Small Town Welcome

By Mark Reaman 

Congratulations! You made it out of the heat and into one of the special places. As I write this in May I am assuming the long-range forecast for another blazing summer in the rest of the country will hold up — as it has for the last several years, so why not now? 

Summer in Crested Butte and Gunnison is a respite, an escape not just from everyday life and the stress of the “real world,” but from the physical realities of 100 degrees in Texas and Denver and Kansas City. If it’s really hot here, you’ll have to endure an 80-degree day with sweetly cool evenings. Welcome.

As pointed out by some local realtors in this Summer Guide, the heat in the rest of the country is drawing people here to this high mountain valley. The world-class skiing used to be the main draw but these days, people want a place to escape places where eggs can be fried on the sidewalk. That is here…

And here provides so much more than the need to have a sweater nearby when the sun goes down. With Crested Butte, you have chosen not just a cute small town at 9,000 feet in the Rockies but a quirky village offering a range of amenities. From famous trails and interesting art, to golf, tennis (and pickleball), to wellness opportunities like yoga and Pilates classes, Crested Butte in summer offers opportunity.

You can ride your bike or hike hundreds of miles of trails through wildflower fields coloring mountain meadows below snowcapped peaks. You can ride the chairlift at the ski resort for astounding views that extend for miles or walk into the deep forest and sit quietly near a babbling creek and wait for a family of deer to share the space. You and the family can take an easy stroll on the Woods Walk that sits just above town or go big and decide on the hefty hike to Aspen. And just so you know, the local community so values the same trails and backcountry access that we all stepped up to pay for people to help maintain those important public lands after the federal layoffs. If you see members of the local Conservation Corps while out enjoying the forest, give them a thumbs up for their efforts. And please follow the backcountry etiquette so everyone can enjoy those special spots.

If you want to stay in town, you won’t be disappointed. The restaurants and shops are small-town welcoming and you can easily spend a few hours over an outside cocktail with old friends or acquaintances you’ve just met. The live music scene is continuous with intimate concert venues attracting national talent. The town has a weekly free concert at the Center for the Arts on Monday evenings while the ski resort’s base area is home to a weekly free Wednesday concert series. The art galleries put on monthly summer art walks, and there are also free public policy lectures you are welcome to attend…for free. 

If you time it right, you’ll be exposed to some of the weird and funky local culture. The Fourth of July parade and water fight is always interesting, but you could stumble across a bike race where the bikes don’t use chains, and the riders are in costume. The transition from summer to fall will bring Vinotok that includes more costumes along with a bonfire. Every once in a while, the locals will hop on their “townie bikes” and take over Elk Avenue with music and refreshments. Those Townie Takeovers always start at 4:20 BTW and there really isn’t much to do except be patient and enjoy the scene. It ain’t all about the heat. 

Oh, and while it is normally warmer in Gunnison, that community too is full of art and trails and music. The shops and restaurants have unique offerings and Gunnison marches to its own beat. Plus, it holds one of the best old-school rodeos in the country. Gunni is a unique and different place at the south end of the valley.

It isn’t hard to understand how lucky you are to be here while the rest of the world is sweltering under humidity and air conditioning. So welcome to an island of fresh (and cool) air in the mountains. Chill out and enjoy your time here…