It would be easy to take this winter and focus only on the bad. Snow came late, and storms were infrequent. March felt more like July, and the trail system never fully opened.
But there was much more to this season than the lack of snowfall. If we only focus on the bad, we miss what really matters. We still held every major event on our calendar, from Thanksgiving Camp to the Grand Traverse. There was more participation in Masters programs than we’ve had in several seasons. Junior Programs filled the trails with kids almost every afternoon. We watched Cam Smith compete in the Olympics and take 4th place at the debut of SkiMo. The Yurt staff made magic happen for over 900 people at Yurt Dinners, and the Yurt Bistro remained your favorite weekly tradition. This season challenged us, but it also showed what we do best. It would also be a mistake to think this is a one-time anomaly. Crested Butte Nordic has been adapting, problem-solving, and growing for nearly 40 years. We’ve seen seasons like this before, and we’ll see them again. Each one has helped shape a stronger, more resilient organization.
This year pushed us to look back at our history more than usual. Low-snow Alley Loop plans? We saw that in 2018. Trail running to start the Grand Traverse? That sounds like 2004 and 2012. Holiday skiing and programs with little snow? Also 2018, but just as much 2011 or 2002. Shoveling snow to cover bare spots? This was hardly the first time we’ve asked for help in that area.
Every challenge we face connects to something we’ve already learned. And every lesson helps guide where we’re going next.
In 1987, a fellow known as Gnurps created what would become Crested Butte’s largest annual event. That event would feature nordic skis, covering Elk Ave. in snow, Colorado’s best cavalcade of costumes, and grow from 83 racers in its first year to more than 1,200 today. This year marked the 40th Alley Loop. Its success is no accident. From the very beginning, the race organizers knew that partnerships and community vibes would be key to having this race. You can’t just dump snow in the middle of Elk Ave., groom it out, and ski it; even in 1987. Town approval and assistance have always made the Alley Loop happen. The Public Works crews play a crucial role by bringing snow onto town roads and removing it as soon as the race is over. They’ve also learned over 40 Alley Loops that less can be more, and that there’s a strategy to snow placement and storage. Starting at the first snowfall, the Public Works crew is thoughtful in how snow is plowed, removed, or stored. What used to be 100+ truckloads of snow is now closer to 60, with nothing lost in race quality. The other piece of foresight that Gnurps had was to put the race through town, giving it an easy and welcoming community feel. Spectators ringing cowbells and tossing beverages from their back decks still push racers to go faster. With low snow a reality from the start, it was clear that to host the Alley Loop, everyone would have to plan ahead and bring the spirit. CB Nordic organized volunteers to trim aspen shoots and shovel snow on Red Lady loops. Locals showed up on race day with as much verve and costume creativity as ever before. The Alley Loop has lasted because of this shared support. With that same spirit, it will continue for years to come. As many say, “It’s the best day of the year.” Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Town Public Works plows up the course at the end of the race | The original town declaration approving the Alley Loop | Young James Scott eats an icicle after the race (1989?) | The original course map layout for the newspaper | Night grooming on Elk Ave. | Pirates racing the Alley Loop circa 2000
Junior Programs have changed over time, but one constant has been Ski4PE. Since 1989 or 1990 (the records are a touch murky), Ski4PE has given the kids of Crested Butte Community School, and now Gunnison Elementary, the chance to take their PE classes to snow and learn a new skill. Since then, our Junior Programs have expanded in both reach and scope, and it’s become clear that programs are the heart of our mission. Today, programs start as young as four in FUN’damentals and grow all the way to the Competitive Team. Kids learn biathlon on infrared rifles, race friends in after-school competitions, and make ice cream while they ski laps on Ruthie’s. 350 of them still do Ski4PE each year. All this fun is just a backdrop for something even more important - developing skills and friendships that will last a lifetime. It isn’t just kids anymore, either. Our Masters Community brings small groups of adults together to build skills, stay active, and connect. Community Outreach programs help more people in the Valley access skiing. This season, we provided about 5,400 program days. Each one of these is a unique and valuable chance to experience the joy of winter. We work hard to keep programs affordable, but it’s a balancing act. One bad snow year puts pressure on everything. That reality is exactly why the Board of CB Nordic began pursuing an endowment several years ago. The Legacy Fund Endowment, which happened to launch during this challenging winter, is designed to build something we’ve never had before: a permanent, stable source of funding for CB Nordic's programs. This fund will help protect our programs from the ups and downs of winter, so we can continue serving the community no matter what the season brings. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Early Ski4PE days | After-school programming circa 2006 | A busy afternoon this season at the Training Area | Kids playing tug-of-war circa 2009
Possibly the biggest early milestone for Crested Butte Nordic was the construction of the Nordic Center building and the Big Mine Ice Arena in the winter of 1993/1994. Bringing town support and backing to a project that benefits locals and visitors alike was a major step in consolidating Crested Butte as a recreation hub. It lent credibility to an organization that understood it was a valuable asset to the community, but needed a place to spread its wings and fly. With a central location, we could store gear, expand lessons and programs, rent equipment, and improve service. It also helped us grow, allowing us to add grooming equipment, expand events, and open a retail shop. Most importantly, it proved that if we want to build a community, the place to start is with a welcoming space for everyone. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Busy days during the holidays | A Tom Stillo photo from 2004 (notice the sleigh ride billboard) | Junior programming taking over the Nordic Center before the Outpost build | The annual potluck spilling outside on a nice fall day
The idea for a trail-side yurt began in 2007 and became a reality in 2009. This season, over 900 guests attended Yurt Dinners, and many more visited for Sunday Bistro. The goal for the yurt was always to create an experience. Getting there is part of the magic. Guests ski or snowshoe out, arriving at a warm, welcoming space in the middle of winter. Behind the scenes, it takes careful planning, teamwork, and constant refinement to make it all work. Each Yurt Dinner is a three-ring circus of logistics and preparation that comes together at 5 p.m. when diners arrive at the trailhead to ski out. That used to be a five-ring circus before our systems were refined, our tracked Tacoma pickup entered the mix, and we knew exactly how much water and wine to bring out each evening. Others bring their energy to that place as well. This year, Marcel Medved helped us liven up the yurt with a beautiful snowflake support sculpture and an upgrade to the solar PV system and lighting. All this brightened the place up in a perfect tribute to Jan Parker, a beloved community member taken too soon. Every Sunday during the winter Berit Mellgren-Deer adds her charm to the Yurt Bistro with a hand-picked selection of pastries, beverages, soup, and cheer that only she can concoct. Without her, Yurt Bistros would be nothing close to the experience that they are today. People, energy, time, and refinement all take their place in how the yurt experience is crafted each season. Without this stewardship by those who care, we would never be able to pull off this uniquely Crested Butte thing year after year. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Yurt construction in 2009 | One of the first pieces of media for the yurt experience (Crested Butte Magazine?) | Yurt Bistro on a bluebird day | Couches in the yurt. The very first decor | Visitors arriving to the yurt via headlamp for a Yurt Dinner
The Grand Traverse began in 1998 and became a CB Nordic event in 2012, a dry year much like this one. As Pat O’Neill put it, “In 2012, it was just as dry as it is now in 2026. Marshall Thomson and I laced up running shoes above Bill Trampe's Ranch and ran to a mile below the Friends Hut. It was AWESOME.” With the record temperatures across much of the West in March, we weren’t sure if the GT was going to happen at all this year. The only thing to do was send field teams out the week of the race and rely on their reports to make the call. As we monitored conditions, we began to see a trend towards safety, and the Friday before the race we knew we had the right setup to ski to Aspen. Ski is used loosely because, like 2012 (and 2004), the start of this year’s race also had a fair amount of running/walking. Nearly 12 miles to be exact. The next 25 miles were a ski race, but the snow conditions were rugged. Veterans who completed the race this year said it was second in difficulty only to the year that featured -20° wind chills and a ground blizzard. When we asked Jalene Szuba, event director for the 2012 race and current board member, if they considered cancelling that year, her response was, “I don't remember there really being a discussion about cancelling - maybe because it was our first year and we couldn't fathom it. I also don't remember any push back - especially not from the leader field. Those guys were so into it, they didn't care what the conditions were as long as the race was happening.” After last year’s cancellation, a reverse in 2024, and low snow and high temps leading up to this year’s race, the Grand Traverse faced uncertainty. Talking to longtime racers and past event directors helped us move forward and channel the spirit of the Grand Traverse. That spirit has long been cultivated by the people who love to race it year after year. We know that this wasn’t the first GT to combine shoes and skis. This race has always been an adventure, and always will be. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Racers ascend to Star Pass with headlamps | A tired racer lays down in the snow at Barnard checkpoint | Reminiscing about hard years circa 2006 or 2007 | 2001 field team pictures. An avalanche dog used to be part of the field team
The pandemic showed how important outdoor recreation is for community and mental health. In the worst days of early Covid, CB Nordic made the choice to continue grooming and keep trails open with a “pay-what-you-can” model. That sounds easy on the surface, but in reality, there were so many hurdles to cross. For one, CB Nordic had to become a designated utility so more than one groomer could maintain the trails. It also became clear that our rental gear process wouldn’t continue to work. The online process we use today came from a very quick pivot to a system implemented in the first weeks of Covid. Not only did these choices save the season, it also provided a healthy outlet for many in the Gunnison Valley who were isolated from family, friends, and the outside world. Even now, the impacts of those choices and that time are apparent. People moved to the valley, and many of them have also found a needed outlet in nordic skiing. They’ve found friends in Masters Community programs, and their kids have learned how to ski in Ski4PE. Faces that were new are now old friends at Yurt Bistros and on Mike’s Mile. Providing and ensuring community access and recreation will always be a priority for us, regardless of what the seasons or the world throws at us. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Junior programming during the 20/21 season | Daily rentals laid out in advance for pickup | Front desk staff helping customers | Inmigrantes de Unidos in 2021 | A lone skier enjoying the sunshine and fresh air | Rentals and passes put out in advance for programming
In 2024, we completed the Outpost building. 30 years after the original Nordic Center was built. It has further expanded our ability to serve programs and staff. Now in its second season, the Outpost is a bustling hub of kids during the winter season. It has lent vibrancy and order to the chaos that was Junior Programs in the old building. Opening up the upstairs of the Nordic Center as a Warming House has also expanded the space we have to welcome the community. The Outpost project was community-funded, with over half of the donations under $1,000. It shows how broad community support can make big things happen. It’s expanded our ability to grow our programs to more kids, store more of the equipment that makes our events run smoothly, and provide a workspace for the people who keep the organization chugging along. Foresight and planning brought the Outpost into reality, and it’s that same focus that keeps CB Nordic planning for its future. Photos (Starting top left and moving clockwise): Team training in the weight room | Cam Smith gives the Nordic community an Olympics rundown this March | Coach Ben gives a speech during a team potluck | Outpost construction | Staff Ikea furniture build day
This collective organizational and community knowledge has guided us through another difficult season. Every year that we learn and grow provides more strength to the ecosystem that is Crested Butte Nordic. Part of growing stronger and learning from the past is setting in place systems to keep everything in harmony.
- Like knowing exactly how much snow is needed and available to ski the Alley Loop well before the race is put on.
- How to guarantee skis for 100+ junior skiers each season.
- The trash cans that lug Ski4PE skis to the kids every week for 30+ years.
- The tracked Tacoma pickup that brings our supplies to the Yurt every week.
- The radio infrastructure that connects Crested Butte to Aspen for the Grand Traverse.
- Our rental system, which was moved online to facilitate Covid safety, and remains today because of its effectiveness.
- Hiring staff with the right temperaments and skills to sort through a line of holiday visitors with patience and precision.
- Thinking ahead to our needs for space so programs and operations can grow with the demands of our valley.
Smart systems come from learned experiences. That’s why we launched the CB Nordic Legacy Fund Endowment this season: to create a more sustainable source of funding for the programs that sit at the heart of our mission. Since the beginning, CB Nordic has been committed to keeping programming affordable and accessible for our community. To make that possible, we’ve relied on a mix of revenue from events, our retail store, the Yurt, and pass sales to help cover the gap between our program costs and what participants pay. Because all of these pieces are interconnected, a low-snow year doesn’t just affect conditions on the trails; it impacts these critical revenue streams as well. When that happens, the strain can quickly reach our programs. The Endowment is designed to help break that cycle, providing stability so we can continue delivering consistent, high-quality programming regardless of the winter we face. As we look to the future, we know there will be bigger hurdles of uncertainty to overcome. We’re confident in our ability to take those challenges on because we know what we’ve been through, and we know what is within our control to manage moving forward. See you next season. Rumor is it’s supposed to be big.
None of this is possible without the generous support of our donors, partners, and the Gunnison Valley community. Thank you!
Donors and Partners
For a local nonprofit, every donation counts and every donation matters. We are a community organization and all of us should be proud of that. Thank you for your ongoing support.
All of the non-archival photos in this year's Spring Newsletter are courtesy of the beloved and talented Xavier Fane. You can view his extensive portfolio of beautiful images here.