White gold. Over 21 feet of it has fallen since the lifts starting spinning in November and the conditions have been stellar all season long. The impressive snow reports and Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s new focus on “drive to” market areas including the Front Range of Colorado, has resulted in a nice economic boost this winter. With a month remaining this season, CBMR reports an increase of 16% in skier visits. In turn, their lodging business spiked significantly this winter with March seeing a big 35% increase in bookings from last year.
Skiers from the Denver and Boulder areas are embracing the four hour plus drive to Crested Butte for the abundant snow but also to avoid Interstate 70 and the crowded ski areas along its corridor. I guess those 8-hour long traffic jams, overnight road closures and long lift lines make our ski resort an obvious choice.
The great snow and sunny weather this week greeted the first of many spring break vacationers expected to hit town all month long. Texas schools are on vacation now and it appears many Texans took advantage of the direct ski jet service from Houston and Dallas. There are lots of happy, goggle-tanned people walking around town in the evenings.