I needed a place where I could spend 2 weeks in September training for an upcoming Everest Base Camp trek. Colorado seemed like a great choice. It had been over a decade since our last visit to the state, and there was no shortage of mountain towns where we could work during the day and then easily hit the trails afterwards and get acclimated to the higher elevations.
After a bit of research we picked Breckenridge and Crested Butte. Both towns have decent elevations and offer great hiking without having to drive long distances. Breckenridge also had the advantage of being a reasonably short 2-hour drive from Denver, which meant that we could fly in on Wednesday morning and be ready to work that afternoon.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Breckenridge
We stayed at Marriott’s Mountain Valley Lodge for 3 nights. Our cozy studio had views of the ski slopes and a well-equipped kitchen, which we took advantage of for most of our meals.
The resort is located on the south end of Main Street so one night we headed out to explore the shops and had dinner at The Canteen Tap House and Tavern. Downtown Breck (as the locals call it) was bigger than I expected and I wished we had more time to wander around.
I also wasn’t leaving Breckenridge without getting at least one hike in. My search parameters quickly narrowed it down to the McCullough Gulch Trail. With our parking reservation in hand we headed out at 6:45 a.m. only to find that AllTrails had taken us 20 minutes in the opposite direction of where we needed to be. By the time we arrived at the trailhead parking lot it was 7:30 a.m (our slot started at 7:00 a.m. and ended at 10:30 a.m.). We also then only realized that it was 2 miles from the lot to the trailhead. Fortunately, we were able to take the Summit Express shuttle most of that distance. By the time we started the hike it was already 8:00 a.m.
It was a beautiful hike, though, and well-worth the rookie mistakes we made that morning. The trail was generally well-signed and wound through pine forests, meadows and plenty of rocky sections.
We could definitely feel our hearts pumping and we did our best to stay hydrated. As we gained elevation we came upon White Falls and then continued until we reached a crest and could see the lower lake. We scrambled down to the shore, hanging on to hats and packs (it was really gusty). Took a few photos then turned around. We were running out of time. Not only was our parking reservation expiring, we still had to check out of the hotel.
While we felt fine during the hike, the altitude (~11,000 feet on the trail, 9,600 feet in Breck) finally caught up to us because we both felt like crap as we made the 3-hour drive to Crested Butte. No amount of hydration seemed to fend off the headache that was making its way across my forehead. Regardless, we powered through, and even managed to enjoy the stunning scenery along the way.
Crested Butte
We stayed at an Airbnb hosted by Sara in Mt Crested Butte, just up the hill from Crested Butte proper. Lodging was definitely cheaper than staying in town. The two are a quick 5-10 minute drive apart so going into Crested Butte for dining and retail wasn’t really a hassle.
For our first weekend we went out every meal. Dinner on Saturday was at Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle, a family-run Italian restaurant. I really enjoyed my eggplant parmesan, and Chris liked his Sicilian seafood pasta. Breakfast the next morning was bagels from Butte Bagels. Long line. Not the best bagels in my opinion, but not too bad if toasted. Lunch was a burrito from Teocalli Tamale. And dinner was fantastic pizza from Secret Stash. We made our own 20” pepperoni with fig pie so that we would have leftovers. Really nicely browned crust with great chew.
Sunday afternoon, right before dinner, we squeezed in a short 4.6 miles hike just outside of town called the Crested Butte Upper and Lower Loop. Easy trail (no significant elevation) with great views of the surrounding mountains and meadows.
The rest of the week was pretty much focused on work. We had a few days of rain, which made us feel better about being inside. One night we went out for dinner at Sherpa Cafe, one of two restaurants in CB that had Nepalese momos on the menu.
Friday finally rolled around. In the afternoon we tackled a portion of the West Maroon Bells Pass trail. It was an absolutely beautiful drive into the Gunnison National Forest, with mountains all around us, meadows and even a lake. A 4×4 would definitely have been better but our Hyundai Ioniq did just fine although we almost bottomed out a few times. Because it had rained that morning and the dark clouds were still lingering in the distance, we didn’t want to take our chances and just hiked to the second trail sign, right before you turn to go up the pass. It ended up being a good 1.5 hour round trip hike with amazing views. This trail goes all the way to Aspen and we encountered lots of people coming from that direction. Note to self: a fun hike to do next time.
Dinner that evening was at Ryce Asian Bistro. We ordered Chinese dumplings (pork), Vietnamese spring rolls, gyoza (chicken), Yushan eggplant and Thai panang curry with tofu and vegetables. (Okay, we were hungry.) Everything was good, especially the eggplant which had nice heat and was a generous portion. Lots of leftovers.
We did a big hike the next day from the base area at 9,380 feet to the summit of Crested Butte Mountain (not to be confused with the town) at 12,162 feet. Since the mountain was right across the street from us, it was one of those things we just had to do.
From the Westside trail, we connected to the Yellow Brick Road and traversed our way to the Peak Trail. I was ready to turn back a few times, after looking up and seeing dark clouds overhead, but in the end we kept pushing for the top and I was glad we did.
Not only did we see a red fox on the trail, but also once we got to the top, we were the only ones up there. It took us 3.5 hours to go from base to summit, and then another 2 hours to go back to catch the Red Lady Express Lift. I was grateful to be sitting and letting the lift do all the hard work of getting us back down the mountain.
Denver
On Sunday we left CB and headed back to Denver. It was a 5-hour drive in reverse and we stopped for a short hike near the Continental Divide. Walking to the top of the lookout at 12,000 feet was a piece of cake! We were rewarded with beautiful 360-degree views.
That night in Denver we enjoyed an outstanding dinner at Tavernetta. Chris and I shared squash blossoms and linguine nero. I had the swordfish for my secondi while he had steak. Afterwards we walked inside and around Union Station and were just amazed at how European it all felt. I absolutely loved it and we kept wondering why we didn’t have this in San Francisco!
We spent the rest of the week working from the hotel. The Courtyard Denver Cherry Creek was a good base for us. Certainly not the most interesting neighborhood, but it was close to the airport and with a car, everything was within a short drive. What I appreciated about the hotel was the indoor pool. We ended up eating a lot of take out. But I wasn’t disappointed! Both restaurants we tried were located literally down the street from the Courtyard. One night it was the dry hot and spicy pot with chicken from the Bronze Empire. So good! My mouth was almost numb but I couldn’t stop eating. The next evening it was ramen from Ajinoya.
While we were happy to get back home, Colorado definitely left a stronger impression on me this time around. Beautiful scenery, great food and a reminder that it’s generally worth re-visiting places since a lot can change (usually for the better) in 10 years!
Coda
When we did the McCullough Gulch Trail hike, we parked in the paid lot. However, I could not get over this sign for the parking lot right next to it. Got a good laugh. It’s terrible to see how everything in the USA is being polarized. The great outdoors should be the last place for politics.
Additional Info
- We flew United Airlines between San Francisco and Denver.
- Dining and retails options are more plentiful in Crested Butte. However, lodging is cheaper in Mount Crested Butte and you’re right at the foot of the mountain. Given the short distance between the two towns, it’s pretty fast to go from one to the other.
- More info about summer and winter activities on the mountain can be found here.