A kid friendly guide to Crested Butte and Gunnison, Colorado

Gunnison/Crested Butte Colorado Family Activity Guide
Winter 2007
Activities in the Valley

We watch the snow gather on the mountain tops little by little. We hear the town buzzing like bees making honey. We see the rosy cheeks of our friends and their smiles getting bigger and bigger.

We feel the excitement that comes with the crisp air as each day gets shorter, and closer, until.... Winter is finally here! And our town is in full swing doing what it does best, being a one-of-a-kind ski town with many great activities to offer and our charm and beauty. Let us guide you through all of the events, indoor and outdoor activities, and art/music/dance that Crested Butte and Gunnison have to offer. May you have a wonderful season!

Special Events and Festivals

We take every chance we can to celebrate, and usually in crazy costumes. From the holidays to ski races to Mardi Gras, it's all a party. So don't be surprised when a local whizzes by you on the slopes in a bikini, or if the skier or boarder who wins the Big Air Competition at Winter Carnival is wearing a pink tutu.

Gunnison Candy Land Holiday Weekend
The window decorating contests kicks off the "candy land" holiday weekend on Thursday, November 29. Businesses all over Gunnison are encouraged to participate. Friday November 30 is the "night of lights." Main Street will be closed from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Light sculptures and vendors will be open from 5:30 to 7:30. Santa will arrive to light the tree at 6:30: Count down at the Art Center.
Chamber member businesses will be giving "candy cash" with sales of $50.00 or more. Holiday shoppers can take their candy cash to the Gunnison Chamber of Commerce any time during business hours the next week and draw a candy cane for each Candy Cash Coupon, good for cash and great prizes! At the minimum they will receive $5.00 for each coupon and a candy cane. December 1 is the "greenback exchange" at the Bank of the West foyer. Holiday open houses will be held Sunday, December 2.

The Holiday Bazaar
Head over to the CB Community School on 12/1 and support local artists and craftsmen while you do a little holiday shopping. Enjoy delicious refreshments and get pictures taken with Santa.

10K Classic and 10K Skate Citizens Race
These timed races in a relaxing atmosphere are offered for visitors and locals by the Crested Butte Nordic Center (CBNC) on 12/2 (classic) and 12/9 (skate). Children's races begin at 9:30 a.m. with a fee of $5. Adult races begin at 10 a.m. with a fee of $12, or $10 for pass holders. Call 970-349-1707 for more information.

Rocky Mountain Holidays
This Crested Butte holiday celebration offers a variety of festive activities taking place in December. A few events include pictures with Santa, Light Up Night (a parade down Elk Ave. with Santa to light the tree on 12/8 at 5 p.m.), best snowman contest, story time, and cookies and cocoa with Father Christmas at the Heritage Museum. As dates and times for these activities are still tentative, please call the CB Chamber of Commerce at 970-349-6438 or visit www.cbchamber.com closer to the holiday season. Good Morning America is coming to Crested Butte to cover the tree lighting ceremony and the procession.

Gunnison Night of Lights
This celebration brings downtown Gunnison alive with music, beautiful light sculptures and a visit from Santa. The festivities take place from 6-8 p.m. on 11/30. Make sure your kids get there in time to help Santa light the giant Christmas tree.

Skiathalon
Held by the CBNC on 12/15, this race combines classic and skate skiing. Race times and fees are the same as the Citizen Races. Call 970-349-1707 for details.

CB Youth Holiday Hockey Camp
This great early-season training tool, sponsored by the Wooden Nickel, is free for all junior participants from CB and Gunnison who are enrolled in the hockey program. The camp occurs the third week of December after school for three evenings. Check local papers mid-December for updates on times and further information.

Torchlight Parade
Head up to the ski base area before dusk on Christmas Eve to view this beautiful spectacle of lights. CB Mountain Schools take part and lead from the top of the Silver Queen lift down to the base area.

New Year's Eve celebration and fireworks
A fun-filled evening at Crested Butte Mountain Resort includes a torchlight parade, spectacular fireworks display with a mountain backdrop and tons of fun!

DC Profurious Park & Pipe Series
Both skiers and snowboarders can compete in this series running 12/31, 2/3, 3/2, 3/29 and 3/30. The divisions include 10 and under, 11-14, 15-17, 18 and over, and a more competitive open class for men and women. Call 970-349-2221 for more info.

21st Annual Alley Loop Cross Country Ski Race
Join the locals' favorite Nordic race of the year on 2/22 and wind through Crested Butte's historic alleyways in a 5, 10, 21 or 42K marathon. Open to racers of all ages and abilities, this is also a great spectators event. A Winter Carnival is tentative at this point, but is held the same weekend as the Alley Loop. Call the CB Chamber for more information at 970-349-6438 or visit the chamber's web site.

Mardi Gras
The next best thing to NOLA'S original is Crested Butte's family-friendly five-day bash from 2/2-5. Festivities include a Fat Tuesday Parade on Elk Ave., the Masquerade Ball, as well as lots of live music. So break out your beads, masks, and green, purple and gold, and head downtown for a jazz'n good time!

USSA Race-Dan Prater Memorial Cup
Athletes ages 11-12 compete in this three-event, five-race series to qualify for the Junior Olympics. The Central/Rocky Mountain Division is held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort 2/22-24.

Wendi Fisher's "Fishski" Camp for Girls
A wonderful opportunity for girls ages 11-17 to attend this freeskiing camp hosted by Wendi Fisher; former US Ski Team Member, 2005 Freeskiing Champion, 1992 Olympian, and two time World Freeskiing champion. Held on 12/23-24 and 2/17-18. Call 970-209-0256 or visit their web site for more information.

Cashore Marionettes
Appearing at the Center for the Arts in Crested Butte on 2/24 at 7 p.m. is Simple Gifts, a marionette performance - a series of character portrayals and scenes from everyday life.
By definition, a Marionette is "a puppet controlled from above by string." Joseph Cashore has hand crafted and created marionettes creating a completely new control mechanism. The award-winning puppeteer uses the marionettes' graceful and refined movements move to classical music including composers such as Vivaldi, Strauss and Beethoven. The show "Simple Gifts" is recommended for adults and children age 8 and older. Contact Center for the Arts in Crested Butte web site for more information, or call (970) 349-7487 for more information.

Bonfire Dinner
At this Crested Butte Nordic Center hosted event, participants can ski or snowshoe from course to course in this unique dining experience. Seating times are 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. on Friday 3/22 at the Town Ranch Trails (behind the CB Community School). Proceeds benefit CB Junior Nordic Team. $35 for adults and $15 for children.

Easter Egg Hunt
A free Easter egg hunt will be held Sunday, 3/23 at Mountaineer Square in the outdoor courtyard. All children up to 10 years of age are invited and they must be accompanied by an adult. The hunt commences at 11am.

Outdoor Activities

Nordic Skiing

Gunnison
W Mountain Trailhead. These great flat trails are free, rated easy and are groomed for classic and skate skiing. Snowshoers are welcome to walk outside of the groomed ski tracks. Take Hwy. 50 east to Teller St., go south on Teller St. to San Juan Ave. The trailhead is to the left. Please respect signs and stay on trails.
Jorgensen Park Trails. Free trails, groomed classic and skate skiing, flat and short, make them perfect for beginners. Take Hwy. 50 east to the ice rink. Trails begin at the warming hut.
Western State College Practice Field Trails. These trails are free and for beginners to intermediates. Take Main St. (Hwy. 135) north to Denver St., go east to Colorado St., north to Escalante Dr., and east to the WSC pool parking lot. Park here and cross Escalante to the trailheads.
Hartman Rocks. This beautiful area in rural Gunnison offers easy to difficult trails groomed for classic and skate skiing. Beginners and intermediates should stick to the lower trails. Drive west on Hwy. 50 to County Rd. 38 (Gold Basin Rd.), then south two miles to the Hartman Rocks Trailhead on your right.

Crested Butte
For a map of Nordic trails in the Crested Butte area, visit the CB Nordic Center on the corner of 2nd and Whiterock. Lessons offered include Kids Never Ever Package, Learn to Ski Package, and Learn to Skate Ski for Free. Call 970-349-1707 by the Tuesday before to reserve your spot.

Sledding Hills

Grab your sleds and head over to the Western State College sledding hill (follow directions in Nordic section to the WSC Practice Field Trails). In Crested Butte, the Big Mine Park (located on the corner of 3rd and Whiterock) has a sledding hill behind the skate park. Both are sure to provide plenty of family fun. The Crested Butte Nordic Center rents sleds for $5 a day and helmets are strongly recommended. Crested Butte Mountain Resort has two tubing hills, one open during the day at the top of Painter Boy and another at the base of the Red Lady Express which opens after the lifts close. Remember, there is no sledding permitted at the Ski Area.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
Make sure the little ones pick up a Kids Trail Map so they can maneuver whatever slopes suit their abilities on their way over to the Kids Park at the top of Painter Boy to hit the mini halfpipe, rails, tabletops, and score big air on the beginner hits. Keep your eyes open for Bubba and Betty Bear. When you need to warm your nose and toes, head into the CB Zone (open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Treasury Center) for some pizza, foosball, video games and movies on the big screen TV. Call Kids World at 970-349-2259 to sign up for a kids' night out. Activities include a kids night on the town on Wednesdays, tubing and pizza on Thursdays and Saturdays, and tubing, torchlight parade and pizza on Fridays. For more family-friendly information on their web site, click here.

Nastar Racing
Race your friends (or mom and dad) on Smith Hill at Crested Butte Mountain Resort from 10-3:30 weather permitting. Cost is $6 for 2 runs and $1 for each additional run, or $10 for all day. You can even win a medal to take home!

Cranor Hill Ski Area. Gunnison's downhill ski area offers beginner and intermediate terrain serviced by one Poma Lift when snow permits. Follow Hwy. 135 north one-half mile to County Rd. 10, take a right and go three miles to Cranor Hill. Call 970-641-8060 for more information.

Monarch Ski Area. "Lose the crowds, not your family!" Located on Monarch Pass (Hwy. 50), this resort offers family-friendly terrain perfect for children and beginners, as well as
runs. The very short walking distance from the parking lot to the lifts makes Monarch perfect for the little ones. Visit www.skimonarch.com for more information.

Snowshoeing
The old saying, "If you can walk, you can snowshoe" is certainly true. It just depends upon whether you want to snowshoe to a mountain peak, down a snow-packed county road, a mountain trail or groomed flat trails. For a peaceful change of pace, give it a try. Snowshoe rentals are available at most sporting good stores.

Gunnison
A few trails that allow snowshoeing in Gunnison are Hartman Rocks, Mill Creek Trailhead and the W Mountain Trailhead (directions in Nordic Section). Please stay outside the groomed ski tracks. Blue Mesa Reservoir is perfect for off-trail exploring with a beautiful backdrop.

Crested Butte
The CB Peanut Lake Trail is perfect for beginners and the Gothic Mountain Trail is a great out-and-back. Crested Butte Mountain Resort offers snowshoeing tours at the ski resort. Tipi Lunch Tours offered by the Crested Butte Nordic Center give a fun go-at-your-own-pace small group environment as you venture to their "Magic Meadows Tipi." Meet Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the CBNC. Fees are $50 for children and $60 for adults.

Snowmobiling
Zoom through the Gunnison National Forest covering more ground than you ever thought possible on the latest SkiDoo sled. Helmets, suits and boot rentals are available. Children can ride in the front or back of mom's or dad's sled and teens 16 and up with a valid driver's license can drive their own. Snowmobiling doesn't have to be "extreme." There are many easy snow-packed roads and trails that are perfect for that family Sunday drive. Call one of the many snowmobile companies, such as Burt Rentals Snowmobiles at 970-349-2441, to make a reservation. Small group tours and private tours are available.

Ice Skating
Gunnison's Packman Pond offers three ice rinks free of charge for leisure figure skating and hockey. Skate rentals are available at the warming hut for a small fee. Call 970-641-8060 for information on open skate times and hockey game schedules.
Crested Butte's Big Mine Ice Rink located at the Nordic Center in Big Mine Park is open to the public from early December through late February, weather permitting.
Lessons are available through the CB Recreation Department. Call 970-349-5338 for lesson information. For open skate times call the Ice Line at 970-349-0974. Crested Butte South also has an ice rink available to the public between hockey games and lessons.

Hockey
For those of you who like to watch, call the Ice Line at 970-349-0974 or the Gunnison Recreation Center at 970-641-8060 for game times. Head to the Big Mine Ice Rink in Crested Butte or the Ice Rink in Gunnison and get ready to ring those cowbells!

Sleigh Rides
Take a journey through the snow on a horse-drawn sleigh ride. Witness our wonderful wildlife and stop for hot cocoa on these hour-long trips. Call Fantasy Ranch 970-349-5425 to make a reservation or visit their website at www.fantasyranchoutfitters.com. For a sleigh ride dinner in the East River Valley and a delicious home cooked meal with your family, call Lazy F Bar for reservations at 970-349-7593 or visit their website.

Dog Sled Tours
Venture through the back country in a way you'll never forget! Enjoy the morning sunshine or take a lunch ride instead, complete with soup and home baked bread. Call the Lucky Cat Dog Farm at 970-641-1636 to make reservations.

Bald Eagle Watching
Blue Mesa Reservoir and the bank of the Gunnison River (near Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery off Hwy. 135) are great spots to view these beautiful birds as they fish for their dinner, and warm their feathers on the tops of spruce and cottonwood trees growing on the water's edge. Bighorn Sheep can sometimes be seen a short drive up County Rd. 742 (in Almont) in Taylor Canyon. Watch for signs indicating "Bighorn Sheep Viewing Area."

Indoor Activities

Gunnison Parks and Recreation
After-school programs are available offering a variety of activities including cheerleading, gymnastics, hockey, football, rock climbing, swimming, Tae Kwon Do, volleyball and Wee gatherings. A climbing wall, game room, foosball, video games, open gym times and birthday party packages are also available. For more information call 970-641-8060 or visit their website.

Crested Butte Recreation Department
The CBRD offers ice skating lessons, hockey, gymnastics, tumble bugs, and more. Most are organized activities that last several weeks. However, there are some open gym times for basketball, and Jerry's Gym is available for birthday parties. Call 970-349-5338 or visit their web site for further information.

Western State College Games Area
Located in the basement of the College Union Building, there are pool tables, a bowling alley, table tennis, foosball tables and video games. Contact Jana for information about reserving space for birthday parties. Call 970-943-2066 for further information.

Majestic Theatre
Located in Crested Butte next to Clark's Market, this is the only movie theatre in the valley. They offer new movies for children and adults, as well as an occasional showing of older classics and big-screen viewing of Monday Night Football games. For more information, call 970-349-8955 or visit their web site.

Tumble Bugs
This is a great open gym program that lets parents socialize while kids ages crawling to 3 burn their energy by see-sawing, riding scoot bikes, playing basketball, crawling through tunnels, going down slides and basically, running in circles, all ended by a relaxing circle time. Held every Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:30 a.m. October through May at Jerry's Gym in Town Hall. The cost is $5 per drop in, $20 for five sessions, $35 for ten sessions, $60 for twenty sessions, and $100 for an unlimited pass.

Storytime
The libraries in Gunnison and Crested Butte offer fun computer games for kids, cozy reading areas, and free movie, CD and books-on-tape rentals. Story time is available in Crested Butte as follows: Age 3 and under Tuesdays 10:45-11 a.m. and ages 3-5 Thursdays 10:30-11 a.m. They are located at 507 Maroon and can be reached at 970-349-6535. Their hours of operation are Mon., Wed., Fri. 10-6, Tues., Thurs. 10-7, and Sat. 10-2. The Gunnison Branch holds a Baby Book Club with stories, songs and rhymes for infants and toddlers on Tuesdays from 10-10:30 a.m., and preschool age story time on Wednesdays at 11:30-12. They also offer a family "Pajama Party" storytime at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday: Be sure to bring a comfy pillow and your favorite stuffed animal! They are located at 307 N. Wisconsin and can be reached at 970-641-3485. The hours are Mon., Wed., Fri. 10-5:30, Tues., Thurs. 10-8, and Sat. 10-4.

Crested Butte Heritage Museum
Located on the corner of Elk Ave. and 4th St., this museum has a replica of the 1920's train that ran around the Gunnison Valley, the Denver Grand Rio. There are also ranching/cowboy, mining and old ski equipment displays, as well as a great gift shop with toys and souvenirs. Tours are given for groups of 10 or more and admission for children is $3. Call 970-349-1880 for details.

Coachlight Lanes
Located in Gunnison at 405 W. Tomichi (Hwy. 50), this newly remodeled bowling alley offers electronic scoring, electronic bumper bowling for the kids, pool tables, video games and air hockey. Call 970-641-1171 for open bowling times.

Specialty Stores
Nomadic Spirits in Crested Butte offers a great crystal rock and mineral collection with a special and very affordable "kids rock" section, as well as a variety of beads. The Doll House Collection in Gunnison has handcrafted dollhouse miniatures that are available for viewing and for sale. The owner loves to introduce children to this art form and no purchase is necessary. Call 970-641-0171 to set up a viewing time.

Clubs

4-H
4-H learning experiences are designed to help youth work with others in real life situations. Project activities include child development, food and nutrition, clothing and fiber, natural resources, gardening, computers, and veterinary science and programs for farm youth. Members must be between the ages of 5 and 18. 4-H enrollment is open year 'round but members need to designate a project by May 1 of each year. Contact Nadine Henry at 970-641-1620 for more information. Children can lease a goat or sheep for the cost of $1 per animal plus eight hours of labor per month with the "Get your Goat Club." Labor includes grooming, health care, feeding, chores, teaching a goat to lead, and more. Contact Ann Bertshy at 970-641-5383 for more information.

Music, Dance and Art

Crested Butte Mountain Theatre
Class Action. This is a teen production about classmates in school.
A Christmas Story. This holiday play tells the classic story of Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB gun. Bring the family down for one of the fun performances! For dates and times call 970-349-0366.

Munchkin Music
These fun music and movement classes give parents and children ages birth through 4 a great developmental experience based on adult/child interaction. Classes are held at the Crested Butte Town Hall and at the Main Street Studio in Gunnison. The winter session will be running mid-January through April. Drop-ins are welcome upon availability. Call Karen at 970-349-9639 for further information on fees and dates.

Bouncing Babies
Similar to munchkin music, only these fun parent/baby classes take place in Gunnison on Thursdays from 11-11:30 10/-12/6. Call the Gunnison Arts Center 970-641-4029 for more details.

Private Lessons
Nancy Church offers piano lessons 970-209-7799. Paul O'Sullivan offers guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and banjo lessons 970-641-0123. Ken Todd teaches violin 970-943-2162. Flute and piano lessons are offered by Sarah at 970-349-0817.

Voice Lessons
Cassia Montromery, Lyric Soprano, BMUS in Vocal Performance offers voice lessons once a week. They are held Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Breathe Control, Vocal Technique are combined with rhythm and piano exercises. Half-hour lessons are $20.00 or 45-minute lessons are available at $30.00. Private in home studio lessons are accompanied with piano for grades seven through adult. Parents are encouraged to sit in the study and listen during students lessons to encourage insight into the technique and practice required. To sign up for lessons please call 970-349-0649 or e-mail Cassia.

Piano Lessons
Becky Weidman offers piano lessons after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $15.00 for half-hour sessions. Contact Becky at 720-841-2067 or e-mail Becky.