Welcome to the land of summer color

By Mark Reaman

Summer in Crested Butte brings with it a sense of adventure…and color. Not the muted tones of middle America, or the mono-concentrations of the greens of Oregon or the adobe browns of New Mexico, but something more akin to a barrier reef. Summer in this valley is bright and bold and can feel like a 1940s film shot in technicolor. It sometimes doesn’t seem real…
but it is. Welcome to Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley.

There are of course the expected colors to be admired when you view Red Lady Mountain (aka Mount Emmons) above Crested Butte or White Mountain that can be spotted when riding Teocalli Ridge. There is no shortage of nearby lakes named for their obvious reflection. There are several Green lakes, a magical Blue Lake, a good hike to Copper Lake and my favorite, Emerald Lake that sits above Gothic and below the 401 trail. Finding and appreciating these colorful scenes is part of the adventure.

Vibrant summer color is everywhere in this valley between June and October. Of course, if you time it right and spend your days here in the middle of the summer you will enjoy the fields of wildflowers that have made this place the official Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Those displays truly can resemble the Great Barrier Reef when it comes to color. The fiery reds, brilliant yellows, stunning blues, deep purples, the swirling greens that blanket a spot below a crystal blue sky and snow-capped peaks are not found in many other places in the world. I guarantee that more than one Instagram post of a local wildflower display has gone viral. The wildflower season changes over the course of the summer and the festival dedicated to those living fields of color happens in the middle of July. 

A summer day in the high country of the Rocky Mountains is likely to gift you with the brightest blue sky you may ever see. Being well over a mile high along with the low humidity means the sky rarely is hazy. The brilliant sunshine plays off the deep green aspen leaves that quake in the breeze, again providing a colorful symphony of light and color. Enjoy a hike or bike ride along one of the many singletrack trails winding through the forests near the towns. Listen to the clear streams that glisten as they flow over the golden rocks. Breathe in the scent of the evergreens and keep an eye out for the Great Blue Herons or shimmering blue birds that share the valley with us.

One thing I always remind guests to do in the summer is go outside long after the sun has set. And many of those sunsets by the way are worthy of a photo. Just because it is dark outside doesn’t mean the color has disappeared. Being a mile-and-a-half closer to the night sky where there is little humidity and not nearly as much light pollution gives people a special view of the universe. Our inky black sky is dotted with not just a big moon or a couple of shining dots of light, but it is filled with colorful stars and planets that glimmer above the silhouette of the majestic Rocky Mountains. You can see actual constellations and shooting stars and be amazed at their true colors. The random satellite may cut across the sky while Mars, Uranus and Mercury can be spotted during much of the summer. The Perseid meteor shower is always a brilliant light show in August and Saturn, the yellow planet, will be visible without the help of optical aids in early September. You won’t need to be reminded, but don’t forget to take a sweater or puffy jacket with you. It can get chilly at night during the warmest of months.

Town itself is no stranger to color. While some of the newer buildings are choosing to embrace the more modern looks of a dark patina, Elk Avenue still has a reputation as not being afraid to make its buildings pop in bright hues of blue, orange and green. And where else can you hear advice to not only take a picture of the buildings popping with color but also to take in the unusual and imaginative trash cans and buses you will see along the town’s main street. Yup, trash cans and buses in CB are used as colorful cavasses of local art up here at 9,000 feet above sea level.

I could get into the “colorful characters” that still roam the valley. While not as plentiful as they once were, there are still plenty of these characters out on the trails, sitting on the benches or imbibing at one of the local watering holes. Most (not all) are friendly and happy to have a conversation with a visitor. The thought is that if you chose to come to the end of the road for a vacation, there must be some soul inside of you. You chose a weird place to spend time instead of heading toward the mall or a more convenient resort where every detail is easily planned. The colorful character may come across as crusty at times, but they too appreciate the spirit of adventure.

And you are on an adventure if you are here. Sure, there are plenty of amenities that are comfortable but most need to be discovered. The live music and art scene are deep. Of course, the mountain biking and hiking are top notch whether you hit the trails on the ski area or go deeper into places like Doctor Park or Deer Creek. The choices of where to hang out in town should be expanded this summer as many of the recently purchased restaurant properties are concluding their renovations so a new mosaic of food and drink should emerge this summer. More choices are popping up in both Mt. Crested Butte and Gunnison as well. Again, embrace the adventure and go find something new.

Summer in this high mountain valley is special. It can be challenging and interesting and fun. It is all part of the adventure. And if you open your eyes just a bit more than normal, you’ll see that it all comes wrapped in a brightly colored package found nowhere else in the world. Enjoy.

Mark Reaman has lived in Crested Butte since the 80s and spends his days either behind the editor desk at the CB News, on his bike on 401 or out on another epic adventure…