Mount Columbia, Sawatch Range: 14,073 feet

Mount Columbia is a summit along the West Slopes from the North Cottonwood Creek trailhead of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Mt. Columbia is a Class 2 with Mild Exposure, climbing must be more careful and concentrated very close to the route with fewer route options. Class 2 is a more difficult hiking than class 1, and some hiking may be off the trail. 

The round trip hike to the summit and back to the trailhead is 11.5 miles. Access to the trailhead is moderately difficult, a rough 2WD dirt road, that may require 4WD in early summer. The road is also closed 3 miles below the trailhead, at 9,200 feet in the winter.

The elevation gain of the peak from the trailhead to the peak is 4,250 feet, and the round-trip length of the trail is 11.5 miles.

Mt Oxford, Sawatch Range:14,153 feet

Mount Oxford is a summit connected to Mount Belford with its trailhead at the Missouri Gulch, and it is part of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Oxford is a Class 2 with Mild Exposure, climbing must be more careful and concentrated close to the route with fewer route options and some off-trail hiking.

The round trip length to the summit and back is 11 miles.

The total elevation gain is 5,800 feet and the summit elevation is 14,153 feet, and the main trailhead is the Missouri Gulch Trailhead, a 2WD dirt road. This road is closed 4 miles below the trailhead, at 9,200 feet during winter.

Winter Flights to Crested Butte! FYI

American Airlines 757 will be flying daily this winter from Dallas into Crested Butte/Gunnison Regional Airport.

Continental will also be providing direct daily service from Houston Dec. 15-Jan. 2, 2011 and on Saturdays from Jan. 2 -Mar. 31, 2012.

United will be providing 2 daily flights from Denver.

My New Favorite Hike- Lost Lake

Hike Lost Lake to 3 beautiful lakes!

3 miles of the most beaultiful vistas and views of mountains and lakes - 3 lakes, Lost Lake Slough, Lost Lake, and Dollar Lake. Unbelievable beauty.

Despite the name, you won't get lost. Go to CB, and take Whiterock out towards Irwin Lake. Where the road splits off to Irwin, take a left on Kebler. Keep going, and enjoy the view! when the aspens are all around you in a close woods for awhile, Lost Lake Campground will come up on the left, after Horseranch turnoff.Turn in and keep to the right and park as far as you can. It takes 35 minutes from CB to drive there.

Mountain Biking the Dyke Trail

Or.... where I learned I am a beginner-intermediate mountain biker, not an expert! Ouch! Ouch! Boom. The entrance to the Dyke trail is just above Irwin Lake on the left - don't go too far or you get to private land. This bike trail goes gently down for 5 miles. 

Have a non-biker drive to Horseranch to pick you up, as that is where the trail ends. However, an "easy" hiking trail can be an "expert" biking trail. And that's the case here. Rocks, branches, ups and downs. Easy walking, hard biking.

Mt Belford, Sawatch Range: 14,197 feet

Mount Belford is a summit along the Northwest Ridge from the Missouri Gulch trailhead of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Mt. Belford is a Class 2 with Mild Exposure that is not along the immediate route, but in the area. Class 2 is a bit more difficult hiking than class 1, and some hiking may be off the trail.
The round trip hike to the summit and back to the trailhead is 8 miles.

Mount Princeton is an Intermediate Skiing decent, it is rated:
D4 (slopes around 30 degrees, similar to an easier "Expert" run at a resort);
R2 (slightly more inherent danger than average backcountry ski routes);
Grade II (how long it takes to complete in average conditions- half a day).

The total elevation gain is 4,500 feet and the summit elevation is 14,197 feet, and the main trailhead is the Missouri Gulch Trailhead, a 2WD dirt road.
This road is closed 4 miles below the trailhead, at 9,200 feet during winter.

Mount Princeton, Sawatch Range: 14,197 feet

Mount Princeton is a summit along the East Slopes from the Mt. Princeton Road trailhead of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Mt. Princeton is a Class 2 with Mild Exposure, exposure measures how careful and concentrated your climbing must be, very close to the route with fewer route options.
Class 2 means more difficult hiking than class 1, and some hiking may be off the trail.

Mount Princeton is an Advanced Skiing decent, it is rated:
D7 (slopes around 40 degrees, few terrain obstacles such as trees and cliffs);
R2 (slightly more inherent danger than average backcountry ski routes);
Grade II (how long it takes to complete in average conditions- half a day).

The total elevation gain is 5,400 feet and the summit elevation is 14,197 feet, and the main trailhead is near the town of Nathrop near the Mt. Princeton Road.

The round trip hike to the summit and back to the trailhead is 13 miles if you start at the main trailhead (8,900'), 6.25 miles if you start near 11,000' on the road.

Huron Peak, Sawatch Range:14,003 ft.

Huron Peak is a summit along the North Ridge from the Clear Creek trailhead of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Huron Peak is a Class 2 with Mild Exposure, climbing must be more careful and concentrated very close to the route with fewer route options. Class 2 is a bit more difficult hiking than class 1, and some hiking may be off the trail.

The round trip hike to the summit and back to the trailhead is 6.75 miles, 11 miles if you hike up the entire road from Winfield. Access to the trailhead is moderately difficult, and closed near 9,200 feet in the winter.

The total elevation gain is 3,500 feet and the summit elevation is 14,003 feet. The trailhead is near Winfield at Clear Creek and begins at 10,560 feet.

Mt. Elbert, Sawatch Range: 14,433 feet

Mount Elbert is a summit along the Northeast Ridge route of the Sawatch Mountain Range. It's considered a Class 1 with Mild Exposure, not along the immediate route, but in the area. Class 1 means easy hiking, usually on a trail.
The round trip hike to the summit and back to the trailhead is 9 miles.

The total elevation gain is 4,700 feet and the summit elevation is 14,433 feet. The trailhead is near Leadville at North Elbert and begins at an elevation of 10,040 feet.

Colorado 14ers

14er- a mountain with an elevation above 14,000 feet.
Colorado contains 54 14ers, or 77% of the 14ers on the mainland United States, making it the highest state in the US.

In the next series of blogs, I will be talking about different 14ers in Colorado's Elk Mountain Range and surrounding areas and ranking them based on their difficulty.

Vinotok September 18-24th

The 26th Annual Vinotok Fall Harvest Festival is a time to celebrate the autumn equinox, the bounty of the summer's harvest, and a time for the community to gather before winter.

Sept 18th- Celebration of the Harvest Mother on Elk Avenue between 1st and 2nd streets- to celebrate and honor people's connection to the earth and the bounty she provides. There will be performances of Vinotok poetry starting at 10am.

       The festival begins with the weekly summer farmers' market on September 18th with additional Vinotok activities, including wreath making, grump boxes, street theatre, and more.

Sept. 19-21- the sharing the ancient traditions, multicultural stories and mythology of the festival at Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum from 7 - 9 p.m.

Liar's Night celebrates the tradition of tall tales, whoppers and adventure stories blown out of proportion that are shared on Thursday evening, Sept. 22 at The Eldo, beginning at 8 p.m.

The Community Feast, featuring regionally harvested dishes of roast pig, corn, mixed vegetables, potatoes and traditional Croatian and Slovenian foods, will be held on Friday, Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m. at the Crested Butte Depot. Local musicians, writers and poets will provide the entertainment.

The Saturday of Vinotok, Sept. 24, medieval characters accompanied by torchbearers and flag bearers roam the streets and enter restaurants singing harvest songs, dancing and inviting all to participate in the evening's festivities from 5-7:30 p.m. A street production will be held in front of The Eldo on Elk Avenue at 7:30 p.m.

Crested Butte Film Festival, Gunnison & Crested Butte , Sept. 29 - Oct. 2

Films, discussions and merriment are on tap for this new festival that takes place during one of the prime leaf-viewing weekends of fall. Look for Academy Award nominees, films from Cannes and Sundance and many unknown gems. Most of the films will be Colorado premieres. 

The festival kicks off on Sept. 29 with "Sneak Peek Gunnison" with a double feature of movies showing at the Gunnison Arts Center and the Ruby Theatre, located on the campus of Western State College of Colorado. For information, visit http://www.crestedbuttefilmfestival.org/ or call (303) 204-9080. 

ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Crested Butte- Sept. 29

Come to Art Walk Evenings and visit the galleries of Crested Butte, hosted by the Artists of the West Elks. Here is a list of participating galleries:

1. John Ingham Gallery | 403 3rd Street | 349-5174
2. Oh-Be-Joyful Gallery | 409 3rd Street | 349-5936
3. Rijks Family Gallery | 310 2nd Street | 349-5289
4. Paragon Gallery | 132 Elk Avenue | 349-6484
5. Icehouse Art & Atelier | 2010 1/2 2nd St | 349-1212
6. Susan Anderton Fine Art | Third and Elk | 349-1202
7. J.C. Leacock Photo Gallery | 327 Elk Ave | 901-0087
8. Open Your Eyes Gallery | 413 Elk Avenue | 275-6111
9. Ice Mountain Jewelry | 311 6th Street | 349-6331


September 29
5:00 – 8:00 pm

For more information, visit http://www.awearts.org/.

Woods Walk Trail Fun Run- September 28, 2011 at 6PM

See how you measure up against Crested Butte’s finest student athletes. Run with the High School Cross Country team on a mellow end of season run from Crested Butte to Peanut Mine and return on the old railroad grade. All proceeds from this run will go to the Titan Booster Club supporting High School sports. Distance 4 miles. Meet at The Brick Oven on Elk Avenue in Crested Butte. The run will be followed by pizza at The Brick and the drawing for the Paradox Footwear fun run raffle.

For more information, visit Crested Butte Mtn. Runners.

Crested Butte Fall Color Classic 1/2 Marathon- September 25

The Crested Butte Fall Color Classic is a beautiful half marathon from Kebler Pass down Ohio Pass during the peak of the changing aspen leaves. This race is almost entirely on dirt road with only about 100 feet of pavement. The descent offers breathtaking views of the Ohio Creek Valley and one of the most scenic aspen groves of in the state.

Saturday, September 24th at 9:00AM
The cost is $50, and you can register here.
For more information visit Crested Butte Fall Color Classic.

Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewings! September 15-16

The gates to the observatory are opened at 8:00pm, no reservations are required. A "Summer Nights Program" will be held on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. Viewers are invited to come and enjoy a mini-lecture on a variety of interesting astronomy topics and then view the night sky through the 30" telescope and a few amateur telescopes. Suggested donation for the Summer Series is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children.

Visit Gunnison Observatory for more details!