Crested Butte Vacation Travel Blog

So since moving here in 2003, I have slowly been adding Mountain Bike trails to my repertoire. Each time I ride a new trail it seems like it quickly becomes my favorite. Deer Creek Trail was no exception to this. This 28+ mile loop from town sends you on an epic ride around Mount Crested Butte. There are certain rides that are best at certain times of year and this is one of them. A lot of people like this ride early season when everything is really green and the flowers are coming out. However, this ride seems to trump my previously favorite fall ride by a landslide! I could not believe the colors I was coming across and at what seemed to be the peak of its color change. This was no day in the park for me as a rider but it was well worth it. Just to be sure that this is my new favorite fall ride I might have to go ride the Dyke Trail tomorrow. Come join me.

One of my favorite fall hikes this loop offers some great wildlife, incredible view and a constant supply of aspen trees. About a mile in you come across a beaver damn that has the biggest beaver home I have ever seen. The second mile offers you an incredible view looking down on the Kebler Pass areas wilderness with its huge grove of aspens. The end of the fourth mile offers another view, this time westward, and the final two mile descent back to the trailhead will have you canopied in yellow, orange and red the whole way. This trail can be a short out and back or a 6 mile loop. A not to be missed fall hike. As you can see, as of the 20th of September the leaves still had a good ways to go in this valley.

If you like to get out there, I mean really out there and explore, Crested Butte is your place. Surrounded by a ridiculous amount of wilderness offering you endless trail and mountains to climb, this is the place. This day I was limited on time so I decided to visit a mountain that I only normally visit in the winter backcountry skiing, Mount Emmons. With a good 4 wheel drive jeep one can drive up the 4x4 road on the back side of the mountain until the road starts to deteriorate and it is best to start hiking. The top picture is my view of Mount Crested Butte and our two towns (Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte). The second picture was of some other summiteers as they explored the mountain top ridge.

The aspen colors are starting to change around town. Up on Kebler Pass there are the beginnings of the color change, but in the Slate River Valley it is at full peak. This year the colors are changing up and down the valley. I took a 4x4 ride up Gun Sight Pass in order to summit Mount Emmons. This picture was taken at the very beginning of the 4x4 just off Slate River Road. Any two wheel vehicle can get to this point.

If you have heard about mountain biking in Crested Butte, you have heard about Trail 401. Famous for its incredible lengthy downhill with flowers up to the handle bars in July, this trail continues to earn its reputation during the other months as well. I rode the trail with some friends on the 14th of September and was offered some early fall colors and some perfect views down the Gothic Valley. This 13.5 mile loop can be shortened to an 8.5 mile loop if you start from Rustlers Gulch.

Crested Butte’s Fall Festival is always a great time and this year was no exception! From town, one only has to jump the free bus 5 minutes up to the base area (no driving). This year the festival offered two bands, 15+ beer tents from all over Colorado and 25 chili’s to sample. And by sample I mean fill up on while you judge your favorites for a multitude of categories in both chili and beer. It’s hard work but there seems to always be plenty of us willing to do our part. For only $25 all you can eat and drink, the research is well worth it.

This trail is a favorite of vacationers coming to the Purple Mountain B&B. It offers an easy drive up through the town site of Gothic and a trail that offers great rewards to the short and long distance hikers. The first part of the trail offers great view of Gothic, Baldy and Crested Butte Mountains with a waterfall (Judd Falls) a little over a mile in. For those willing to go the distance (11 miles round trip) there is a valley hike with multiple creek crossings ending at a lake after about a 1,800 ft elevation gain. It is not abnormal to come across people fly fishing at the lake either.