A little bit of Yurt Magic

Magic Meadows offers solace, sustenance and community

By Kendra Walker

Nestled a mile into the Crested Butte backcountry, a unique sanctuary accessible only by ski or snowshoe awaits those looking for some winter magic. Over the years, the Magic Meadows Yurt has become a popular gathering spot in the woods amongst locals and visitors alike. Whether skiing under the stars to a gourmet five-course dinner, meeting friends in-between laps for a coffee and scone, getting silly over a round of Bingo or simply using it as a friendly landmark amongst the Crested Butte Nordic trail system, we know we’re experiencing a little bit of yurt magic every time we make a visit to Magic Meadows. 

Around 2009, former CB Nordic executive director Keith Bauer helped CB Nordic acquire and construct the Magic Meadows Yurt. “Keith and the board at that time were very forward thinking about ways to diversify CB Nordic’s revenue streams,” says current executive director Hedda Peterson. Bauer and a handful of board members had visited the Leadville Cookhouse, which hosts yurt dinners, and they were inspired to bring that concept back to Crested Butte. “They thought, this is amazing  and we could do something like this here.”

So Bauer led the charge and found a yurt listed in Gunnison Country Shopper, says Peterson. “He ended up convincing the owner to donate it to CB Nordic, as long as they came to get it and transport it.” The yurt was constructed in 2009 on the Lower Loop trail system that sits on Crested Butte Land Trust property.

According to Peterson, the yurt started out as a place to go out to for brunch, starting with simple meals like quiche that was transported out and warmed on the yurt’s stove. “Eliane Wissocq managed the yurt at the beginning,” says Peterson. “She started the brunches, would prepare the food and bring it out to the yurt.”

A few years later, the kitchen was added to the back of the yurt. “Yurt brunch quickly transformed into multi-course dinners starting with bubbles and ending with decadent desserts,” says Peterson, of the popular yurt dinners CB Nordic hosts today. “Now we host up to about 26 dinners each year out there, and we usually sell out.”

The yurt became an ideal rest stop along the Magic Meadows trail system that spiders through the Slate River Valley, and Peterson says some of the trails were extended after it was built. Around 2011, Mike’s Mile was added to the system and “it became an instant fan favorite,” Peterson says of the trail named for the late Mike Martin, co-creator of the Grand Traverse. “A trip to the yurt can be paired with skiing on arguably the world’s most beautiful Nordic trail.”

In addition to the dinners, CB Nordic hosts their Backcountry Bistros every Sunday with an a la carte menu of local coffee, pastries and other snacks. “If you’re out at the bistro on a sunny day, it is a busy place,” says Peterson. “Staff will bring the tables outside, and you’ll see the trails lined with chariots and kids building in the snow. We joke that it’s the most kid-friendly eatery in the winter.”

The yurt has also become a popular home base for community events, such as KBUT Yurt Bingo, CB Museum History Talks and snow science field trips for elementary school students with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). Folks can also rent out the yurt for private events like family reunions, birthday parties and baby showers. “We prioritize those local community partnerships, and it really has increased in popularity,” says Peterson. This winter, CB Nordic is also bringing a couple of new events to the yurt, including a visit from Santa Claus and a watercolor class.

The yurt is unique in that it sits on conserved lands, and is only accessible in the winter by way of skiing or snowshoeing. “The yurt is owned and managed by CB Nordic and sits on Crested Butte Land Trust property,” says Peterson. “We are grateful to the Land Trust for allowing us to host outings in such a beautiful setting. It is a great partnership, which allows trail users a special opportunity to experience conserved property in the winter.”

Peterson says that CB Nordic has made some improvements to the yurt this winter, including re-sanding and refinishing the floor, new lighting, and new solar panels and larger batteries. “The goal is to not have to rely on a generator,” she says. CB Nordic also worked with Ben Eaton and Jeff Scott on a new interior light fixture. “It’s really a piece of art. We’re excited for folks to come out and see it.”

Peterson reflects on the magic of the yurt. “It really is such an incredible asset that allows us the ability to go out and experience the amazing scenery out there. One thing I love is that multiple times a winter, I will find Rich Smith out at the yurt. He was a big part of helping construct the yurt and has been involved with Nordic for a long time. And he’s just sitting there watching the camaraderie and chaos unfold. And he always tells me, ‘This is the best thing CB Nordic has ever done.’”

And while the yurt is no secret (and not intended to be), it still feels like a little hidden treat nestled out in Crested Butte’s backcountry backyard. It brings us some magic every time we pass each other on the surrounding trails, break bread and toast wine together, warm our feet by the cozy stove fire or gaze up at the twinkling stars above the Magic Meadows.