SpringSki Mountaineering Season has arrived to Crested Butte, Colorado, with warmer and longer days, and a mostly stable snowpack with great overall coverage. We have all been getting out as much as possible, skiing some of the bigger lines in the area. Local alpine peaks, steep faces, tight couloirs, and combinations of all the above….coupled with a chilly dawn start and afternoon apres beers on our front porch mean only one thing…..spring is here !!!

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is set to close for the season this Sunday, April 3rd…..so with the official end of the lift-served skiing here in Crested Butte, comes a mass exodus of locals and tourists alike, as town quiets down and the local hardcore backcountry ski mountaineering enthusiasts start to relish in the beauty of the steep and challenging alpine lines that we’ve been eyeing all winter long. And, as per usual, daily conditions have been typical spring time like weather, with the occasional powder day here and there, and 36″ of snow the last week of March, making for the continuation of a year of some darn good powder skiing.

Crested Butte Mountain Guides still has a few spaces left in both of our April Spring Ski Mountaineering Camps, so if anyone out there is thinking about not hanging up the boards just yet, come join us in the Crested Butte backcountry. Learn the basics of technical skills of crampon, ice axe, basic rope work, and steep skiing techniques from our AMGA Guides…..

Spring also means traveling farther abroad for some CBMG Ski Guides, as CBMG Senior Guide, Steve Banks (IFMGA Guide) is currently on his way across the pond to Chamonix, France to guide the World-Famous Haute Route Ski Tour for the 4th consecutive year in a row. Look for a trip report from Steve soon….as we know Steve and CBMG Guests; Andy, Dan, and Paul will have an awesome time ski touring in the European Alps.

For those of us closer to home….no worries…the skiing outside Crested Butte will be really good for the weeks to come, and the “14er” Ski Mountaineering season here in Colorado is just coming into prime shape for getting some bigger ski lines and descents on some iconic peaks.

Here’s looking forward to the continuation of a great ski season (over 600″ in the backcountry)…..and the transition into the spring ski mountaineering season…..

—CBMG Guide Staff