We finally returned to a very wet San Francisco this week. And while I was glad to hear that we had missed the brunt of the rains, it also made me miss the snow! California needs the moisture, but I definitely prefer snow over rain.
And did we get a lot of snow in Crested Butte! Over the course of the week, we had four days of snow, cumulatively dumping over two feet of powder. After our first day of snowshoeing, we were able to squeeze in two more snowshoe outings.
On a bright blue Saturday, after an epic snowfall, we drove to the Gothic/Snodgrass trailhead, which is located about 4 miles north of town. It’s hard to miss because in the winter time the rest of Gothic Road past this area is closed. From the parking lot we headed to our left, up Snodgrass Road, towards Teddy’s Winter Trail which does a short loop off to the right through the aspens. Between the altitude and the gradual elevation gain, I was getting a good workout. The trail eventually came to a wide open field with views of Mount Crested Butte. Going down was much more fun because we went off-piste and plunged through some deep snow, cutting off quite a bit of mileage.
Our next snowshoe outing was to Brush Creek. This time we headed south and drove up a county road that wound through a planned community and up a hill. It was a beautiful drive with pastoral views stretching out for miles. At the intersection, the trailhead was just to the left, inside Gunnison National Forest. Before entering the trail, we had asked a skier, who seemed like a local and in the know, whether there was any avalanche risk. He told us not for the first 1.5 miles. So off we went.
The flat trail paralleled the southern base of Mount Crested Butte and about 10 minutes in, we could see one section with a trace of unstable snow. Then we heard a loud “whumpf” —the warning sign of an imminent avalanche. We continued for another 5 minutes or so and then heard a second “whumpf” and decided to turnaround. Better safe than sorry. We practically ran back to the car, the cardio output making up for the shortness of the hike.
We also took several afternoon walks on snow-covered Butte Avenue which runs along the northern edge of the town, past the Lower Loop parking lot, out past the nordic trails. One afternoon we walked the Recreation Path that starts from the lower east side of town and goes all the way to Mount Crested Butte. The four-mile roundtrip path crosses the Slate River, past several homes and then alongside the river as it flows through a shallow ravine.
When not enjoying the winter wonderland, we sampled the town’s gastronomic landscape. There was The Eldo, a brewery that serves Himalyan food. Beer and momos, what a great combo. It brought back memories of my trip to Kathmandu. We went to our favorite pizza joint, the funky Secret Stash. Last time we were in Crested Butte we ate there twice. Two other places that we revisited were Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle and Ryce Asian Bistro. Marchitelli’s is not on the main street of Elk, but tucked away one block off on 3rd Street. We tried to walk-in one night but got turned away. Fortunately, we were able to make early dinner reservations for the following evening. Just like last time, I got the eggplant parmesan and it did not disappoint. At Ryce we sat at the bar and had our fill of sake, noodles and curry.
Of course, we did try some new places. In addition to The Eldo, there was The Breadery.
Of course, we did try some new places. In addition to The Eldo, there was The Breadery which me missed the first time we visited. The inside scoop is that they make and sell a limited amount of the most amazing bread. If you see a line of people outside before 5:00, that’s most likely what they are waiting for. We were able to pick up a loaf of jalapeño-cheddar one day and garlic rye the other.
For breakfast, we tried McGill’s, which serves classic diner fare, but more often than not, we spent morning’s at home, often with absolutely delightful pastries from Camp4Coffee. My favorite watering hole turned out to be the Public House, with it ample bar seating and comfortable booths.
I don’t often go back to the same places; there’s just too much of the world to see. However, on that first trip to Crested Butte over a year ago, I knew the town was a special place and coming back again to see the place covered in snow reinforced the magic that is Crested Butte.