We are going to Crested Butte in 2 weeks. Anyone have advice on what not to miss? Or where to eat? We won a weeks's stay in a charity auction. I've looked at Trip Advisor and the basic Crested Butte chamber of commerce site. Looking for some feedback from fellow Horn Fans
A few possibilities: 1) Drive over Monarch Pass (always snow up there) and go to Royal Gorge. 2) Raft the Arkansas River 3) Go up to Lake City - great trip or pay for a jeep tour 4) Go over Monarch turn north and then go over Independence Pass. Unbelievable beauty. 5) If you are into hiking, there is a trail from Crested Butte to Aspen that's really great.
Thanks. Was planning on Royal Gorge and Monarch on the drive in from Colorado Springs. Should we do any of the activities at Royal Gorge- or just check out the view?
Watch your weather when you go to Royal Gorge. If a storm whips through there, you can be on the other side and have to wait to get back. The tram (or whatever it's called) is a personal preference, just like at Pike's Peak. Haven't done it in years. There is a store/restaurant on top of Monarch. Frequently enough snow for the kids to see and maybe play in. I'll warn you now that you have not driven a road like Independence Pass. It is beautiful, but when I got to the top, I stopped and got out of the car to see if my legs would still hold me up.
Thanks. We'll wait and see what the weather is like, but I'll at least stop at Royal Gorge and look around. I'ver read about some of the passes and roads (Kebler Pass near Crested Butte is supposed to be pretty hairy, but great aspen grove is supposed to be worth the trip) so I assume Monarch will be about the same. We should get some good color at this time of year, I assume? I've been a flatlander in Houston for 30 years now, and my "mountain" drving has been confined to my distant past or an ocassional foray into Colorado or New Mexico. So, we'll see how it goes!
Monarch is no problem, four lane, very wide. Independence is two lane, 180 degree turns on steep grades. It is beyond "hairy". Basically from Gunnison West is flat an arrid. The trip to Lake City is great. You can also take a jeep tour from there that will defintely take your breath away.
The Black Canyon is kind of cool (towards Montrose). Not a must see, but fairly cool You could also hike over the mountains to Aspen. I think it takes about all day.
Eat at Slogar's, its been awhile since ive been to crested butte, but this was always a must when we were there.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Jeep tour sounds interesting, do you have a source or link I can look at?
You'll have fun, for sure. We spend 6 weeks each summer there, plus we go for the changing of the leaves every fall. We'll be there at the end of September, too. Kebler Pass is a dirt road, but it is not scary at all, nor is Independence Pass for that matter. I drive both many times a year. I would not want to do Ind. Pass in a snow storm (they close it down later in the Fall). It is a fair drive from CB to Aspen (where Independence Pass starts), but you could see the iconic Maroon Bells when it is most touristed (changing of the leaves). I go there to photograph this site nearly every fall and usually about an hour before sunrise for a few weeks during peak colors, there are 30-50 or more photographers there waiting for the first light of day. It's really crazy, but beautiful. Some of the suggestions here are great - if you want to see the back country, get out and hike or rent a jeep and take some of the mountain roads. The leaves should be turning gold when you are there. Have a great time! Hookem.
Thanks Grasshopper. We are really looking forward to it. Never been to that part of Colorado. Had dinner tonight with the friends who are going with us- we've got the Jeep tour planned, Kebler pass and I am now looking for a flyfishing guide. Any suggestions. Know there are a couple of shops around. I like the photo idea- I only have a Cannon Powershot IS 10 but I have gotten some pretty good pictures with it.
Hope it's not too late to catch you before you leave, or maybe you took your laptop: Dining: - Awesome pizza at the Secret Stash - Best Mexican at Donita's. Don't fill up on chips, servings are huge. - Good buffalo burgers at the micro-brewery - Slogars is great - Bachanal is good. - Garlic Mike's in Gunnison. Activities: - Golf at the club. Links course at over 9000'. - Ride the chair lift up on Mt Crested Butte - Drive up to Lake Irwin. Walk down the creek coming out of the lake. Great series of water falls. - Ride up to Gothic up above Mt CB. Can either drive, or easy walk to Emerald Lake. Day Trips: - Red Stone and Marble. Hike up to the mine (easy). Eat dinner at the Redstone Inn. - Ouray. Go to the falls. Sauna and massages at the Weisbotten Inn. - Telluride. Where the money goes. - Ride the train between Durango and Silverton. - Cottonwood pass above the Taylor resevoire. - Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Can do on your way to Ouray. - Cut over Ohio Pass to Gunnison. Great waterfall at the end of the Anthracites. You'll pass by the town of Baldwin. Only thing left is 4-5 buildings. Used to be a town of 3000. Also see the Castles, a mountain carved by the wind. It's my son's middle name. Horseback: - There are a few outfitters. Tenderfoot is the one I would recommend. Hiking (full or muli-day): - It don't matter. Pick a direction and go. It's all beautiful. You can pick up trail maps at most of the shops in town. - Hike from Gothic up to Copper Lake. Can drop over the pass to Aspen. Or go to Triangle Pass to the Conundrum Hot Springs. Natural hot springs located right at timberline. - Hike around Lake Irwin. Lots of trails. Go up to the lodge and head towards the ridge above it. - There's a trail head on the Gunnison side of Ohio Pass that will take into the wilderness area. - Horse Ranch Park as you go over Kebler Pass has lots of trails. Lots of stuff to do/see. That sould keep you busy for a week. You may have to go back sometime.
Thanks, we are in Crested Butte. DId the drive up to Gothic and Emerald lake today. Tomorrow is Kebler Pass and Lake Irwin. We've got a couple other things in your list planned for next couple of days, but we'll ahve to come back.
Just got back a couple of days ago. Trip was great. Weather started out cold, wet, little bit of snow at higher elevations, By weekend warm and sunny days, cool nights. What an absolutely beautiful place. When we first drove up 135 and made the turn where you see the upper valley, it was just stunning. The aspens were turning and most were yellow. We made three drving trips- one up Gothic Road as far as Emerald Lake, the second up Kebler Pass and Irwin Lake, then down the Ohio Creek valley to the Castles, and the last was the Alpine Loop out of Lake City toward Whitmore Falls and Engineer Pass. All the drives were beautiful and we did some hiking in spots also. I recommend all three trips- but the Alpine Loop is the best, although the Ohio Creek Valley and the Castles are pretty special. We also did some simple hikes- part of the lower loop and others near town. Drive to/from Colorado Springs was neat- especially Monarch Pass. Was snowing a bit when we went over the first time. Not sure who skies at Monarch, that is really out of the way. My kids went there about 8 years ago on a church youth group trip. They had also gone to Crested Butte on the same trip in earlier years. In town we ate at Marchitelli's Gourmet Noodles and Timberline. I had one of the best meals I've ever had at Marchitelli's- elk scallopini that was excellent. Everyone in our group had something different and all were delicious. All of us felt this was one of the best meals we'd had. Wine prices were very good to- only about $10 over retail for a very nice red blend from Bolgheri region. Timberline was good, but Marchitell's was truly special. Frequented Camp 4 Coffee on a regular basis as well as the Eldo and The Princess Wine bar. Now, there is a contrast in settings for you. In fact, I have my Eldo t-shirt on right now. Crested Butte is a great little town just to walk around in and hang out- Ausitn on a much smaller scale? One thing that just killed me was not going fishing. Every turn where I could see the East River, the Slate, the Gunnison, the Lake Fork of the Gunnison- you name it- people were fly fishing. It was just killing me not to go. I did at least get to go in and talk with the guys at Dragonfly and talk about the fishing. Even the Kokanee salmon were running in the river. Didn't even know there was salmon there. Back to food and wine- we stopped at the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City and Mountain Spirit Winery outside Salida.(we flew in/out of Colorado Springs) Both were fun. We hit the Harvest Fest at the Abbey and really enjoyed that. Mountain Spirit is tiny but interesting. We had a few other Colorado wines that were pretty good. Best was the Alfred Eames Carmena- a red blend. If you sense a trend, I am a wine person. Will try anything new or different. The most different was a blackbrery Cabernet Franc blend from Mountain Spirit- sounds bad, but a grat picnic wine. Did I get some strange looks when I pulled that out. Sitting out, having lunch looking at the Castles, the Anthracite range and the Ohio Creek valley- the wine was pretty good. I wanted to do everything that was suggested, but we barely made a dent. Definitely going back. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. They really helped.
Don't forget the Taylor River. There are some real pigs the first 2-300 yards out of the spillway. I got me a double there last Summer, a nice bow, and a cutthroat. The reservoir is gorgeous in nice weather. The kokanee were schooling along the bank. Hundreds of them. I prefer the Butte in Winter.
