Skiing The Butte

Beautiful Snow/Ski Video

It may not be Crested Butte but this promo video by Telluride makes you want to hit the slopes fast, particularly when you're in the grip of a hot, hazy and humid Caribbean summer:

Venture Out [4min cut] from felt soul on Vimeo.

Shot and edited in the winter of 2009 in collaboration with the Telluride Visitors Center, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, Telluride Ski Resort and Telluride Mountainfilm in hopes of giving viewers a soulful, non-commercial look at the winter experience in Telluride. Filmed & edited by Ben Knight | Music by Explosions in the Sky

Seirus Neofleece Combo Scarf

This face mask became a vital piece of kit. In fact, the difference between staying out and going home. This moisture-wicking, fleece-lined neoprene face guard gave great wind and water (read: driving wind and snow) protection.

The neofleece® face mask has vents/holes at nose and mouth which allowed easy breathing; we've tried pulling neck gaiters up over our noses in the past but quickly ran out of air.

The mask and integrated polyester fleece neck gaiter secures at the back with hook-and-loop tabs. Lycra® spandex binding trims the edges.

The mask tucked nicely under googles to give a draught-free fit and is cut so the back of the mask secures easily under the back of your helmet (yes, we all wear one, all the time). This mask/gaiter combo, combined with another neck gaiter and attractive skull cap, made a winning team in keeping the cold out and our heads toasty.

The downside: any inevitable nose seepage tends to accumulate on the inside of the mask, so if you're carrying them for family members, make sure you know which one is yours... On a two-week trip ours hit the washing machine a couple of times.

But at $20 each, money well-spent. As I said, the difference between staying out, or going home.

2009/10 Ski Pass Sale For Crested Butte; Big savings in Kids' Passes

Ski passes for Crested Butte are on sale until September 7. Buy early and save up to 30% off most adult passes. The 15-Day Mountain Card (no blackouts) has 32% off at $629 - it will go up to $925 from September 8 onwards.

But the big savings are on the kids' passes - 63% off the platinum passes for kids up to 17 years old. Platinum Passes (for adults and kids) provide unlimited skiing and riding with no blackout dates, and are valid for both the winter season and the summer season. If you purchase a Platinum Pass during the 2009 Spring Sale, you'll get lift access during both the 2009 and 2010 summer seasons.

Crested Butte Spring Pass Sale; Holds 2008/09 prices

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is selling 2009-2010 season passes at this year’s prices until April 5. Plus, you can use next season’s pass for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season. The offers are only good for on-line purchases.

Season Pass Financing Program

This summer Crested Butte Mountain Resort will be offering financing options for the purchase of all Platinum and Gold passes. For a $40 processing fee, CBMR will break your season pass purchase into four equal payments when you place your first payment by July 31st. Additional payments will be due on the last day of August, September and October.

Pass financing will only be available between June 1, 2009 and July 31, 2009. Financing will only be accepted with the use of a credit card on file.

Family Value Program

Receive one free child or young adult pass with every adult full season pass purchased. The Family Package includes one Adult Platinum or Gold pass and one pass of the same type for that adult’s legal dependent child, age 17 and under.

Platinum Pass

Platinum Passes provide unlimited skiing and riding with no blackout dates, and are valid for both the winter season and the summer season. If you purchase a Platinum Pass during the 2009 Spring Sale, you'll get lift access during BOTH the 2009 and 2010 summer seasons.

Buy your passes here

Masters at Crested Butte

The North Face comp completes its second stop

Kicking off on the lover's holiday, February 14th, the second day of the Northface Masters at Crested Butte found competitors battling inclement weather, and each other, for a victory on the notorious "Staircase" slope.

Straight down from the start gate, riders had their pick of a skiers left area, "Staircase Proper," with a series of pillows called the "Handrail," and further left more pillows called the "Slot Cliffs." To the riders right sat a cliff-strewn apron called "Body Bag," with another nasty piece further right called "Dead End," and finally a cliff launch dubbed the "Cheese Burger." With death and food metaphors abound, and milk-bird conditions, both the men's and women's field laid down serious tracks in the first round of the finals, racing for a cut that left five women and fifteen men for the super-duper finals.

With the sun gracing the sky finally, the scent of BBQ-ing cow from The North Face Jimmy Hopper grill, and a crazed character named Spencer Moon wandering around with a pirate flag draped cape-style about his neck, the real action of the super-duper finals got under way.

Read the full story here: EXPN

Stop Two of The North Face Masters kicks off at Crested Butte

Day one went down on the Headwall area of Crested Butte, and riders didn't hesitate taking the rocky and scrappy slope apart.

The second stop on the North Face Masters series is popping off at Crested Butte, Colorado, and the tour couldn't have picked a better freeride mecca. Returning champs from the Snowbird comp, Shannan Yates and Matt Annetts are up against a national field of free-shredders that includes a huge portion of local talent.

The 'Butte has a revered place among big mountain types, capturing the interest of now pro-shred legends Chris Englesman, Dave Basterachea and Barrett Christy, among others. So, what's the deal?

"It's steep and it's rocky," answers 18-year local and fifth-place finisher in today's preliminary round Gareth Van Dk. "Crested Butte is a big volcano of shale. It's straight up daggers waiting to bite you." But besides the geological punishers, says Van Dyk, CB has the pitch to match.

Read the full story here: EXPN

Masters Of Snowboarding Heads To Crested Butte

Now in its sophomore year, the North Face Masters of Snowboarding has become the largest cohesive competitive big mountain snowboarding tour in the country. The three-stop tour begins at Snowbird Jan 29 - Feb 1 and will cater to the motivation, talent, and skill of world-class big mountain snowboarders. Second stop, Feb 12-15, is at Crested Butte, Colo., and culminates at the ultimate big mountain competition venue of Kirkwood, Calif.