organizers are sorting out the details, one thing is for sure, registration opens Friday, October 14. Check out www.cbchamber.com/events/fat-bike/ to register or for more information.

Annual Holiday Bazaar is on again this year

We received word from organizers Sherrie Vandervoort and Val Jacquith that the annual CB Holiday Bazaar will once again be held on Saturday, December 3 from 10-3 p.m. at the Parish Hall, located on 401 Sopris. As always there will be a wide assortment of handcrafted art, food and holiday treasures. For more information or an application, check out our website: www.cbholidaybazaar.com. We hope to see you at this classic and fun holiday event!

Western to host a dirtbag

Renowned dirtbag climber Luke Mehall will be giving a presentation at Western State Colorado University next week. Luke will speak on Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the University Center North Ballroom. Luke’s latest book is American Climber and he also has a short film entitled Last Thoughts on The Dirtbag.

Scary KBUT parade set for end of the month

Mark your calendars for the KBUT “Howl-O-Ween Fright Parade” on Halloween, Monday, October 31. Meet at 4:30 p.m. at First and Elk. Kids will parade down Elk Avenue and collect candy and treats. It all finishes at the Old Rock Library with hot drinks, snacks, and a surprise appearance from a very special surprise guest. There will be a costume contest, so come dressed your best! Businesses and homes on Elk Avenue are invited to hand out goodies to the kids. For more information, call 349-5225.

Ladies Spa Night at Gunnison Valley Health next Tuesday

Gunnison Valley Health will host the second annual Ladies Spa Night on Tuesday, October 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the South Lobby to the hospital at 711 North Taylor St. in Gunnison. The event will feature free spa services including massage, guided meditation, Reiki, passion query, healing touch, pet therapy, and more. There will be free mammograms for the uninsured courtesy of Tough Enough to Wear Pink. If you would like to schedule a mammogram, please call 642-4766 to reserve one of the 16 time slots available starting at 4 p.m. on October 18. For more information please call 642-8417.

Candidate’s Forum scheduled for October 23

Interested voters can come to the Crested Butte Center for the Arts on Sunday, October 23, at 6 p.m. to ask questions of the four people running for county commissioner.The forum will be brodcast live on KBUT and will be moderated by Denis B. Hall with assistance from Chad Reich. Come meet your candidates.

Birthdays:

October 13- Kim Novak

October 14- Rich Esposito,Dorothy Lockwood, Lily Westbay, Susan Beltz

October 15- John Hopper, Eva Loflin, Laney Giannone, Ian Baird

October 16- Kiley Flint, Jen Hawley

October 17- Terri Parr

October 18- Ella Donovan, Jess Leonetti, Jim Starr, Layne Meredith Nelson

October 19- Andrea Schultz, Trevor Baim, Emma Coburn, Richard Melnick, David Hartman

Cameo Question: How do you keep your home cozy?

Mt. CB support leads to “bright spots” in promotions

By Alissa Johnson

The challenge for the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association is well known: Summer is going well, and winter is more difficult when it comes to generating growth. But interactive marketing manager Laurel Runcie sees some bright spots in the picture, and she credits the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council with helping make them happen.

In an update to the council this summer, Runcie told councilmembers, “Summer went great last summer, and winter was more difficult, but the bright spots in our programming were all supported by Mt. Crested Butte funds. The work we did with your support was really big,” she said.

For the 2015-2016 ski season, Mt. Crested Butte awarded the TA $50,000 to help market the winter air program, $15,000 to film a Warren Miller video segment, and $20,000 to support the creation of a central reservations system. The funds were awarded through the town’s Admissions Tax Marketing Funds Grant Program.

Overall, the TA had set a goal of growing occupancy faster than its competitive set, which includes 18 mountain valleys, and ensuring a 70 percent load factor or higher for flights supported by a revenue guarantee from the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority—payments that go directly to airlines depending on how well a flight performs.

While there was some growth in occupancy in February, overall the Gunnison Valley fell back compared to its competitive set. Still, Runcie saw some successes during the winter, the most significant of which was the launch of an in-house travel agency, Gunnison Crested Butte Reservations.

“We exceeded our seasonal gross revenue goal by about 10 percent, so that was pretty phenomenal for a first-year program,” Runcie said. “We expected to lose $40,000 in our first year, and we only lost $20,400, so that was pretty fantastic.”

Runcie noted that those reservations generated $110,336 in room night revenues, and 72 percent of that revenue went to the north end of the valley. In addition, Gunnison Crested Butte Reservations sold 336 airline tickets, and 69 percent of air passengers booked lodging in the north, the majority of them staying in Mt. Crested Butte lodging.

Out of $362,771 in gross revenues, Runcie calculated that visitors spent approximately $15,560 on ski and snowboard rentals, $10,025 on ski lessons at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) and $70,176 on lift tickets.

What stood out to Runcie the most about winter marketing efforts was that the TA and the in-house travel agency were far better at selling Crested Butte than outside entities. The TA partnered on special offers with Expedia.com and Ski.com, and they sold only 21 and 29 reservations, respectively.

“We’re convinced that [Gunnison Crested Butte Reservations] is necessary for the valley and to support the lodging community, so we will continue to subsidize it through LMD [Local Marketing District] funding as long as we need to,” Runcie said.

Runcie also told the council that the TA had gone through a brand building effort in Los Angeles, which became a new market after Alaska Airlines began to fly direct from L.A. to Gunnison. The TA produced a four-part video series that has more than 85,000 views on Facebook and another 7,000 on YouTube.

“We own those assets and will use them next winter. We are definitely targeting the more extreme demographic. We think that’s a real growth opportunity for us and we’re really targeting millennials,” Runcie said.

Millennials, Runcie noted, don’t plan ahead and often have to work during December, while their older and more established colleagues take time off. Looking ahead to next winter, that demographic could help boost January tourism. Runcie expects the video series to expand to Houston, Dallas and Chicago next year.

Finally, a Warren Miller video segment that featured skiing and fat biking also created some buzz and helped secure Fat Bike World Championships sponsor Borealis. “The real payoff from that will be in 2017. We’ll go on tour with CBMR and be part of the Warren Miller world tour,” Runcie said.

“Winters are tough, we all know that,” Runcie concluded, “But we learned a lot this past winter and we’re excited.”

Runcie noted that Mt. Crested Butte’s support of summer programs had been instrumental as well.

“You helped us launch a signage program last summer and this year we received $50,000 in funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife that matches $60,000 from the LMD and the town of Crested Butte. We are putting in $110,000 worth of signs this summer. You helped us start that with the pilot program last year and it’s taken off,” she said.

On July 8, TA executive director John Norton told the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority that summer is looking good, and as far as summer flights, both Houston and Denver flights are filling up.

“We are talking about needs for winter,” he said. “And we are looking at Los Angeles with the Air Command and CBMR and coming to Mt. Crested Butte with a major, major program to promote the Alaska Air L.A service.

“We hope to crush that this year and expand the amount of flight days in the future,” he continued. “We think this is the year of L.A. and a year from now we will have a strong Alaska Air program in 2017-18 coming into the valley.”

Runcie told the Crested Butte News that support from local entities like Mt. Crested Butte and partnerships with entities like CBMR have been a big part of the TA’s recent successes. She credited CBMR with making Gunnison Crested Butte Reservations possible by allowing the TA to use their existing phone system—a high-cost, sophisticated system that allows phone numbers to be customized for the promotion. But the TA also partners with groups such as the RTA and the Gunnison/Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re a really small valley competing with much bigger ski resorts so it just makes sense for all of us to pool our resources,” she said.

Norton believes that kind of partnership goes one step further, supporting a broad spectrum of local entities. For example, “We met with the Nordic Council director and said ‘What can we do to help you?’ I guess the TA had never asked that question before.”

While the TA had promoted Nordic skiing, that conversation prompted the TA to change its support from advertising to offering prize money for the Alley Loop ski race. The TA also worked shoulder to shoulder with the Chamber on the Fat Bike World Championships and has supported events such as the Growler bike race.

For its part, the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council seemed appreciative of the TA’s efforts. Councilmember David O’Reilly credited the TA with getting creative, helping summer be great and winter improve.

Runcie responded, “I’d like it to be summer great and winter is great. That’s what we’re shooting for.”

It is off-season. And while not at all good for general business, it is a great few weeks in the village for mental health. The pace is slow, the conversations longer and the hand waves more plentiful. Sort of like the new electric vehicle charging station at the Four-way, spring is a time for all of us to recharge and reboot.

For those who didn’t leave the upper valley when the ski resort shut down the lifts, most of us pray for sunshine and not much more snow. We’ve been somewhat lucky thus far but the forecast doesn’t look promising for the coming weekend—unless you like backcountry powder. And having hit Red Lady on a corn search last week, there is something to be said for spring skiing. And spring biking. And spring in general.

This week in particular has been really quiet. The Crested Butte Community School spring break corresponds with the week after the ski area closes so ski bums and families alike head out of town. I would guess 99 percent head south. Smart people. Looking at social media, it appears this year that Mexico, Costa Rica and Sedona are favorites. When the weather turns a bit chilly at 9,000 feet and Hartman’s looks wet, the Crested Butte stragglers vacation vicariously beneath the palm fronds of the beaches and along the red dirt trails of the Southwest that show up on the computer screens.

Resort residents understand the rhythm of how to spend the immediate days after the ski season closes. Filling in the weird winter tan lines, embracing some heat (anything above 50 degrees), and relishing the water that started as snow in the front yard but is now a spring desert creek or a wave in the ocean. Life on social media, as can be expected, is almost always good.

Until it isn’t.

There is the social media opportunity for outcry along with the Instagrams of blue skies and smiling kids. There are Facebook pages like “Crested Butte Housing Crisis” that seem to get a new post every couple of hours these days. People desperately ISO a place to live this summer since their current place is being sold. There are people offering rooms for rent at twice the rate of a few years ago or places in Almont for $800/month. It’s the same with the “Crested Butte Rentals and Roommates” page. There is a ton of people looking for a summer roof over their head. There are folks wanting to move here from the city looking for the relaxing mountain town vibe and willing to pay bank. They must be coming with money instead of counting on a job to pay the bills. I saw one post from someone ISO a roommate in Crested Butte South for the month of April. Good luck.

As an aside, it is rough out there right now but the town of Crested Butte has a few deadlines coming up dealing with potential affordable housing. Take a look at the story on page 1 of this week’s paper.

Then there’s the Gunnison Marketplace. That’s where a single mother might be selling her platypus to buy medicine for the cat. You can pick up a wonderful VHS collection for $5, some “Vail Sucks” stickers for $4 or see pictures of a tick on a person’s ear. Really. Love that always interesting site.

Should we even go into Crested Butte Bitch and Moan? There you can read about Christmas lights that never come down, cows on the public land, fat bikes, guns and weed.

Anyway, while a few minutes a day checking in on social media is addictive, it might be better to get outside as the snow recedes, the sun shines and people slow down. That way you can communicate directly with your neighbors and friends instead of just putting a Smiley Face emoticon under their picture of a burrito and margarita. An afternoon bench session on Elk or sitting outside on a deck with a beer is pretty smiley in itself in April and May. It is sort of the human equivalent of the electric car recharging station. Plus it is actually “social” and not just social media.

Happy off-season, everyone.

—Mark Reaman

Respecting easements very important

by Mark Reaman

A Crested Butte Town Council work session meant to figure out winter trail access for pedestrians, dog walkers and bikers resulted in an hour-long discussion from various stakeholders on what is open to the general public and why.

The January 19 meeting ended with mayor Glenn Michel suggesting a detailed map be posted on the town website to provide the public with current knowledge of the trail situation.

Town manager Todd Crossett wanted to see the “collaborative conversation” continue between stakeholder groups, and the council agreed that future trails that might open up the system a bit more included extensions to the Recreation Path, the Crested Butte Perimeter Trail and Old Kebler Pass Road.

Representatives of town, Crested Butte Nordic, the Crested Butte Land Trust and the local chamber of commerce all presented to an audience of about two dozen interested people.

Crested Butte Parks and Recreation director Janna Hansen said trail rules can change between summer and winter but there are dog-friendly locations in and nearby town all year-round.

Crested Butte Nordic executive director Keith Bauer explained it has taken 30 years for the organization to obtain easements and property for 50 kilometers of Nordic trails. He pointed out that riders of fat bikes could actually ride all the way from Mt. Crested Butte, through Crested Butte and out Brush Creek on trails that are in part groomed by the Nordic Center.

“Every group has a unique perspective,” said Crossett. “For town, we manage public property between multiple interest groups and try to strike a fair balance. Outside of town we are a major funder for open space and hold many easements. One big concern for us is keeping impacts in line with the easements. We are also aware of the economic impacts trails provide. So the town tries to balance needs and take an active role with our partners.”

“Our primary mission is for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing,” Bauer made clear. “We have a lot of partners that have helped build a great trail system. When fat bikers asked to use our trails we surveyed our members and the results indicated they were split but comfortable with some limited use on public trails. But overall, they didn’t want [fat bikes] on the prime trails. Some of our easement holders are adamant that they didn’t want fat bikers on trails and we have to respect that.”

CBLT executive director Ann Johnston and stewardship coordinator Hedda Peterson explained how the board makes decisions on how to utilize preserved land. “We always refer to our ‘conservation values’ when making a decision,” said Peterson. “Those include protecting vistas, recreation, wildlife or ranching. So there is a balancing act with our uses, especially as there is increased pressure on conserved lands.”

Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce director Dave Ochs, believe it or not, talked a lot about the emergence of fat biking as a new amenity for the valley. “They are coming and it’s awesome,” he started. “We are a bike culture and people ride bikes here in the summer and the winter. Biking is aligned with who we are and that’s why we are bringing in the Fat Bike World Championships. The Worlds have shown a great collaboration with other user groups like Sno Trackers and Crested Butte Nordic. But overall access is still an issue. Being able to go from the mountain to Brush Creek is awesome but we need to branch out more. As this becomes more of a tourist amenity, we need places to ride and not everyone is immediately ready for single track. One thing we are doing is producing an educational brochure to let people know what the proper etiquette is with the sport.”

“So one way to continue forward is continue to sit down and work together,” observed Crossett. “Each group has different goals and focus. As for things like places where people can take their dogs, one big issue is that not everyone cleans up after their dogs. Some people don’t leash their dogs. That’s an issue.”

Crossett said based on the recent conversations with the various groups, the town and organizations would explore ways to expand public use on the Rec Path, look at Old Kebler Road with property owners and perhaps adjust easements on trails out by Peanut Lake.

Crested Butte Nordic board member Skip Berkshire pointed out the town’s Perimeter Trail, when complete, could “be an answer to a lot of these use issues.”

“That’s a number one area to accept these sort of multiple uses,” said Michel. “It just needs funding.”

Crossett emphasized that a top priority for any trail that crosses private property was respecting the easement and its rules. That hasn’t always happened and he said that could ultimately endanger even current easements.

“If people don’t respect the rules we already have, that makes it hard,” said councilman Jim Schmidt. “We are seeing it when we have asked to expand some trail access through nearby property.”

Town planner Michael Yerman explained that not all trail easements are perpetual and each easement has its own set of requirements.

“These easements have certain conditions that must be enforced,” said Berkshire. “Abuse of the rule set could cause a revocation of the easement. It is important to respect the rules.”

“When I get a call about an easement issue, the town takes it very seriously and responds accordingly,” assured Yerman.

Mayor Michel said it was important to keep the public informed about trail regulations and he suggested posting a map with various rules on the town website.

While the public was given a chance to ask questions, not many did.

In response to a question from Ochs, Bauer said Crested Butte Nordic would be willing to conduct another survey of its members over the fat bike issue since it had changed a lot in the last few years. Bauer said that would not take place until the spring.

Meanwhile Crossett said continuing the conversation could further collaboration and identify opportunities.

 Snowshoers hiked, fat bikers pedaled, and skiers skinned Mt. Crested Butte to CBMR’s Umbrella Bar on Saturday, January 23 to celebrate the full moon.  photo by Chris Segal

by Alissa Johnson

Snodgrass Trailhead busy

According to town manager Joe Fitzpatrick, town monitored the Snodgrass Trailhead over the holiday period and there were 50 to 60 cars up there every day. The North Village has also been groomed in anticipation of the upcoming Fat Bike World Championships.

Musical board seats

Councilmember Todd Barnes will vacate his seat on the Crested Butte Center for the Arts board in order to fill a position on the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority Board. His Center for the Arts vacancy will be filled by councilmember David O’Reilly.

Community development director Carlos Velado will fill the at-large appointment to the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority, and a seat on the Gunnison Valley Housing Foundation board as well, which raises funds to augment affordable housing projects.

Events & entertainment  

Borealis Fat Bike Worlds

It’s going to be off the hook. Over 200 riders will invade Crested Butte Thursday through Sunday for the inaugural Fat Bike World Championships. Odells beer will be flowing throughout the entire weekend of events and don’t forget to catch Lez Zeppelin on Saturday on the Town Ranch. For all the info you could ever need on the event, check out www.cbchamber.com.

East Side Nordic Closure for Saturday’s Fat Bike Worlds

Crested Butte Nordic is proud to provide the venue for Saturday’s Fat Bike Worlds race which will be taking place on the East Side trails on Saturday, January 30. All East Side Trails will be closed from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the exception of the Town Ranch and the Riverbend Connector which will remain open.

Go Deeper

The Crested Butte Avalanche Center and the Brick Oven are hosting the third annual Go Deeper beer tasting event at the Brick Oven on Friday, January 29 from 7-10 p.m. Beer from Colorado breweries will be on tap for tasting and there will be a raffle. It costs $25 for unlimited samples, $20 if you are a CBAC member, please bring your card. Proceeds to benefit the CBAC.

Kickin’ it Old Skool this February

The Crested Butte School of Dance brings their third annual winter showcase “old skool” sty-lee, to the Center for the Arts stage Friday, February 5 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 6 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.“Kickin’ It Old Skool” brings rad remixes and ragin’ dancers, ages 12 through adult, with extraordinary choreography in tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet and contemporary dance that highlights the amazing talent and hard work of these dedicated dancers. Tickets for kids are $5 and for adults they are $10. Find tickets and information at dancecrestedbutte.org.

Calling all photographers for Land Trust

If you have taken some incredible images of the Gunnison Valley, share them for your chance to be featured in the Crested Butte Land Trust’s 2017 calendar. The annual calendar showcases the beauty and character of Gunnison County while helping to save this place we call home. Submit up to 30 photographs to Claire at the Crested Butte Land Trust, and please include your last name in the title of each. Photos can be submitted on a disc to 308 Third Street or P.O. Box 2224, Crested Butte, CO 81224, or via Dropbox to outreach@cblandtrust.org. Photographs should be print quality, focus on all four seasons and must be taken in Gunnison County. The submission deadline is February 28. Contact Claire at outreach@cblandtrust.org or 349-1206 with any questions.

Birthdays:

January 27-John “Smalls” Lumadue, Crista Shaffer, Blake Courtney

January 28- Nancy Vogel, Jim Truettner, Katie Kupcinski, Ofra Reynolds, Dave Dlugasch

Ja
nuary 29- Julia Kortz, Siena Truex, Anika Jobson, Paul Andersen

January 30- Melissa and Sara Ruch, Erika Hosier, Joel Reycraft

January 31- Edgar Villanueva, Ade Smith, Becky Barkman, Dave Polster, Gracie Coburn, Ellie Feder

February 1- Annie Starr, Molly Minneman, MJ Simmons, Beth Hanson Schumacher, Jeff Scott, JC Leacock

February 2- Scotto Wimmer, Dayna Christy, Gavin Jobson, Lara Moscatelli, Tom Gifford, Adam Radziej, Margaret Ritter, Liz Sotelo, Kendyl Butler-Truettner, Shelby Kopf, Dalynn McEldowney Trujillo

February 3- A.J. Leonard, Annaliese Houseman, Mindy de Compiegne

CONGRATULATIONS:  Adam Chater and Ali Fuchs were married amongst family and friends on September 26th, 2015 at the beautiful Taylor River Lodge.  photo by Sweet Tea Studios

BOOKS-N-BARS:  Readers gathered for a discussion of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown at LoCo on Wednesday, January 20.  photo by Lydia Stern

AIRIN’ AARON: Aaron Blunck (left) placed third in the skier halfpipe at the VISA U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain last weekend.  courtesy photo

Cameos: Besides predicting the early or late arrival of spring, what else would you like the groundhog to predict on groundhog day?

Winning lottery numbers.

Mike Ryan

Who will be elected president? (So we know if we should leave or not)

Kelsey McElroy

Am I going to get in to
Anthracite Place or not?

Holly Harmon

Whether or not our kid is going to be a male.

Brandon McElroy

A win by the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

Bill Carter

Events & Entertainment  

THURSDAY 28
• 6:30-9 a.m. Gunnison Valley Health Early Blood Tests at Queen of All Saints Parish Hall. 642-8417.
• 10:30 a.m. Novel-Tea discusses South of Superior at the Old Rock Library.
• 11 a.m. Fat Bike Worlds Race at North Village.
• 6:30 p.m. High Ground plays at The Adaptive Building, 325 Belleview Ave.
• 7 p.m. Bill Dowell plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 10 p.m. Karaoke upstairs in the Sky Bar at the Talk of the Town.

FRIDAY 29
• 6:30-9 a.m. Gunnison Valley Health Early Blood Tests at Queen of All Saints Parish Hall. 642-8417.
• 11 a.m. Fat Bike Worlds Conference Ride.
• 4-8 p.m. CB Titans’ Family Fun Night at the High School Gym.
• 6 p.m. Evelyn Roper and Sean Turner play at The Talk of the Town.
• 7 p.m. Doctor Robert plays at the Gunnison Arts Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
• 7 p.m. Dawne Belloise and Chuck Grossman play at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7-10 p.m. The Crested Butte Avalanche Center is holding their 3rd annual fundraiser, Go Deeper, a beer tasting event at the Brick Oven.
• 10 p.m. Greener Grounds play at the Eldo.

SATURDAY 30
• 11 a.m. Fat Bike Worlds Race behind CB Community School.
• 2:30 p.m. Lez Zeppelin plays at the CB Gravel Pit.
• 3:30 p.m. CB Unplugged presents Stephen Kellogg at Butte 66.
• 7 p.m. Craig McLaughlin plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. Crested Butte Mountain Theatre presents The Marmots at the Mallardi Cabaret Theatre. 349-0366.
• 10 p.m. Analog Son plays at the Eldo.

SUNDAY 31
• 9-10 a.m. 1st annual Blue Mesa Black Ice Races hold the Trail Skate Marathon at the Elk Creek Marina. 275-1229.
• 11 a.m. Fat Bike Worlds Downhill at CBMR.
• 1 p.m. Hockey Breakaway Race as part of Blue Mesa Black Ice Races.
• 3-7 p.m. Happy Hour Sundays with Chuck Grossman at the Eldo.
• 4-6 p.m. Young Musicians of Crested Butte play aprés ski music in the lobby of the Elevation Hotel.
• 7 p.m. Tyler Lucas and Katherine Taylor play at the Princess Wine Bar.

MONDAY 1
• 7 p.m. Sam DeRaimo plays at the Princess Wine Bar.

TUESDAY 2
• 7 p.m. Chuck Grossman plays at the Princess Wine Bar.

WEDNESDAY 3
• 5 p.m. Last SkiMo Race, presented by Griggs Orthopedics, at the base area of CBMR.
• 6:30 p.m. Coloring and Conversation at the Old Rock Library.
• 7 p.m. Evelyn Roper plays at the Princess Wine Bar.
• 7:30 p.m. Pool Tournament upstairs at the Talk of the Town.
• 9 p.m. Mighty Diamonds & The Meditations play at the Eldo.

THURSDAY 28
• 6-6:45 a.m. Meditation at Yoga for the Peaceful, by donation.
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8 a.m. Ecumenical Meditation at UCC.
• 8:30 a.m. Women’s book discussion group at UCC.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Gunnison County Branch Office is open at the Crested Butte Town Offices.
• 9 a.m. Nia Dance Workshop at Sunset Hall in CB South.
• 10 a.m. Mothering Support Group at Oh Be Joyful Church. (Last Thursday of every month.)
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• noon All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Church Community Healing Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• noon CORE Stability. 970-901-4413.
• noon-1 p.m. Lunch Break Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 12:30 p.m. ACBL Sanctioned Open Bridge Game. 349-5535.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage. 300 Belleview, Unit 2. Free clothing and bedding. 970-318-6826.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Crested Butte Community Food Bank open at Oh Be Joyful Church (First Thursday of every month.)
• 5:15-7:45 p.m. GCSAPP’s Winter Program Thursday Evenings at the Multi-purpose building in Gunnison (runs through March 10th). 642-4667.
• 5:30 p.m. Bikram Yoga with Laura at Core Studio, next to Clark’s Market. Reservations recommended/drop-ins are welcome. 928-699-1024.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Silversmithing at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts (Thursdays through February 11). 349-7044.
• 5:45 p.m. World Dance Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6:30 p.m. AA Open Meditation at UCC.
• 7 p.m. Women Supporting Women Group Discussion at the Nordic Inn.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

FRIDAY 29
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Barre Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:30 a.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 8:30-9:15 a.m. Aerial Conditioning with the Crested Butte Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Warm Power Vinyasa Fusion / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9 a.m. Juliette’s Balance Barre at Western Pilates Studio in Crested Butte. 596-1714.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-noon Open Wheel Throwing with Laura Cooper Elm at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 9:15-10 a.m. Open Aerial Dance with the Crested Butte Dance Collective at the Center for the Arts. 349-7487.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon Metabolic Blast at CORE. 970-901-4413.
• noon-1 p.m. Lunch Break Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 1:30-3 p.m. Hot Power Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4:30-5:45 p.m. Aprés Ski Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Bikram Yoga with Laura at Core Studio, next to Clark’s Market. Reservations recommended/drop-ins are welcome. 928-699-1024.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Happy Hour Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 6-7 p.m. Poi Playshop at the Pump Room.
• 7-9 p.m. Pick-Up adult Karate, Fitness Room at Town Hall.

SATURDAY 30
• 7:30 a.m. Open AA at UCC.
• 8 a.m. Indoor Biking Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Stretch and Shred / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Community Yoga at the Sanctuary Yoga & Pilates Studio, Gunnison.
• 9:15 a.m. All Levels Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 10 a.m. Saturday’s Local Session, alpine and snowboard clinics for adults at CBMR. 349-2211.
• 10:30 a.m. Hip Hop Community Dance Class at the Pump Room (above Fire House on 3rd & Maroon). 415-225-5300.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 4:30-5:45 p.m. Aprés Ski Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Guided Sound Meditiation at 405 4th Street.

SUNDAY 31
• 7-8 a.m. Meditation at Yoga For The Peaceful, by donation.
• 8:30 a.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at Oh-Be-Joyful Church.
• 9 a.m. Worship Service at UCC Church.
• 9-10:15 a.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9:30-11 a.m. Community Free Yoga Class / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 1 p.m. Winter Beading Class: Wire Wrapped Tree of Life Pendant at Pema Dewa. 349-7563.
• 3-6 p.m. Valentine’s Paint Your Own Pottery at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 4:30 p.m. Bikram Yoga with Laura at Core Studio, next to Clark’s Market. Reservations recommended/drop-ins are welcome. 928-699-1024.
• 4:30-6 p.m. Restorative Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5-6 p.m. All Saints in the Mountain Episcopal Eucharist at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. 349-9371.
• 5-7 p.m. Pick-Up Adult Basketball. HS Gym, CBCS.
• 6 p.m. AA meets at UCC.
• 6:30 p.m. Duplicate Bridge at UCC. Call 349-9296.
• 7 p.m. Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Last Resort.

MONDAY 1
• 6:30 a.m. Strength and Conditioning with Janae or Pip at CORE. 901-4413.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Community Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 8:45 a.m. Core Power Yoga Class at the Pump Room.
• 8:45 a.m. Pilates at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• noon-1 p.m. Lunch Break Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• noon-1 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 12:30 p.m. ACBL Sanctioned Open Bridge Game. 349-5535.
• 1:30-3 p.m. Hot Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 3:45-5:45 p.m. Valentine’s Paint Your Own Pottery at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5 p.m. Mothering Support Group at the GVH Education House, 300 East Denver St. (First Monday of every month.)
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5:30 p.m. Yin/Yang Circuit with Ginny and Jess at CORE. 901-4413.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Yin Yoga Nidra at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Gentle Restorative Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:30-7 p.m. Moms in Motion class at the GVH rehab gym.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group at Project Hope. Childcare available upon request. 641-2712.
• 7:30 p.m. Open AA at UCC. 349-5711.
• 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 114 N. Wisconsin St. in Gunnison.

TUESDAY 2
• 7 a.m. Core Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7-8:15 a.m. Hatha Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7:30 a.m. AA/Alanon Open at UCC. 349-5711.
• 8:45 a.m. Indoor Biking at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Warm Power Vinyasa Fusion / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Vinyasa at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Gunnison County branch office is open at the Crested Butte Town Offices, 507 Maroon Ave.
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. Yoga Basics at Yoga for the Peaceful.
• 11:30 a.m. League of Women Voters meeting at 210 W. Spencer in Gunnison.
• noon AA Closed at UCC.
• noon-1 p.m. Lunch Break Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• noon-1:15 p.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 1:30 p.m. Women’s Tips, ski clinic at CBMR. 349-2211.
• 2-4 p.m. Tech Tuesdays at Old Rock Library. 349-6535.
• 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Garage. 300 Belleview, Unit 2. Free clothing & bedding. 970-318-6826.
• 5:15 p.m. RedCord suspension class at Western Pilates Studio in Crested Butte. 596-1714.
• 5:30 p.m. Communion Service at Queen of All Saints Church.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 5:30-6:45 p.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 5:45 p.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 6-7 p.m. Community Connection Night at UCC Parlour.
• 6-9 p.m. Valentine’s Paint Your Own Pottery at Montanya Distillers with the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. Discounts on drinks, pottery and apps. 349-7044.
• 7 p.m. Alanon meeting at the Last Resort.
• 7-8:30 p.m. Blessing Way Circle support group at Sopris Women’s Clinic. 720-217-3843.
• 7-9 p.m. Pick-up adult Karate, Fitness Room at Town Hall.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Drop-In Adult Volleyball, CBCS MS Gym.

WEDNESDAY 3
• 6:30 a.m. All Levels Iyengar Yoga Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 7:30 a.m. Rotary meeting at the Grand Lodge.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Vinyasa Flow / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 8:45 a.m. Mat Mix at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 8:45-10 a.m. Ashtanga-Vinyasa / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 9-10:30 a.m. Prana Vinyasa at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 9:30-11:30 a.m. Gray Hares meet at the CB Nordic Center for nordic skiing.
• 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Two Buttes Senior Citizens van transportation. Roundtrip to Gunnison. Weather permitting. Call first for schedule and availability. 275-4768.
• noon Closed AA at UCC.
• noon-1 p.m. Lunch Break Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• noon-1 p.m. Yoga Therapeutics at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 1:30-3 p.m. Hot Yoga / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 5 p.m. Mass at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church.
• 5 p.m. Pairs Skimo Race at CBMR. skicb.com/skimo.
• 5:30 p.m. Prenatal Yoga class in Crested Butte South. 349-1209.
• 4:30 p.m. Bikram Yoga with Laura at Core Studio, next to Clark’s Market. Reservations recommended/drop-ins are welcome. 928-699-1024.
• 5:30-7:45 p.m. Ladies Night – Hand-Lettering & Collage for Valentines at the Art Studio of the Center for the Arts. 349-7044.
• 5:45 p.m. Boot Camp Class at The Gym. 349-2588.
• 5:45 p.m. Indoor Cycling at the Gym. 349-2588.
• 6 p.m. Celebrate Recovery Meetings: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, Oh Be Joyful Church, Crested Butte. 970-596-3846.
• 6-7:15 p.m. Kaiut Yoga at Yoga For The Peaceful.
• 6:30 p.m. Alanon at UCC Parlour (in back). 349-6482.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Restorative Yin-Yoga-Nidra / CB Co-op at Town Hall.
• 7-9 p.m. “GriefShare,” a grief recovery seminar and support group, meets at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 711 N. Main St., Gunnison. 970-349-7769.
• 7:45-9:45 p.m. Pick-Up Adult Indoor Soccer, CBCS HS Gym (through March).

KIDS calendar

THURSDAY 28
• 9 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the High Attitude Dance Academy in Gunnison.
• 9:30 a.m. Tumblebugs in Jerry’s Gym.
• 3-8 p.m. Youth Gymnastics, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall 349-5338.

FRIDAY 29
• 11 a.m. Big Kids Storytime for ages 3 and up and Old Rock Library.
• 3:45-5:15 p.m. After School Art Classes at The Art Studio on Elk Ave. 349-7160.
• 4-5 p.m. Tang Soo Do Martial Arts classes for youth with West Elk Martial Arts, Town Hall Fitness Room. 901-7417.

MONDAY 1
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

TUESDAY 2
• 11 a.m. Romp & Rhyme Storytime for families and kids of all ages at Old Rock Library.
• 3-8 p.m. Youth Gymnastics, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall 349-5338.
• 3:45-5:15 p.m. After School Art Classes at The Art Studio on Elk Ave. 349-7160.

WEDNESDAY 3
• 9 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Old Town Hall.
• 10 a.m. Munchkin’s Music & Dance Class in the Fitness Room at Old Town Hall.
• 11 a.m. Babies and Toddlers Storytime at Old Rock Library.
• 3:45-4:45 p.m. Tween Scene (ages 8-12) at the Old Rock Library.
• 3:45-5:15 p.m. After School Art Classes at The Art Studio on Elk Ave. 349-7160.
• 4-7:30 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for children and adults with West Elk Martial Arts, Jerry’s Gym at Town Hall. 901-7417.
• 4:45 p.m. Tang Soo Do classes for juniors at Town Hall. 901-7417.

Silent Tracks and Share the Slate disagree over “need” for new plan 

by Mark Reaman

There was some obvious tension in the Crested Butte Town Council chambers Tuesday evening as representatives of Silent Tracks, which advocates human-powered winter recreation, and the multiple use/snowmobiling community expressed opinions to the council about the “need” for a new winter travel management plan in the Gunnison National Forest.

In the end, the two sides appeared to agree that collecting unbiased data on backcountry use is a good thing and better trailhead management would be helpful in the winter. The Town Council is taking a wait-and-see attitude on the issue.

Silent Tracks board members Bill Oliver and Cathy Frank gave a PowerPoint presentation to the council, starting with the history of the current rules for drainages around Crested Butte, formulated from what is known as “the Gang of Nine” meetings that were held in the early 1990s. But Frank pointed out that not only have the numbers of people using the local backcountry grown; the types of access to the backcountry have expanded. Snowmobiles are more powerful, methods such as fat bikes and motorized snowbikes are now used and better gear allows more people to feel safe in the backcountry. Plus, a federal court stated all National Forests must implement winter travel management plans that include over-snow vehicles (OSV).

“The increased numbers and types of users lead to increased conflicts between motorized and non-motorized users,” Frank said. “Since 1995 there have been no significant changes to the Gang of Nine plan. It is 21 years old and doesn’t address the entire Gunnison National Forest. There is more competition from more people for the same wild places. We are at a tipping point again.

“The Gang of Nine was successful because of collaboration with all the stakeholders,” Frank continued, pointing out that Silent Tracks has not taken a position on what uses are appropriate in any backcountry location.

Oliver said he and the group were working with Western State Colorado University’s Master in Environmental Management (MEM) program to begin surveying backcountry users to collect fresh data on who is utilizing the local drainages and how often they are getting used. He said students interviewed Forest Service personnel and they expressed their primary areas of concern: present trailhead conditions; analysis of crucial wildlife habitat; and trail management.

“It is better to start early to address the backcountry tensions,” Oliver said. “We recognize any solution will take a bit of time and a lot of collaboration. There is, however, no reliable data on how the backcountry is being used. We are asking the council to take a stand to move forward with a process for developing a new winter travel management plan.”

Oliver said Silent Tracks wants to be the stakeholder representing human-powered users in the Gunnison Valley as part of any winter recreation travel planning process.

Resident Mike Arbaney asked the council to allow public comment after the Silent Tracks presentation. He said he Nordic skis but gets into the backcountry in a number of other ways as well and wanted to make sure he “had the ability to do all these different things” in the local backcountry.

While almost everyone in the room agreed that collecting new data addressing backcountry use could be valuable, the prevailing opinion from people in the audience representing the group Share the Slate or the snowmobiling community was that the current rules were working pretty well and there should be no rush to change the rules.

Local business owner Brian Schneider of the Brick Oven Pizzeria said winter was a hard time to make a living and he welcomed anyone looking to get out in the backcountry. “Diversity is huge. The Slate River is huge. We shouldn’t limit the options of people looking to recreate out in the local backcountry,” he said.

Brittany Konsella of Share the Slate agreed that gathering data is needed. “But the travel management plan is not up for renewal for five years. We believe the process doesn’t need to be rushed,” she said. “Winter is not at all like the summer situation. Dealing with summer usage is more important than the winter right now. The current management plan is working.”

Crested Butte resident John Wirsing says he has seen access to the backcountry eroded in his 19 years here. “New plans for travel management usually screws one group over,” he said. “The summer plan took 20 trails away from dirt bikers. They’re still riding, but now they are on fewer trails. Concentration is not a good answer. There are plenty of places to go if you are looking for silence. I encourage collaboration but urge the council to be cautious in taking a stand one way or the other. You represent a lot of people with a lot of different views.”

“Silent Tracks is not proposing anything. We just want to start the process,” said board member Maureen Hall. “We are asking the council to write a letter to the Forest Service asking them to start the process. We are not trying to get rid of snowmobiles. There is a lot of misinformation out there.”

“What’s your mission statement?” resident Scott Yost asked rhetorically.

Franks expressed frustration for Nordic skiers who could get only few miles from a trailhead—not far enough away to avoid snowmobiles. She said snowmobiles, on the other hand, could travel farther into the backcountry to find some solitude.

“Access is a special thing in town,” said resident Thomas Hein. “It’s why a lot of us stayed here. I’m for multiple use. We need to all get along. We need better education, perhaps. But there is only one user group asking for a new management plan right now. The only tension I see is from those who don’t want snowmobiles out there. As for trailheads, that’s a county issue, not a Forest Service issue. There are a lot of multi-users living here. Go slow with any council decision.”

James Utt has been in the guided snowmobile business for 30 years and is a board member of local snowmobile club Sno Trackers. He was part of the Gang of Nine. “If we do this again I feel we’ll come up with a lot of the same conclusions,” he said. “I don’t think one group should try to shut down public lands to other user groups. We are in favor of collecting data but we feel the Gang of Nine is still working pretty well.”

“I commend Silent Tracks for saying they want collaboration, but they do have an agenda, as their name suggests,” said Briant Wiles of Gunnison.

“We understand that biased data does no good,” said Frank. “We’re not the villains.”

“There is lots of terrain out there for everyone,” pointed out Mark Bennett. “The Gang of Nine plan is working. It seems convenient for Nordic users to gain the Slate River but they have a lot of places—Brush Creek, Cement Creek, Gothic—that they can access that we can’t easily.”

“Things were different when the Gang of Nine happened,” said councilman Jim Schmidt. “The Forest Service had more people and more money. They don’t seem willing to jump into this right now. We had to encourage them to address this 20 years ago. And I’m also disappointed in the Gunnison County commissioner representing this end of the county who also doesn’t seem to want to address this as an active participant. Like James Utt, I agree many of the same conclusions will probably be reached but there are more people and more uses out there now and I hope the town will encourage the Forest Service to conduct a new process.”

Mayor Glenn Michel concluded that most people want a slow, cautious process, understand the need for new data, and see a need for better trailhead management. He wanted to hear from more constituents before taking any sort of stand on the issue. So he and the council want to hear from you. If they do, they will hold another meeting to discuss the issue further.

That cold snap that took morning temperatures to about 30 below zero for a couple of weeks? That’s the way it always was in the old days for most of late December and all of January. Highs might tap negative 10 some days. It always thinned out the “local” herd. Now the herd that would have been thinned just takes a trip to the islands. Evolutionary smarts, apparently.

Looking at last year, there were some 40-degree days in January. And a few years ago the snow was so thin up here and the temps so warm in Gunnison we were riding Hartman Rocks (on a regular mountain bike, not a fat bike). I don’t really miss that. It is winter, after all.

Crested Butte town manager Todd Crossett painted a frostbitten picture of the town workers who had to deal with a broken water main last week. “If you haven’t had to stand in a ditch filled with water when it’s 10 below zero, you’re really missing something,” he told the Town Council Monday night as he added to the accolades of Rodney Due for the workers in the Crested Butte Public Works Department. We throw out accolades as well. It was cold enough just looking down into the ditch standing in the shade. That sounds like absolutely miserable work, so thanks for diving in and keeping the town working when it was crowded and cold.

Weather blogs indicate the monster 2016 El Niño will really kick in to gear in January and we happen to be on the edge of the goods—so it could be good or it could be a whiff. Let us hope for more of what we saw right at Christmas. Soft snow is a blessing and in these dark, cold days of January, we can use all the blessings that come our way.

If nothing else, there is the old pine beetle blessing. While it is not a guaranteed cure-all, cold temperatures have an impact on mountain pine beetle larvae and that ultimately impacts our surrounding forest.

According to a U.S. Forest Service website, “Mountain pine beetles overwinter primarily in their ‘worm’ or ‘grub’ stage (the larvae). During this time, they accumulate alcohols that act as an anti-freeze and provide protection from freezing. The beetles are more susceptible to cold temperatures early in the fall and late spring, when alcohol levels are low, and less susceptible to cold in mid-winter when alcohol levels are highest. Studies show that temperatures from –13º F to –31º F in mid-winter can cause mortality. However, factors such as the stage of development, duration of exposure to cold temperatures, responses to seasonal changes in temperatures, and geographical location will influence potential mortality. So what temperatures, at what time of the year, or for how long will cause extensive insect mortality is not yet well-understood.”

Let’s collectively try to understand that if there is one good thing about super-freezing temperatures, it might be that it keeps our local forests looking healthy.

Not only were Elk Avenue and the resort base area crowded with people from before Christmas to after New Year’s, so were the ice rink and the sledding hill. My office is next door to Big Mine Park and there were people on that hill sledding and under the roof skating every day, no matter the temperatures. Both are good amenities for the community. That doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be upgraded and everything over there shifted all over the town (I don’t agree with that direction), but the sled hill and the rink are used and obviously a lot of fun.

When it finally warmed up a tad and I was able to shake enough of the crud to breathe again, I did get to the Headwall. As a friend noted, “I’ve seen it a lot worse.” Fair enough. It is still one good storm away from being the sweet run it is, but as I say every year, just getting anything “extreme” open, opens the mind and changes the viewpoint of the mountain. It is a mental as well as physical gift and opens a new window to the winter ski world on the resort.

—Mark Reaman