Crested Butte Winter Wonderland

Feb. 26 Mar. 4, 2017 Trip Leader: Sandi Bianchi Dear CMC Member: Thank you for your interest in the Adventure Travel outing Crested Butte Winter Wonderland. To apply for a place on the outing, please complete the enclosed trip application and sign the cancelation policy and liability waiver; return them to the trip leader. Please review this welcome letter carefully as you consider applying for this trip. The group will have a maximum of 10 people including the leader. Accommodations are double occupancy. The cost of the trip is $1,700 for members and $1,900 for non-members. (Consider becoming a member.) Before applying, you may want to check with your significant other, employer, etc., to make sure you have the available time to do a 7-day trip. There is no guarantee of someone being on the waitlist to take your place if you have to cancel. Attendance at the get-to-know-you snowshoe and pre-trip meeting is mandatory. I will give you ample notice of the date, time and location. Once you apply, you will be notified if you are accepted for the outing. Once accepted, submit a $200 non-refundable deposit to the CMC to reserve a place (see cancellation policy). Please do not send money before it is requested. The remaining balance is payable by Jan. 1, 2017. Please let me know if you have any questions; I m at your disposal! Trip summary: By summer, Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado; by winter it s the state s premier snow paradise. With abundant snowfall, the charming Victorian mining town has something to offer every outdoor winter enthusiast from Alpine skiing to Nordic skiing to snowshoeing to telemarking to snow cat skiing. Surrounded on three sides by four wilderness areas Raggeds, West Elk, Maroon Bells-Snowmass and Collegiate Peaks the town screams backcountry adventure 24/7. Trip participants are free to choose their daily activity (Alpine, Nordic, snowshoe or Additional Adventure Options). The leader will offer a moderate to difficult snowshoe trip each day. Cross-country skiers are welcome to join the snowshoers. All trips will depart from our quaint B&B in the heart of Crested Butte; drive time to trailheads and Crested Butte Mountain Resort are minimal. The trip includes six nights of lodging, six breakfasts and dinners, four happy-hour morsels, five guided snowshoe trips, a guided historical walking tour of Crested Butte, sleigh ride to rustic mountain cabin for a dinner with a French flair, and a guided ecological snowshoe tour. Participants, at their own expense, are free to downhill ski at Crested Butte Mountain Resort or choose from a list of Additional Adventure Options: dog sledding, tubing, guided backcountry skiing on Mt. Emmons, guided ridge climb on Mt. Crested Butte and snow cat skiing on Scarp Ridge. After a day of fun, participants can compare notes on the day s activities over happy hour with tasty appetizers provided by the leader. We will dine each evening in the B&B or in local restaurants. Leader qualifications: Trip leader Sandi, a Colorado native, grew up fishing every weekend with her parents whom she fondly refers to as fishing fools. Traipsing the state far and wide to

find the elusive cutthroat trout, she explored more of Colorado as a child than most adults do in a lifetime. She shared her love of the outdoors with her three children through camping, hiking, biking and backpacking. Retired from corporate communications for a global medical device company, she now enjoys exploration of Colorado and the West, plus globetrotting with CMC members, friends, family and her sweetheart Ralph. When at home in Boulder, she is an avid gardener and composter; dancer (contra, waltz, swing and fox trot); organic, gluten-free cook; environmental and political activist; and grandmother of four. Sandi joined CMC in 1997 and became a trip leader a few years later. Besides leading hikes for the club, she was hike director for the club s 2014 and 2015 In-State Outings. She is trained in Wilderness First Aid (2014) and AIARI I avalanche training (2015). Sandi has organized and led trips to Havasu Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Grand Gulch, Colorado National Monument, Crested Butte, San Juan Islands, Oregon Coast, Baja, Machu Picchu, New Zealand and Fiji. She looks forward to re-exploring some of her favorite destinations with Adventure Travel participants. Trip description: Crested Butte is home to a world-class ski resort and plenty of snow. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is located 10 minutes north of town. Crested Butte Nordic Center is within walking distance of our quaint B&B, Elk Mountain Lodge. Cross-country and snowshoe trails fan out from the center of town in all directions, like spokes on a wheel. Every day can be a new adventure. Participants are free to downhill any of the five days. For those who want to snowshoe, the leader will guide you on five moderate to difficult snowshoe trips from our B&B, located in the center of Crested Butte. Trips will be from 5 to 8+ miles round trip with 300 to 1,500 feet of elevation gain. Cross-country skiers are welcome to join. Participants will need to have a high level of physical fitness and recent snowshoe activity with the leader or club. Perspective participants must register with leader to be considered for this trip. For the real adventurers on board, Additional Adventure Options may be your ticket to happiness. Participants have a chance to ride along or mush a team of dogs with Cosmic Sled Dog Tours on a wilderness trail for 40 to 50 minutes. If you haven t jumped on an inner tube since you were a kid, then tubing at Mount Crested Butte Resort is guaranteed to produce a ton of giggles and screams. For the adrenalin addicts, there s guided backcountry skiing on Mt. Emmons, guided ridge climbing on Mount Crested Butte and snow cat skiing on Scarp Ridge if a seat on the snow cat is available. Additional Adventure Options are at the participant s expense. Alpine lift tickets, Nordic passes and equipment rental are also at the participant s expense. The 19-room Elk Mountain Lodge, once home to Crested Butte coal miners, has a cozy living room, dining room and bar. The establishment lends itself well to happy hour around a crackling fire. The leader will provide tasty morsels for happy hour every night while participants spin their tales of fun and frolic from the day s events. Most evenings, we will eat at the B&B with the leader or caterers preparing the food. Mild to moderate dietary restrictions, such as gluten- or dairy-free can be accommodated for happy hour and dinner. The B&B offers an extensive complimentary breakfast menu featuring fresh fruit, yogurt, toast, bagels, cereal and at least one hot egg dish, pancakes, or French toast every day, plus lattes,

cappuccinos and mochas. The B&B is not set up to easily accommodate dietary restrictions. Participants with dietary restrictions may need to bring some of their own breakfast items. Breakfasts are included in the trip cost. The lodge s private bar is fully stocked with beer and wine; liquid libations are on the participant for lunches, happy hours and dinners throughout the trip. Because the lodge has generously allowed us to use their kitchen and dining room for happy hours and dinners, participants are encouraged to purchase happy hour libations from the lodge. Best of all, the B&B has a hot tub to soothe your aches and pains at the end of the day. Crested Butte hosts many high-quality restaurants. We will sample the farm-to-table, family-style menu at Supper at the Sunflower on the last evening for a celebratory dinner. Another evening, we will take a 30-minute, snow cat-driven sleigh ride to Uley s rustic mountain cabin for a fivecourse French dinner. Two evenings, the leader will provide all the fixings for a chili supper and pizza party where everyone makes their own pizza. The Crested Butte Personal Chefs will complete the food faire two other nights. All six dinners are included in the trip cost. Lunches are on the participant; participants can bring a cooler of lunch food and prepare their own lunch each day. This works best for participants planning to snowshoe or cross-country ski. Coolers are welcome in the rooms and the lodge has an ice machine. Participants who downhill may wish to make their own lunch or purchase lunch at the resort. Lunch may also be purchased in town. Participants are also free to take a day off from physical activity for exploring town, lunching, soaking in the hot tub, reading a book or taking a nap. Participants will enjoy a 1- to 1.5-hour guided historical walking tour of Crested Butte presented by the Crested Butte Historical Museum. The town has more than forty well-preserved buildings dating back to the late 1880s, and we will hear the tales their walls have to tell. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory will give participants an opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna of the valley. Even thought the laboratory is closed in the winter, one of its ecologists will take us on a guided snowshoe tour and tell us about what the laboratory is up to in the summer months when scientists from all over the world descend on the laboratory in Gothic to study the natural world. Tours are included in the trip cost. Don t miss this opportunity to enjoy winter activities in Crested Butte s Winter Wonderland with like-minded CMC friends! Accommodations: Built in 1919 to house miners, Elk Mountain Lodge (www.elkmountainlodge.com ) in Crested Butte is a small, family-owned hotel/b&b with 19 rooms. It is located in the heart of the town s historic district; all shops and restaurants are within easy walking distance. Accommodations are double occupancy; single supplements are available at an additional cost. Type of activity/level of activity: Snowshoe trips will be geared toward fit participants, who can snowshoe 5 to 8+ miles round trip with 300 to 1,500 feet of elevation gain at a moderate pace on five consecutive days.

Skills and training requirements: Participants need to demonstrate in the application process that they are strong snowshoers. They may be known to the leader or may provide references regarding their fitness levels and snowshoeing ability. Participants also need to be grouporientated; they should enjoy socializing with other participants and participating in group activities and meals. They should have a good attitude, self-reliance, tolerance, flexibility and respect for others. The leader places high priority on gathering participants who will positively contribute to the cohesiveness and congeniality of the group. Pre-trip activities: The leader will provide participants with a get-to-know-you snowshoe trip and a pre-trip meeting. Date, time and location to be announced. What s included in the trip fee: Six nights of double occupancy accommodation in B&B Six breakfasts Six dinners Four happy-hour morsels; restaurants will provide happy-hour morsels on nights we dine out Five guided snowshoe trips with experienced CMC winter trip leader with Wilderness First Aid and AIARE 1 training Guided 1-1.5 hour historical walking tour of Crested Butte with historian from the Crested Butte Historical Museum Guided 2- to 3-hour ecology snowshoe tour with ecologist from Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory 40-minute, snow cat drawn sleigh ride to Uley s Cabin for dinner Tips for lodge staff, caterers, restaurants, and tour guides One training snowshoe trip One pre-trip meeting Post party What s not included in the trip fee: Lunches Liquid libations for lunch, happy hour and dinner throughout trip Transportation to/from Crested Butte Transportation to/from TH and resort CMC carpool rates apply Alpine lift tickets, Nordic passes and equipment rental Additional Adventure Options: Dog sledding, tubing, guided backcountry skiing, guided ridge climbing, and snow cat skiing Single supplement Trip insurance, souvenirs, and incidentals Possible cost variations: Single supplement at lodge, $75 per night additional Alpine life tickets, adult $111 or senior 65+ $89 Nordic passes, adult $20, senior 60-69 $15, super senior 70+ free Equipment rental Additional Adventure Options: Dog sledding with Cosmic Cruisers Sled Dog Tours offers 40- to 50-minute dog sled rides. You can choose to ride in the sled and your guide will run the team while you relax and enjoy the run through a forested area of Washington Gulch or the tour company will give you complete instruction, equipment orientation, dog placement and command information to allow you to run your own team! You will run 4 to 5 dogs while standing on sprint sled following your guide who is in front of you running another team. $150 per person for 40-50 minute ride; $175 per person to mush the

dogs yourself. (The self-mushed team can be shared among several people, mushing the dogs for 10 to 15 minutes each.) Tubing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, $21 per person for 4 hours of lift-served tubing, 1 to 5pm daily. Irwin Guides provides the following: o Guided backcountry skiing from the summit of Mt. Emmons, 3,200 vertical feet from summit to base, $345 per person per day; 2 or more people $195 per person per day. The tour includes a professional ski guide, avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe) if you do not have your own, Mammut RAS Air Backpack (limited availability inquire when booking); client to guide ration is 4:1 max; a sack lunch is available for $15 per day. o Guided ridge climbing on Mount Crested Butte, $395 per person per day; 2 or more people $265 per person per day. After a roped ascent of a few hours, you ll arrive on the 12,162 foot summit of Mount Crested Butte. Upon reaching the summit, based on our skill level and snow and weather conditions, you will walk or rappel back to the Silver Queen lift. Or for those looking for more of a challenge, you can ski down to the base area. The tour includes one-time lift ticket ride on Crested Butte Mountain Resort s Silver Queen lift and all necessary non-ski gear. Client to guide ratio is 2:1 max; a sack lunch is available for $125 per day. o Guided snow cat skiing on Scarp Ridge, if snow cat seat is available, $630 per person per day. Although Lake Irwin/Scarp Ridge is only 10 minutes from the town of Crested Butte as the crow flies, it receives three times more snow than the town itself. At an average of 600 inches per year, the area is considered a powder mecca, often compared to Alta, Utah and the Canadian Rockies. Scarp Ridge offers a wide variety of terrain to meet everyone s skill sets. Advanced skiers can enjoy the challenging terrain with 40 to 40 degree slopes varying from open alpine bowls, steep narrow chutes/couloirs, and tight tree skiing. Many rock cliffs offer the chance to catch between 5 to 40 feet of air. More relaxed skiers can enjoy low angle, wide open runs. The tour includes full day of guided snow cat skiing, use of Wagner custom skis (boots excluded), avalanche beacon, and hot lunch at the Movie Cabin. Detailed itinerary, avalanche hazard and weather permitting: Please be advised that this itinerary could change depending upon avalanche conditions and weather. Participants should be flexible and realize that changes to the itinerary may be necessary for the safety of the group. Get-to-know-you snowshoe trip of 5 to 8+ miles RT with 300 to 1,500 feet elevation gain TBA. Pre-trip meeting TBA. Sunday, Feb. 26: Travel to Crested Butte at your leisure, check-into B&B after 3pm, meet for happy hour at 6pm; chili supper at 7pm; orientation meeting, general information and review of Monday s snowshoe trip to follow. Monday, Feb. 27: Breakfast at 7:30am; depart B&B at 9am for Crested Butte Nordic Center. Located on the south end of town, we can walk from the B&B. Forty kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails await us, plus snowshoe options. Avalanche possibility low. Nordic pass required. Meet for lunch at 1pm, socialize, rejuvenate and then take a 1-1.5 hour historical walking tour of Crested Butte. Or return to lodge. Happy hour at 6pm; dinner at 7pm with meeting for Tuesday s snowshoe trip to follow. Tuesday, Feb. 28: Breakfast at 7:30am; depart B&B at 9am for Snodgrass Mountain Trail, 4.6

miles round trip, 680 feet of elevation gain. Drive time: 10 minutes. Avalanche possibility low. No Nordic pass required. Additional Adventure Option: After the snowshoe, Washington Gulch is just around the corner where you can choose to partake in a 40 to 50-minute dog sled ride through a forested area. You can ride in the sled with the musher guiding the team or you can run the dogs yourself. Or return to the lodge. Happy hour at 6pm; make-your-own Pizza Party at 7pm with meeting for Wednesday s snowshoe trip to follow. Wednesday, Mar. 1: Breakfast at 7:30am; depart B&B at 9am for Crested Butte Mountain Resort, 6 miles of snowshoe trails. Drive time: 10 minutes. Avalanche possibility low. No Nordic pass required. Meet for lunch at 1pm, socialize, rejuvenate and then pop for steering your inner tube down the tubing hill at participant s expense or head back to the lodge. The day ends with a sleigh ride to Uley s Cabin for happy hour and dinner. Thursday, Mar. 2: Breakfast at 7:30am; depart B&B at 9am for two- to three-hour guided ecological snowshoe tour with ecology steward from Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Location to be announced. Happy hour at 6pm dinner at 7pm with meeting for Friday s snowshoe trip to follow. Friday, Mar. 3: Breakfast at 7:30am; if avalanche and weather conditions are favorable, depart B&B at 9am for Gothic Road trailhead, 10 miles RT, 340 feet of elevation gain. Drive time: 20 minutes. Gothic has many old buildings from the turn of the century. Avalanche possibility low to moderate along most of the route, but high near Snodgrass and Gothic Mountains. No Nordic pass required. If avalanche and weather conditions are not favorable, depart B&B for Green Lake Trail, 9 miles RT, 1,580 feet of elevation gain. Drive time: 10 minutes, but need drop off as no parking at TH. Avalanche possibility low in the forest, but moderate to high on the west side of the lake. No Nordic pass required. Happy hour and dinner at Supper at the Sunflower at 6:15pm. Saturday, Mar. 4: Breakfast at your leisure between 7:30 and 9am. Check-out B&B by 10:30am. Depart Crested Butte at your leisure. Post-trip party TBA.